Sharath K Rao

Use of intramedullary fibular strut graft: a novel adjunct to plating in the treatment of osteoporotic humeral shaft nonunion

Humeral shaft fractures respond well to conservative treatment and unite without much problem. Since it is uncommon, there is not much discussion regarding the management of nonunion in the literature, and hence this is a challenge to the treating orthopaedic surgeon. Osteoporosis of the fractured bone and stiffness of the surrounding joints compounds the situation further. The Ilizarov fixator, locking compression plate, and vascularised fibular graft are viable options in this scenario but are technically demanding. We used a fibular strut graft for bridging the fracture site in order to enhance the pull-out strength of the screws of the dynamic compression plate. Six patients in the study had successful uneventful union of the fracture at the last follow-up. The fibula is easy to harvest and produces less graft site morbidity. None of the study patients needed additional iliac crest bone grafting. This is the largest reported series of patients with osteoporotic atrophic nonunion of humerus successfully treated solely using the combination of an intramedullary fibular strut graft and dynamic compression plate.RésuméLes fractures de l’humérus répondent bien au traitement conservateur avec une bonne consolidation. Concernant les pseudarthroses, la littérature est assez controversée et ceci reste un traitement difficile pour les chirurgiens orthopédistes, notamment en ce qui concerne l’ostéoporose et la raideur des articulations adjacentes. Le fixateur externe d’Ilizarov, les plaques en compression, les greffes vascularisées sont des possibilités techniques et thérapeutiques. Nous avons utilisé des fragments de péroné pontant le foyer de fractures associés à une plaque dynamique en compression. Les patients dans cette étude ont eu un bon résultat avec consolidation de la fracture au dernier suivi. Le péroné est un site intéressant pour le prélèvement des greffons, avec peu de morbidité. Aucun patient n’a nécessité un complément de greffes iliaques. Cette étude est la plus importante concernant une série de patients présentant une pseudarthrose athrophique avec ostéoporose au niveau de l’humérus traités avec succès par l’utilisation combinée de greffes de péroné intra médullaire et d’une plaque dynamique en compression.

Mechanical failure in intramedullary interlocking nails

Purpose. To study clinical and mechanical factors that predispose to failure of interlocking nails. Methods. Between October 1996 and December 2002, 286 femoral fractures, 211 tibial fractures, and 47 humeral fractures were repaired using variously designed interlocking nails. Fracture pattern, level and site, nail size and type, weight bearing after nailing, and union status were reviewed after a mean follow-up of 22 months. Results. Nail failure occurred in 27 fracture repairs (17 femoral, 9 tibial, and one humeral; 13 from our institution and 14 referred from elsewhere). In 55% of failed repairs, the fracture was distal. A high rate of tibial nail failure was noted. Conclusion. Distal fractures and stress concentration at the distal screws predispose to interlocking nail failure and can be prevented by protected weight bearing combined with the use of longer and larger nails. Routine supplementary cancellous bone grafting is unnecessary during renailing surgery when adequate reaming and a larger nail are used.

Ilizarov treatment of complex tibial pilon fractures

We treated 21 consecutive patients between 1998 and 2002 with complex tibial pilon fractures, eight type B and 13 type C, using percutaneous reduction and fixation with the small diameter Ilizarov apparatus. The average patient age was 34±5.6 years (range 28–52 years). Nine of the patients had open fractures (two type I, four type II, and three type IIIA). The patients were followed up regularly at 6-month intervals for 2 years. All fractures united. The fixator was removed at an average of 26.6±4.2 weeks (range 20–34 weeks). The average American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hind foot score was excellent in 11 patients, good in five, fair in four, and poor in one. Thirteen patients were able to squat and climb stairs.RésuméNous avons traité 21 malades consécutifs entre 1998 et 2002 avec une fracture complexe du pilon tibial, huit de type B et 13 de type C, en utilisant une réduction percutanée et une fixation avec l’appareil d’Ilizarov de petit diamètre. L’âge moyen des patients était de 34 (28–52) ans. Neuf malades avaient des fractures ouvertes (deux type I, quatre type II, et trois type IIIA). Les malades ont été suivis régulièrement à intervalle de six mois pendant deux années. Toutes les fractures ont consolidé. Le fixateur a été enlevé à une moyenne de 26,6 (20–34) semaines. Le score moyen d´AOFAS était excellent pour onze malades, bon pour cinq, juste pour quatre et mauvais pour un. Treize malades étaient capables de s’accroupir et de monter les escaliers.

Cephalomedullary nails in the management of ipsilateral neck and shaft fractures of the femur--one or two femoral neck screws?

This was a prospective study of 43 consecutive cases of combined ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures treated with cephalomedullary nails. Sequential clinicoradiological evaluation of all high-energy femoral shaft fractures to detect associated ipsilateral neck fracture improved diagnosis. All but 1 of 35 cases included in the study achieved union of both fractures and excellent or good functional outcome. Mean Harris Hip Score at the last follow-up was 92+/-4 in single-neck screw configurations, and 94+/-3 for two-neck screw cephalomedullary nails which had better tip-apex distance. Mean sliding of the neck screw was 5+/-2mm with single-neck and 3+/-2mm with two-neck screw constructs. In six cases shortening was <1cm; 22 had delayed union of the shaft fracture, but only four of these needed additional surgery. Early aggressive fixation of both fractures using a cephalomedullary nail with the least possible surgical trauma is the key to success in these polytrauma cases.

A novel approach to juxta-articular aggressive and recurrent giant cell tumours: resection arthrodesis using bone transport over an intramedullary nail

Aggressive juxta-articular giant cell tumours of the lower limbs occurring in young patients are a challenge to the average orthopaedic surgeon. Although it is the treatment of choice for these tumours, wide resection creates a problem for the reconstruction of large bone gaps. We describe our results after resection arthrodesis of such tumours using the technique of bone transport over a long intramedullary nail in 27 patients. This is the first and largest study of its kind in the management of giant cell tumours in the literature. All our patients fared well with this mode of treatment, and none had recurrence or major complications.RésuméLes tumeurs à cellules géantes juxta articulaires des membres inférieurs surviennent chez de jeunes patients et leur traitement est difficile. Une résection large est le traitement de choix de ces tumeurs. Cette résection pose le problème de la reconstruction osseuse. Nous décrivons nos résultats après résection arthrodèse de telles tumeurs en utilisant la technique du transport osseux le long d’un clou centro médullaire, ce traitement a été utilisé chez 27 patients. Il s’agit de la première étude de ce type. Ces patients ont guéri avec ce traitement. Il n’y a pas eu de récidive de cette tumeur ni de complications majeures.

Bilateral spontaneous rupture of Achilles tendons: a case report.

Spontaneous bilateral rupture of Achilles tendon is rare. Rupture of the Achilles tendon has been described in patients on oral corticosteroid therapy. The sudden dorsiflexion of the plantar-flexed foot is the usual mechanism of injury. Spontaneous bilateral rupture is common in the degenerated tendon, which is often seen in patients with long-term corticosteroid therapy. This case is unusual because the patient has never taken steroids. We discuss the mechanism of injury and other probable causes.

Clinical and radiological outcome of percutaneous plating in extra-articular proximal tibia fractures: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND Despite various techniques of fixation, proximal tibia fractures are associated with poor outcome and increased rates of complications. Minimal access and rigid fixation are the keys for optimal outcome in such fractures. Therefore, this study was designed to look for the clinical and radiological outcomes of percutaneous locked plating (PLP) in extra-articular proximal tibia fracture. METHODS Between April 2008 and September 2010, 47 consecutive patients with 49 proximal third extra-articular tibial fractures (29 closed and 20 open injuries) underwent PLP. The patients were followed up at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. The union rate and complications of this fixation were evaluated. The clinico-radiological outcomes were assessed at 1 year of surgery. RESULTS Four patients had infection in the postoperative period which needed repeated debridement, gentamycin bead application and prolonged antibiotic therapy. Three of these infective cases ended up with nonunion and needed cancellous bone grafting. All the remaining fractures united. The average time for union was 20 weeks in closed and type I open fracture and 25 weeks in type II and III fractures. No neurovascular injury, hardware failure or loss of fixation was documented till the last follow-up. The mean range of knee joint movement was 119°. The average lower extremity functional score (LEFS) was 59 (74%). There were 10 cases of malunion (20.14%), with six varus/valgus and five procurvatum/recurvatum (one having both sagittal and coronal malunion) angulations. There were no statistical differences between patients with malunion and normal alignment with regard to knee range of motion and LEFS. CONCLUSION Minimally invasive osteosynthesis using PLP in extra-articular proximal tibia fractures showed a promising result with minimal complications.

Correlation between clinical features and magnetic resonance imaging findings in lumbar disc prolapse

Background: Lumbar disc prolapse is one of the common causes of low back pain seen in the working population. There are contradictorty reports regarding the clinical significance of various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings observed in these patients. The study was conducted to correlate the abnormalities observed on MRI and clinical features of lumbar disc prolapse. Materials and Methods: 119 clinically diagnosed patients with lumbar disc prolapse were included in the study. Clinical evaluation included pain distribution, neurological symptoms and signs. MR evaluation included grades of disc degeneration, type of herniation, neural foramen compromise, nerve root compression, and miscellaneous findings. These MRI findings were tested for inter- and intraobserver variability. The MRI findings were then correlated with clinical symptoms and the level of disc prolapse as well as neurological signs and symptoms. Statistical analysis included the Kappa coefficient, Odd’s ratio, and logistic regression analysis. Results: There were no significant inter- or intraobserver variations for most of MRI findings (Kappa value more than 0.5) except for type of disc herniation which showed a interobserver variation of 0.46 (Kappa value). The clinical level of pain distribution correlated well with the MRI level (Kappa 0.8), but not all disc bulges produced symptoms. Central bulges and disc protrusions with thecal sac compression were mostly asymptomatic, while centrolateral protrusions and extrusions with neural foramen compromise correlated well with the dermatomal distribution of pain. Root compression observed in MRI did not produce neurological symptoms or deficits in all patients but when deficits were present, they correlated well with the presence of root compression in MRI. Multiple level disc herniations with foramen compromise were strongly associated with the presence of neurological signs. Conclusions: The presence of centrolateral protrusion or extrusion with gross foramen compromise correlates with clinical signs and symptoms very well, while central bulges and disc protrusions correlate poorly with clinical signs and symptoms. The presence of neural foramen compromise is more important in determining the clinical signs and symptoms while type of disc herniation (bulge, protrusion, or extrusion) correlates poorly with clinical signs and symptoms.

Staged Arthroscopic Reconstructive Surgery for Multiple Ligament Injuries of the Knee

Purpose. To review treatment outcome of our staged protocol for multiple ligament injuries of the knee. Methods. 21 men who were treated for multiple ligament injuries of the knee and had completed at least one year of rehabilitation were evaluated. Patients were examined under anaesthesia and then by diagnostic arthroscopy. Arthroscopic reconstructive procedures for injured cruciate ligaments were performed after a minimum 110° flexion and full extension were regained. Collateral ligaments injuries were treated first, followed by posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and then anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. Outcome was evaluated using the Lysholm knee score and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) knee ligament evaluation form. Results. 19 patients aged 24 to 55 (mean, 36) years were followed up for a mean of 22 (range, 14–33) months. The mean Lysholm score was 92. The mean scores for patients treated within and after 3 weeks were 93 and 90, respectively. The overall IKDC grading was B in 15 knees and C and D each in 2 knees. For the 2 patients with grade D, one presented 19 months after the injury and had persistent posterior sag (secondary to capsular contracture). His Lysholm score was 82. The second patient developed a deep infection and endured a flexion loss of 30° but had a satisfactory Lysholm score of 94. There was no significant difference between early and delayed treatments and between low- and high-velocity injuries in terms of the Lysholm score, the IKDC grade, the range of movement, and the functional outcome. Conclusion. Staged management of multiple ligament injuries of the knee enabled satisfactory restoration of function, stability, and range of movement in most of our patients. By staging the procedures, the need for subsequent ACL reconstruction can be better evaluated, as ACL reconstruction is not necessary in patients not undertaking strenuous activities.

Thorn prick osteomyelitis of the foot in barefoot walkers: a report of four cases

Walking barefoot is common in developing countries and the feet are therefore exposed to a variety of trivial injuries, some of which lead to cellulitis or abscess formation. If left untreated or improperly managed, osteomyelitis or septic arthritis, usually involving the heel or metatarsals, may follow. In countries with limited resources, the emphasis should be on clinical assessment for diagnosis, and good surgical technique for treatment. We report 4 patients with thorn prick osteomyelitis of the foot due to walking barefoot. All were treated with thorn removal, surgical debridement, and oral ofloxacin. Surgical removal of the thorn is the key to successful treatment and to avoiding recurrent infection.