A 53-year-old Malay man was admitted with intestinal obstruction, fever and lower limb weakness. Initial clinical impression was myelitis causing paralytic ilues and paraperesis. Blood culture showed Burkholderia pseudomallei infection and subsequent MRI showed paravertebral abscess. This case highlights a rare manifestation of melioidosis involving the spine and difficulties in establishing the diagnosis.
Dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation is considered standard treatment for most intertrochanteric fractures. However, excessive sliding at the fracture site and medialisation of femoral shaft may lead in fixation failure. In contrast, fixed-angled 95° condylar blade plate (CBP) has no effective dynamic capacity and causes little bone loss compared to DHS. We compared the outcome of 57consecutive unstable intertrochanteric fragility fractures treated with these two fixation methods. CBP instrumentation is more difficult requiring longer incision, operating time and higher surgeon-reported operative difficulty. The six month post-operative mortality rate is 16%. Post-operative Harris hip scores were comparable between the two methods. Limb length shortening more than 20 mm was 6-fold more common with DHS. In elderly patients with unstable intertrochanteric fragility fractures, fixed angled condylar blade plate appears to be a better choice than dynamic hip screws for preventing fixation failures.
Removal of plates is a procedure commonly performed by orthopaedic surgeons and stripped screws are probably the most common problem encountered during this procedure. Stripped screws are caused by slippage between the screwdriver and the screw. Due to the inherent difficulty in removing such screws, surgeons should be knowledgeable in techniques for their removal and should be equipped with the proper instruments to expedite the procedure. There are few published articles about such techniques. This report describes a technique for removal of plates with stripped screws. The tip of a stripped screw is approached from the far cortex and then reamed with a trephine reamer in the direction of the screw until both cortices are cleared. The plate is then removed with stripped screws attached. All the removals utilizing this technique to date have been successful with no complications, and this method is safe, efficient and technically easy to learn.
Forearm deformity secondary to giant solitary ulna exostosis is rare. We describe a rare presentation of symptomatic solitary giant exostosis involving the entire distal ulna resulting in ulnar bowing of the forearm in a five-year-old boy. The tumour was completely resected and the defect was reconstructed with an allograft wrapped with a free autogenous periosteal tubular sleeve to deliver fresh pluripotential cells for better incorporation and integration. The distal ulna physes was preserved. An osteotomy was performed on the radius to correct the deformity. One year after surgery, the deformity remains corrected with normal bone length and excellent hand function. There is no evidence of local recurrence and the allograft has fully incorporated.
Chance fracture is an unstable vertebral fracture, which usually results from a high velocity injury. An elderly lady with a previously healed osteoporotic fracture of the T12 and L1 vertebra which resulted in a severe kyphotic deformity subsequently sustained a Chance fracture of the adjacent L2 vertebrae after a minor fall. The previously fracture left her with a deformity which resulted in significant sagittal imbalance therefore predisposing her to this fracture. This case highlights the importance of aggressive treatment of osteoporotic fractures in order to prevent significant sagittal imbalance from resultant (i.e. kyphotic) deformity.
Osteosarcoma occurring in the humerus is often confined to the proximal part, in which case, reconstruction after excision is less daunting. When the tumour spreads down the medullary cavity distally, a total humeral replacement is often required. This is costly and beyond the means of the average patient in a developing country. An amputation is often the procedure of first resort. We report a 13-year-old boy with osteosarcoma originating from the left proximal humerus, with involvement of the marrow reaching down to the distal diaphyseal-metaphyseal junction, leaving only 6 cm of the distal humerus intact after wide resection. Reconstruction of the defect was done with a composite cement-autoclaved autograft fixed to the remaining humerus with a plate. At 40 months of follow-up, the patient is well with normal function of the elbow, wrist and hand. Salvaging the limb despite near total involvement of the humerus by high grade osteosarcoma is possible using material available in the average orthopaedic operating room.
Objective: To evaluate the early results of patients in a single institution who underwent total knee arthroplasty using an implant system. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 76 total knee replacements using the Genesis II prosthesis (Smith and Nephew, Memphis) in 60 patients (16 were bilateral cases) performed between February 2005 andFebruary 2008. Patient related outcomes and clinical evaluations were done by an independent observer. Knee function and patient satisfaction were evaluated using the American Knee Society (ASK) score and the Western Ontario and Mac Master University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Results: The mean age of the patients at the time of operation was 63.5years. The mean follow up period was 1 year 5 months. At the final follow up, the mean Knee Society Knee Score was 87.9 with 77.3% (58 knees) rated excellent, 21.3% (16 knees) rated good and1.3% (1 knee) rated fair; none were rated poor. The mean Function Score was 87.1 with 64% (48 knees) rated excellent, 29.3% (22 knees) rated good, 6.7% (5 knees) rated fair, no knee was rated poor. The mean WOMAC Score was 94.4 (standard deviation 6.59). Conclusion: Most patients treated for knee osteoarthritis with total knee replacement showed high rates of excellence and good early functional outcomes.
Objective: To compare the fusion rate between autogenous tricortical iliac crest bone graft and hydroxyapatite block graft in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery. Methodology: Retrospective review of cases that underwent ACDF surgery between 2005 and 2008. They were divided into two groups based on the graft material used. Assessment of fusion at 6 months post-surgery was carried out based on the static lateral cervical radiograph. Results: 32 cases were reviewed; 16 in each arm. There were 29 discectomies performed in the hydroxyapatite group as compared to 22 in the iliac crest group. 18 levels in the hydrxyapatite group showed radiological fusion while in the iliac crest group there were 21 levels fused. Seven patients had donor site pain. Conclusion: The fusion rate for autogenous tricortical iliac crest bone graft in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery was 95%, a more superior fusion rate than that of hydroxyapatite block graft which was 62.1%.
Objectives: To study the prevalence and the risk factors for surgical site infection in patients who underwent posterior instrumented surgery for thoracolumbar burst fractures. Methodology: Retrospective review of cases operated between year 2006 and 2007. The final end point is the detection of surgical site infection within one year. Results: A total of 38 cases were reviewed. Surgical site infection occurred in 5 cases. Only one had deep infection. The onset of infection occurred within one month in all cases. The risk factors studied were smoking, timing of surgery, duration of surgery, neurological deficit, associated injuries and high dose methylprednisolone administration. None of them were statistically significant as risk factors for surgical site infection. Conclusion: The prevalence of surgical site infection in patients who underwent posterior instrumented surgery for thoracolumbar burst fractures was 13%.
Intrarticular Hyaluronic Acid was administered to 45 patients with various grades of osteoarthritis in the knee. Following 3 fortnightly injections, these patients were reviewed at 6 weeks and 3 months with regard to their knee pain. We found the most patients (84.4%) has decreased knee pain following these injections. Patients who had severe grade osteoarthritis based on knee radiographs before the injections were less likely to have pain reduction compared to those with milder grade osteoarthritis. Only 4 (8.9%) patients showed no improvement and were subsequently considered for surgery. Many patients did not require any further treatment (24.4%) and the remaining were given analgesia (64.4%) to aid in their pain. One patient required another course of this injection. there were no complications recorded in this study. We concluded that Intrarticular Hyaluronic acid is an easy and safe method to treat osteoarthritis. The short-term outcome with regard to knee pain is good in patients with milder grades of osteoarthritis.
Study site: Private orthopaedic clinic, Johor, Malaysia
The aim of this descriotive study is to determine the incidence of injuries among recreational badminton players. We evaluated 86 recreational badminton players in the city of Malacca; 35 were excluded for fitting the exclusion criteria. The average recreational badminton player was 36.13 years old and had been playing badminton for the past 17.84 years at a frequency of 2.11 times per week. 39.21% of the recreational badminton players complained of recent injuries in relation to playing badminton. Our data showed that the most common injury sustained by recreational badminton players was pain and stiffness at the shoulder joint. None of the injuries sustained by the players in our data were serious enough to warrant any form of surgical intervention. We conclude that badminton is a sport of relatively low risk and that the majority of related injuries were chronic overuse injuries.
This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Patients with knee osteoarthritis were followed for a period of six months to assess the efficacy of intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid given three times in three consecutive weeks. Fifty patients were reviewed at two, eight and 24 weeks post-injection. The average age was 60.9 years and female to male ratio was 3:1. Patients were assessed using the Lequesne Algofunctional Index for function, and the visual analogue score for pain and side effects. We found that the knee pain reduced and the function improved in most patients and these beneficial effects maintained for till the last follow up. The only side effect noted was one case of acute non-septic joint effusion after the 3rd injection. We concluded that intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid can produce pain relief and functional improvement for up to 6 months.
Fracture of the femoral neck is one of the most common types of osteoporotic fractures. Hemiarthroplasty continues to be a good option despite current calls for total hip arthroplasty in this subset of patients. The hemiarthroplasty is less expensive and easier to perform, and can be adequately carried out in smaller hospitals with basic orthopaedic facilities staffed by general orthopaedists. Functional demands of the elderly among Asians are often less compared to similar subsets of Western population on which most comparative hip studies are based. This study was undertaken to investigate the outcome for femoral neck fractures treated with conventional hemiarthroplasty. The authors hope to provide information based on local data as a reference for our doctors and patients.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a life and limb threatening soft tissue infection with a high mortality rate. This study tries to identify the possible risk factors that contribute to mortality in patients with necrotizing fasciitis involving a lower limb. We prospectively reviewed 41 patients that presented with necrotizing fasciitis of the lower limb over a period of one year. Results show that the mortality rate for necrotizing fasciitis of the lower limb is quite high at 19.5%. Comparison among necrotizing fasciitis patients reveals that higher mortality rate is seen among those patients with advanced age and those presented with initial high pre-operative creatinine levels. Sex, pre-morbid diabetes mellitus, duration from initial symptoms to presentation for treatment and presence of streptococcus group A were not associated with an increased mortality rate. Neither were admission vital signs, subcutaneous gas on radiograph, prior antibiotic treatment on admission or clinical note of bullae formation.
Extensive peri-acetabular osteolysis caused by malignant disease process is a major surgical challenge as conventional hip arthroplasty is not adequate. We describe a modified use of the Harrington procedure for acetabular insufficiency secondary to metastatic disease in twelve patients. The procedures include application of multiple threaded pins to bridge the acetabular columns, anti-protrusio cage and cemented acetabular cup. Eleven patients were able to walk pain free and achieved a mean Musculoskeletal Tumour Society Functional Score of 80 (range, 68 to 86).
The number of hip replacement procedures in the United States is expected to increase four-fold by 2030. Younger patients, those under 65 years old, are expected to account for 53% of hip replacements in 2030, compared to 44% in 2005. As midterm review results are becoming available worldwide now, the problem that perplexes surgeons is the alteration of limb length which has been an ancillary goal of Total Hip Replacements. The lack of modularity in neck lengths and offsets in resurfacing arthroplasty clearly limits the change in limb lengths achievable for the hip. The goal of this study is to scrutinize the various parameters that affect implant seating in resurfacing arthroplasty and to determine the alteration of limb length achievable during surgery.
Selective cervical nerve root injection using a mixture of corticosteroid and lignocaine is a treatment option for managing cervical radiculopathic pain. The procedure is usually performed under image guided fluoroscopy or Computerized Tomograhy. Ultrasound-guided cervical nerve root block does not expose the patients and personnel to radiation. During injection, the fluid is mostly visualized in a real-time fashion. This retrospective study reviewed the effectiveness of ultrasound in guiding cervical peri-radicular injection for pain relief in patients with recalcitrant cervical radiculopathy. There were no complications reported in this series.
We evaluated the efficacy of a cement gun to improve the depth of cement penetration in total knee arthroplasty. Ninety-one consecutive patients from two hospitals were recruited for this study. For Group I cement was applied to the tibial baseplate and the proximal tibia with fingers. Group 2 had similar application of cement to the tibial baseplate but cement was pressurized into the proximal tibia using a cement gun.. The knee was kept extended until the cement hardened. Standard post-operative x-rays were reviewed to assess cement penetration into the proximal tibia. The mean cement penetration was 2.1 mm in Group 1 and 3.1 mm in Group 2 and the difference was statistically significant. The use of the cement gun improves cement penetration into the proximal tibia and facilitates early stability of the implant fixation to the bone.
The posterior slope of the tibial plateau is an important feature to preserve during knee replacement. The correct slope aids in the amount of flexion and determines if the knee will be loose on flexion. This is a study on the posterior tibial plateau slope based on preoperative and postoperative radiographs of 100 consecutive patients who had total knee replacements. The average posterior slope of the tibia plateau was 10.1 degrees. There is a tendency for patients with higher pre-operative posterior tibial plateau slope to have higher post-operative posterior tibial plate slope.
Synovial sarcoma of the extremities is an uncommon type of soft tissue sarcoma occuring predominantly in young adults at the para-articular regions. We present a series of 10 patients with an average age of 44 years and include a follow-up of 39 months. Eight patients had a surgical procedure for a mistaken benign lesion. In contrast to other soft tissue sarcomas, the swellings were associated with pain and most were fixed to the underlying structures. Five patients had a local reccurence after many years, stressing the necessity for close and long-term follow-up in these patients.