Material and methods: The extracortical bone bridge interface's radiological parameter was evaluated at the prosthesis bone junction two years after surgery utilising a picture archiving and communication system (PACS). The radiograph's anteroposterior and lateral view was analysed for both thickness and length in all four cortices. The analysis was done in SPSS Version 24 using One-Way ANOVA and independent T-Test. Results were presented as mean and standard deviation and considered significant when the p-value was < 0.05.
Results: The mean average thickness was 2.2293mm (SD 1.829), and the mean average length was 31.95% (SD 24.55). We observed that the thickness and length of EBBI were superior in the young patient or patients with giant cell tumour that did not receive chemotherapy, compared to patients treated for osteosarcoma. The distal femur also had better EBBI compared to the proximal tibia. However, the final multivariable statistical analysis showed no significant difference in all variables. EBBI thickness was significantly and positively correlated with EBBI Length (p<0.001). We conclude that, for each 1mm increase in EBBI thickness, the length will increase by 0.06% on average. About 17.2% of patients out of the 29 showed no radiological evidence of EBBI.
Conclusion: From our study, there were no factors that significantly contributed to the formation and incorporation of EBBI.
CASE REPORT: We describe here an unusual case of leptospirosis complicated by haemolytic anaemia in a 70-year-old man with established kidney failure. He presented with an abrupt onset of shortness of breath, flushing and erythematous rash after completing haemodialysis. The patient's biochemistry test samples were however rejected twice as they were grossly haemolysed. The integrated auto-verification alert system implemented in the hospital's laboratory information system alerted the staff of the possibility of in vivo haemolysis.
DISCUSSION: The auto-verification alert system effectively distinguishes between in vitro and in vivo haemolysis and as such can be utilised as a diagnostic aid in patients with suspected intravascular haemolysis.