The Targon FN plate is a combination of the sliding hip screw and multiple cancellous screws. It is used in the fixation of intracapsular fractures of the neck of femur. The aim of this prospective audit was to assess clinical and radiological outcomes of Targon FN. All patients who had a Targon FN fixation over a period of 18 months at a district general hospital were included. A pro forma was completed using medical records, including x-ray images.Background
Method
We studied the mechanical properties of cartilage from the apparently unaffected compartment of knees with unicompartmental osteoarthritis (OA). Plugs of cartilage and subchondral bone, 8 mm in diameter, were obtained from the tibial plateau of seven patients treated by total knee replacement. Control specimens were obtained from eight cadaver knees of similar age. Specimens were loaded by a plane-ended indentor in a hydraulic materials testing machine; we measured thickness, 'softness', rate of creep, and compressive strength of the articular cartilage. We found that the 'unaffected' cartilage from OA knees was significantly thinner and softer than control cartilage, and it was slightly, although not significantly, weaker. We conclude that the apparently unaffected cartilage in knees with unicompartmental OA is mechanically inferior to normal cartilage, even although clinically, radiologically and morphologically it appears to be sound.
