To determine whether an early return to sport in professional
Australian Rules Football players after fixation of a non-thumb
metacarpal fracture was safe and effective. A total of 16 patients with a mean age of 25 years (19 to 30)
identified as having a non-thumb metacarpal fracture underwent open
reduction and internal plate and screw fixation. We compared the
players’ professional performance statistics before and after the
injury to determine whether there was any deterioration in their
post-operative performance.Aims
Patients and Methods
We performed a systematic review of the current literature regarding
the outcomes of unconstrained metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) arthroplasty. We initially identified 1305 studies, and 406 were found to be
duplicates. After exclusion criteria were applied, seven studies
were included. Outcomes extracted included pre- and post-operative
pain visual analogue scores, range of movement (ROM), strength of
pinch and grip, satisfaction and patient reported outcome measures
(PROMs). Clinical and radiological complications were recorded.
The results are presented in three groups based on the design of
the arthroplasty and the aetiology (pyrocarbon-osteoarthritis (pyro-OA),
pyrocarbon-inflammatory arthritis (pyro-IA), metal-on-polyethylene
(MoP)).Aims
Materials and Methods
We report a new surgical technique of open carpal
tunnel release with subneural reconstruction of the transverse carpal
ligament and compare this with isolated open and endoscopic carpal
tunnel release. Between December 2007 and October 2011, 213 patients with carpal
tunnel syndrome (70 male, 143 female; mean age 45.6 years; 29 to
67) were recruited from three different centres and were randomly
allocated to three groups: group A, open carpal tunnel release with
subneural reconstruction of the transverse carpal ligament (n =
68); group B, isolated open carpal tunnel release (n = 92); and
group C, endoscopic carpal tunnel release (n = 53). At a mean final follow-up of 24 months (22 to 26), we found no
significant difference between the groups in terms of severity of
symptoms or lateral grip strength. Compared with groups B and C,
group A had significantly better functional status, cylindrical
grip strength and pinch grip strength. There were significant differences
in Michigan Hand Outcome scores between groups A and B, A and C,
and B and C. Group A had the best functional status, cylindrical
grip strength, pinch grip strength and Michigan Hand Outcome score. Subneural reconstruction of the transverse carpal ligament during
carpal tunnel decompression maximises hand strength by stabilising
the transverse carpal arch. Cite this article:
Total wrist arthrodesis (TWA) produces a spectrum of outcomes.
We investigated this by reviewing 77 consecutive TWA performed for
inflammatory and post-traumatic arthropathies, wrist instability
and as a salvage procedure. All operations were performed by a single surgeon using a specifically
designed pre-contoured dorsally applied non-locking wrist arthrodesis
plate at a single centre. Aims
Patients and Methods
We report a new surgical technique for the treatment
of traumatic dislocation of the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint of the
thumb. This is a tenodesis which uses part of the flexor carpi radialis. Between January 2010 and August 2013, 13 patients with traumatic
instability of the CMC joint of the thumb were treated using this
technique. The mean time interval between injury and ligament reconstruction
was 13 days (0 to 42). The mean age of the patients at surgery was
38 years: all were male. At a mean final follow-up of 26 months (24 to 29), no patient
experienced any residual instability. The mean total palmar abduction
of the CMC joint of the thumb was 61° and the mean radial abduction
65° The mean measurements for the uninjured hand were 66° (60° to
73°) and 68° (60° to 75°), respectively. The mean Kapandji thumb
opposition score was 8.5° (8° to 9°). The mean pinch and grip strengths
of the hand were 6.7 kg (3.4 to 8.2) and 40 kg (25 to 49), respectively.
The mean Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire
score was 3 (1 to 6). Based on the Smith and Cooney score, we obtained
a mean score of 85 (75 to 95), which included four excellent, seven
good, and two fair results. Our technique offers an alternative method of treating traumatic
dislocation of the CMC joint of the thumb: it produces a stable
joint and acceptable hand function. Cite this article:
The aims of this study were to assess the efficacy
of a newly designed radiological technique (the radial groove view)
for the detection of protrusion of screws in the groove for the
extensor pollicis longus tendon (EPL) during plating of distal radial
fractures. We also aimed to determine the optimum position of the
forearm to obtain this view. We initially analysed the anatomy of
the EPL groove by performing three-dimensional CT on 51 normal forearms.
The mean horizontal angle of the groove was 17.8° (14° to 23°).
We found that the ideal position of the fluoroscopic beam to obtain
this view was 20° in the horizontal plane and 5° in the sagittal
plane. We then intra-operatively assessed the use of the radial groove
view for detecting protrusion of screws in the EPL groove in 93
fractures that were treated by volar plating. A total of 13 protruding
screws were detected. They were changed to shorter screws and these
patients underwent CT scans of the wrist immediately post-operatively.
There remained one screw that was protruding. These findings suggest
that the use of the radial groove view intra-operatively is a good
method of assessing the possible protrusion of screws into the groove
of EPL when plating a fracture of the distal radius. Cite this article:
There is no consensus on the benefit of arthroscopically
assisted reduction of the articular surface combined with fixation
using a volar locking plate for the treatment of intra-articular
distal radial fractures. In this study we compared the functional
and radiographic outcomes of fluoroscopically and arthroscopically
guided reduction of these fractures. Between February 2009 and May 2013, 74 patients with unilateral
unstable intra-articular distal radial fractures were randomised
equally into the two groups for treatment. The mean age of these
74 patients was 64 years (24 to 92). We compared functional outcomes
including active range of movement of the wrist, grip strength and Disabilities
of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores at six and 48 weeks; and radiographic
outcomes that included gap, step, radial inclination, volar angulation
and ulnar variance. There were no significant differences between the techniques
with regard to functional outcomes or radiographic parameters. The
mean gap and step in the fluoroscopic and arthroscopic groups were
comparable at 0.9 mm (standard deviation Arthroscopic reduction conferred no advantage over conventional
fluoroscopic guidance in achieving anatomical reduction of intra-articular
distal radial fractures when using a volar locking plate. Cite this article:
We hypothesised that the use of pulsed electromagnetic
field (PEMF) bone growth stimulation in acute scaphoid fractures
would significantly shorten the time to union and reduce the number
of nonunions in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre
trial. A total of 102 patients (78 male, 24 female; mean age 35
years (18 to 77)) from five different medical centres with a unilateral
undisplaced acute scaphoid fracture were randomly allocated to PEMF
(n = 51) or placebo (n = 51) and assessed with regard to functional
and radiological outcomes (multiplanar reconstructed CT scans) at
6, 9, 12, 24 and 52 weeks. The overall time to clinical and radiological healing
did not differ significantly between the active PEMF group and the
placebo group. We concluded that the addition of PEMF bone growth
stimulation to the conservative treatment of acute scaphoid fractures
does not accelerate bone healing. Cite this article:
Penetration of the dorsal screw when treating
distal radius fractures with volar locking plates is an avoidable complication
that causes lesions of the extensor tendon in between 2% and 6%
of patients. We examined axial fluoroscopic views of the distal
end of the radius to observe small amounts of dorsal screw penetration,
and determined the ideal angle of inclination of the x-ray beam
to the forearm when making this radiological view. Six volar locking plates were inserted at the wrists of cadavers.
The actual screw length was measured under direct vision through
a dorsal approach to the distal radius. Axial radiographs were performed
for different angles of inclination of the forearm at the elbow. Comparing axial radiological measurements and real screw length,
a statistically significant correlation could be demonstrated at
an angle of inclination between 5° and 20°. The ideal angle of inclination
required to minimise the risk of implanting over-long screws in
a dorsal horizon radiological view is 15°. Cite this article:
