Two cases of laterally open knee joints with surrounding skin defects are reported. The joints were closed by muscle flaps fashioned from the lateral belly of the gastrocnemius, which was detached distally and folded upwards and forwards to cover the defect. The transposed muscle and the remainder of the wound were covered by free skin grafts. Results were satisfactory

1. Six cases of infection of wounds with actinomyces are described alld tile cultural characteristics of tile organisms are discussed. 2. In three patients the infecting organism was an unusual aerobic form. 3. Possible sources of infection are considered. 4. The chronicity of the condition and the difficulty in treatment are stressed. 5. Penicillin and X-radiation hold out most hope of cure

A 16-year-old boy was involved in an agricultural accident in which he sustained a large wound to the right arm and forearm. Radiological examination showed loss of the distal half of the humerus. A posterior splint was applied and after two months there was regeneration of the distal humerus including the articular portion. He was able to use his arm at five months. Twenty years later, he had a painless elbow and a 70° range of movement

Exposure of the prosthesis is one of the problems encountered after arthroplasty of the knee. Eight patients with nine exposed prostheses have been treated by using a gastrocnemius myocutaneous flap to provide cover. This preserved the prosthesis and closed the joint in six of the eight patients.l The factors leading to breakdown of the wound are discussed and the anatomy of the gastrocnemius myocutaneous flap and the operative procedure are described

1. The behaviour of penicillin injected locally into knee joints is investigated and found to be the only satisfactory way of using the drug in joint wounds and infections. 2. Penicillin persists within the joint for forty-eight hours after injection unless the effusion is being actively absorbed. 3. The additional administration of penicillin by intramuscular injection is recommended when other considerations demand it

Aims

The aim of this study was to utilize a national paediatric inpatient database to determine whether obesity influences the operative management and inpatient outcomes of paediatric limb fractures.

Traumatic hemipelvectomy is rare, and is usually accompanied by injury to the genito-urinary tract and bowel. Recently, there have been an increasing number of reports of patients who have survived this injury, probably as a result of improved early care. We report three such cases and review the literature. The amputation wound should not be closed initially; early re-exploration to remove any dead tissue is indicated, and this should be repeated as necessary

The scalpel blades used during 187 operations were cultured. At each procedure the knife used to incise the skin was discarded immediately and a fresh knife was used to complete the operation. The results showed that there was no difference in the bacterial growth between the two knives. From these results it would appear that the practice of changing blades after incising the skin is an unnecessary precaution in the prevention of bacterial contamination of clean wounds

The technique of storing bone by refrigeration is described and the following advantages are indicated: 1) A patient avoids a second wound and the loss of bone from some other part of the body; this is a very important matter for patients in whom poliomyelitis has affected both legs. 2) Almost unlimited bone is available to the surgeon and he is consequently able to insert very large grafts and so obtain better results

Aims

The increasing infection burden after total hip arthroplasty (THA) has seen a rise in the use of two-stage exchange arthroplasty and the use of increasingly powerful antibiotics at the time of this procedure. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of failed two-stage revisions during the past decade. The aim of this study was to clarify the outcome of repeat two-stage revision THA following a failed two-stage exchange due to recurrent prosthetic joint infection (PJI).

We made a randomised prospective comparison of the Dynamic Hip Screw and the Gamma locking nail for the internal fixation of 200 petrochanteric femoral fractures in elderly patients. There was less intraoperative blood loss and a lower rate of wound complications in the patients treated by the Gamma nail. They had, however, a high incidence of femoral shaft fracture which we relate in part to implant design. We do not recommend the use of the Gamma nail for these fractures

Although arthroscopy of the hip is being carried out increasingly, little is known about the rate of associated complications. We describe a prospective study of 640 consecutive procedures in which a consistent technique was used. The overall complication rate was 1.6%. Complications, none of which was major or long-term, included transient palsy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, perineal injury, bleeding from the portal wounds, trochanteric bursitis and intra-articular breakage of the instrument. We believe that it is possible to undertake this operation safely using the technique described

One hundred and three patients with scoliosis treated by posterior fusion and Harrington instrumentation are reviewed. The fusion technique described does not require added bone. Walking in a localiser plaster is encouraged as soon as the wound is healed, usually two weeks after operation. The results compare satisfactorily with others published. It is concluded that added bone is not necessary unless neural arch defects are present, and that early walking is advantageous and without risk to the correction

1. The use of metallic internal fixation in the primary treatment of 176 open skeletal injuries is discussed and the results presented. 2. The use of metal (stainless steel) in this type of injury is shown not to have any harmful effects. it can be used with safety and benefit in the primary treatment of open skeletal trauma, especially in the multiple and complicated injuries of war and motor vehicle accidents. 3. The place of antibiotics is discussed and adequate treatment of the soft-tissue wound is stressed

Aims

There is little literature about total knee arthroplasty (TKA) after distal femoral osteotomy (DFO). Consequently, the purpose of this study was to analyze the outcomes of TKA after DFO, with particular emphasis on: survivorship free from aseptic loosening, revision, or any re-operation; complications; radiological results; and clinical outcome.

Between March 1987 and March 1997, we performed a modified Thompson quadricepsplasty on 20 stiff knees and followed the patients for a mean of 35 months (24 to 52). After the operation, the knee was immobilised in flexion and periodically extended. At the final follow-up, the mean active flexion was 113.5° (75 to 150). The final mean gain in movement was 67.6° (5 to 105). One patient had a deep infection which resolved after wound care and intravenous antibiotics. The modified Thompson quadricepsplasty with appropriate postoperative care can give good results

Aims

Antibiotic-loaded bone cements (ALBCs) may offer early protection against the formation of bacterial biofilm after joint arthroplasty. Use in hip arthroplasty is widely accepted, but there is a lack of evidence in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of ALBC in a large population of TKA patients.

Between 1993 and 2000 we implanted 200 cementless, mobile-bearing STAR total ankle replacements. None was lost to follow-up for reasons other than the death of a patient. The mean follow-up was for 46 months (24 to 101). A complication requiring further surgery developed in eight ankles and 14 were revised or fused. The cumulative survival rate at five years was 92.7% (95% CI 86.6 to 98.8) with time to decision to revision or fusion as an endpoint. The most frequent complications were delayed wound healing and fracture of a malleolus. These became less common with experience of the operation. The radiological appearance of the interface of the tibial implant was significantly related to its operative fit and to the type of bioactive coating

Of a consecutive series of 144 Attenborough knee replacements, 107 were re-examined between two and six years after operation and revealed a high incidence of complications. Wound problems were common and led to deep infection in four knees. When a patellar implant was used fracture of the patella followed in 17.5% of knees, but when the patella was not resurfaced 16% of knees developed patellofemoral pain of sufficient severity to require a further operation. In 10% of knees, definite loosening of one or both of the major components occurred