Objectives. The biomembrane (induced membrane) formed around polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) spacers has value in clinical applications for bone defect reconstruction. Few studies have evaluated its cellular, molecular or stem cell features. Our objective was to characterise induced membrane morphology, molecular features and osteogenic stem cell characteristics. Methods. Following Institutional Review Board approval, biomembrane specimens were obtained from 12 patient surgeries for management of segmental bony defects (mean patient age 40.7 years, standard deviation 14.4). Biomembranes from nine tibias and three femurs were processed for morphologic, molecular or stem cell analyses. Gene expression was determined using the Affymetrix GeneChip Operating Software (GCOS). Molecular analyses compared biomembrane gene expression patterns with a mineralising osteoblast culture, and gene expression in specimens with longer spacer duration (> 12 weeks) with specimens with shorter durations. Statistical analyses used the unpaired student t-test (two tailed; p < 0.05 was considered significant). Results. Average PMMA spacer in vivo time was 11.9 weeks (six to 18). Trabecular bone was present in 33.3% of the biomembrane specimens; bone presence did not correlate with spacer duration. Biomembrane morphology showed high vascularity and collagen content and positive staining for the key bone forming regulators, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). Positive differentiation of cultured biomembrane cells for osteogenesis was found in cells from patients with PMMA present for six to 17 weeks. Stem cell differentiation showed greater variability in pluripotency for osteogenic potential (70.0%) compared with chondrogenic or adipogenic potentials (100% and 90.0%, respectively). Significant upregulation of BMP2 and 6, numerous collagens, and bone gla protein was present in biomembrane compared with the cultured cell line. Biomembranes with longer resident PMMA spacer duration (vs those with shorter residence) showed significant upregulation of bone-related, stem cell, and vascular-related genes. Conclusion. The biomembrane technique is gaining favour in the management of complicated bone defects. Novel data on biological mechanisms provide improved understanding of the biomembrane’s osteogenic potential and molecular properties. Cite this article: Dr H. E. Gruber. Osteogenic, stem cell and molecular characterisation of the human induced membrane from extremity bone defects. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:106–115. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.54.2000483

We compared early post-operative rates of wound infection in HIV-positive and -negative patients presenting with open tibial fractures managed with surgical fixation.

The wounds of 84 patients (85 fractures), 28 of whom were HIV positive and 56 were HIV negative, were assessed for signs of infection using the ASEPIS wound score. There were 19 women and 65 men with a mean age of 34.8 years. A total of 57 fractures (17 HIV-positive, 40 HIV-negative) treated with external fixation were also assessed using the Checkett score for pin-site infection. The remaining 28 fractures were treated with internal fixation. No significant difference in early post-operative wound infection between the two groups of patients was found (10.7% (n = 3) vs 19.6% (n = 11); relative risk (RR) 0.55 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17 to 1.8); p = 0.32). There was also no significant difference in pin-site infection rates (17.6% (n = 3) vs 12.5% (n = 5); RR 1.62 (95% CI 0.44 to 6.07); p = 0.47).

The study does not support the hypothesis that HIV significantly increases the rate of early wound or pin-site infection in open tibial fractures. We would therefore suggest that a patient’s HIV status should not alter the management of open tibial fractures in patients who have a CD4 count > 350 cells/μl.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1703–7.

Heterotopic ossification occurring after the use of commercially available bone morphogenetic proteins has not been widely reported. We describe four cases of heterotopic ossification in patients treated with either recombinant bone morphogenetic protein 2 or recombinant bone morphogenetic protein 7. We found that while some patients were asymptomatic, heterotopic ossification which had occurred around a joint often required operative excision with good results.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) for fracture detection, classification, and identification of greater tuberosity displacement ≥ 1 cm, neck-shaft angle (NSA) ≤ 100°, shaft translation, and articular fracture involvement, on plain radiographs.

Aims

Tobacco, in addition to being one of the greatest public health threats facing our world, is believed to have deleterious effects on bone metabolism and especially on bone healing. It has been described in the literature that patients who smoke are approximately twice as likely to develop a nonunion following a non-specific bone fracture. For clavicle fractures, this risk is unclear, as is the impact that such a complication might have on the initial management of these fractures.

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Patient decision aids have previously demonstrated an improvement in the quality of the informed consent process. This study assessed the effectiveness of detailed written patient information, compared to standard verbal consent, in improving postoperative recall in adult orthopaedic trauma patients.

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To evaluate if, for orthopaedic trainees, additional cadaveric simulation training or standard training alone yields superior radiological and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation or hemiarthroplasty for hip fracture.

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Proximal humeral fractures (PHFs) are common. There is increasing evidence that most of these fractures should be treated conservatively. However, recent studies have shown an increase in use of operative treatment. The aim of this study was to identify the trends in the incidence and methods of treatment of PHFs in Finland.

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To explore staff experiences of a multicentre pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing intramedullary nails and circular frame external fixation for segmental tibial fractures.

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Despite long-standing dogma, a clear relationship between the timing of surgical irrigation and debridement (I&D) and the development of subsequent deep infection has not been established in the literature. Traditionally, I&D of an open fracture has been recommended within six hours of injury based on animal studies from the 1970s, however the clinical basis for this remains unclear. Using data from a multicentre randomized controlled trial of 2,447 open fracture patients, the primary objective of this secondary analysis is to determine if a relationship exists between timing of wound I&D (within six hours of injury vs beyond six hours) and subsequent reoperation rate for infection or healing complications within one year for patients with open limb fractures requiring surgical treatment.

Objectives. Deep bone and joint infections (DBJI) are directly intertwined with health, demographic change towards an elderly population, and wellbeing. The elderly human population is more prone to acquire infections, and the consequences such as pain, reduced quality of life, morbidity, absence from work and premature retirement due to disability place significant burdens on already strained healthcare systems and societal budgets. DBJIs are less responsive to systemic antibiotics because of poor vascular perfusion in necrotic bone, large bone defects and persistent biofilm-based infection. Emerging bacterial resistance poses a major threat and new innovative treatment modalities are urgently needed to curb its current trajectory. Materials and Methods. We present a new biphasic ceramic bone substitute consisting of hydroxyapatite and calcium sulphate for local antibiotic delivery in combination with bone regeneration. Gentamicin release was measured in four setups: 1) in vitro elution in Ringer’s solution; 2) local elution in patients treated for trochanteric hip fractures or uncemented hip revisions; 3) local elution in patients treated with a bone tumour resection; and 4) local elution in patients treated surgically for chronic corticomedullary osteomyelitis. Results. The release pattern in vitro was comparable with the obtained release in the patient studies. No recurrence was detected in the osteomyelitis group at latest follow-up (minimum 1.5 years). Conclusions. This new biphasic bone substitute containing antibiotics provides safe prevention of bone infections in a range of clinical situations. The in vitro test method predicts the in vivo performance and makes it a reliable tool in the development of future antibiotic-eluting bone-regenerating materials. Cite this article: M. Stravinskas, P. Horstmann, J. Ferguson, W. Hettwer, M. Nilsson, S. Tarasevicius, M. M. Petersen, M. A. McNally, L. Lidgren. Pharmacokinetics of gentamicin eluted from a regenerating bone graft substitute: In vitro and clinical release studies. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:427–435. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.59.BJR-2016-0108.R1

Aims. We compared the accuracy, operating time and radiation exposure of the introduction of iliosacral screws using O-arm/Stealth Navigation and standard fluoroscopy. Materials and Methods. Iliosacral screws were introduced percutaneously into the first sacral body (S1) of ten human cadavers, four men and six women. The mean age was 77 years (58 to 85). Screws were introduced using a standard technique into the left side of S1 using C-Arm fluoroscopy and then into the right side using O-Arm/Stealth Navigation. The radiation was measured on the surgeon by dosimeters placed under a lead thyroid shield and apron, on a finger, a hat and on the cadavers. Results. There were no neuroforaminal breaches in either group. The set-up time for the O-Arm was significantly longer than for the C-Arm, while total time for placement of the screws was significantly shorter for the O-Arm than for the C-Arm (p = 0.001). The mean absorbed radiation dose during fluoroscopy was 1063 mRad (432.5 mRad to 4150 mRad). No radiation was detected on the surgeon during fluoroscopy, or when he left the room during the use of the O-Arm. The mean radiation detected on the cadavers was significantly higher in the O-Arm group (2710 mRem standard deviation (. sd. ) 1922) than during fluoroscopy (11.9 mRem . sd 14.8). (p < 0.01). Conclusion. O-Arm/Stealth Navigation allows for faster percutaneous placement of iliosacral screws in a radiation-free environment for surgeons, albeit with the same accuracy and significantly more radiation exposure to cadavers, when compared with standard fluoroscopy. Take home message: Placement of iliosacral screws with O-Arm/Stealth Navigation can be performed safely and effectively. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:696–702

It is becoming increasingly common for a patient to have ipsilateral hip and knee replacements. The inter-prosthetic (IP) distance, the distance between the tips of hip and knee prostheses, has been thought to be associated with an increased risk of IP fracture. Small gap distances are generally assumed to act as stress risers, although there is no real biomechanical evidence to support this. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of IP distance, cortical thickness and bone mineral density on the likelihood of an IP femoral fracture. A total of 18 human femur specimens were randomised into three groups by bone density and cortical thickness. For each group, a defined IP distance of 35 mm, 80 mm or 160 mm was created by choosing the appropriate lengths of component. The maximum fracture strength was determined using a four-point bending test. The fracture force of all three groups was similar (p = 0.498). There was a highly significant correlation between the cortical area and the fracture strength (r = 0.804, p <  0.001), whereas bone density showed no influence. This study suggests that the IP distance has little influence on fracture strength in IP femoral fractures: the thickness of the cortex seems to be the decisive factor. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1378–84

There are 33 million people worldwide currently infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This complex disease affects many of the processes involved in wound and fracture healing, and there is little evidence available to guide the management of open fractures in these patients. Fears of acute and delayed infection often inhibit the use of fixation, which may be the most effective way of achieving union. This study compared fixation of open fractures in HIV-positive and -negative patients in South Africa, a country with very high rates of both HIV and high-energy trauma. A total of 133 patients (33 HIV-positive) with 135 open fractures fulfilled the inclusion criteria. This cohort is three times larger than in any similar previously published study. The results suggest that HIV is not a contraindication to internal or external fixation of open fractures in this population, as HIV is not a significant risk factor for acute wound/implant infection. However, subgroup analysis of grade I open fractures in patients with advanced HIV and a low CD4 count (< 350) showed an increased risk of infection; we suggest that grade I open fractures in patients with advanced HIV should be treated by early debridement followed by fixation at an appropriate time

Using human cadaver specimens, we investigated the role of supplementary fibular plating in the treatment of distal tibial fractures using an intramedullary nail. Fibular plating is thought to improve stability in these situations, but has been reported to have increased soft-tissue complications and to impair union of the fracture. We proposed that multidirectional locking screws provide adequate stability, making additional fibular plating unnecessary. A distal tibiofibular osteotomy model performed on matched fresh-frozen lower limb specimens was stabilised with reamed nails using conventional biplanar distal locking (CDL) or multidirectional distal locking (MDL) options with and without fibular plating. Rotational stiffness was assessed under a constant axial force of 150 N and a superimposed torque of ± 5 Nm. Total movement, and neutral zone and fracture gap movement were analysed. In the CDL group, fibular plating improved stiffness at the tibial fracture site, albeit to a small degree (p = 0.013). In the MDL group additional fibular plating did not increase the stiffness. The MDL nail without fibular plating was significantly more stable than the CDL nail with an additional fibular plate (p = 0.008). These findings suggest that additional fibular plating does not improve stability if a multidirectional distal locking intramedullary nail is used, and is therefore unnecessary if not needed to aid reduction. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:385–9

Aims

The primary aim of the survey was to map the current provision of simulation training within UK and Republic of Ireland (RoI) trauma and orthopaedic (T&O) specialist training programmes to inform future design of a simulation based-curriculum. The secondary aims were to characterize; the types of simulation offered to trainees by stage of training, the sources of funding for simulation, the barriers to providing simulation in training, and to measure current research activity assessing the educational impact of simulation.

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To compare the cost-utility of standard dressing with incisional negative-pressure wound therapy (iNPWT) in adults with closed surgical wounds associated with major trauma to the lower limbs.

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Dual plating of distal femoral fractures with medial and lateral implants has been performed to improve construct mechanics and alignment, in cases where isolated lateral plating would be insufficient. This may potentially compromise vascularity, paradoxically impairing healing. This study investigates effects of single versus dual plating on distal femoral vascularity.

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This study explores data quality in operation type and fracture classification recorded as part of a large research study and a national audit with an independent review.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a salvage procedure using a 95° angled blade plate for failed osteosynthesis of atypical subtrochanteric femoral fractures associated with the long-term use of bisphosphonates. These were compared with those for failed osteosynthesis of subtrochanteric fractures not associated with bisphosphonate treatment.