Tuberculosis of the flexor carpi radialis muscle - A case report

Tuberculosis involving almost any organ of the body is a major problem in developing countries. The most commonly affected site in tuberculosis is the lung. Of the extra pulmonary tuberculosis, musculoskeletal involvement accounts for 1-5% of the cases. Muscular involvement in tuberculosis is a rare manifestation of extra pulmonary tuberculosis. Unusual presentations often go undetected and are associated with a diagnostic and therapeutic delay. This case report presents tuberculosis of the flexor carpi radialis

Can alternate-day statin regimen minimize its adverse effects on muscle and tendon?: A systematic review

Objective: To review evidence-based data with respect to safety and efficacy of alternate-day statin therapy in dyslipidaemia compared to the standard daily dose. Methods: The literature review was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from July, 2016 to August, 2017. Electronic database search was carried out to compile available literature using PubMed, Excerpta Medica database and Google Scholar. The most relevant evidence-based research articles published over 10 years were selected. The latest search was dated August 03, 2017. Results: A total of 2,074 articles were initially located. Alternate day statin regimen was reported in 53% of articles. Adverse effects on muscle and tendon were reported in 69% of articles. After scrutiny, 19(0.9%) studies covering alternate-day statin-mediated muscle and tendon disorders and 9(0.4%) studies encompassing the potential pathophysiological mechanisms of statin-associated muscle and tendon injury were selected. Except pravastatin and lovastatin, alternate-day statin therapy was almost as effective in lowering total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides as the daily dosing with low incidence of muscle toxicity and tends in opathy. Conclusion: Alternate-day statin regimen was found to be very well tolerated and might be an effective and safe remedy in clinical practice

Arthroscopic removal of loose bodies in synovial chondromatosis of shoulder joint, unusual location of rare disease: A case report and literature review

Introduction: Synovial chondromatosis is a benign mono-articular arthropathy affecting synovial joints. It mostly affects knee joint, followed by hip, elbow and wrist and is rarely reported for shoulder joint. The exact pathogenesis is not known. Usual symptoms are pain, difficulty in movement due to mechanical obstruction. The classic treatment is arthrotomy, removal of chondromatoid loose bodies and synovectomy. With recent advances arthroscopic removal of the chondromatoid loose bodies is a good option with relatively better post op rehabilitation and faster recovery.Case presentation: 20 years old gentleman presented to clinic with history of pain in right shoulder for 2 years and decreased range of motion. There was no history of trauma or fever. Work up done and diagnosed with synovial chondromatosis. Arthroscopic removal of chondromatoid loose bodies and synovectomy was done. More than 120 loose bodies were removed. On two (2) years follow-up patient is pain free and having full range of motion at right shoulder joint.Discussion: Synovial chondromatosis is rare in shoulder joint. The Primary synovial chondromatosis of unknown etiology, and secondary synovial chondromatosis due to degenerative joint disease. Classic treatment is arthrotomy and synovectomy. With recent advances, arthroscopic removal of loose bodies and synovectomy is also a good option for its treatment. In literature only few cases have been reported treated with arthroscopic removal of loose bodies and synovectomy.Conclusion: Arthroscopic treatment of synovial chondromatosis is a good option if expertise is available. It causes less surgical trauma, better visualization during surgery, early recovery

A comprehensive basic understanding of pelvis and acetabular fractures after high-energy trauma with associated injuries: Narrative review of targeted literature

Acetabular fractures are caused by energy trauma which is high enough to cause such a fracture with incidence of 3 patients / 100000. In older individuals, most commonmechanism of injury is fall and, in younger individuals, road traffic accidents. Acetabular fractures are usually associated with visceral injuries and other musculoskeletal injuries (about 50% of patient). In this narrative review of targeted English literature from all level of evidences, which is written and supervised by experienced specialized orthopedic and trauma surgeons who were among the pioneers of conducting pelvis fracture management workshops in the country, we aim to describe the mechanism of injury, assessment principles and associated injuries, decision-making and preoperative planning and indications of non-operative managements

Effects of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on orthopedic residency program in the seventh largest city of the world: Recommendations from a resource-constrained setting

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has hit the entire world hard. Since its inception from Wuhan China the whole world is affected now. Health care facilities and workers are overwhelmed and the situation is changing on daily basis. With the changes in the dynamics of the hospitals, residency and fellowships training programs have also suffered undoubtedly. Due to decreased elective cases and outpatient clinics surgical training gets compromised, however on the other side this physical distancing and isolation have proven to be effective measures in controlling the disease. In this article we share our experience of effect of COVID-19 pandemic on our orthopedic residency program and how we coped along with it. We also discussed some way forwards in the article

Motor-vehicle crash patient injury patterns from a level one trauma center in a metropolitan city: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Motorcycles are an inexpensive and popular mode of transportation in Karachi, Pakistan, despite the increasing number of motor vehicle injuries. Although motorcycle-related injuries have been studied previously, to our knowledge, there are no published reports on the orthopedic injuries associated with motorcycles crashes. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of medical records of patients with motorcycle-related injuries in 2015, at the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan. We reviewed the patient demographic and medical data, helmet use, the Glasgow coma score, the spectrum of injuries, length of stay, specific injury diagnosis, and final disposition of patients. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results: We identified 450 motorcycle crash injuries. Ninety percent of these victims were males, and 81% were driving at the time of the crash. More than 50% of crashes involved patients age under 29 years, and most crashes (35%) involved patients in the third decade of life. We observed that 6.8% of accidents involved patients younger than 10 years of age. For all the motorcycle-related injuries, 45% occurred during the weekend (Saturday and Sunday). Helmets were worn by only 7% of patients. The most common types of collisions were motorcycle versus car followed by lone motorcycle fall. Of the injuries sustained, the cumulative frequency of orthopedic injuries was the highest (63%), of which 34% were lower limb injuries and 29% were upper limb injuries. The second highest frequency of injuries were head injuries (46%). We also found that 85% motorcycle injury victims sustained fractures. Conclusion: The frequency of motorcycle-related injuries was high among young adults, and closed fractures of the lower limbs were the most common orthopedic injuries related to motorcycle crashes. Use of helmets among motorcyclists needs to be reinforced to prevent head injuries. We suggest motorcyclists to use protective clothes and motorcycle sidebars to prevent fractures of the lower limb. Further research is needed to determine the type of fractures, type of head injuries, surgical interventions required, and morbidity and mortality in motorcycle-related injuries and whether designing separate lanes for motorcycles will reduce the burden of these injuries on the healthcare system

Toe-tourniquet syndrome: A rare potentially devastating entity

Toe-tourniquet syndrome is a rare and commonly misdiagnosed condition caused by a hair or a fiber wrapped around digits (fingers and toes). A four months baby girl who was crying and presented with redness and swelling at her 2nd and 3rd toes of right foot. Child had red and swollen 2nd and 3rd toes of right foot with hair end protruding through wounds. Constricting hairs were cut and removed. Toetourniquet syndrome is a rare entity which is caused by hair wrapped around a toe or a digit. Diagnosis is mostly clinical. In order to prevent this condition to happen, education of parents and clinicians is a cornerstone

Innovations in surgery between the past and future: A narrative review of targeted literature

Innovation is the introduction of a new method or technology designed to change the way things are done. History is full of remarkable innovations in surgery over the years as surgeons have always been innovating and pioneering latest techniques and equipment that can benefit the mankind. Though persistent, progress has been far from uniform. Despite all the bells and whistles that these innovations bring to the table, the little acknowledged fact is that they are only accessible to a very small proportion of the global population. Five billion people on this planet do not even have access to an operating room when needed. It has been reported that conditions requiring surgery are responsible for one-third of all the deaths in the world. The current narrative review was planned to focus on the importance of innovations in surgery, to highlight the problems that were faced by resource-restricted countries in the past, and the necessity of innovative solutions to improve global surgical care in the future

Two incision mini open carpal tunnel release- a minimally invasive alternative to endoscopic release

Abstract Surgical techniques for carpal tunnel release are constantly evolving to reduce complications. This retrospective study was planned to identify the outcome and complications associated with a new operating technique for release of carpal tunnel using two incisions. It was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised patients undergoing surgical release of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) between January 2011 and December 2014. Of the 54 patients,38(70.4%) cases were of right-sided CTS. The mean operating time was 12.5±4.9 minutes. Complete relief from symptoms was observed in all the patients and the only complication noted was superficial infection in 2(3.7%) patients.The outcomes and complications associated with this technique were comparable with other standard techniques. No major complication (e.g. neurovascular injury) was reported, which showed that this technique was safe and had no additional risks. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative to endoscopic release which is expensive and requires special training and equipment

Skeletal manifestations of scurvy: A case report from dubai

Introduction: Nutritional deficiencies are rarely reported in developed countries. We report a child of Pakistani origin brought up in Dubai who developed skeletal manifestations of scurvy due to peculiar dietary habits. Case Presentation: A 4.5 year old boy presented with pain and swelling of multiple joints for three months and inability to walk for two months. Dietary history was significant for exclusive meat intake for the preceding two years. On examination the child\u27s height and weight were below the 5th percentile for his age. He was pale and tachycardic. There was significant swelling and tenderness over the wrist, knee and ankle joints, along with painful restriction of motion. Basic blood workup was unremarkable except for anemia. However, X-rays showed delayed bone age, severe osteopenia of the long bones, epiphyseal separation, cortical thinning and dense zone of provisional calcification, suggesting a radiological diagnosis of scurvy. The child was started on vitamin C replacement therapy. Over the following two months, the pain and swelling substantially reduced and the child became able to walk. Repeat X-rays showed improvement in the bony abnormalities. Conclusion: Although scurvy is not a very commonly encountered entity in the modern era, inappropriate dietary intake can lead to skeletal abnormalities which may be confused with rickets. A high index of suspicion is thus required for prompt diagnosis of scurvy in patients with bone and joint symptoms