Nonunion of a Stress Fracture at the Base of the Second Metatarsal in a Soccer Player Treated by Osteosynthesis with the Bridging Plate Fixation Technique

Background. A stress fracture of the second metatarsal base in soccer players is extremely rare. In this case study, we report a nonunion of a stress fracture at the base of the second metatarsal in a female soccer player who had persistent pain despite continued conservative treatment, who then was treated with the bridging plate fixation technique. Case Report. A 19-year-old female college soccer player complained of pain on the dorsum of her right midfoot during a game without history of trauma and was conservatively treated for 6 months. Radiographic examination showed an oblique fracture with small bone fragment at the proximal base of the second metatarsal and computed tomography demonstrated sclerotic change around the fracture site. We diagnosed her with nonunion of a stress fracture at the base of the second metatarsal and performed operative treatments using autogenous cancellous iliac bone grafting and plate fixation bridging a second metatarsal and medial cuneiform with a locking plate. At 4 months after the initial surgery, she was able to return to playing soccer at preinjury level without complications or pain. Conclusion. We report a rare case of nonunion of a stress fracture at the base of the second metatarsal in a female soccer player without underlying diseases. Surgical treatment was applied, because the conservative treatment was ineffective for 6 months and led to nonunion. The plate fixation technique bridging the second metatarsal and medial cuneiform was a useful option to attain the bone fusion for small fracture fragment for a treatment of nonunion of a stress fracture at the base of the second metatarsal

Characteristic Poses in Ballet in the Case of a Retired Classical Ballerina after Bilateral THA: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Background. Ballet dance involves extreme range of motion (ROM) in the hip joint. This ROM can cause injuries including labral strain, tears, and subluxation episodes. Case Presentation. A 69-year-old female classical ballet dance instructor presented bilateral hip pain. The plain radiograph showed end-stage osteoarthritic change in the bilateral hip. She could neither dance nor perform daily activities. Bilateral hybrid total hip arthroplasty (THA) was performed. After surgery, she was able to demonstrate the split position on the floor as an active classical ballerina. The plain radiograph was taken in the split position, and the radiograph did not show any characteristics of impingement or subluxation of the femoral head. Conclusion. She was able to continue working as a classical ballet instructor after bilateral THA. Additionally, any characteristics of impingement or subluxation of the femoral head were not revealed in the postoperative radiograph in the split position

A Functional Polymorphism in COL11A1, Which Encodes the α1 Chain of Type XI Collagen, Is Associated with Susceptibility to Lumbar Disc Herniation

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH), degeneration and herniation of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc (IVD) of the lumbar spine, is one of the most common musculoskeletal diseases. Its etiology and pathogenesis, however, remain unclear. Type XI collagen is important for cartilage collagen formation and for organization of the extracellular matrix. We identified an association between one of the type XI collagen genes, COL11A1, and LDH in Japanese populations. COL11A1, which encodes the α1 chain of type XI collagen, was highly expressed in IVD, but its expression was decreased in the IVD of patients with LDH. The expression level was inversely correlated with the severity of disc degeneration. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (c.4603C→T [rs1676486]) had the most significant association with LDH (P=3.3×10-6), and the transcript containing the disease-associated allele was decreased because of its decreased stability. These observations indicate that type XI collagen is critical for IVD metabolism and that its decrease is related to LDH