Early complications of volar plating of distal radius fractures and their relationship to surgeon experience

Background Fractures of the distal radius are among the most common fractures in adults. Recently, there has been a trend towards open reduction and internal fixation of these fractures through a volar approach. The purpose of this study was to assess the early complications of volar locking plate fixation of distal radius fractures with an emphasis on defining the relationship between surgeon experience and incidence of complications. Materials and Methods Following IRB approval, we con-ducted a retrospective chart review of the initial 96 distal radius fractures (92 patients) treated by open reduction and internal fixation of distal radius fracture using a volar locked plate. Our outcome measurements were incidence of postop-erative complications and radiographic loss of reduction. Results Twenty-two complications occurred in 21 patients. Of these, five complications (5%) required surgical treat-ment or hospitalization. Seventeen complications (18%) required no surgical intervention or hospitalization. Tran-sient nerve dysfunction was the most common complica-tion, accounting for 12 of 22 complications. The first 30 patients experienced significantly more complications than those treated later in the series (p=0.03). There was a trend towards increased incidence of complications in cases where more than 10 days elapsed between injury and surgery or where supplementary Kirschner wire fixation was used. There was no correlation between patient age, sex, severity of fracture, or presence of ulnar styloid fracture and the development of complications or loss of reduction. Discussion The incidence of complications decreased sig-nificantly with increased surgeon experience, suggesting that many of these early complications are avoidable

Úlcera de Marjolin associada a ulceração e osteomielite crônicas Marjolin's ulcer associated with ulceration and chronic osteomyelitis

Doente do sexo masculino, de 78 anos, portador de uma úlcera venosa crônica na perna esquerda, com cerca de 24 anos de evolução, complicada por carcinoma espinocelular. Após o estadia mento da doença, o tratamento preconizado foi amputação acima do joelho esquerdo. A úlcera de Marjolin é a transformação maligna de uma lesão ulcerosa crônica. Trata-se de um fenômeno relativamente raro. A neoplasia maligna mais frequentemente descrita na literatura é o carcinoma espinocelular, seguido do basalioma, sarcoma e melanoma. A sua patogenia permanece pouco compreendida.<br>This report describes a 78-year old male patient with a chronic venous ulcer on his left leg for the past 24 years, complicated by a squamous-cell carcinoma. After staging of the disease, the treatment administered was amputation of the leg above the knee. Marjolin's ulcer consists of the malignant transformation of a chronic ulcerative lesion. It is a relatively rare phenomenon. The malignant tumor most commonly described in the literature is squamous cell carcinoma, followed by basal-cell carcinoma, sarcoma and melanoma. The pathogenesis of Marjolin's ulcer remains to be fully clarified

Minimally invasive versus conventional exposure for total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical and radiological outcomes

Over the past decade, minimally invasive surgery has gained popularity as a means of optimising early postoperative rehabilitation and increasing patient satisfaction and cosmesis following total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, this surgical exposure has also been associated with increased risk of iatrogenic nerve injury and implant mal-positioning due to limited visibility compared to conventionally larger surgical incisions. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the outcomes of these two surgical exposures. A systematic review of the published and unpublished literature was conducted to include all randomised and non-randomised controlled trials comparing the clinical and radiological outcomes of minimally invasive and conventional THA procedures. In total, 28 studies met the eligibility criteria and included 2,849 hips, i.e. 1,428 minimally invasive compared to 1,421 conventional THAs. The meta-analysis of the current evidence base showed that minimally invasive THA is associated with a significantly increased risk of transient lateral femoral cutaneous nerve palsy (p = 0.006) with no significantly better outcome