Open antero-lateral dislocation of the elbow. A case report

BACKGROUND: Open dislocations are infrequent, often associated with damage to the neuro vascular structures. We present an unusual case of an open antero-lateral dislocation of the elbow, which was not associated with any vascular or neural injury. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34 year female dance instructor sustained an open dislocation of her elbow. Surgical exploration was undertaken. No major neurovascular injury was present. There was almost complete disruption of all the muscular and ligamentous attachments to the distal humerus and the proximal radius and ulna, which were not formally repaired during surgery. The elbow was found to be very unstable, and was placed in a back slab. The functional recovery was complete in about six months, the patient regaining full range of elbow movement. Elbow dislocations without associate fractures are adequately treated by manipulation and reduction, in spite of the almost complete disruption of the soft tissues around the joint

‘From school to adulthood’? Young people’s pathways through schooling in urban Ethiopia

The paper presents a case study of a rapidly evolving urban community in Southern Ethiopia drawing on survey and qualitative data from Young Lives, a long-term international study of two cohorts of children growing up in poverty (born 1994-5 and 2000-1). It uses this to set visible changes in aspirations and experiences of schooling over time in their political and economic context. The paper illustrates the value of mixed methods approaches within international development research by juxtaposing individual and household level data, both survey and qualitative, with data collected through school and community-based research. This enables analysis of processes of power and social change taking place in contemporary Ethiopia and reflected in changing attitudes towards education and employment. Finally, the paper highlights the challenges for the Ethiopian education systems in meeting children's aspirations, in the context of rapidly declining economic opportunities after leaving school