Surgical treatment of distal tibia fractures with intra-medullary nail

IInd Clinic of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes” Timisoara, Romania, Al VIII-lea Congres Naţional de Ortopedie și Traumatologie cu participare internaţională 12-14 octombrie 2016Introduction. Fractures of the distal tibia in the adult result from a combination of axial compression and rotational forces. Surgical treatment of extra-articular fractures of distal tibia is a controversial topic throughout the entire literature. The recent development of more distal locking options with IM nails and anatomically-contoured angle-stable plates have improved our ability to stabilise these fractures. Material and methods. This study included 27 patients admitted and treated for distal extra-articular tibial fractures (AO 43 A1-3) between Jan 2012 and May 2015 in the IInd Clinic of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Ten patients sustained open fractures (two type I GA, four type II GA and four type IIIA GA). Nine patients also had distal peroneal or peroneal malleolus associated fractures and 18 had associated supra-malleolar fractures of the peroneus. IM nailing was the treatment choice for all cases (with reaming in 14 cases) and for the associated peroneal fractures ORIF with plates and screws was performed. Results. From a total of 27 cases, 4 (14,8%) cases healed with a varum>5o deformity, 3 (11,1%) cases developed pseudarthrosis that necessitated further surgical treatment (angular stable plates and bone graft), 1 (3,7%) case had intraarticular nail migration and infection, 19 (70,4%) cases had a favourable evolution with good outcome. All fracture healing complications appeared within the cases treated without medullary canal reaming and without associated distal peroneal fractures. Conclusions. Cases treated with ORIF for distal peroneal fractures had better results that those treated by conservative means. IM nailing can be extremely important in open fractures where it can provide excellent fixation of the fracture fragments and allows, if necessary, extensive debridement and reconstructive treatment for soft tissues without direct implant exposure. It was also noted that reamed nailing was biomechanically superior in terms of stability to the unreamed nails

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Correlation between Preoperative MRI Parameters and Oswestry Disability Index in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Retrospective Study

Background and Objectives: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a degenerative condition posing significant challenges in clinical management. Despite the use of radiological parameters and patient-reported outcome measures like the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for evaluation, there is limited understanding of their interrelationship. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between preoperative MRI parameters and ODI scores in patients with LSS undergoing surgical treatment. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 86 patients diagnosed with LSS over a 5-year period. Preoperative MRI measurements, including the cross-sectional area of the psoas muscle, lumbar canal stenosis, neural foramina area, and facet joint osteoarthritis, were assessed. ODI scores were collected preoperatively and at a 1-year follow-up. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics software (version 26). Results: Weak to moderate correlations were observed between certain MRI parameters and ODI scores. The initial ODI score had a weak positive correlation with the severity of lumbar canal stenosis according to Schizas criteria (rho = 0.327, p = 0.010) and a moderate negative correlation with the relative cross-sectional area of the psoas muscle (rho = −0.498, p = 0.000). At 1-year follow-up, the ODI had a weak negative correlation with the relative cross-sectional area of the psoas muscle (rho = −0.284, p = 0.026). Conclusions: While the severity of LSS showed a weak correlation with initial ODI, it was not a predictor of 1-year postoperative ODI. Furthermore, although the cross-sectional area of the thecal sac, the sagittal area of the neural foramen, and the grade of facet joint osteoarthritis influence the imagistic severity, none of them correlate with ODI. These findings underscore the need for a comprehensive model that integrates multiple imaging and clinical parameters for a holistic understanding of LSS and its functional outcomes

Our experience with orthopedic surgery in hemophiliacs

Introduction: Patients having severe hemophilia (levels of deficient factor below 1%) frequently suffer from disabling chronic arthropathy. An adequate substitution treatment using the coagulation factor VIII or IX concentrates renders an elective surgery feasible. Objective: The objective of the study was to check the results of different surgical procedures in the treatment of hemophilic arthropathies, and to propose the best protocol of their treatment. Methods: This is a retrospective study on 26 hemophilic patients operated in the Orthopedics and Trauma Clinic II, Timisoara, from 2002 to 2005. Elective surgical procedures were mainly performed in the knee (21 arthroscopic procedures, 1 open arthrodesis), elbow (2 open synovectomies, 2 radial head excisions), ankle (1 arthroscopic synovectomy and debridement) and thigh (1 giant pseudo tumor excision, other minor procedures). The results after operations on moderate and severe chronic knee, elbow and ankle arthropathy were evaluated, with approximately 24-month follow-up period. Results: Arthroscopic procedures (22) yielded good and satisfactory results with significant improvement according to the evaluation criteria recommended by the World Hemophilia Federation (Gilbert clinical score, Pettersson radiological score, NUSS MRI score). Conclusion: Mini-invasive elective surgery in moderate to severe chronic arthropathy produces good results when performed in a specialized center and with multi-disciplinary approach

PHYSICAL THERAPY AND FUNCTIONAL REHABILITATION IN PATIENTS WITH HAEMOPHILIC ARTHROPATHY SURGICALLY TREATED

Patients with haemophilia type A or B may develop, over time, haemophilic arthropathy with different degrees of joint dysfunction. This disorder is a consequence of repeated episodes of intraarticular bleeding, with either spontaneous or traumatic aetiology. In the recent years, the therapeutic management of these patients has changed, still, without prompt early diagnosis and prophylactic treatment, the joints deteriorate to such a degree that only a complex multi-disciplinary approach can offer an optimal outcome. Modern high resolution MRI and prophylaxis treatment can detect and delay early signs of haemophilic arthropathy, but, not all patients have access to these types of early interventions. As a result, there are still patients presenting with different of degrees haemophilic arthropathy, which require surgical treatment. Despite the use of modern, minimal invasive approaches, surgical treatment alone can’t offer a good symptom relief and can’t provide a good functional outcome. Thus, the integration of physical therapy and functional rehabilitation in the therapeutic scheme can provide a good support in order for these patients to be socio-economically re-integrated