Fibular osteosynthesis of neglected femoral neck fracture in a young adult: Case report

In order to preserve the femoral head in femoral neck non-union in young adults, the preferred option of treatment is open reduction and internal fixation. Where there are no facilities for microvascular surgery, nonvascularized fibular strut grafts can be used with screws.This paper describes the use of fibular strut graft and cancellous screws in the open reduction and internal fixation of a neglected femoral neck fracture associated with aseptic necrosis of femoral head in a young adult that was followed up for four years.The use of non-vascularized fibular strut grafts and screws for fixation of non-united fractures of femoral necks, even in the presence of avascular necrosis, could lead to union.Key words: Fibula, Osteosynthesis, Femoral neck, Non-union, Aseptic necrosis, Strut graf

Risk factors for surgical site infections following clean orthopaedic operations

Background: Surgical site infections can follow clean orthopaedic operations and can cause serious morbidity, mortality and increased resource utilization. Despite this, there are few studies on risk factors for surgical site infections in the Nigerian orthopaedic literature. We conducted a prospective study to determine the host and environmental risk factors for surgical site infections following clean orthopaedic operations.Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria and were to undergo clean orthopaedic operations performed at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos from January 2007 to July 2008 were included. Patient’s biodata, duration of preoperative hospitalization and other risk factors were analyzed. The risk factors for surgical site infection were determined with Chi square test.Results: The overall rate of surgical site infection during the 18 months of the study was 9.9% (12 of 121). Independent risk factors for this were: Prolonged duration of preoperative hospital stay greater than 13 days (21% infection rate), increasing age greater than 60 years (31% infection rate), and use of implants and drains (only one un‑drained wound was infected).Conclusion and Recommendations: Patient’s age, duration of preoperative hospitalization, type of surgery (implant or non‑implant), and use of drains were the most significant risk factors affecting surgical site infection. It is recommended that preoperative hospital stay should be as short as possible and extra care/precautions taken when working on the elderly, using implants or requiring drainage.Keywords: Clean orthopaedic operations, risk factors, surgical site infectionNigerian Journal of Clinical Practice • Oct-Dec 2013 • Vol 16 • Issue

Injuries associated with fractured tibial shaft

Background: Tibial shaft fractures are the commonest long bone fractures.Objective: This study was carried out to identify the injuries associated with these fractures so as to improve their overall management.Design: This was a retrospective study.Setting: The Accident and Emergency Department of the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia.Subjects: All patients admitted into the Accident and Emergency Department of Federal Medical Centre Umuahia between 1st June 2003 and 31st December 2010.Method: The study involved retrieving the case notes of 159 consecutive cases of tibial shaft fractures admitted through the Accident and Emergency Department.Results: The total number of patients was 152 and seven of them had bilateral tibial fractures. The male: female ratio was 2.1:1. Most cases (72%) were open fractures. The mean age was 26 years. The commonest cause of the injuries was motorcycle accidents (25.7%) followed closely by motor vehicular accidents (25%). The most common associated injuries in order of frequency were: ipsilateral fibular fractures, ankle injuries, ipsilateral femoral fractures and pelvic fractures.Conclusion: Tibial shaft fractures are commonly associated with ipsilateral fibular fractures and ankle injuries. It is recommended that patients with tibial shaft fractures be properly assessed for femoral fractures and ankle injuries. It is also recommended that a prospective study of the same title be carried out to verify the relevance of knee injuries in patients with tibial fracture

The use of test structures to perform chip level characterisation studies of Ni and NiFe electrochemical deposition

This paper describes the first use of test structures designed to characterise the fundamental properties of nickel and nickel-iron alloy films deposited using electroplating. The structures are used to perform a chip-level investigation into the effects of electrolyte bath composition on the characteristics of deposited films. The advantage of this methodology is that each electrolyte change does not require the replacement of the large volume bath associated with wafer scale manufacturing investigations, thereby making the characterisation and optimisation of electroplating baths far less time consuming, and considerably more cost effective.Murray, Jeremy. (2017). The use of test structures to perform chip level characterisation studies of Ni and NiFe electrochemical deposition, [dataset]. University of Edinburgh. School of Engineering. http://dx.doi.org/10.7488/ds/2091

Liquid crystal lasers: overcoming repetition rate limitations

Liquid crystal lasers have advantageous features including continuous wavelength tuning at low cost. Although many potential applications have been highlighted, use of these lasers is not widespread, partially due to performance limitations. This paper presents a method of overcoming repetition rate limitations. A rapidly spinning stage is used to allow operation of a LC laser at 10 kHz: two orders of magnitude greater than possible with a static cell. Average power outputs of up to 3.5 mW are achieved along with an improvement in emission stability. Lastly, a mechanical wavelength-switching method is demonstrated. The spinning cell approach will enable research into the use of liquid crystal lasers in fluorescence imaging and display applications.Normand, Margaret; Hands, Philip; Chen, Peigang; Can, Chi. (2018). Liquid crystal lasers: overcoming repetition rate limitations, [dataset]. University of Edinburgh. School of Engineering. http://dx.doi.org/10.7488/ds/2407