Staged reconstruction of pelvic ring disruption: differences in morbidity, mortality, radiologic results, and functional outcomes between B1, B2/B3, and C-type lesions

OBJECTIVE: To analyze injury pattern, surgical therapy, radiologic results, and functional outcome in unstable B-type and C-type pelvic ring fractures. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Level I University Trauma Center. PATIENTS: Two-hundred-twenty-two consecutive patients, admitted during a nine-year period with unstable B-type (n = 100) and C-type (n = 122) pelvic ring injuries, of whom 122 (61.3 percent of surviving patients) were eligible for evaluation with a minimum follow-up of one year. INTERVENTIONS: Staged reconstruction dependent upon injury pattern. Emergency external compression of the pelvic ring in case of hemodynamic instability. Management of associated lesions. Secondary open reduction and internal fracture fixation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessment of perioperative and postoperative mortality and morbidity depending on fracture pattern. Fifty-five B-type and sixty-seven C-type lesions were evaluated clinically and radiologically an average of 21.6 months after trauma. RESULTS: Perioperative mortality was 5 percent in B-type and 15 percent in C-type fractures. External fixation was part of the definitive treatment in 52 percent of B-type and in 38 percent of C-type lesions. Planned secondary operative procedures were performed in 15 percent of B-type and in 26.2 percent of C-type fractures. Radiologic results were anatomic in 93.5 percent of B1, 75 percent of B2/B3, and 62.7 percent of C-type lesions. Functional results were excellent or good in 74 percent of the B1, 92 percent of the B2/B3, and in 71 percent of the C-type fractures. CONCLUSIONS: Unstable pelvic ring fractures require a staged approach. Mortality is higher in C-type than in B-type lesions. Functional outcome is worse in C-type than in B-type lesions. Within the B-type group, B1 lesions have a worse functional end result than B2/B3 fractures. These findings are not only related to the stability and symmetry of the pelvic ring, as seen in the radiologic picture, but also depend on the severity and amount of damage to the soft tissues around the pelvis.     

Acetabular fractures in the elderly. Results of a sophisticated treatment concept

Acetabular fractures in elderly patients are rare injuries, but their incidence is increasing. Poor bone quality due to osteoporosis and an increased operative risk due to concomitant disease are factors complicating surgical therapy. Literature does not provide generally accepted treatment protocols.In a 4-year period, 27 patients who were 65 years or older and who had an acute displaced fracture of the acetabulum were admitted to our department. Four minimally displaced and stable fractures were managed conservatively. Internal fixation was performed in 16 cases. According to the Merle d'Aubigné score, in 15 out of 18 surviving patients excellent or good results were found.Treatment strategy should be planned individually for each fracture, taking into account the patients biological age and general condition, fracture type, bone quality and associated injuries. Primary endoprosthetic replacement should only be considered when the acetabular bone stock allows stable cup fixation. Osteosynthesis in combination with early endoprosthetic replacement should be considered in acetabular fractures with associated femoral head or neck fractures or when significant articular steps and/or bone defects remain after open reduction and internal fixation.     

Is there still an indication for operative treatment of femoral neck fractures with a ceramic hemiprosthesis?

From 1985 to 1995, 417 patients with dislocated medial femoral neck fractures (Garden III–IV) were treated with hemiarthroplasty using a Biolox ceramic head. The average patient age at the time of operation was 81.5 years. A total of 140 survivors was available for follow-up examination with a mean prosthesis longevity of 55.8 months. The Harris hip score recorded a mean of 70.6 points. At the time of follow up, 5 patients had severe hip pain, and in 8 the roentgenographic examination revealed protrusio acetabuli. Five of these 8 patients underwent revision surgery for replacement of the cup, leaving the stem in situ. Received: 6 May 1999     

Radiographic diagnosis of rotator cuff tear based on the supraspinatus muscle radiodensity

Objective. To evaluate the supraspinatus muscle radiodensity on the outlet view as an indication of a tendon tear. Design and patients. Plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations were obtained on both shoulders of 40 subjects aged 23–70 years, including 13 asymptomatic volunteers and 27 patients. Two readers analyzed the superior contour and the heterogeneity of the supraspinatus muscle radiodensity and compared them with the MRI findings. Results and conclusion. Significant concordances (P<0.001) were found between the assessments of the superior contour and the heterogeneity of the muscle radiodensity, respectively, on plain radiographs and MR images. For the diagnosis of a full-thickness tear, the analysis of the superior contour and the heterogeneity of the muscle radiodensity reached an accuracy of 85% and 80% respectively. Stepwise discriminant analyses showed low to moderate benefit of considering the contour and the heterogeneity simultaneously. The inter- and intraobserver agreement ranged from moderate to good. We conclude that on the outlet view, modifications in the superior contour and heterogeneity of the supraspinatus muscle radiodensity suggest a full-thickness tear. Received: 6 December 1999 Revision requested: 6 March 2000 Revision received: 5 June 2000 Accepted: 4 October 2000     

Posterior wall fractures of the acetabulum: characteristics, management, prognosis

A consecutive series of 60 fractures of the posterior wall of the acetabulum, treated operatively in a Level I Trauma center, is reviewed retrospectively. Characteristics of the lesion, type of treatment, early and late postoperative complications and two-year functional results were recorded. In 27 patients (45%), additional damage to the cartilage of the acetabular cavity such as subchondral impaction, free articular fragments or separation of the posterior wall into several pieces was present. Seven patients (11.6%) showed preoperative neurological deficit. All fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation through a Kocher-Langenbeck approach. Secondary nerve damage was present in 8.3%. Early secondary surgery was necessary in 8.3%. During the first two years, additional surgery was performed in 7 patients (15.2%). The rate of periarticular ossifications was 26.1%. The rate of excellent and good results was 69.5%. The posterior wall fracture of the acetabulum is a more complex injury than generally is accepted. A large variety of articular lesions with varying degree of complexity is collected in this fracture type. Even in experienced hands, excellent and good long-term results will not exceed 75%. Poor results are due to suboptimal reconstruction of the posterior wall, partial osteonecrosis and/or complications of the Kocher-Langenbeck approach.     

Skeletal phenotype in patients with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome and mutations in SBDS

Pancreatic exocrine and bone marrow dysfunctions are considered to be universal features of Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) whereas the associated skeletal dysplasia is variable and not consistently observed. The genetic defect in SDS has recently been identified; causative mutations have been shown in the SBDS gene. The aims of this study were to characterize the nature, frequency, and age-related changes of radiographic skeletal abnormalities in patients with SBDS mutations and to assess genotype-phenotype correlation. Fifteen patients (mean age 9.7 years) with a clinical diagnosis of SDS and documented SBDS gene mutations were included. Review of their skeletal radiographs showed abnormalities in all patients. The skeletal changes were variable, even in patients with identical genotypes. The typical features were (1) delayed appearance of secondary ossification centers, (2) variable widening and irregularity of the metaphyses in early childhood, followed by progressive thickening and irregularity of the growth plates, and (3) generalized osteopenia. There was a tendency towards normalization of the epiphyseal maturation defect and progression of the metaphyseal changes with age. The results suggest that the characteristic skeletal changes are present in all patients with SDS and SBDS mutations, but their severity and localization varies with age. No phenotype-genotype correlation was observed.     

Der enge Spinalkanal aus traumatologischer Sicht

Even today, injuries of the spinal column still pose a large challenge for the treating trauma surgeons. In the last century due to more differentiated diagnostics, the concept of predominantly conservative treatment changed to interventional procedures especially in the so-called unstable injuries.Discrepancies still exist in the evaluation of stability. In the last few years, dorsal, ventral, or combined interventional procedures have become established. The narrow spinal canal and neurological deficits represent important factors. Based on the literature, the different procedures and evaluations are discussed and finally we introduce our own concept.     

Komprimierte Marknagelung bei Oberarmschaftfrakturen

Since there is low fragment impaction in the case of transverse and short oblique fractures of the humerus, these involve an especially high risk of nonunion. The body weight exerts hardly any axial load on the human humerus, which in daily life is exposed much more to tension and rotational forces, requiring a high stabilization potency. This can be achieved by intramedullary nailing; interfragmentary compression, if appropriate, can augment its effects. A special compression device shifts the dynamic bolt at the nail base together with its bone fragment in the direction of the fracture gap, bringing about fragment adaptation followed by fragment compression and locking of the bolt. The result is then consolidated by means of an additional, static, bolt. Biomechanical studies have shown significantly higher stiffness values for compressed intramedullary nailing than for conventional nailing in cadaver humeri. Clinical results in 21 cases of compression nailing of the humeral shaft show complete bone healing in a median of 3.4 months with no necessity for revision surgery. There were no complications in these patients. In transverse fractures of the humeral shaft the use of interlocking nails with interfragmentary compression yields greater stability and thus a higher probability of undisturbed and fast bony healing.