Dislocations of the elbow – An instructional review

Dislocations of the elbow require recognition of the injury pattern followed by adequate treatment to allow early mobilisation. Not every injury requires surgery but if surgery is undertaken all structures providing stability should be addressed, including fractures, medial and lateral ligament insertion and the radial head. The current concepts of biomechanical modelling are addressed and surgical implications discussed.     

Management of Neglected Upper Cervical Spine Injuries

BackgroundInjuries involving upper cervical spine are serious and fatal injuries which are associated with alteration of normal occipital–cervical anatomy. These injuries may result in permanent neurologic deficits or neck deformity if not treated in a timely and appropriate manner.ObjectiveTo evaluate the outcomes of neglected upper cervical spine injuries treated by various methods.Study designRetrospective study.Materials and methodsTwelve patients attending ER or OPD with a history of neck trauma and who were diagnosed with fractures and fracture dislocations C1 and C2 were included in the study. Fresh injuries sustained within a week were excluded from study. The outcomes were measured in terms of improvement in VAS, ODI Scores and correction of the neck deformity. Surgical parameters like duration of surgery and blood loss were also observed.ResultsEleven males and one female. The mean age was 40.9 ± 16.9 (07–67 years). Eleven patients underwent posterior instrumentation, while one patient was treated anteriorly. The mean delay in presentation was 28 ± 8.67 days (15–42 days). The mean duration of surgery was 188.3 ± 34.35 min (120–240 min), average blood loss was 350 ± 111.8 ml (150–600 ml). The mean VAS improved from 8.45 ± 0.89 to 3.9 ± 0.51 (p < 0.05). The mean ODI Pre-operatively was 88.45 ± 5.89 which improved to 31.9 ± 4.01 (p < 0.05). The neck deformity/torticollis was corrected in all the patients.ConclusionsNeglected upper cervical spine injuries are difficult to treat and a posterior approach is helpful in reducing the subluxations indirectly and to obtain a posterior fusion.     

从心身同治角度针灸对乳腺癌关节痛患者生命质量改善的临床研究

目的:评价基于《黄帝内经》心身疾病病因的整体选穴与乳腺癌芳香化酶抑制剂(AI)关节痛局部配穴相结合的针灸方法,对乳腺癌康复期AI关节痛患者生命质量及局部关节症状的临床疗效。方法:选取2019年1月至2021年5月南京医科大学第一附属医院乳腺外科筛选使用唑来膦酸的乳腺癌AI患者232例作为研究对象,依据针灸意愿分为对照组(n=19)和观察组(n=16),对照组采用唑来膦酸常规镇痛,观察组在唑来膦酸的基础上采用整体及局部取穴相结合的方法针灸治疗,共治疗4周,分别评价治疗前、治疗2周、4周、8周时的乳腺癌患者生命质量量表(FACT-B)生命质量评分以及简明疼痛评估量表(BPI-SF)关节痛评分,同时评估针灸治疗的安全性。结果:治疗4周以及8周时观察组FACT-B生命质量评分较对照组高,治疗4周时观察组BPI-SF疼痛评分较对照组低,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:采用整体配穴调和心身与局部选穴缓急止痛相结合的针灸方法对乳腺癌康复期AI患者的生命质量以及局部关节症状有较好的临床疗效。     

旋提手法治疗颈椎病研究进展

颈椎病(CS)是脊柱常见、多发疾病之一,具有发病率高,且呈年轻化发展的趋势。CS严重影响患者生活质量和心理健康,旋提手法治疗CS具有安全、有效、经济的特点。通过对筋骨理论以及旋提手法的深入挖掘,探讨在筋骨理论指导下颈椎病的发病机制以及旋提手法治疗CS的作用机制,为手法治疗CS提供新思路。     

Vascular anatomy of the first metatarsal bone and surgical implications according to the severity of hallux valgus deformity: A cadaveric study

BackgroundVascular injury after hallux valgus surgery is a rare condition but serious complications can ensue.MethodsWe performed an anatomical study using 26 cadaveric lower extremities. We enhanced first metatarsal bone’s (FMB) vascularization by injecting latex. Each specimen was classified according to the severity of hallux valgus deformity (HVD). Then we measured two distances: one between the first tarsometatarsal joint (FTMJ) to the first dorsal branch’s origin, the other between the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP) to the dorsal plexus’s origin.ResultsThe distance between the FTMJ and the first dorsal branch to the FMB ranges from 10 mm in normal feet to 15 mm in severe deformed feet. The distance between the MTP and the dorsal plexus’ origin ranges from 20 mm in normal feet to 25 mm in severe deformed feet.ConclusionsUnderstanding the foot’s vascular anatomy has allowed us to adapt surgical landmarks to the severity of the HVD and to avoid post-operative complications.     

The influence of bariatric surgery on hip and knee joint pain: a systematic review

Obesity increases the risk of osteoarthritis and the chance of needing joint replacement arthroplasty to reduce lower limb joint pain. Although nonsurgical weight loss interventions can reduce hip and knee joint pain, bariatric surgery may be a more feasible treatment option for people with severe obesity. However, it is unclear whether weight loss through bariatric surgery can positively influence hip and knee joint pain. Our objective was to evaluate the influence of bariatric surgery on hip and knee joint pain in people with obesity by conducting a systematic review of the literature. The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane bibliographic databases were searched for studies published between 1947 and September 2019. Risk of bias of the identified studies was independently assessed by 2 reviewers using JBI’s Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Series and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. This review included 23 studies, all of which evaluated knee pain and 9 of which also evaluated hip pain. Reported results regarding hip pain intensity and the proportion of participants with hip pain were too limited to draw useful conclusions. Reported results regarding knee pain suggest that weight loss after bariatric surgery reduced knee pain intensity, as well as the proportion of participants with knee pain. The overall risk of bias of the majority of included studies (83%; n = 19) was judged to be unclear to high. Four small studies were judged as having a low risk of bias. Results of this systematic review suggest that bariatric surgery can positively influence hip and knee joint pain, but conclusive evidence is lacking because most of the included studies were judged as having plausible bias overall and in their key domains. Well-designed randomized controlled trials evaluating the influence of bariatric surgery on hip and knee joint pain using standardized joint pain measures are needed.     

Pediatric Hand Injuries Requiring Closed Reduction at a Tertiary Pediatric Care Center

Background: Hand fractures and dislocations are common injuries in the pediatric population. This study aims to characterize the pediatric hand injuries that required closed reduction and identify those that required multiple reduction attempts. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out in patients younger than 18 years of age with hand fractures or dislocations who underwent closed reduction in the emergency department (ED). Patients who ultimately required surgical reduction and fixation were not included. Results: Of the 310 hand injuries identified, 148 (114 fractures and 34 dislocations) underwent closed reduction in the ED; 7.4% of those required repeat reduction. Hand injuries that most often required repeat reduction included metacarpophalangeal joint dislocations (20.0%) and proximal phalanx neck (16.7%), metacarpal shaft (15.4%), metacarpal neck (6.2%), and proximal phalanx base (5.6%) fractures. No modifiable risk factors predicting the need for repeat reduction were identified. Conclusions: Some pediatric hand injuries are more likely to require repeat closed reduction by a hand surgeon. This retrospective study is the first step toward quality improvement as it provides opportunities for further research into the factors contributing to reductions that are unsuccessful at the first attempt. Identification of these factors and implementation of quality improvement measures are necessary to ensure the effective treatment of all pediatric hand injuries.