Refinements in the technique for repair of the accessory nerve

Trapezius muscle palsy after accessory nerve injury leads to periscapular pain and shoulder motion deficit. The results of accessory nerve repair generally are good, but surgery is difficult. The difficulty consists of finding the nerve stumps that are embedded in fat and scar tissue from previous surgeries or injuries. Five patients with accessory nerve lesions had surgery and grafting of the accessory nerve. We dissected the proximal stump of the accessory nerve within the fibers of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and in the vicinity of the greater auricular nerve. To achieve dissection of the distal nerve stump, the deep cervical fascia was detached from the trapezius muscle 3 cm cephalad to the clavicle. The detached fascia and the trapezius muscle were flipped similar to book pages. The motor branches entering the trapezius muscle were visualized and followed toward the accessory nerve. A sural nerve graft with a mean length of 6.6 cm was used for grafting. Uncomplicated identification of the nerve stumps was possible in all patients. After accessory nerve grafting, pain and motion consistently improved in all patients. The technique proposed here ensures reliable and rapid identification of the divided stumps of the accessory nerve.     

Correlation between Bankart and Hill-Sachs lesions in anterior shoulder dislocation

Background: Bankart lesions and Hill‐Sachs lesions are commonly associated with anterior shoulder dislocations. The presence of Bankart lesion indicates the need for surgical repair. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been shown to be sensitive in detecting these two lesions. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between Bankart lesions and Hill‐Sachs lesions on MRI for patients with traumatic anterior shoulder dislocations. Methods: Between 2003 and 2005, 61 patients from Alfred and Sandringham Hospitals had an MRI as part of the investigation for traumatic anterior shoulder dislocations. The MRI scans were reviewed and subsequently confirmed by a radiologist to show the presence or absence of Bankart and Hill‐Sachs lesions. The data were then analysed by a statistician. Results: Although patients with one of these lesions were more than two‐and‐a‐half times as likely to have the other, small study numbers precluded this result from achieving statistical significance. (odds ratio, 2.67 (0.83–8.61), P = 0.10). Younger age was a strong predictor of a recurrence of shoulder dislocation (odds ratio, 0.93 (0.89–0.98), P = 0.005). The presence of Bankart or Hill‐Sachs lesions on MRI for the primary shoulder dislocation group was similar to the recurrent group (73% vs. 72% for Bankart lesion and 67% vs. 70% for Hill‐Sachs lesion). Conclusion: There is a strong correlation between both lesions. This apparent trend can be useful in predicting the presence of a Bankart lesion when a Hill‐Sachs lesion is identified on a plain radiograph. This study suggests the consideration of surgical repair after identification of a Hill‐Sachs lesion on plain radiographs, especially for younger patients where the rate of re‐dislocation is high.     

Operative treatment of complex lombosacral fracture dislocation: L5 chance fracture with trans S1-S2 dislocation

Sacral fractures are uncommon injuries that are often diagnosed late, the transverse fracture dislocation of the sacrum at the S1-S2 level associated with a L5 Chance fracture has never been reported. The purpose of this report is to describe operative treatment of transverse fracture dislocation of the sacrum at the S1-S2 level associated with a L5 Chance fracture. A 17-year-old woman sustained multiple injuries in a road accident and presented with hypovolumic shock. Radiological assessment demonstrated transverse fracture dislocation of the sacrum at the S1-S2 level associated with a L5 Chance-fracture. Neurologic examination demonstrated L5 root deficit and perineal hypoesthesia. Operative treatment was undertaken. The procedure consisted of laminectomy of L5, S1, and S2 and osteosynthesis of L3-L4 - S3-S4 (in sacral alae). Attempts to reduce dislocation failed. Postoperative recovery was uneventful. One year after operative treatment the patient presented no neurologic deficit and had resumed normal activity. Follow-up radiological imaging demonstrated consolidation of fracture zones. Management for uncommon lumbrosacral junction injuries must take into account various parameters including hemodynamic condition, neurologic status, and stability of the spinal lesions. Decompression of neural impingement and stabilization of fractures by osteosynthesis appear to be a useful alternative that allows patients to stand again and begin rehabilitation quickly.     

External fixation of open subtalar dislocation

Subtalar dislocation is a rare and severe injury, caused by high-energy trauma such as fall from a height or traffic accident. Infection and avascular necrosis are not rare sequelae of open subtalar dislocation, and the outcome may be poor. External fixation allows complete wound care, and moderate distraction of the ankle joint should unload the talus, which may reduce the risk of avascular necrosis. We treated 11 open subtalar dislocations by distractional external fixation. The series involved nine males and two females, of average age 30.39 years. In nine cases the injury was caused by falling from a height, and in two by a traffic accident. The follow-up period ranged from 18 to 28 months. The final functional results were good, with no infection and one case of avascular necrosis of the talus. Pain after a longer period of walking or standing was experienced by eight patients, and movement of the subtalar joint was limited in nine patients. Immediate distractional external fixation of open subtalar dislocation may prevent infection and avascular necrosis of the talus.     

Isolated Dislocation of the Carpal Scaphoid

A case of isolated dislocation of the carpal scaphoid is presented and the literature on the subject reviewed. An analysis has been made of the cases reported and attention is drawn to certain features which are common to most of the cases.     

Partial cuff debridement for irreparable defects of the rotator cuff

The treatment of massive rotator cuff tears can pose a difficult problem for the unprepared orthopaedic surgeon.There are many ways to treat massive rotator cuff tears, and one viable option is debridement with acromioplasty. For this form of treatment to be successful, the surgeon must choose his patient carefully. This report will focus on patient selection, biomechanics, and postoperative rehabilitation. A thorough understanding of rotator cuff tear biomechanics is needed when treating a massive tear; thorough physical and radiological examinations will help the orthopedist understand the biomechanic characteristic of the patient's tear. A tear that is balanced in both the transverse and coronal planes is stable and functional and will do well with debridement. Conversely, a tear that is unbalanced in either the transverse or coronal planes is unstable and nonfunctional and will not do well with simple debridement. Nonfunctional tears demand an attempt at rotator cuff tendon repair to restore balance to the cuff, making the tear functional. Debridement of a functional tear can be successfully performed with arthroscopic or open technique. Preservation or reconstruction of the coracoacromial (CA) arch is important because it adds anterosuperior stability to the shoulder with a massive rotator cuff tear. Postoperative rehabilitation is as important as the surgery itself and will also be emphasized. Many surgeons have had success with debridement of massive rotator cuff tears; however, as with any procedure, proper understanding of the pathology and proper patient selection is paramount to obtaining a successful result.     

Omodysplasia

Three cases of a new congenital bone disorder associating facial anomalies (depressed nasal bridge, broad base of the nose, long philtrum) with short humeri. The complex skeletal abnormalities consist of a defect of growth of the distal end of the humerus, a hypoplastic everted condyle, an upper radioulnar diastasis, and a anterolateral dislocation of the head of the radius. The condition is dominantly inherited. Two other cases with the same facial anomalies and osteoarticular abnormalities of the upper limbs are described. These cases also showed a severe micromelic dwarfism due to shortness of the long bones, particularly the femora. The present authors consider that these represent variable expressivity of the same disorder and propose that this condition be called omodysplasia (from the Greek term for humerus).     

Efficacy of the posttraumatic cross table lateral view of the cervical spine

This is a retrospective study of 128 patients with a discharge diagnosis of cervical spine fracture, dislocation, or subluxation. The study was undertaken to establish the accuracy of the posttraumatic cross table lateral view radiograph of the cervical spine (CTLV). The radiographs were read by the faculty emergency physician author. If his diagnosis differed from the patient's final radiologic diagnosis, the radiograph was reevaluated by the radiologist author. The accuracy in diagnosing posttraumatic cervical spine abnormalities on CTLV alone was 74.2% and 79.7% for the emergency physician and radiologist, respectively. Thirty percent of cases undiagnosed by the emergency physician were subsequently treated as unstable injuries. Thirty-five percent of C1, 14.8% of C2, and 42.4% of C6 abnormalities were missed on CTLV by both the emergency physician and the radiologist. The results indicate that the CTLV, alone, is unreliable and potentially dangerous as a screening exam in diagnosing posttraumatic abnormalities of the cervical spine.     

Corticosteroid injections for painful shoulders

The painful shoulder is a common clinical entity with a broad array of possible causes. A caregiver for an affected patient needs to determine the aetiology for the pain, often relying primarily on the history and physical examination and supplemented with laboratory testing and imaging when needed. However, initial treatment decisions are often made before ordering these tests in situations not involving trauma. Most conditions affecting the shoulder are treated with conservative measures such as rest, physical therapy and analgesics. When such measures fail, local corticosteroid injections can be a valuable tool to help achieve symptom relief for a wide range of the most common conditions affecting the shoulder joint. This review aims to help the clinician distinguish among the commonly encountered causes of shoulder pain and guide therapy when the use of local corticosteroid injections is considered.     

Septic arthritis of the acromioclavicular joint

Septic arthritis of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint is a rare but rapidly destructive etiology of acute shoulder pain. We report a case of septic AC joint in the absence of trauma or intravenous drug use. A diabetic man presented with severe right shoulder pain and was later diagnosed with septic arthritis of the AC joint by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positive blood cultures. Chronic diabetic foot ulcers were the source of the patient’s group B streptococcus bacteremia.