Acute shortening and subsequent lengthening of the radius and ulna for the treatment of an infected nonunion in a dog

A 3-year-old, male crossbred dog with osteomyelitis of the radius and ulna was treated using Ilizarov's method. Two centimeters of infected bone was resected, then acute bone shortening and subsequent lengthening of a healthy bone site were performed. The infection was eradicated, but a residual leg-length discrepancy was present.

Adult Proximal Humerus Locking Plate for the Treatment of a Pediatric Subtrochanteric Femoral Nonunion: A Case Report

Nonunions of pediatric subtrochanteric femur fractures are exceedingly rare and have to date not been reported in the literature. We present the case of an 11-year-old boy who developed such a nonunion after open reduction internal fixation using a pediatric locked proximal femur plate. Using an adult proximal humerus locking plate, adequate proximal fixation of the nonunion was obtained. Furthermore, previously placed distal screw holes were safely bridged and the biomechanical environment around the nonunion site improved. Uneventful healing was possible with the use of adjuvant bone grafting. No short- or midterm complications occurred. Although other implants can certainly be adapted to a use different than that of its original design, the present case suggests that adult proximal humerus locking plates may be a safe option for revision surgery of the proximal pediatric femur.

A time series analysis of the growth and determinants of union/nonunion relative wage effects, 1967-1977 /

"April 1981."

Plantar Loading During Cutting While Wearing a Rigid Carbon Fiber Insert.

Context : Stress fractures are one of the most common injuries in sports, accounting for approximately 10% of all overuse injuries. Treatment of fifth metatarsal stress fractures involves both surgical and nonsurgical interventions. Fifth metatarsal stress fractures are difficult to treat because of the risks of delayed union, nonunion, and recurrent injuries. Most of these injuries occur during agility tasks, such as those performed in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. Objective : To examine the effect of a rigid carbon graphite footplate on plantar loading during 2 agility tasks. Design :  Crossover study. Setting : Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants : A total of 19 recreational male athletes with no history of lower extremity injury in the past 6 months and no previous metatarsal stress fractures were tested. Main Outcome Measure(s) :  Seven 45° side-cut and crossover-cut tasks were completed in a shoe with or without a full-length rigid carbon plate. Testing order between the shoe conditions and the 2 cutting tasks was randomized. Plantar-loading data were recorded using instrumented insoles. Peak pressure, maximum force, force-time integral, and contact area beneath the total foot, the medial and lateral midfoot, and the medial, middle, and lateral forefoot were analyzed. A series of paired t tests was used to examine differences between the footwear conditions (carbon graphite footplate, shod) for both cutting tasks independently (α = .05). Results : During the side-cut task, the footplate increased total foot and lateral midfoot peak pressures while decreasing contact area and lateral midfoot force-time integral. During the crossover-cut task, the footplate increased total foot and lateral midfoot peak pressure and lateral forefoot force-time integral while decreasing total and lateral forefoot contact area. Conclusions : Although a rigid carbon graphite footplate altered some aspects of the plantar- pressure profile during cutting in uninjured participants, it was ineffective in reducing plantar loading beneath the fifth metatarsal.

Non-union employee representation, union avoidance and the managerial agenda

Non-union employee representation is an area which has attracted much interest in the voice literature. Much of the literature has been shaped by a dialogue which considers NERs as a means of union avoidance. More recently however scholars have suggested that for NERs to work in such contexts, they may need to be imbued with a higher set of functionalities to remain viable entities. Using a critical case study of a union recognition drive and managerial response in the form of an NER, this article contributes to a more nuanced interpretation of the literature dialogue than hitherto exists. A core component of the findings directly challenge existing interpretations within the field; namely that NERs are shaped by a paradox of managerial action. It is argued that the NER failed to satisfy for employees because of a structural remit, rather than through any paradox in managerial intent.

Regulating for mutual gains? Non-union employee representation and the Information and Consultation Directive

Interest in ‘mutual gains’ has principally been confined to studies of the unionised sector. Yet there is no reason why this conceptual dynamic cannot be extended to the non-unionised realm, specifically in relation to non-union employee representation (NER). Although extant research views NER as unfertile terrain for mutual gains, the paper examines whether NER developed in response to the European Directive on Information and Consultation (I&C) of Employees may offer a potentially more fruitful route. The paper examines this possibility by considering three cases of NER established under the I&C Directive in Ireland, assessing the extent to which mutual gains were achieved.

Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus lugdunensis Cause Pyogenic Osteomyelitis in an Intramedullary Nail Model in Rabbits

Propionibacterium acnes and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are opportunistic pathogens implicated in prosthetic joint and fracture fixation device-related infections. The purpose of this study was to determine whether P. acnes and the CoNS species Staphylococcus lugdunensis, isolated from an "aseptically failed" prosthetic hip joint and a united intramedullary nail-fixed tibial fracture, respectively, could cause osteomyelitis in an established implant-related osteomyelitis model in rabbits in the absence of wear debris from the implant material. The histological features of P. acnes infection in the in vivo rabbit model were consistent with localized pyogenic osteomyelitis, and a biofilm was present on all explanted intramedullary (IM) nails. The animals displayed no outward signs of infection, such as swelling, lameness, weight loss, or elevated white blood cell count. In contrast, infection with S. lugdunensis resulted in histological features consistent with both pyogenic osteomyelitis and septic arthritis, and all S. lugdunensis-infected animals displayed weight loss and an elevated white blood cell count despite biofilm detection in only two out of six rabbits. The differences in the histological and bacteriological profiles of the two species in this rabbit model of infection are reflective of their different clinical presentations: low-grade infection in the case of P. acnes and acute infection for S. lugdunensis. These results are especially important in light of the growing recognition of chronic P. acnes biofilm infections in prosthetic joint failure and nonunion of fracture fixations, which may be currently reported as "aseptic" failure. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Triggering employee voice under the European Information and Consultation Directive: A non-union case study

The transposition of the 2002/14/EC Directive, establishing a general framework for information and consultation (I&C), has proven contentious in largely voluntarist systems of employment regulation. Receiving particular criticism is the employee ‘opt-in’ mechanism as a means to access I&C rights. For non-union employees in particular, the ability and potential to negotiate rights for I&C is widely seen to be problematic. This article uniquely examines the opt-in mechanism in the context of non-unionism, considering how non-union employers respond to non-union employees invoking their legislative rights to I&C. Drawing upon a case study conducted over four years in a large non-union multinational, the evidence shows how the opt-in and negotiation process function to the advantage of the employer rather than the intended regulatory impact to advance employee rights

Tratamiento del deslizamiento epifisiario capital femoral con fijación in situ versus luxación quirúrgica

Introducción: El Deslizamiento Epifisiario Capital Femoral es la enfermedad de la cadera más común en adolescentes entre los 9 y 16 años. Es de causa idiopática, más frecuente en hombres, se clasifica en 4 estadios según criterios clínicos y radiológicos. Se buscó evaluar la evolución de los deslizamientos moderados y severos tratados con una de las dos técnicas propuestas. Metodología Se realizó un estudio descriptivo con pacientes que fueron llevados a fijación in situ o luxación controlada entre 2008 y 2011. Resultados: Se incluyeron 26 pacientes, los cuales el 65.4% se les realizó luxación quirúrgica controlada y el 34.6% fijación in situ. El 70,6% de pacientes tenían DECF inestable y 70,5% tenían desplazamiento severo. La evaluación de la escala WOMAC para dolor, rigidez y capacidad funcional encontró mejores beneficios para el grupo de fijación in situ, estadísticamente significativos (p<0,05), no solo en términos de dolor, rigidez y capacidad funcional sino menor frecuencia de complicaciones. Las complicaciones más frecuentes en el grupo de luxación quirúrgica controlada fueron un caso de infección, 7 casos (41,2%) de necrosis avascular de cabeza femoral, 5 casos (29,4%) de condrolisis y 2 casos (11,8%) de pseudoartrosis; En el grupo de fijación in situ, solo 1 (11,1%) presentó Infección del Sitio Operatorio y 1 (11,1%) Condrolisis. Resultados significativos solo para necrosis avascular. Discusión: Los pacientes con deslizamientos moderados y severos manejados con fijación in situ tuvieron una mejor resultado con menor proporción de complicaciones.

Resultados clínicos, radiológicos del manejo de fracturas diafisiarias de fémur con clavos elásticos endomedulares en población pediátrica

Introducción: Las fracturas de fémur en pediatría son una causa de discapacidad por requerir una inmovilización prolongada, convirtiendo su manejo en un reto para el ortopedista. El tratamiento depende de muchos factores, como la edad, el peso, el tipo de fractura y mecanismo de trauma. El estudio evaluará los desenlaces clínicos y radiológicos del paciente pediátrico con fracturas diafisiaria de fémur manejadas quirúrgicamente con clavos elásticos endomedulares. Materiales y métodos: Estudio observacional descriptivo, serie de casos, recolección de información a través de revisión de historias clínicas en pacientes sometidos quirúrgicamente con clavos elásticos. Resultados: Un total de 13 casos; promedio de edad de 8,2±2,86 años; relación hombre mujer es 3: 1. Principal mecanismo de trauma baja energía (9 casos). Con un seguimiento de 12.5±2,82 meses, el postoperatorio evidenció complicaciones menores relacionadas con irritación del punto de entrada del clavo (9 casos). Solo un caso presentó no unión de la fractura. No se documentaron otras complicaciones, existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la anteversión femoral del miembro fracturado y el sano (p=0,001) relacionado con problemas rotacionales, igual que la angulación en el plano sagital (p=0,030) sin repercusión para la consolidación ni la marcha. Conclusiones: El análisis de resultados clínicos y radiológicos concuerda con lo descrito en la literatura mundial, los clavos elásticos endomedulares es una técnica reproducible con resultados excelentes y satisfactorios, bajas tasas de complicaciones. Éste estudio presenta limitaciones debido al tamaño de muestra, no podemos hacer recomendaciones definitivas.

Interobserver reliability of computed tomography to diagnose scaphoid waist fracture union

Purpose : To determine the interobserver agreement and diagnostic performance characteristics of computed tomography (CT) for determining union of scaphoid waist fractures.

Methods : A total of 59 orthopedic and trauma surgeons rated for union a set of 30 sagittal CT scans of 30 scaphoid waist fractures. Of these fractures, 20 were treated nonoperatively, were imaged between 6 and 10 weeks after injury, and were known to have eventually achieved union. Ten were operatively confirmed to be ununited. We rated each scan as united or ununited using a Web-based rating application. We assessed interobserver reliability using Siegel's multirater Kappa. We calculated diagnostic performance characteristics using Bayesian formulas.

Results : The interobserver agreement among 59 raters was substantial. The average sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of diagnosing union of scaphoid waist fractures on sagittal CT scans were 78%, 96%, and 84%, respectively. Assuming a 90% prevalence of fracture union of the scaphoid, the positive predictive value of a diagnosis of union on sagittal CT scan was 0.99 and the negative predictive value was 0.41.

Conclusions : Our results suggest that CT scans are accurate and reliable for diagnosis of union but inadequate for ruling out nonunion of scaphoid waist fractures between 6 and 10 weeks after injury.

Fixador esquelético pino-resina acrílica e enxerto ósseo esponjoso no tratamento de complicações secundárias à imobilização inadequada de fratura do rádio e ulna em cães

O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a eficácia do fixador esquelético pino-resina, configuração tipo II, coadjuvado pelo enxerto ósseo esponjoso autólogo, no tratamento das complicações secundárias à imobilização inadequada de fraturas do rádio e ulna em 10 cães, com peso entre 1,8 e 33,6 kg. Detectou-se não-união (n=4), osteomielite (n=1), má-união (n=1), falência ou quebra de implante (n=4), sendo 60% das lesões referente ao uso prévio de pino intramedular no rádio. A montagem do fixador foi realizada com transfixação de pinos lisos em sua maioria angulados, cujas extremidades excedentes foram dobradas e estabilizadas com resina acrílica. em todos os casos, utilizou-se enxerto esponjoso autólogo fresco, após debridamento do foco de fratura. O tempo de permanência do aparelho variou entre 45 dias e 5 meses e a maior complicação foi o afrouxamento dos pinos transfixantes. A consolidação das fraturas ocorreu por formação de calo periosteal de mínimo a moderado, indicando boa rigidez da montagem.