Shin, Alexander Y.

Clinical results following four-corner arthrodesis vary and suggest that nonunion may be related to certain fixation techniques. The purpose of our study was to examine the displacement between the lunate and capitate following a simulated four-corner arthrodesis with the hypothesis that three types of fixation (Kirschner wires, dorsal circular plate, and a locked dorsal circular plate) would allow different amounts of displacement during simulated wrist flexion and extension. Cadaver wrists with simulated four-corner arthrodeses were loaded cyclically either to implant failure or until the lunocapitate displacement exceeded 1 mm. The locked dorsal circular plate group was significantly more stable than the dorsal circular plate and K-wire groups ( p = 0.018 and p = 0.006). While these locked dorsal circular plates appear to be very stable our results are limited only to the biomechanical behavior of these fixation techniques within a cadaver model.

AbstractPurposeNumerous surgical techniques have been described for the treatment of peroneal nerve palsy after knee dislocation with less than optimal outcomes. The purpose of this article is to present a review of the literature including modern surgical treatment options for peroneal nerve palsy after knee dislocation.MethodReview of the current body of literature relevant to the topic was undertaken and summarized accordingly. Mechanism of injury, pathology and prognosis as well as current and novel treatment options are presented.ResultsNeurolysis and nerve grafting results are dependant on nerve graft length, with documented recovery rates of only 44% for nerve grafts longer than 6 cm. Posterior tibial tendon transfer procedures have had reasonable success in allowing patients to return to ambulation without assistive devices; however, dorsiflexion strength on the affected side has been reported at only 30% that of the normal contralateral side, and return to activities more strenuous than walking has not been reported. Future concepts including partial nerve transfer of a motor branch of the tibial nerve to the peroneal nerve have been described, but no outcome data is currently available.ConclusionPeroneal nerve palsy after knee dislocation leads to significant functional impairment. Prior treatment strategies utilized for restoration of dorsiflexion and peroneal nerve function have yielded overall poor results. Newer surgical techniques are being developed and clinical trials are under way to evaluate their effectiveness.

The success of vascularized bone grafts from the medial femoral condyle in various clinical applications has sparked renewed interest in the microvascular anatomy of this region. This study describes the arterial supply of the distal medial femoral condyle and its implications in harvesting vascularized bone grafts. The location, branching pattern, internal diameter, and distribution of perforators of the descending genicular artery and superior medial genicular artery in 19 fresh cadaveric lower limbs were recorded. The descending genicular artery was present in 89% and the superior medial genicular artery was present in 100% of specimens with average distances proximal to the articular surface of 13.7 cm and 5.2 cm, respectively. The average number of perforating vessels was greatest in the posterior distal quadrant of the condyle. The blood supply of the medial femoral condyle is plentiful and consistent making it a useful source for free vascularized bone grafts.

BACKGROUND: Open irrigation and débridement is the standard of treatment for septic arthritis of the wrist. Although isolated cases of arthroscopic irrigation and débridement have been reported, a comparison of arthroscopic and open techniques has not been performed, to our knowledge. The purpose of this study was to compare the two methods of management. METHODS: A retrospective comparison of patients with septic arthritis of the wrist initially treated, over an eleven-year period, with open or arthroscopic irrigation and débridement was undertaken at a single institution. The clinical presentation, laboratory and microbiological findings, hospital course, complications, and outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Between 1997 and 2007, thirty-six patients with septic arthritis involving a total of forty wrists were identified. Nineteen wrists (seventeen patients) were initially treated with open irrigation and débridement, and twenty-one wrists (nineteen patients) were initially treated arthroscopically. Eleven wrists in the open-treatment cohort required repeat irrigation and débridement, and eight wrists in the arthroscopy cohort required a repeat procedure. If a repeat irrigation and débridement was required, it was performed in an open fashion in all but two cases. When the comparison included all of the patients in the series, no difference between the two cohorts was found with regard to the number of irrigation and débridement procedures required or the length of the hospital stay. However, when the comparison was limited to the patients with isolated septic arthritis of the wrist, it was found that only one of seven wrists in the open-treatment cohort but all eight wrists in the arthroscopy cohort had been successfully managed with a single irrigation and débridement procedure (p = 0.001). No patient in whom isolated septic arthritis of the wrist had been treated with arthroscopic irrigation and débridement required a second operation. The patients in whom isolated septic arthritis of the wrist was treated with the open method stayed in the hospital for an average of sixteen days compared with a six-day stay for those in whom isolated septic arthritis of the wrist was treated with the arthroscopic method (p = 0.04). The ninety-day perioperative mortality rate in the series was substantial (18% [three patients] in the open-treatment cohort and 21% [four patients] in the arthroscopy cohort). CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic irrigation and débridement is an effective treatment for patients with isolated septic arthritis of the wrist; these patients had fewer operations and a shorter hospital stay than did patients who had received open treatment. However, these benefits were not seen in patients with multiple sites of infection. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III . See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. ORIGINAL ABSTRACT CITATION: “Comparison of Arthroscopic and Open Treatment of Septic Arthritis of the Wrist” (2009;91:1387-93).

Background High-intensity repetitive athletic activities may predispose the brachial plexus to repetitive stretch, compression, and subsequent injury, although painless shoulder weakness is a rare event. Purpose The physical examination and electrodiagnostic findings in a series of United States Navy special warfare trainees who presented with acute painless shoulder weakness are presented, along with subsequent treatment and return-to-duty timeline. Study Design Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods From August 2005 to August 2006, a total of 11 of 212 (5%) Navy Basic Underwater Demolition School trainees were identified with acute onset (<3 weeks) painless shoulder weakness without any prior shoulder injury. In all shoulders, symptoms began during a telephone pole lift-carry drill. All trainees underwent serial examinations, electrodiagnostic testing, and a comprehensive rehabilitation program. Results Physical examination revealed universal weakness in flexion and abduction and electrodiagnostic studies confirmed injury to the C5-6 area of the brachial plexus (axillary, suprascapular, and musculocutaneous). All 11 patients were removed from training and started on a physical therapy program until functional recovery at a mean of 21 weeks after onset of symptoms (range, 12-24). All 11 resumed military activities; however, only 6 completed the Navy Basic Underwater Demolition School program. Conclusion In physically intense training or athletic environments, injuries to the upper brachial plexus may present with various forms of upper extremity dysfunction, including painless shoulder weakness. This information provides insight into a potentially debilitating shoulder problem and offers guidance on future training principles.

✓Reconstruction of extensive nerve defects is hampered by the amount of autogenous nerve tissue available for transplantation and by donor site morbidity. Nerve allografts, being of foreign origin and potentially unlimited in supply, provide a solution to these problems. Studies have shown that nerve allotransplants require immunosuppression only until end-organ connections are made and that immunosuppressant therapy may be subsequently discontinued with no negative effect on functional outcome. Also, recent experimental and clinical focus has been on shorter periods of immunosuppression in order to reduce risk, even stopping immunosuppression after regeneration has reached the distal suture line rather than before recovery of end-organ connections. In the pediatric population, the increased disease burden and increased potential for nerve regeneration as well as the frequent availability of a living related donor make allografts all the more attractive as solutions to nerve reconstructive problems. Nevertheless, the risks of immunosuppression must not be underemphasized, and they deserve more attention in the current nerve transplantation literature. The authors report on a child who, at the age of 1 year, received a nerve allograft from a living related donor who was positive for Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). The child quickly developed a symptomatic EBV infection concurrent with immunosuppressant drug therapy. The immunosuppression regimen was stopped prematurely, and the patient suffered only a short illness, but the EBV infection could have developed into a life-threatening posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). The patient is consequently predisposed to develop PTLD and will have to be monitored for the rest of his life. This case highlights the importance of considering the potentially fatal risks associated with this elective procedure. Future studies are needed to quantify and minimize this complication. Nevertheless, it should be weighed against the potential functional benefit from using nerve allografts.

The reverse radial forearm fascial (RRFF) flap is widely used in soft-tissue reconstruction of the hand. The traditional RRFF flap incorporates the radial artery from the forearm and is perfused by retrograde flow through the palmar arch. In patients with an abnormal Allen test because of an incomplete palmar arch, the traditional RRFF flap is contraindicated unless a vein graft is used to reconstruct the radial artery. A simpler alternative approach for hand reconstruction in such patients is a distally based RRFF flap based on radial artery perforators, which preserves the radial artery. We used RRFF flaps based on radial artery perforators in five patients who had palmar or dorsal soft-tissue loss. All five recovered full hand function, and only one had any complications (full-thickness skin graft loss at recipient site). The RRFF flap based on distal radial artery perforators is suitable for thin coverage of soft-tissue defects in hands with either a complete or an incomplete palmar arch.