At first glance, the novel coronavirus pandemic and orthopaedic surgery appear separate entities. Orthopaedic surgeons are not generally considered front-line staff in terms of the treatment of the disease that the novel coronavirus causes compared with anaesthetic and medical colleagues. However, the impact that the novel coronavirus is likely to have on the musculoskeletal injury burden and the morbidity associated with chronic musculoskeletal disease is significant. This article summarises the strategies currently being developed for the remodelling of orthopaedic services in the UK and the emergency British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma and Orthopaedic guidelines released on 24 March 2020 in managing urgent orthopaedic patients during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Distal radius fractures account for one in five bony injuries in both primary and secondary care. These are commonly the result of a fall on outstretched hands or high-energy trauma. On assessment, clinicians should determine the mechanism of injury, associated bony or soft tissue injuries, and neurovascular symptoms. Investigations should always include radiographs to evaluate for intra-articular involvement and fracture displacement. Owing to the heterogeneous injury patterns and patient profiles, the preferred management should consider the severity of the fracture, desired functional outcome and patient comorbidities. Non-operative management in select patients can give good results, especially in older adults. Immobilisation with or without reduction forms the mainstay of non-operative treatment. Surgical management options include closed reduction and application of a cast, percutaneous K-wires, open reduction and internal fixation with plates, or external fixation. Patients should be encouraged to mobilise as soon as it is safe to do so, to prevent stiffness. Median nerve compression is the most common complication followed by tendon rupture, arthrosis and malunion. This article outlines the British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma and Orthopaedics for the management of distal radius fractures.
Compartment syndrome of the limb is a true orthopaedic emergency that warrants prompt evaluation and treatment. Acute compartment syndrome of the limb is not uncommon and has the potential to cause devastating morbidity and mortality. Failure to provide urgent surgical intervention once established can lead to irreversible tissue damage within hours of onset. Compartment syndrome can occur across all limbs, the buttocks and even the abdomen, but this article focuses solely on the diagnosis of acute compartment syndrome of the limb. Acute compartment syndrome can have a wide range of causes, with trauma representing approximately 70% of cases.
Background: Isolated distal fibular fractures resulting from supination external rotation (SER) injuries without evidence of obvious talar shift on standard radiographs present a diagnostic dilemma for clinicians. The status of the deep deltoid ligament, the main stabilizer of the ankle joint, is assessed by an increase in medial clear space (MCS) on radiographs. Therefore, these injuries can be either stable or unstable. In recent years, considerable clinical and research efforts have been made to determine ankle stability following SER fracture. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate and compare the role of different stress radiograph modalities in assessing stability of the ankle with SER fractures with no obvious talar subluxation on standard radiographs. Methods: The electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Ovid, Cochrane Central, CINAHL, and Google Scholar were searched from January 2000 to January 2018 to identify literature relating to radiologic assessment of stability of SER ankle fractures. Results: Our literature search revealed 10 peer-reviewed articles that fulfilled inclusion criteria. This yielded a total of 698 patients. The systematic review found 3 broad categories of radiographic investigations in the assessment of ankle joint stability: external rotation (ER) stress radiographs, gravity stress views (GSV), and weightbearing (WB) radiographs. Proponents of WB radiographs have demonstrated how axial load can normalize ankle joint alignment in cases of proven instability. There was a consistently high grade of evidence for using a medial clear space (MCS) value of more than 4 to 5 mm to indicate an unstable ankle following SER fracture. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of this systematic review support an MCS value of less than 4 to 5 mm as a good indicator of stability, regardless of choice of stress imaging modality. These patients can be allowed early weightbearing with expected good functional outcomes. Recent published literature favors WB stress radiographs as a reliable and safe technique for assessing stability in SER ankle fractures. However, it should be kept in mind that this is based on studies with relatively low grades of evidence. Level of Evidence: Level II, systematic review of variable quality studies.
Urinary catheterization is an important procedure that is regularly performed in hospital. All clinicians should have a good working knowledge of urinary catheters and the competence to manage them effectively. This topic will be discussed over two articles: this first article will focus on indications, and the second on techniques and managing failure. There are multiple indications for urethral catheter insertion and a range of catheter types and sizes. The choice of catheter is dependent on the patient and indication. This article discusses this in more detail to help guide clinicians involved in urethral catheterization.
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