Introduction: Proximal humeral fracture is a common cause of morbidity in the elderly and poses a challenge for the orthopedic surgeon. Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with a locking plate is associated with high rate of secondary implant-related complications (IRC). Early implant removal could potentially reduce the risk of IRC and further improve the outcome in relatively asymptomatic patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiologic outcomes following implant removal. Methods: A total of 56 patients with an average age of 63 ± 13 years and a mean follow-up of 29 months were evaluated retrospectively following removal of a locking plate in the proximal humerus. Postoperative functional outcomes were evaluated with the Constant-Score, Subjective shoulder value and Quick-DASH score. Results: Early implant removal resulted in high functional outcomes with 96% of the patients reporting an improvement of their shoulder function following implant removal. No intraoperative complications were reported. Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the humeral head occurred in 12.5% of the patients, but no secondary screw cut-out was reported. Conclusion: Early implant removal might be a safe option to avoid secondary IRC with significant subjective functional improvement also in asymptomatic patients. Although early implant removal cannot reverse the process of AVN, it could potentially prevent secondary IRC and subsequent glenohumeral cartilage destruction.

3.

No abstract

BackgroundEarly femoral stem subsidence following a cementless THA is correlated with aseptic loosening of the femoral component. The short femoral stems allow bone sparing and implantation through a minimally invasive approach; however, due to their metaphyseal anchoring, they might demonstrate different subsidence pattern than the conventional stems.MethodsIn this prospective single-center study, a total of 68 consecutive patients with an average age of 63 years, and a minimum follow-up of 5 years following a cementless THA with a metaphyseal-anchored short femoral stem were included. The femoral stem subsidence was evaluated using “Ein Bild Roentgen Analyse” (EBRA).ResultsAverage stem migration was 0.96 +/− 0.76 mm at 3 months, 1.71 +/− 1.26 mm at 24 months, and 2.04+/− 1.42 mm at last follow-up 60 months postoperative. The only factor that affected migration was a stem size of 6 or more (r2 = 5.74; p = 0.039). Subdivision analysis revealed, that only in females migration appeared to be affected by stem size irrespective of weight but not in men (female stem size of 6 or more vs. less (Difference = − 1.48 mm, R2 = 37.5; p = 0.001). Migration did not have an impact on clinical outcome measures.ConclusionsThe examined metaphyseal-anchored short femoral stem showed the highest subsidence within the first 3 months postoperative, the implant began to stabilize at about 24 months but continued to slowly migrate with average total subsidence of 2.04 mm at 5 years following the THA. The amount of stem subsidence was not associated with worse clinical outcomes such as HHS, patient satisfaction, or pain.

Diagnostic study, Level I.

Study DesignRetrospective cohort study.PurposeTrauma is the most common cause for chronic coccygodynia. The present study aims at presenting our results after complete removal of the coccyx for refractory traumatic coccygodynia in terms of pain level, complication rates, and patients' overall satisfaction.Overview of LiteratureThere is limited extant literature describing the success rate and complications in refractory isolated traumatic coccygodynia.MethodsFrom January 2011 to January 2012, 10 consecutive patients with posttraumatic coccygodynia (six males and four females; mean age, 42 years) were enrolled in our study. Conservative treatment of the condition had failed in all patients. The same surgeon performed a complete coccygectomy on all patients. Postoperative outcomes included measurements of pain relief and degree of patient satisfaction with the procedure's results.ResultsIn our selected cohort, all patients indicated complete pain relief or significant pain improvement in follow up-care and would recommend this procedure. One patient developed a subcutaneous hematoma that required surgical intervention.ConclusionsOur results suggest that complete removal of the coccyx relieves pain in patients with refractory chronic traumatic coccygodyniaand is therefore a reasonable treatment option after conservative treatment failure.

No abstract

Despite the excellent success rates of modern implants, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) continues to show relatively high failure and revision rates, especially when compared with total knee arthroplasty (TKA).These higher rates of failure and revision are mainly observed during the early (< 5 years) post-operative period and are often due to incorrect indications and/or surgical errors.The correct clinical and radiological indications for UKA have therefore been analysed and correlated as far as possible with the principal mechanisms and timing of failures of UKA.Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2018;3:442-448. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.3.170060