Background:The indications for surgical management of fractures of the shaft of the humerus are clear, but selecting the right implant for internal fixation of humeral fractures has been a dilemma.Materials and Methods:Thirty-six patients (mean age 40.53 years) with fractures of the shaft of the humerus were followed for 12 to 24 months in a prospective study. Eighteen patients each underwent open reduction and internal fixation with compression plating and ante grade interlock nailing. Clinical and radiographic outcome measures included fracture healing, shoulder and elbow functions, need for additional procedures and any complication such as infection and recovery of radial nerve palsy. The results were analyzed statistically using the SPSS 11.5 software, with parametric and nonparametric tests.Results:Nine of the fractures treated with compression plating and seven of those treated with interlock nailing achieved union within six months. Though there was no significant difference in union time between the treatment groups, patients operated with interlock nailing underwent more number of secondary bone grafting procedures to obtain union (six against two). There were 12 patients (66.6%) with excellent and good results in the plating group compared to four patients (25%) in the nailing group. Interlock nailing was associated with significant reduction in shoulder function (P=0.03) and in overall results (P=0.02).Conclusion:Though there was no significant difference between plating or nailing in terms of time to union, compression plating is the preferred method in the majority of fractures of the shaft of the humerus with better preservation of joint function and lesser need for secondary bone grafting for union.

Background:Dislocation after total hip arthroplasty (THA) has a multifactorial etiology with variables such as surgical approach, component orientation and position, type of cup, stem and head size. Review of the literature regarding the relationship of head size and dislocation rate in THA is suggestive that large femoral head size is associated with lower dislocation rate after THA. However, limited data is available as a proof of this hypothesis. The purpose of this study was to determine that the use of large head size would lead to a decreased incidence of dislocations following THA.Materials and Methods:317 primary THAs were performed using the posterolateral approach with posterior soft-tissue repair between January 2006 and December 2009. Cases were divided into two groups (A and B). Femoral head diameter size 36 mm was used in 163 THA in group A and 28 mm in 154 THA in group B. Average period of followup being 2 years (6 month to 4 years). Patients were routinely followed at definite intervals and were specifically assessed for dislocation.Results:One or more dislocations occurred in 11 out of 317 hips with the overall rate of dislocation being 3.47%. Dislocation rate was 0.6% in 36 mm head size and 6.49% with 28 mm head size (P value is 0.0107). Keeping the stem design variable as a constant, the difference in the rate of dislocation between the two groups was again found to be statistically significant for both un-cemented and cemented stem.Conclusion:Dislocation rate decreased significantly as the size of the head increased in primary THA. However, longer followup is necessary as rate of dislocation or in vivo highly cross linked poly failure or fracture may increase in future affecting the rate of dislocations in primary THA.

Background:As the number of total hip arthroplasties (THAs) performed increases, so do the number of required revisions. Impaction bone grafting with Wagner SL Revision stem is a good option for managing bone deficiencies arising from aseptic osteolysis. We studied the results of cementless diaphyseal fixation in femoral revision after total hip arthroplasty and whether there was spontaneous regeneration of bone stock in the proximal femur after the use of Wagner SL Revision stem (Zimmer, Warsaw, IN, USA) with impaction bone grafting.Materials and Methods:We performed 53 hip revisions using impaction bone grafting and Wagner SL Revision stems in 48 patients; (5 cases were bilateral) for variety of indications ranging from aseptic osteolysis to preiprosthetic fractures. The average age was 59 years (range 44-68 years). There were 42 male and 6 female patients. Four patients died after surgery for reasons unrelated to surgery. 44 patients were available for complete analysis.Results:The mean Harris Hip Score was 42 before surgery and improved to 86 by the final followup evaluation at a mean point of 5.5 years. Of the 44 patients, 87% (n=39) had excellent results and 10% (n=5) had good results. The stem survival rate was 98% (n=43).Conclusion:Short term results for revision THA with impaction bone grafting and Wagner SL revision stems are encouraging. However, it is necessary to obtain long term results through periodic followup evaluation, as rate of complications may increase in future.

Background:Periprosthetic supracondylar femoral fractures following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are infrequent, but is a devastating complication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence and outcomes of periprosthetic supracondylar femoral fractures following TKA using nonoperative as well as open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) techniques.Materials and Methods:Between January 2004 and December 2010, we followed 3,920 operated patients of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and identified 23 patients with periprosthetic supracondylar fractures. A retrospective analysis of the records of these patients was conducted. Details regarding pre fracture status, treatment offered and the present status were also recorded and analyzed. Time from index arthroplasty to periprosthetic fracture ranged from five days to six years. There were 17 women and 6 men and the average age was 68.26 years (range 52-83 years). Of the 23 patients, 20 patients were treated by operative method, whereas only three patients with relatively undisplaced fractures were treated nonoperatively.Results:The total incidence of periprosthetic fractures in operated cases of TKA was 0.58%. Three patients had infection after surgery. As per radiological assessment, two of three conservatively treated cases had malunion, whereas among 20 cases treated operatively, 16 had primary union with one malunion. Two patients had union after bone grafting, whereas two had nonunion. The average reduction in the knee score after fracture was 20.53%. Twenty one patients were able to achieve limited but independent activity.Conclusions:Desirable results for periprosthetic fractures can be obtained if proper and timely intervention is done, taking into account the other comorbid conditions. However, short duration of followup and small number of patients were major limiting factors in this study.

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