INTRODUCTION Ureteric stenting is a common urological procedure. Forgotten stents have a well-documented morbidity and mortality. Therefore, we asked the question, is a stent register an important factor in reducing the number of lost or overdue stents? PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of 203 patients who had ureteric stents inserted in the operating theatre, for the 5-year period 1 December 1998 to 1 December 2003. We analysed all stent cards, patient notes and theatre logs; where no record of stent removal was found, we contacted the patient, their GP or their local hospital. RESULTS A total of 191 patients were identified from the stent card register. An additional 12 patients were found from the theatre logs, but with no record in the stent card register. Of the 203 patients, 8 had bilateral stents. The most common indication for stenting was stone disease. Of the 203 patients, 11 had overdue stents and 51 had no record of the stents ever being removed. The 51 presumed ‘forgotten’ stents were traced, and it was found that 42 patients had had their stents removed by other hospitals, and 9 patients died with stents in situ, but before they were due for removal. CONCLUSIONS Our current stent card tracking system is ineffective, because it was infrequently reviewed. However, despite overdue and ‘forgotten’ stents which were removed by other hospitals, no patients came to any real harm and we had no lost stents. Our stent register system did not appear to play any role in terms of preventing stent loss, and it seems likely that there are other more effective safeguards in place to prevent this from happening. However, if a stent register was required at all, a computerised system would be preferable. Alternatively, patients could share some of the responsibility of stent tracking with their clinicians.

Purpose:The most reliable clinical investigations to diagnose rotator cuff tears reported in the literature is a triad of weakness on resisted external rotation, pain on impingement, and weakness on supraspinatus testing, or a combination of two of the above in a patient over 60 years of age. We present a simple new clinical test “The lateral Jobe Test” and compare it to these combined tests. The lateral Jobe test is performed with the patient’s shoulder abducted 90° in the coronal plane and internally rotated so that with the elbows flexed 90° the fingers point inferiorly and thumbs medially. A positive test is pain or weakness on resisting an inferiorly directed force applied to the distal arms or an inability to perform the test.Materials and Methods:A consecutive series of 175 patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy were reviewed prospectively and examined by two independent orthopedic surgeons blinded to the diagnosis. The results of the clinical tests were validated against arthroscopic findings.Results:The lateral Jobe test had a significantly higher sensitivity (81 vs. 58%) than the combined tests. The specificity of both was similar at 89 and 88%, respectively.Conslusion:The lateral Jobe test is a simple single test which can help in the clinical diagnosis of rotator cuff tears.Level of Evidence:Level IIb

To evaluate the results of the Ilizarov external fixator in the treatment of non-union post–high tibial osteotomy (HTO). Five non-unions, in four patients, following HTO were treated by Ilizarov fixation. Clinical outcome was assessed pre- and post-operatively by the Knee Society Clinical Rating System (KSCRS). Radiological analysis assessed bone healing pre- and post-operatively and measured proximal tibial alignment. All cases healed with a mean time of 25 ± 3 weeks (Mean ± SD) (range, 24–30 weeks) in the fixator. The clinical and radiological outcome improved in all cases. Four knees were initially in excessive varus and underwent correction of alignment, as measured by medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), from 75.5° ± 8.4° (mean ± SD) to 90.2° ±  2.7° (normal range, 85°–90°). One patient was in excessive valgus and had a correction of MPTA from 100° to 87°. The KSCRS knee score improved from 35.6 ± 10.8 to 86.6 ± 13.9 (mean ± SD) (normal score = 100) and the functional score from 37.8 ± 11.8 to 85.4 ± 10.5 (mean ± SD) (normal score = 100). The Ilizarov technique is a minimally invasive method that produces excellent clinical, radiological and functional outcomes.

Since the implementation of the two-week rule in urology in December 2000, no studies have yet assessed whether the system is being used appropriately. The authors of this study reviewed the medical records of all patients referred under the two-week rule, and by other routes, to the Urology Departments of Epsom and St Helier Hospitals during a consecutive eight-week period in October and November 2005.