Pneumonia and death occur in about 10% of elderly patients with rib fractures. Apart from the severity of thoracic injuries, the presence and severity of extra-thoracic injuries and cardiopulmonary comorbidities are associated with poor outcome.

the long term results of remote SFA endarterectomy show that it is a safe, effective and durable, minimally invasive procedure. It also leaves open all other options for conventional bypass procedures. The five-year primary patency rate is at least similar to prosthetic above-knee bypass surgery.

Irreducible fracture dislocations of the ankle are rare and represent true orthopedic emergencies. We present a case of a fracture dislocation that was irreducible owing to a fixed dislocation of the proximal fibular fragment posterior to the lateral ridge of the tibia. This particular type of injury, known as a Bosworth fracture dislocation, was not appreciated on the initial radiographs taken in the emergency room but was identified at urgent surgical management. The trauma mechanism, radiographs, treatment, and relevant published data are discussed in the present report.

Purpose Flail chest was traditionally treated non-operatively using mechanical ventilation and pain control. In order to reduce the occurrence of ventilation-associated complications and long-term disability, operative rib fixation is becoming a proven standard therapy for these patients. However, the consequences of the surgical complications may influence success rates negatively. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of flail chest treatment by surgical rib fixation with nonoperative treatment, with special focus on the impact of surgical complications. Methods A retrospective case series of operatively treated flail chest patients was compared with non-operatively treated patients. Patients' injury and treatment characteristics and outcome parameters (e.g., duration of mechanical ventilation, length of Intensive Care stay (ICLOS) and hospital length of stay (HLOS), mortality, surgery-related complications and pneumonia) were collected from the patients' medical files. Crude and matched-pairs analyses were performed in SPSS. Results Twenty-three operatively and 47 non-operatively treated patients were enrolled. Operatively treated patients required significantly shorter mechanical ventilation; median 4 days versus 12 days for the non-operative group (p = 0.011). The matched-pairs analysis also showed a lower pneumonia rate (35% versus 80%; p = 0.035) and a shorter HLOS (median 21 versus 23 days; p = 0.028) in the operative group. No significant differences in duration of ICLOS, and occurrence of other injury-related adverse events were found between both groups. Seven surgery-related complications occurred, of which three required invasive solutions. Conclusions Operative fixation of a flail chest in trauma patients results in a lower rate of pneumonia, less mechanical ventilation days and shorter hospital stay, compared with non-operative treatment, but at the cost of surgery-related complications requiring invasive solutions in some cases.

BackgroundThe traditional view that the vast majority of midshaft clavicular fractures heal with good functional outcomes following non-operative treatment may be no longer valid for all midshaft clavicular fractures. Recent studies have presented a relatively high incidence of non-union and identified speciic limitations of the shoulder function in subgroups of patients with these injuries.AimA prospective, multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted in 21 hospitals in the Netherlands, comparing fracture consolidation and shoulder function after either non-operative treatment with a sling or a plate fixation.Methods/designA total of 350 patients will be included, between 18 and 60 years of age, with a dislocated midshaft clavicular fracture. The primary outcome is the incidence of non-union, which will be determined with standardised X-rays (Antero-Posterior and 30 degrees caudocephalad view). Secondary outcome will be the functional outcome, measured using the Constant Score. Strength of the shoulder muscles will be measured with a handheld dynamometer (MicroFET2). Furthermore, the health-related Quality of Life score (ShortForm-36) and the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) Outcome Measure will be monitored as subjective parameters. Data on complications, bone union, cosmetic aspects and use of painkillers will be collected with follow-up questionnaires. The follow-up time will be two years. All patients will be monitored at regular intervals over the subsequent twelve months (two and six weeks, three months and one year). After two years an interview by telephone and a written survey will be performed to evaluate the two-year functional and mechanical outcomes. All data will be analysed on an intention-to-treat basis, using univariate and multivariate analyses.DiscussionThis trial will provide level-1 evidence for the comparison of consolidation and functional outcome between two standardised treatment options for dislocated midshaft clavicular fractures. The gathered data may support the development of a clinical guideline for treatment of clavicular fractures.Trial registrationNetherlands National Trial Register NTR2399