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Principles Behind Management of Spine Trauma

June 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

There is no cure for neurological damage yet in spite of progress in the treatment of spine trauma. Therefore the aim of treatment of every spinal injury is restoration of the patient to maximal possible function.

This goal implies protecting all patients until a spinal injury is definitively excluded or identified and treated.

It is important that associated injuries be identified and appropriately treated. Minimizing the errors would prevent many unwanted and preventable outcomes. management of sopinal injury requires specialized training and specialized centers. the treatment of spinal injuries also begin at the filed it self where it is first priority to identify the spinal injury and care the patient without worsening it further. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Spine Injuries

Cast Syndrome or Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome

June 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

scoliosis-jacketsCast syndrome is an uncommon complication in the treatment of orthopaedic conditions. It results from obstruction of third portion of the duodenum by superior mesenteric artery leading to high intestinal obstruction. It should be kept in mind that this obstruction can occur in absence of plaster also because there are many causes to mesentric artery obstruction.

Most cases involve young adults with more than half of these cases have patients with scoliosis or kyphosis or treatment of hip condtions.  It has been seen after casting with body jackets, shoulder spicas, and hip spicas where the common denominator is exten¬sive coverage of the abdomen and chest.

The problem usually is located at the junction of the third and fourth parts of the duodenum, where the duodenum is bound by the ligament of Treitz. The duodenum passes across the anterior aspect of the lumbar spine from right to left at the level of the first and second lumbar vertebrae. Just above this point, the superior mesenteric artery arises from the abdominal aorta and passes downward with its ac¬companying veins in the mesentery. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plaster Techniques, Spine, Trauma Tagged With: , , ,

Anatomy of Distal Radius and Few Fracture Definitions

June 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The articular surface of distal radius is biconcave, triangular, and covered with hyaline cartilage. A smooth anteroposterior ridge divides the articular surface into two facets: a triangular lateral facet, which articulates with the scaphoid, and a quadrilateral medial facet, which articulates with the lunate. The medial surface of the distal radius forms a semicircular notch covered with hyaline cartilage, which articulates with the ulna head. This articulation enables the radius to swing around the ulna.

The lateral surface of the radius  elongates into a prominent styloid process, which gives attachment to the brachioradialis muscle. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Wrist Injuries Tagged With: , , ,

Xray of Flexion Type Supracondylar Fracture In A Child

June 7, 2009 By 8 Comments

This is an xray of a five year old boy who sustained injury to the elbow after fall. The antreopsterior and lateral view of elbow [see image] revealed a flexion type supracondylar fracture.

Flexion type suprcondylar injuries are rarer as compared to extension type

Flexion Type Supracondylar Fracture In A child

Flexion Type Supracondylar Fracture In A child

Filed Under: Fractures-Dislocations, Musculoskeletal Radiology, Orthopaedic Images Tagged With: , ,

Prolonged Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors Linked To Increased Risk of Hip Fractures

June 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

A study conducted by University of California has pointed to the fact that patients who are taking proton pump inhibitors and histamine 2 receptor antagonists are at higher risk of developing hip fractures as compared to the patients who are not on the medications.

This was found in the study which involved  34000 patients with hip fractures taking proton-pump inhibitors  and histamine-2 receptor antagonists  shows that the risk for hip fracture is approximately 30% higher than in matched controls not taking these medications. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , ,

Posttraumatic Radioulnar Synostosis Follwing Forearm Fractures

June 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Synostosis of the radius and ulna following fracture is relatively uncommon.The incidence is between 2-6% of the fractures. Very badly comminuted fractures occurring at the same level are at higher risk of developing this complication.me level. A greater association of this complication has been noted in patients who had crushed injury of forearm or there was an associated head injury.

Proximal fractures of forearm bones treated with one incision are more prone.

Because synostosis causes a bony bridge between radius and ulna it causes loss of rotation movements of forearm.

Xray would reveal bone formation between the two bones. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Forearm Fractures, Fractures-Dislocations Tagged With: , ,

Complications of Fracture – Non Union

June 1, 2009 By 25 Comments

Non union is a delayed complication of fracture. Literally  it means absence of union. But by definition a bone can be labeled as in non union only when the union has not occured in the bone even after passage of sufficient time [in which the bone normally would have united]. Fractures of shaft of long bone should not be considered nonunion until at least 6 months post injury but in contrast, a central fracture of the femoral neck can sometimes be defined as a non union after only 3 months

Causes of Non Union

There is a long list of causes of non union. These are patient related like age, injury related like open fractures and treatment related. Few of them are modifiable and others are not. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fractures-Dislocations Tagged With: ,
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