Corrective osteotomies of the radius:Grafting or not?

AIM:To review the current literature regarding corrective osteotomies to provide the best evidence of the rule of bone grafting.METHODS:Our MEDLINE literature search included 280 studies using the following key words "Malunited distal radius fracture" and 150 studies using key words "Corrective osteotomy of the distal radius".Inclusion criteria were:Malunited distal radial,extra articular fracture,volar locking plate,use of iliac bone graft(cancellous or corticocancellous),non-use of bone graft.Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria.RESULTS:Seven of the 12 studies considered,described the use of a graft;the remaining five studies didn't use any graft.Type of malunion was dorsal in most of the studies.The healing time was comparable using the graft or not(mean 12.5 wk),ranging from 7.5 to 16 wk.The mean disabilities of the arm,shoulder and hand score improvement was 23 points both in the studies that used the graft and in those not using the graft.CONCLUSION:This review demonstrated that corrective osteotomy of extra-articular malunited fractures of the distal radius treated by volar locking plate does not necessarily require bone graft.

Distal biceps tendon rupture reconstruction using musclesplitting double-incision approach

AIM: To evaluate the clinical and functional results after repair of distal biceps tendon tears, following the Morrey's modified double-incision approach.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 47 patients with distal rupture of biceps brachii treated between2003 and 2012 in our Orthopedic Department with muscle-splitting double-incision technique. Outcome measures included the Mayo elbow performance, the DASH questionnaire, patient's satisfaction, elbow and forearm motion, grip strength and complications occurrence.RESULTS: At an average 18 mo follow-up(range, 7 mo-10 years) the average Mayo elbow performance and DASH score were respectively 97.2 and 4.8. The elbow flexion range was 94%, extension was-2°, supination was 93% and pronation 96% compared with the uninjured limb. The mean grip strength, expressed as percentage of respective contralateral limb, was 83%. The average patient satisfaction rating on a Likert scale(from 0 to 10) was 9.4. The following complications were observed: 3 cases of heterotopic ossification(6.4%), one(2.1%) re-rupture of the tendon at the site of reattachment and 2 cases(4.3%) of posterior interosseous nerve palsy. No complication required further surgical treatment.CONCLUSION: This technique allows an anatomic reattachment of distal biceps tendon at the radial tuberosity providing full functional recovery with low complication rate.

Painful scar neuropathy:principles of diagnosis and treatment

Nerve-tissue interactions are critical.Peripheral nerve injuries may involve intraneural and extraneural scar formation and affect nerve gliding planes,sometimes leading to complex clinical presentations.All of these pathological entities involve pain as the main clinical symptom and can be subsumed under the term“painful scar neuropathy”.The authors review the literature on treatment approaches to peripheral nerve scar neuropathy and the outcomes of neurolysis-associated procedures and propose a simple classification and a therapeutic approach to scar neuropathy.The search retrieved twenty-one papers,twenty of which reported pain reduction or resolution with various techniques.There is no consensus on the best therapeutic approach to neuropathic pain due to scar tethering.Most authors report good or excellent results with different techniques,from nerve wrapping with anti-adhesion devices to nerve coverage or wrapping with vascularized tissue.The authors’classification of and therapeutic approach to peripheral nerve scar lesions aims at promoting a logical approach based on the analysis of lesion type(perineural,or endoneural and perineural),pain type(due to traction or external trauma,pain at rest),and number of previous operations.Patients need to be informed that multiple procedures may be required,that outcomes may be partial,and that surgery can potentially worsen preoperative conditions.The review found no evidence for the best therapeutic approach to scar neuropathy,but there is consensus on a multidisciplinary approach.