Prospective Comparison of a Metal-Free Ceramic Total Knee Arthroplasty with an Identical Metal System.

Aims: The aim of this open-label, prospective, short-term study was to carry out an initial comparison of a completely metal-free ceramic with a geometrically identical metallic arthroplasty over a 1-year follow-up period.

Methods: This study investigates a completely metal-free system using a composite matrix material containing aluminum oxide (AlO, BPK-S Integration, Peter Brehm GmbH, Weisendorf, Germany) or zirconium oxide (ZrO, BPK-S Integration Ceramic, Biolox Delta-CeramTec GmbH, Plochingen, Germany). Eighty patients (40 in each group) received either a completely metal-free ceramic system (matrix of aluminum and zirconium oxide) or an anatomically identical metallic knee system made of a cobalt-chromium alloy.

The Operative Management of Flail Chest Injuries with Concomitant Sternal Fracture.

Flail Chest Injuries (FCI) are one of the most severe thoracic injuries. Moreover, an additional sternal fracture (SF) even worsens the outcome, such as the duration of mechanical ventilation, therefore an surgical fixation of the fractures could be considered in certain cases to improve the weaning from the ventilator. This paper aims to emphasize on the management of different types of SF in FCI.

Antibacterial Effect of a 4x Cu-TiO₂ Coating Simulating Acute Periprosthetic Infection-An Animal Model.

The purpose of our study was to investigate the antibacterial effect of a spacer (Ti6Al4V) coated with 4x Cu-TiO₂ in an animal model simulating an acute periprosthetic infection by . Ti6Al4 bolts contaminated with were implanted into the femoral condyle of rabbits (n = 36) divided into 3 groups. After one week in group 1 (control) the bolts were removed without any replacement.

Concomitant Sternal Fracture in Flail Chest: An Analysis of 21,741 Polytrauma Patients from the TraumaRegister DGU®.

 Isolated sternal fractures (SFs) rarely show complications, but their influence in a thorax trauma of the seriously injured still remains unclear.  A retrospective analysis of the TraumaRegister DGU was performed involving the years 2009 to 2013 (Injury Severity Score [ISS] ≥ 16, primary admission to a trauma center). Cohort formation: Unilateral and bilateral flail chest (FC) injuries with and without a concomitant SF, respectively.

Stabilization of flail chest injuries: minimized approach techniques to treat the core of instability.

Purpose: Stabilizing techniques of flail chest injuries usually need wide approaches to the chest wall. Three main regions need to be considered when stabilizing the rib cage: median-anterior with dissection of pectoral muscle; lateral-axillary with dissection of musculi (mm) serratus, externus abdominis; posterior inter spinoscapular with division of mm rhomboidei, trapezius and latissimus dorsi. Severe morbidity due to these invasive approaches needs to be considered.