Nutrition support for the patient with an open abdomen after major abdominal trauma.

Objective: Nutrition support in the severely injured trauma patient is crucial to minimize the hypermetabolic stress response. Even though enteral nutrition is the preferred method of feeding, it is not always feasible after multiple trauma. We present a complex nutritional case in a patient who sustained severe abdominal trauma with a severe liver injury, rib fractures, and pulmonary contusion.

Fractures of the distal femur in the elderly treated with a carbon fibre supracondylar plate.

The use of a contoured supracondylar carbon fibre plate in 22 patients with a fracture of the lower femur is reported. The patients were all elderly (mean age 80.6 years) and three patients in the study died of unrelated medical causes.

Recurrent dislocation of the hip in adult paraplegics.

Recurrent dislocation of the hip is rare and has not previously been reported in adult paraplegics. This paper describes 3 cases. In one patient it was spontaneous, occurring 16 years after the original injury and was associated with a flexion-adduction contracture of the hip and a shallow acetabulum.

Carbon-fibre reinforced plates for problem fractures.

We report our experience with carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) plates in the management of 19 problem fractures complicated by either infection, nonunion, comminution or contamination. The combination offers secure fixation without inhibition of callus formation.