[Treatment Strategies for Septic Arthritis of the Sternoclavicular Joint].

Septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) is a relatively rare disease. Due to serious complications including mediastinitis and generalised sepsis early diagnosis and rapid onset of treatment are mandatory. The disease often affects immunocompromised patients, diabetics, or patients with other infectious diseases.

[Use of a pediculed pectoralis major flap for the treatment of septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint].

Objective: Closure of the wound defect with a pedicled pectoralis major muscular flap after successful surgical treatment of septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ).

Indications: Defect of the thoracic wall after septic arthritis of the SCJ.

Contraindications: Persistent infection of bony or soft tissue structures; persistent septicemia; persistent mediastinitis.

Cell-free repair of small cartilage defects in the Goettinger minipig: the effects of BMP-7 continuously released by poly(lactic-co-glycolid acid) microspheres.

Objective: Cartilage repair of full-thickness chondral defects in the knees of Goettinger minipigs was assessed after treatment with cell-free collagen type-I gel with or without additional BMP-7 loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolid acid) microspheres.

Methods: Two full-thickness chondral defects were created in the trochlear groove of one hind leg knee in six Goettinger minipigs. Six defects were treated with a cell-free collagen type-I gel plug of 10 mm, the corresponding six defects were treated with a cell-free collagen type-I plug with poly(lactic-co-glycolid acid) microspheres loaded with recombinant BMP-7 (100 ng/ml gel).

[Septic arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint: radical resection and treatment with a pectoralis flap].

After infection of a vascular prosthesis with generalised sepsis, a 59-year-old male patient suffered from an increasing swelling of his right sternoclavicular joint. We performed an incision and debridement of the SC joint and harvested material for microbiological diagnosis. However, we were not able to overcome the inflammation until we performed a radical resection including the medial aspect of the clavicle and parts of the manubrium followed by coverage with a pectoralis flap.

Outcome after thoracoscopic ventral stabilisation of thoracic and lumbar spine fractures.

Background And Purpose: Thoracoscopic-assisted ventral stabilisation for thoracolumbar fractures has been shown to be associated with decreased recovery time and less morbidity when compared with open procedures. However, there are a limited number of studies evaluating late clinical and radiological results after thoracoscopic spinal surgery.

Methods: We performed an analysis of the late outcomes of thoracolumbar fractures after minimally invasive thoracoscopic ventral instrumentation.