Nail-extraction device mismatch: an issue in developing countries intramedullary nail removal practice.

Purpose: Intramedullary nail is the gold standard in the management of long bone diaphyseal fractures of tibia and femur. The jig of these nails has corresponding extraction device whose pitch for nail coupling come in various sizes. This unlike plate and screws may be difficult to predict preoperatively and may pose a problem during removal.

Clinical measurement of angular profile of the knee and correlation with intermalleolar distance in children in Enugu metropolis.

Background: Angular deformities of the lower limbs are commonly encountered deformities in pediatric orthopedic clinics. The values of the tibiofemoral angle undergoes changes as the child grows and these changes are self-limiting. The aim of the study is to establish the normal variation of knee angles of children between 2 and 12 years of age in Enugu metropolis and to establish any correlation between the knee angles and the intermalleolar distances (IMDs).

A comparison of the use and non-use of closed suction wound drainage in open reduction and internal fixation of femoral shaft fractures.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine if the routine use of closed suction wound drainage is justified following open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of femoral shaft fractures.

Method: This was a prospective comparative study of two study groups: those with post-operative closed suction drainage (WCSD) and those not with closed suction drainage (NWCSD).

Results: Fifty-six patients, twenty-eight each for the two cohorts, were recruited for this study.

Specialty choices: Patterns and determinants among medical undergraduates in Enugu Southeast Nigeria.

Background: Specialty choices of medical undergraduates are important in planning educational programs and human resources for health-care delivery. The aim of this study was to investigate the specialty preferences of medical undergraduates and determine the factors that influenced their specialty choices.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey carried out among final year medical undergraduates of University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, Enugu Nigeria.

Traditional bonesetters and contemporary orthopaedic fracture care in a developing nation: historical aspects, contemporary status and future directions.

In developing nations such as Nigeria, where there is a shortage of surgeons formally trained in fracture care, many of the injured seek care from traditional bonesetters. We conducted a qualitative study of fracture care in two settings in Enugu, Nigeria: The National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu (NOHE) and a traditional bonesetter practice. Primary assessment measures at the NOHE included evaluations of the structure and process of fracture care according to the Orthopaedic Trauma Association's Level 1 Trauma Center Requirements.