Mid-term outcome of arthroscopic AMIC for the treatment of articular cartilage defects in the knee joint is equivalent to mini-open procedures.

Introduction: We present the first retrospective study that compares two various autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC) surgical interventions to repair grade III-IV cartilage defects in the knee. Patients who underwent minimally invasive (arthroscopy) or open (mini-arthrotomy) AMIC were followed up to 2 years to investigate if minimally invasive AMIC is superior to open procedures.

Materials And Methods: Overall n = 50 patients with focal and contained grade III-IV articular cartilage defects in the knee joint were followed in a consecutive cohort study.

Biomechanical comparison of a multidirectional locking plate and conventional plates for the osteosynthesis of mandibular angle fractures-A preliminary study.

Purpose: The objective of surgical fracture management is to reduce and fixate fractures accurately and rapidly. Two osteosynthesis plates are usually used in the treatment of mandibular angle fractures to enhance torsional stiffness. We conducted biomechanical tests under static and cyclic loading to assess whether a single locking plate is as efficacious as two conventional plates in the osteosynthesis of mandibular angle fractures.

Complications during removal of conventional versus locked compression plates: is there a difference?

Background: Osteosynthesis plate removal is one of the most commonly performed procedures in orthopaedic surgery. Due to technological advances and the quality of increasing osteosynthesis material, more and more locked plates have been implanted over the last 20 years. The aim of this study was to determine whether the complication rate during plate removal differs between conventional and locked plates.

Matrix-Associated Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation: A Clinical Follow-Up at 15 Years.

Introduction: A prospective clinical investigation was carried out in order to clarify whether Matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) results in clinical improvement at long-term follow-up.

Hypothesis: MACI will result in clinical improvement at long-term follow-up.

Study Design: Case series; level of evidence, 4.

Biomechanical evaluation of novel ultrasound-activated bioresorbable pins for the treatment of osteochondral fractures compared to established methods.

Background: Osteochondral injuries often lead to osteoarthritis of the affected joint. All established systems for refixation of osteochondral defects show certain disadvantages. To address the problem of reduced stability in resorbable implants, ultrasound-activated pins were developed.

In-vitro evaluation of surgical helmet systems for protecting surgeons from droplets generated during orthopaedic procedures.

Background: Operating theatres and surgical clothing are designed to protect the patient from surgical site infections. However, there is still a risk of infection of the surgical team with blood-borne pathogens via ocular or mucocutaneous exposure. Whereas conventional surgical clothing provides some protection against contamination, surgical helmet systems (SHS) are intended to provide a high level of protection by forming a barrier for particles, aerosols and fluids between surgeon and surgical field of work.

An electronically instrumented internal fixator for the assessment of bone healing.

Objectives: The monitoring of fracture healing is a complex process. Typically, successive radiographs are performed and an emerging calcification of the fracture area is evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether different bone healing patterns can be distinguished using a telemetric instrumented femoral internal plate fixator.

Traumatic Rupture of the Distal Triceps Tendon (A Series of 7 Cases).

Even non-traumatic ruptures of the triceps tendon are rare, surgical therapy should be recommended in all cases, because of poor results after non-operative treatment. A golden standard for the surgical procedure is not established. A small series of traumatic distal tendon ruptures was treated surgical in our hospital and was followed up after 12 months concerning their function.

Refixation of Osteochondral Fractures by an Ultrasound-Activated Pin System - An Ovine In Vivo Examination Using CT and Scanning Electron Microscope.

Background: Osteochondral injuries, if not treated appropriately, often lead to severe osteoarthritis of the affected joint. Without refixation of the osteochondral fragment, human cartilage only repairs these defects imperfectly. All existing refixation systems for chondral defects have disadvantages, for instance bad MRI quality in the postoperative follow-up or low anchoring forces.

Osteosynthesis-screw augmentation by ultrasound-activated biopolymer--an ovine in vivo study assessing biocompatibility and bone-to-implant contact.

Objectives: Screw fixation and fragment anchoring in osteoporotic bones is often difficult. Problems like the cut out phenomenon and implant migration in osteoporotic bones have been reported. One possibility of improving the anchoring force of screws is augmentation of the screw.

Treatment of trochanteric fractures with the gamma3 nail - methodology and early results of a prospective consecutive monitored clinical case series.

Objectives: There is only sparse data on clinical results and complications of the third-generation Gamma nailing system (Gamma3, Stryker). Therefore, we started a large multi-centre case series in 2008. The aim of this paper is to present the study design and early results of a single arm of a prospective, consecutive, monitored, post-market follow-up evaluation of Gamma3 nails.

Refixation of osteochondral fractures by ultrasound-activated, resorbable pins: An ovine in vivo study.

Objectives: Osteochondral injuries, if not treated adequately, often lead to severe osteoarthritis. Possible treatment options include refixation of the fragment or replacement therapies such as Pridie drilling, microfracture or osteochondral grafts, all of which have certain disadvantages. Only refixation of the fragment can produce a smooth and resilient joint surface.

Arthroscopic-assisted hook plate fixation for acromioclavicular joint dislocation.

Purpose: We present a new technique of arthroscopic-assisted AC-hook plate fixation for acromioclavicular joint dislocation with all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery and the possibility to treat concomitant pathologies.

Methods: Initially a glenohumeral arthroscopy is performed to address concomitant intra-articular injuries. Under subacromial visualisation the drill hole for the hook of the plate can be exactly positioned in the acromion.

[Osteoporotic fractures of the distal radius. What is new?].

The demographic development will result in an increase of up to 30 % of distal radius fractures. There are various therapy options but what is new? Conservative therapy: conservative therapy is reserved for stable fractures only. Osteosynthesis by K-wires: due to low biomechanical stability in older patients, insufficient functional and radiological results were achieved.

Evidence Based Development of a Novel Lateral Fibula Plate (VariAx Fibula) Using a Real CT Bone Data Based Optimization Process During Device Development.

Development of novel implants in orthopaedic trauma surgery is based on limited datasets of cadaver trials or artificial bone models. A method has been developed whereby implants can be constructed in an evidence based method founded on a large anatomic database consisting of more than 2.000 datasets of bones extracted from CT scans.

Mortality in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury: descriptive analysis of 62 deceased subjects.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Objective: To investigate the causes of death in patients who were ≤ 50 years at the time of traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI).

Setting: Convenience sample of a tertiary rehabilitation center.

Benefits of the HiRes 120 coding strategy combined with the Harmony processor in an adult European multicentre study.

Conclusion: The Harmony processor was found to be reliable, comfortable and offered a substantially increased battery life compared with the previous generation processor. No significant improvement in speech understanding with HiRes was demonstrated from objective measures, but the majority of subjects showed a clear subjective preference for the combination HiRes 120/Harmony processor.

Objectives: To evaluate experience with the Harmony™ sound processor, together with the HiRes 120 strategy.

Biomechanical analysis of a synthetic femoral spiral fracture model: Do end caps improve retrograde flexible intramedullary nail fixation?

Background: Elastic Stable intramedullary Nailing (ESIN) of dislocated diaphyseal femur fractures has become an accepted method for the treatment in children and adolescents with open physis. Studies focused on complications of this technique showed problems regarding stability, usually in complex fracture types such as spiral fractures and in older children weighing > 40 kg. Biomechanical in vitro testing was performed to evaluate the stability of simulated spiral femoral fractures after retrograde flexible titanium intramedullary nail fixation with and without End caps.

[Medical appraisal of anterior cruciate ligament ruptures].

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament tears are one of the most common human ligament ruptures. The assessment of such ruptures is particularly difficult because most ACL injuries involve minimal to no contact. The steps of the assessment are presented with the necessary requirements.

Mid-term results after operative treatment of rockwood grade III-V acromioclavicular joint dislocations with an AC-hook-plate.

Acromioclavicular joint dislocations often occur in athletic, young patients after blunt force to the shoulder. Several static and dynamic operative procedures with or without primary ligament replacement have been described. Between February 2003 and March 2009 we treated 313 patients suffering from Rockwood III-V lesions of the AC joint with an AC-hook plate.

Biomechanical analysis of a synthetic femur spiral fracture model: Influence of different materials on the stiffness in flexible intramedullary nailing.

Background: Flexible intramedullary nail fixation of dislocated diaphyseal femur fractures has gained wide acceptance for children and adolescents with open physes. Studies with a special emphasis on complications reveal frequent problems regarding stability, usually in complex fracture types such as spiral fractures and in older children weighing >40kg. This biomechanical study analyses how much the material of the nails influences the stiffness in a synthetic bone model.

Treatment of posttraumatic sternal non-union with a locked sternum-osteosynthesis plate (TiFix).

Only a minority of sternal fractures require osteosynthesis. Unstable non-union of the sternum is a very disabling condition which often requires treatment. The method most often used is tension-wiring.

How does knowledge about spinal cord injury-related complications develop in subjects with spinal cord injury? A descriptive analysis in 214 patients.

Study Design: Monocentric cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the acquisition of knowledge about spinal cord injury (SCI)-related complications in SCI patients.

Setting: Level 1 trauma center.

Biopolymer augmentation of the lag screw in the treatment of femoral neck fractures--a biomechanical in-vitro study.

The cut-out of the sliding screw is one of the most common complications in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures. The reasons for the cut-out are: a suboptimal position of the hip-screw in the femoral head, the type of fracture and poor bone quality. The aim of this study was to reproduce the cut-out event biomechanically and to evaluate the possible prevention of this event by the use of a biopolymer augmentation of the hip screw.

Posttraumatic severe infection of the ankle joint - long term results of the treatment with resection arthrodesis in 133 cases.

Although there is a clear trend toward internal fixation for ankle arthrodesis, there is general consensus that external fixation is required for cases of posttraumatic infection. We retrospectively evaluated the technique and clinical long term results of external fixation in a triangular frame for cases of posttraumatic infection of the ankle. From 1993 to 2006 a consecutive series of 155 patients with an infection of the ankle was included in our study.