[Reduction of needlestick injuries by 48 % in 1 year : Effects of improvement of the safety concept according to the European Union Council directive 2010/32/EU at a large regional hospital].

Background: Needlestick injuries (NSI) are potentially infectious injuries from sharp or pointed medical instruments and through contact with blood on mucous membranes or nonintact skin. Although the European Union (EU) Council directive 2010/32/EU on the prevention of NSI was implemented in EU countries in 2013, information on the effectiveness of the measures is limited.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a safety concept according to the EU Council Directive 2010/32/EU on prevention of NSI.

The role of cement augmentation with percutaneous vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures in multiple myeloma: a consensus statement from the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG).

Multiple myeloma (MM) represents approximately 15% of haematological malignancies and most of the patients present with bone involvement. Focal or diffuse spinal osteolysis may result in significant morbidity by causing painful progressive vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) and deformities. Advances in the systemic treatment of myeloma have achieved high response rates and prolonged the survival significantly.

Tension band wiring in olecranon fractures: the myth of technical simplicity and osteosynthetical perfection.

Purpose: The tension band wiring (TBW) technique is a common treatment for the fixation of olecranon fractures with up to three fragments. The literature and surgeons describe TBW as an uncomplicated, always available and convenient operation producing excellent results. The purpose of this study was to determine whether TBW is more ambitious than believed or the procedure provides an increased level of tolerance concerning the surgical technique.

The treatment of proximal humeral fracture in adults.

Background: The incidence of proximal humeral fractures lies between 105 and 342 per 100 000 persons per year. Around the world, this type of fracture remains a major challenge for treating surgeons. While non-displaced fractures can be managed conservatively, displaced ones are often treated surgically.

A randomized trial of balloon kyphoplasty and nonsurgical management for treating acute vertebral compression fractures: vertebral body kyphosis correction and surgical parameters.

Study Design: Multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) with nonsurgical management (NSM) during 24 months in patients with painful vertebral compression fractures (VCFs).

Summary Of Background Data: Recently, several large randomized controlled trials have been conducted and reported how vertebral augmentation compares with NSM for patients with acute VCFs.

Balloon kyphoplasty in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

Balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure indicated for treatment of painful vertebral compression fractures. During BKP, cannulae are placed percutaneously into the vertebral body, allowing insertion of inflatable balloons. Inflating the balloons partially restores vertebral body height, compacts the bone and creates a cavity for placement of bone cement after balloon removal.

Alternative analyses for handling incomplete follow-up in the intention-to-treat analysis: the randomized controlled trial of balloon kyphoplasty versus non-surgical care for vertebral compression fracture (FREE).

Background: Clinical trial participants may be temporarily absent or withdraw from trials, leading to missing data. In intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses, several approaches are used for handling the missing information - complete case (CC) analysis, mixed-effects model (MM) analysis, last observation carried forward (LOCF) and multiple imputation (MI). This report discusses the consequences of applying the CC, LOCF and MI for the ITT analysis of published data (analysed using the MM method) from the Fracture Reduction Evaluation (FREE) trial.

Balloon kyphoplasty for the treatment of acute vertebral compression fractures: 2-year results from a randomized trial.

Vertebral fractures are often painful and lead to reduced quality of life and disability. We compared the efficacy and safety of balloon kyphoplasty to nonsurgical therapy over 24 months in patients with acute painful fractures. Adults with one to three vertebral fractures were randomized within 3 months from onset of pain to undergo kyphoplasty (n = 149) or nonsurgical therapy (n = 151).

Balloon kyphoplasty versus non-surgical fracture management for treatment of painful vertebral body compression fractures in patients with cancer: a multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Non-randomised trials have reported benefits of kyphoplasty in patients with cancer and vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of balloon kyphoplasty compared with non-surgical management for patients with cancer who have painful VCFs.

Methods: The Cancer Patient Fracture Evaluation (CAFE) study was a randomised controlled trial at 22 sites in Europe, the USA, Canada, and Australia.

Efficacy and safety of balloon kyphoplasty compared with non-surgical care for vertebral compression fracture (FREE): a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of painful vertebral fractures, which is intended to reduce pain and improve quality of life. We assessed the efficacy and safety of the procedure.

Methods: Adults with one to three acute vertebral fractures were eligible for enrolment in this randomised controlled trial at 21 sites in eight countries.

Secondary Collapse of an Expandable Cage After Vertebral Corpectomy.

Expandable vertebral body replacement systems have been increasingly used for anterior stabilization of spine. We report a secondary collapse of an expandable vertebral body replacement system. This specific complication has not been reported in the literature so far.

Cortisol as a possible marker of metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma: a case report with 3-year follow-up.

Background: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumour, sometimes causing glucocorticoid hypersecretion. Treatment guidelines have not been established, but are currently under investigation.

Case Report: A 55-year-old Caucasian woman presented with adrenal Cushing's disease.

How to prevent overlooking cervical spine injuries: pitfalls in spinal diagnostics.

Many patients with a cervical spine injury do not show clinical signs of the injury. Therefore, cervical spine trauma may not be recognized, especially in unconscious and multiply injured patients. Due to proximity to the spinal cord, neurological deficits inclusive of complete tetraplegia are possible.

Oncogenic osteomalacia: exact tumor localization by co-registration of positron emission and computed tomography.

Unlabelled: In oncogenic osteomalacia, the causative tumor is almost always difficult to find. A novel diagnostic approach is presented that facilitates a precise and rapid localization of the associated lesion by PET-CT co-registration using the radiotracer (68)Ga-DOTANOC.

Introduction: Oncogenic osteomalacia (OOM) is an uncommon disorder characterized by hyperphosphaturia, hypophosphatemia, decreased vitamin D(3) serum levels, and osteomalacia.

Anterior vertebral body replacement with a titanium implant of adjustable height: a prospective clinical study.

In the operative treatment of spinal injuries, the reconstruction of the anterior column of the thoracolumbar spine is still controversial. We conducted a prospective clinical study to investigate the clinical and radiological outcome of 50 patients treated with a vertebral body replacement of adjustable height (Synex). Fifty consecutive patients were evaluated during in-patient treatment and at 12 and 20 months post-operatively in clinical notes and radiographs.

Complete osteolysis of the dens with atlantoaxial luxation caused by infection with Staphylococcus aureus: a case report and review of the literature.

Study Design: Case report.

Objectives: To present a case of complete osteolysis of the dens and accompanying luxation of the atlantoaxial joint, on the basis of a Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Summary Of Background Data: To date, complete osteolysis of the dens followed by atlantoaxial dislocation has only been reported as a rare complication in patients with tuberculosis but not as secondary to a Staphylococcus aureus infection.

New indications for computer-assisted surgery: tumor resection in the pelvis.

The resection of recurrent malignant pelvic tumors was supported by a commercially available navigation system in three patients. Preoperatively three-dimensional images from the pelvis were obtained by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging to identify the tumor extension. During surgery navigated tools oriented the surgeon to excise the tumor with adequate virtual margins.

Computer aided tumor resection in the pelvis.

Surgical treatment of malignant tumors within the pelvis is a complex problem due to the anatomy and biomechanics. There are standardized preoperative diagnostic tools like computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that provide multidimensional information. However, this information cannot be transferred intraoperatively.

Total hip arthroplasty in young patients using the thrust plate prosthesis: clinical and radiological results.

Introduction: The standard treatment for patients who require total hip replacement is the implantation of an intramedullary diaphyseal anchored hip prosthesis. A bone-sparing thrust plate hip prosthesis (TPP) can be used as an alternative device for young patients. The TPP relies on proximal femoral metaphyseal fixation.

Late esophageal perforation complicating anterior cervical plate fixation in ankylosing spondylitis: a case report and review of the literature.

Esophageal perforation in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a rare complication in anterior cervical spine surgery and has not been reported before. A 50-year-old patient with AS developed incomplete tetraplegia after minimal trauma. C5 pedicle fracture was diagnosed and treated predominantly by physical therapy until neurological symptoms progressed.

Prospective multicenter study with a new implant for thoracolumbar vertebral body replacement.

Background: There are several therapeutic strategies for restoring the anterior column of the vertebral body after trauma, tumor and infection. We present a multicenter study with a new distractable titanium implant for vertebral body replacement.

Methods: Prospective documentation was collected of the first 126 patients treated with Synex during the 1st year of the clinical course.