The treatment of intertrochanteric fractures of the femur with Endovis nail.

Background: The incidence of fractures in the trochanteric area has risen with the increasing numbers of elderly persons with osteoporosis. The imperative goals of treatment are early mobilization by means of stable fixation using as minimally invasive a procedure as possible. Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in intramedullary nailing, especially for unstable intertrochanteric fractures.

Posterior subtalar dislocation.

A subtalar dislocation of the foot is an uncommon injury, and cases of posterior subtalar dislocation are even rarer. This injury is characterized by a simultaneous dislocation of talocalcaneal and talonavicular joints while tibiotalar and calcaneocuboid articulations remain intact. Subtalar dislocation is commonly accompanied by fractures of the malleoli, talus, or fifth metatarsal and by a rotational component of the subtalar joint.

A case of bilateral luxatio erecta.

Luxatio erecta is an uncommon form of glenohumeral dislocation. Cases of bilateral inferior shoulder dislocation (luxatio erecta) are very rare, and only ten cases have been described in literature. We describe a case of a woman with bilateral luxatio erecta of the shoulders treated with close reduction, immobilization and rehabilitation.

Simultaneous chronic rupture of quadriceps tendon and contra-lateral patellar tendon in a patient affected by tertiary hyperparatiroidism.

Spontaneous ruptures of the extensor mechanism of the knee are very rare. They tend to increase considerably in patients with metabolic diseases such as chronic renal failure, hyperparathyroidism, diabetes, gout, and systemic lupus erythematosus. The reported case regards a 48-year-old man with chronic, spontaneous and simultaneous quadriceps, and contra-lateral patellar tendon rupture.

Vitamin B12 in low back pain: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Objectives: The objective of this double-blind randomised, placebo-controlled study was to examine the efficacy and safety intramuscular vitamin B12 (Tricortin 1000) in the treatment of low back pain in patients with mechanical or irritative lumbago.

Methods: 60 patients aged between 18 and 65 years with lumbago or sciatic neuritis of mechanical origin without need for surgical procedures were enrolled. Patients had to present with a proven medical history for back pain (lasting from 6 months to 5 years) and a pain intensity [as evaluated with a Visual Analogic Scale (VAS)] equal or greater than 60 mm.

[Telethermographic evaluation of the intra-articular administration of thymopentin in rheumatoid arthritis of the knee].

Fifteen subjects with rheumatoid arthritis defined as "classical" or "definite" according to A.R.A.

Computerized tomography in the study of vertebral rotation and torsion in idiopathic scoliosis.

The evaluation of vertebral rotation and torsion in idiopathic scoliosis is important both in treatment and prognosis. Standard radiography may be used to calculate only rotation but computerized tomography (CT) allows for an exact evaluation of both rotation and torsion. However, it is non feasible to use this method routinely.

Intra-articular treatment with sodium hyaluronate in gonarthrosis: a controlled clinical trial versus placebo.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out in 34 patients suffering from osteo-arthritis of the knee. A total of 40 joints was treated at random with 3 intra-articular injections, at 1 week intervals, of either 20 mg sodium hyaluronate or placebo. Clinical examinations, including assessments of spontaneous pain intensity, pain on touch, under load and while walking, were made before each injection and repeated 7 days after the last one and again at 60 days after the start of the trial.