Taking out the tarsal coalition was easy: but now the foot is even flatter. What now?

Patients with a preexisting hindfoot deformity, who undergo resection (with or without soft tissue interposition) of a tarsal coalition, may present with recurrent pain and worsening planovalgus deformity. This is due to the secondary effect of soft tissue contractures (lateral ligaments, peroneal tendons, calf muscles) "pulling" the foot into more valgus. Physiotherapy and insoles may help some patients.

Magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with a dual chamber pacemaker.

Having a pacemaker has been seen an absolute contraindication to having an MRI scan. This has become increasingly difficult in clinical practice as insertion of pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators is at an all time high. Here we outline a case where a 71-year-old male patient with a permanent pacemaker needed to have an MRI scan to ascertain the aetiology of his condition and help guide further management.

Full-length radiographs of the femur in patients with a femoral neck fracture and co-existent malignancy--are they of benefit?

It is recommended that full-length femoral radiographs should be obtained in patients presenting with a femoral neck fracture and a co-existent history of malignancy. Over a two-year period, we identified 133 (47 males, 86 females) patients admitted with a femoral neck fracture and a co-existent history of malignant disease, representing 6.5% of all femoral neck fractures admitted within this time frame.