A comparison of two approaches for the closed treatment of low-energy tibial fractures in children.

Background: Many orthopaedic surgeons treat tibial shaft fractures in children with a period of non-weight-bearing after application of a long leg cast, presumably to prevent fracture angulation and shortening. We hypothesized that allowing children to immediately bear weight as tolerated in a cast with the knee in 10° of flexion would lessen disability, without increasing the risk of unacceptable shortening or angulation.

Methods: We divided eighty-one children, between the ages of four and fourteen years, with a low-energy, closed tibial shaft fracture into two groups.

The suitability of human adipose-derived stem cells for the engineering of ligament tissue.

Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the one of the most common sports-related injuries. With its poor healing capacity, surgical reconstruction using either autografts or allografts is currently required to restore function. However, serious complications are associated with graft reconstructions and the number of such reconstructions has steadily risen over the years, necessitating the search for an alternative approach to ACL repair.

Complication rates following open reduction and internal fixation of ankle fractures.

Background: Ankle fractures are among the most common injuries treated by orthopaedic surgeons. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the risks of complications after open reduction and internal fixation of ankle fractures in a large population-based study.

Methods: With use of California's discharge database, we identified 57,183 patients who had undergone open reduction and internal fixation of a lateral malleolar, bimalleolar, or trimalleolar ankle fracture as inpatients in the years 1995 through 2005.

Biology of allograft incorporation.

The use of implantation of allograft tissue in sports medicine has risen steadily over the last decade. Allograft tissues offer several advantages over autografts, including reduced donor-site morbidity and decreased operative time, and in some instances, no autograft option exists. However, with allografts, there is a small risk of disease transmission, immunologic rejection, and decreased biologic incorporation.