Complications of Volar Plating of Distal Radial Fractures: A Review.

Although the overall complication rate of volar plating approaches 15%, less than 5% require reoperation. Certain factors involving the patient, the fracture, and/or the surgeon may affect the overall complication risk. Patient factors, including body mass index greater than 35 and diabetes mellitus, may increase complication risk with volar plating, but older patient age does not seem to significantly alter risk.

Scaphoid Fractures in Athletes.

Scaphoid fractures are common injuries in athletes. Most can be treated with cast immobilization, with an expected rate of union of 90% to 95%. Cast treatment, however, has the disadvantages of longer immobilization time, joint stiffness, reduced grip strength, and longer time to return to manual work or athletics.

Cost, Value, and Patient Satisfaction in Carpal Tunnel Surgery.

The cost of carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgery can be decreased and patient satisfaction increased by a few relatively simple changes. Although cost estimates vary in the literature, most investigators agree that open CTR costs less than endoscopic CTR, and the clinic procedure room or ambulatory surgery center is cheaper than the ambulatory surgery center, which is less than the hospital. Patient satisfaction can be increased by making office visits more patient-centered and improving the quality of dialogue between the surgeon and patient.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Making Evidence-Based Treatment Decisions.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremity. Comorbidities associated with the development of CTS include diabetes and obesity. Although a high rate of repetitive hand/wrist motions is a risk factor, there is insufficient evidence to implicate computer use in the development of CTS.

Long-term Outcomes of Partial Trapeziectomy With Capsular Interposition Arthroplasty for Osteoarthritis of the Thumb Basal Joint.

The purpose of this study was to describe long-term outcomes of partial trapeziectomy with capsular interposition (PTCI) arthroplasty for patients with osteoarthritis of the basal joint of the thumb. A total of 27 patients (20 women, 7 men; 32 thumbs) with a mean age of 61 years (range, 47-74 years) agreed to return for follow-up and were included in the study. Mean postoperative follow-up was 64.

Hand Surgery in the Ambulatory Surgery Center.

Outpatient surgery, especially in free-standing ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), provides a safe, cost-effective option for a variety of surgical procedures and has become the preferred choice over inpatient and hospital-based outpatient surgery for most hand and wrist procedures. Complication rates after ASC hand surgery are low (0.2%-2.

Transverse fractures of the femoral shaft are a better predictor of nonaccidental trauma in young children than spiral fractures are.

Background: Certain fracture configurations, especially spiral fractures, are often thought to be indicative of nonaccidental trauma in children. The purpose of this study was to determine whether femoral fracture morphology, as determined by an objective measurement (fracture ratio), was indicative of nonaccidental trauma in young children.

Methods: Consecutive patients who were three years of age or younger and had a closed, isolated femoral shaft fracture treated at an urban pediatric level-I trauma center between 2005 and 2013 were identified.

Intraobserver and interobserver reliability and the role of fracture morphology in classifying femoral shaft fractures in young children.

Background: Spiral fractures of long bones have long been cited as indications of non-accidental trauma (NAT) in children; however, fracture types are only loosely defined in the literature, and intraobserver and interobserver variability in defining femoral fracture patterns is rarely mentioned. We sought to determine reliability in classifying femoral fractures in young children using a standard series of radiographs shown to physicians with varied backgrounds and training and to determine if a quantitative approach based on objective measurements made on plain radiographs could improve definition of these fractures.

Methods: On 50 radiographs, the fracture ratio--fracture length divided by bone diameter--was determined and radiographs were reviewed by 14 observers, including pediatric orthopaedic surgeons, emergency room physicians, and musculoskeletal radiologists, who classified the fractures as transverse, oblique, or spiral.