Dip and drip, swipe or squeeze? The best method of draining water for optimal strength in a plaster of Paris backslab.

Plaster of Paris backslabs are used post-operatively to provide stability and protect repaired structures. We hypothesized that forceful expulsion of excess water during backslab construction could weaken the backslab by reducing the final gypsum content. Our aim was to compare the final dry mass and strength of backslabs prepared by three different techniques: 'dip and drip', 'swipe' and 'squeeze'.

Use of ketamine sedation for the management of displaced paediatric forearm fractures.

Aim: To determine if ketamine sedation is a safe and cost effective way of treating displaced paediatric radial and ulna fractures in the emergency department.

Methods: Following an agreed interdepartmental protocol, fractures of the radius and ulna (moderately to severely displaced) in children between the age of 2 and 16 years old, presenting within a specified 4 mo period, were manipulated in our paediatric emergency department. Verbal and written consent was obtained prior to procedural sedation to ensure parents were informed and satisfied to have ketamine.

Corrigendum to "An Insight into Methods and Practices in Hip Arthroplasty in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2015/140143.].

An Insight into Methods and Practices in Hip Arthroplasty in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) has improved the quality of life of patients with hip arthritis. Orthopedic community is striving for excellence to improve surgical techniques and postoperative care. Despite these efforts, patients continue facing postoperative complications.

Use of bone marrow derived stem cells in trauma and orthopaedics: A review of current concepts.

There is a considerable amount of interest in the future role of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDSCs) and tissue engineering techniques to manage conditions within the musculoskeletal system. Repair of soft tissue and bone defects, in the early stages of injury, may lead to a reduction in progression of symptoms. Furthermore, troublesome soft tissue injuries that are notoriously fraught with problems either in healing or function, could be augmented with such techniques.

Percutaneous Arthroscopic Calcaneal Osteosynthesis: A Minimally Invasive Technique for Displaced Intra-Articular Calcaneal Fractures.

The management of calcaneal fracture remains challenging. Open surgery has been fraught with high infection rates and soft tissue complications. More minimally invasive procedures have reduced this risk, but the patient outcomes after treatment of displaced calcaneal fractures have remained relatively unsatisfactory.

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction best practice: A review of graft choice.

There is much literature about differing grafts used in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Much of this is of poor quality and of a low evidence base. We review and summarise the literature looking at the four main classes of grafts used in ACL reconstruction; bone-patella tendon-bone, hamstrings, allograft and synthetic grafts.

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients older than 35 years.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is an increasingly established method even in patients older than 35 years. Our hypothesis is that functional outcome after ACL reconstruction is comparable in patients younger and older than 35 years. A total of 28 patients (5 women and 23 men) with average age of 41.

Trunnionosis: A pain in the neck.

Metal-on-metal (MoM) hip replacements have proven to be a modern day orthopaedic failure. The early enthusiasm and promise of a hard, durable bearing was quickly quashed following the unanticipated wear rates. The release of metal ions into the blood stream has been shown to lead to surrounding soft tissue complications and early failure.

Bone loss during revision of unicompartmental to total knee arthroplasty: an analysis of implanted polyethylene thickness from the National Joint Registry data.

Using the National Joint Registry (UK) database, we compared the thickness of polyethylene (PE) and the level of constraint used during primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) versus the revision of unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) to TKA. A total of 251,803 TKA procedures and 374 revision UKA-TKA procedures between 2003 and 2009 were reviewed. The commonest PE size used in TKA was 10mm, compared to 12.

The effects of ageing on proliferation potential, differentiation potential and cell surface characterisation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a great capacity for use in regenerative medicine and other clinical applications. However, one question creating curiosity of their use, is how they are affected by ageing. As we now live within an ageing population, the prevalence of age related disorders is increasing, so it is important to investigate how effectively MSCs from older patients can be expanded and differentiated in vitro before their use in autologous cell transplantation.

Morton's neuroma: A clinical versus radiological diagnosis.

Background: The aim of our study was to compare the clinical versus radiological diagnosis of patients suffering from a Morton's neuroma.

Methods: Clinical assessments and pre-operative radiological imaging of patients who had excision of a Morton's neuromas were retrospectively compared.

Results: 43 neuromas were excised from 36 patients over 68 months.

Preoperative blood tests: an expensive tick box exercise.

The purpose of preoperative investigations is to provide diagnostic and prognostic information. Preoperative tests requested for a cohort of patients admitted for simple trauma related procedures were retrospectively reviewed. Adherence to the NICE guidelines was found to be 5%.

Acral post-traumatic tumoral calcinosis in pregnancy: a case report.

Introduction: Tumoral calcinosis is an uncommon disorder characterized by the development of calcified masses within the peri-articular soft tissues of large joints, but rarely occurs within the hand.

Case Presentation: We present the case of a 31-year-old pregnant Indian woman with a three-month history of painful swelling within the tip of her right middle finger following a superficial laceration. She was otherwise well and had normal serum calcium and phosphate levels.

Large intra-articular anterior cruciate ligament ganglion cyst, presenting with inability to flex the knee.

A 41-year-old female presented with a 3-month history of gradually worsening anterior knee pain, swelling and inability to flex the knee. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large intra-articular cystic swelling anterior to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), extending into the Hoffa's infrapatellar fat pad. Following manipulation under anaesthesia and arthroscopic debridement of the cyst, the patient's symptoms were relieved with restoration of normal knee motion.