Misaligned spinal rods can induce high internal forces consistent with those observed to cause screw pullout and disc degeneration.

Background Context: Manual contouring of spinal rods is often required intraoperatively for proper alignment of the rods within the pedicle screw heads. Residual misalignments are frequently reduced by using dedicated reduction devices. The forces exerted by these devices, however, are uncontrolled and may lead to excessive reaction forces.

Outcomes of a Modular Intercalary Endoprosthesis as Treatment for Segmental Defects of the Femur, Tibia, and Humerus.

Background: Resection of diaphyseal bone tumors for local tumor control and stabilization often results in an intercalary skeletal defect and presents a reconstructive challenge for orthopaedic surgeons. Although many options for reconstruction have been described, relatively few studies report on the functional outcomes and complications of patients treated with modular intercalary endoprostheses.

Questions/purposes: The objectives of this study were to examine clinical outcomes after reconstruction with a modular intercalary endoprosthesis with a specific focus on (1) the rate of complication or failure; (2) differences in complication rates by anatomic site; (3) functional results as assessed by the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society System (MSTS); and (4) differences in complication rate between patients treated with cemented versus noncemented fixation.

Accuracy of a hexapod parallel robot kinematics based external fixator.

Background: Different hexapod-based external fixators are increasingly used to treat bone deformities and fractures. Accuracy has not been measured sufficiently for all models.

Methods: An infrared tracking system was applied to measure positioning maneuvers with a motorized Precision Hexapod® fixator, detecting three-dimensional positions of reflective balls mounted in an L-arrangement on the fixator, simulating bone directions.

Successful treatment of extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa osteomyelitis using a colistin- and tobramycin-impregnated PMMA spacer.

Discovered in 1949, the antibiotic colistin was initially used for therapeutic purposes. Parenteral use of colistin was gradually abandoned because of its side-effect profile, especially its nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Despite the risk of these potentially serious adverse effects, increasing resistance of Gram-negative bacteria has led to a renaissance of intravenous use of colistin in the last few years.

Nucleoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure for disc decompression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of published clinical studies.

Background: Nucleoplasty, based on Coblation® technology, is a minimally invasive procedure used to decompress herniated discs. Reviews to date--exclusively systematic reviews--recommend nucleoplasty for treating chronic back pain, although with the restriction of limited to fair evidence. We therefore aimed to summarize and interpret our calculated results, where possible comprehensively and quantitatively, using statistical methods in the context of a meta-analysis supplementing a systematic review.

[Malpractice assessment at the MDK in lower Saxony].

Since 1988 the MDK (Medical Service of the health insurances) in Lower Saxony has frequently been asked to clinically assess potential malpractice cases according to the German social law (Sect. 66 SGB V and Sect. 116 SGB X).