The long-term outcome of four-corner fusion.

Introduction Four-corner arthrodesis with excision of the scaphoid is an accepted salvage procedure for scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC) and scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse (SNAC) and has been performed in our unit for over 20 years. We have undertaken a retrospective review of 116 of these procedures performed in 110 patients between 1992 and 2009. Fifty-eight patients attended for a clinical evaluation, and 29 responded by postal questionnaire.

Methotrexate and post operative complications in patients with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery--a ten year follow-up.

In the 1990's there were concerns that methotrexate might increase the risk of post operative complications following elective orthopaedic surgery; as a result many Units initiated policies to discontinue methotrexate prior to elective orthopaedic surgery. In 2001 we carried out a controlled study of complications after elective surgery in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who either continued or discontinued methotrexate prior to surgery. In this study we showed that continuation of methotrexate therapy prior to orthopaedic surgery did not increase the risk of infection or surgical complication occurring in patients with RA within one year of surgery.

Does intraarticular steroid infiltration increase the rate of infection in subsequent total knee replacements?

Steroid injection into the arthritic joint is a well-known treatment. Its efficacy is well documented. An increase in the incidence of infection secondary to steroid injection has been reported in recent literature.

Infection in primary hip arthroplasty after previous steroid infiltration.

Steroid Infiltration into arthritic joints is a common means of treating pain. It is also sometimes done to differentiate pain in the hip from that in the low back or knee. We performed a retrospective review of the notes of all patients who had undergone hip replacements in Wrightington Hospital under the care of the senior author (V.