Tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis using a simple external fixator.

Tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis has been a salvage option for conditions with extensive loss of the talar body. In conditions that preclude the use of internal fixation, external compression arthrodesis has been the preferred technique to achieve fusion about the hindfoot. Since Sir John Charnley elucidated the technique of compression arthrodesis using compression clamps, various modifications and techniques of external compression arthrodesis have been described.

Tuberculosis of and around the ankle.

Osteoarticular tuberculosis of the ankle joint is rare, and diagnostic delays are common with this condition. The aim of our report is to highlight the varied clinical and radiologic presentation of this entity. We present a retrospective review of 16 patients with tuberculosis in and around the ankle joint who were surgically treated during a 6-year period.

A simple solution for wound coverage by skin stretching.

Viscoelastic properties of skin, ie, creep and stress relaxation, allow it to stretch beyond its normal state within a short period of time. Presented here is a technique of "wound coverage by skin stretching" that uses this principle. Kirschner wires were passed through the skin edges on either side of the wound margins.

Practical considerations in the making and use of high-dose antibiotic-loaded bone cement.

Local antibiotic delivery with antibiotic loaded acrylic bone cement has been used extensively in the management of chronic osteomyelitis and implant related infections. Though newer drug delivery vehicles are being investigated, it remains the most widely used local antibiotic delivery vehicle in orthopaedic surgery. Self-made antibiotic loaded bone cement beads, which are cheaper and antibiotic specific, have been shown to elute less effectively than commercial antibiotic loaded cement beads.