Strengths and limitations of evidence-based dermatology.

The need for understanding and reflecting on evidence-based dermatology (EBD) has never been greater given the exponential growth of new external evidence to inform clinical practice. Like any other branch of medicine, dermatologists need to acquire new skills in constructing answerable questions, efficiently searching electronic bibliographic databases, and critically appraising different types of studies. Secondary summaries of evidence in the form of systematic reviews (SR), that is, reviews that are conducted in a systematic, unbiased and explicit manner, reside at the top of the evidence hierarchy, because they are less prone to bias than traditional expert reviews.

Perception and education of unilateral weightbearing amongst health care professionals.

Studies have shown that healthy individuals cannot accurately judge the degree of weightbearing through one lower extremity [Bohannon R, Waters G, Cooper J. Perception of unilateral lower extremity weightbearing during bilateral upright stance. Percept Mot Skills 69;1989:875-80].

Longitudinal glaucoma screening for siblings of patients with primary open angle glaucoma: the Nottingham Family Glaucoma Screening Study.

Aims: To assess the prevalence and cumulative incidence of open angle glaucoma (OAG) in a cohort group of siblings of OAG probands.

Methods: Between 1994 and 2003, a group of siblings of OAG probands underwent both initial and follow up standardised ophthalmic examinations. Siblings were classified as "definite glaucoma" (primary OAG (POAG) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG)), "glaucoma suspects" (NTG suspects or ocular hypertension (OHT)), and normal.

Intramedullary nail breakage in distal fractures of the tibia.

Five cases of tibial intramedullary nail breakage are reported, the reasons discussed, and methods of overcoming this problem put forward.