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Summary: Ipsilateral scapular neck and clavicular shaft fractures comprise the so-called “floating shoulder”. This rare injury, which is, in general, caused by a high-energy trauma, is perceived to be an unstable injury with the considerable risk of significant displacement of scapular neck and/or the clavicular fracture. An understanding of the patho-anatomy is important in identifying a floating shoulder and to offer rational treatment for this injury. The current status of the anatomical, biomechanical and clinical aspects of a floating shoulder is reviewed in this article. Recommendations for treatment of particularly displaced ipsilateral fractures of the scapular neck and clavicular shaft cannot be derived from the reported clinical studies. The possible correlation between functional outcome and malunion of the scapular neck is called into doubt. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on the cosmetic results of closed and open healing after abdominal surgery. Patients who had open-wound management after contaminated abdominal surgery compared with matched controls having a similar operation with primary skin closure; Chart showing cosmetic results of abdominal scars for appendicectomies and median laparotomies.

For operative treatment of unstable trochanteric fractures two options exist: extramedullary or intramedullary stabilisation. A review of 18 international papers that compared two different treatment methods for trochanteric fractures, in prospective randomised clinical trials, is presented. In view of the overall results, routine use of intramedullary fixation devices is not to be recommended for stable trochanteric fractures. For these fractures one of the sliding hip screw systems provides a safe and simple alternative. For unstable fractures intramedullary implants are (biomechanically) superior. The review shows that clinical advantages of both treatment methods are suggested and advocated, but still remain to be demonstrated on evidence base. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years computer technologies have become more and more integrated in surgical procedures. The potential advantages of computer assisted surgery (CAS) are: increase of accuracy of surgical interventions, less invasive operations, better planning and simulation and reduction of radiation exposure for both patient and surgeon. After introduction of CAS in neurosurgery, the clinical applications of this technique expanded also into trauma and orthopaedic surgery. The first application of this new technique in orthopaedic and trauma surgery was for placement of lumbar pedicle screws. After its introduction into spine surgery, CAS was applied in other fields of orthopaedic surgery like hip, knee and skeletal trauma surgery. In this article the technical background and the various clinical applications and future perspectives of computer assisted orthopaedic and trauma surgery are outlined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Background: Studies of the consequences of major trauma have traditionally focused on mortality rates. The aims of this study were, firstly, to investigate the long-term functional health status in a large, unselected group of severely injured patients and to compare this with normative data, and secondly, to explore relations between functional health status and personal and injury characteristics. Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed at the University Medical Centre Utrecht (a level-1 trauma centre) in The Netherlands. Consecutive survivors of major trauma (ISS≥16; >16 years of age) were included from January 1999 until December 2000. After an average of 15 months (range 12–18 months), 335 of the 359 eligible persons (response rate 93%) participated. Demographic and injury characteristics were retrieved from a hospital-based registration system. Functional health status was measured using the 136-item Sickness impact profile (SIP). Co-morbidity was assessed at the follow-up examination using a standard list of 26 conditions. Results: Subjects were 249 men and 86 women, mean age 37.7 years, mean ISS was 24.9 (S.D.=10.6). Almost, three quarters were traffic victims. Mean hospital stay was 25 days (S.D.=23.4). Discharge destination was home in 70% of all subjects. At follow-up, the mean overall SIP score was 9.3 (S.D.=10.1), which means mild to moderate disability. The mean score on the physical function dimension was 7.2 (S.D.=9.8) and that on psychosocial function was 8.7 (S.D.=12.0). Most problems were experienced in the categories of Work, Ambulation, Home Management, Recreation and Pastimes, and Alertness Behaviour. Scores of younger subjects deviated more strongly from the norm scores than those of elderly patients. Type of injury, especially lesions of traumatic brain and spinal cord and extremity injuries, was a predictor of both psychosocial and physical functioning after more than 1 year. The most important predictors, however, were age and co-morbidity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Intramedullary nailing through the piriform fossa results in some cases in loss of abduction strength and persistent pain. Nail insertion at the tip of the greater trochanter may be favourable. The aim of this study was to assess (possible) iatrogenic injury to the abductor and external rotator musculature, branches of the superior gluteal nerve and branches of the MFCA in relation to the two different entry points. In 10 fresh human cadaver femurs, five unreamed femoral nails (UFN) were inserted through the piriform fossa and five AO prototype nails (AFN) through the trochanteric tip. The iatrogenic injury at each nailing procedure was assessed. Various muscles and tendons, branches of the MFCA along with the hip joint capsule were injured or largely at risk during nail insertion through the piriform fossa. Most of these structures were not exposed during insertion through the trochanteric tip. The reported clinical morbidity after nailing through the piriform fossa may find its origin in direct soft tissue injury and may be reduced by choosing a lateral nail entry point. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Closure of large incisional hernias with the Components Separation Method (CSM) could be explained by medial-caudal rotation of the internal and transverse oblique muscles around their centres of origin. In eight human cadavers, the CSM was performed, and translation of the rectus abdominis muscle was measured. Mean unilateral translation of the rectus abdominis in the lateral-medial direction measured 2.2, 3.7, and 3.5 cm. This was 2.7, 4.5, and 4.0 cm after release of the posterior rectus sheath. Mean translation in a caudal direction was 0.5 cm, but seven cadavers showed a mean translation of 1 cm of the uppermost measuring point in a cranial direction. The hypothesis that rotation of separate tissue layers of the abdominal wall largely accounts for the translation effect of the CSM must be rejected. Release of the external oblique muscle produces more benefit to abdominal wall closure than release of the posterior rectus sheath. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the results of open management of the abdomen and planned re-operations in severe bacterial peritonitis after perforation or anastomotic disruption of the digestive tract. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: University Hospital, The Netherlands. Subjects: 67 consecutive patients. Interventions: Open management of the abdomen and planned reoperations. Main outcome measures: Hospital morbidity and mortality, long-term follow-up. Results: 38 patients developed multiple organ failure (MOF), but 29 needed only ventilatory and inotropic support. The mean number of re-operations was nine. 16 patients developed severe bleeding and 16 fistulas. In-hospital mortality was 42% (n = 28). Long-term morbidity, particularly the number of abdominal wall defects (n = 10), was considerable. Conclusion: Despite open management of the abdomen and planned re-operations, mortality of severe bacterial peritonitis still continues to be too high, and both short and long-term morbidity are appreciable. The value of open management of the abdomen and planned re-operations rests only on the clinical observation that other conventional surgical treatments of severe bacterial peritonitis often fail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]