Search

Background and Aims: Peroneal tendon injuries are probably frequently overlooked causes of lateral ankle pain after distorsion trauma. We report a series of 38 patients with peroneal tendon injuries and outcome after operation., Material and Methods: The mean age of the patients was 30 years (range, 13 to 61). All patients were operated by the same orthopaedic surgeon (SO) and the final outcome was evaluated., Results: Eighty-two per cent of the patients were competitive athletes. There were 11 partial and 3 total ruptures of the peroneus brevis tendon (PBT), 2 partial and 2 total ruptures of the peroneus longus tendon (PLT). Nine cases of subluxations or luxations were treated. There were also 5 cases of chronic peroneal tendinitis or tenosynovitis, 5 cases of peroneal tendon anomalies and 1 ganglion. The peroneal tendon lesion was associated to ankle instability in 19 cases (50%). In ninety percent of the cases the result of the operation was excellent or good., Conclusions: The lateral ligaments are usually damaged in ankle distorsion injuries, but peroneal tendon lesions are often overlooked and probably more common cause of persistent lateral ankle pain than previously thought. Ruptures and luxations of the peroneal tendons need operative treatment in most cases.

Background and Aims: We present our experience with surgical treatment of unresolved, painful, late Osgood-Schlatter disease., Material and Methods: In 70 operations performed in 67 patients (in three bilaterally) an ossicle under the distal patellar tendon was removed in 62 cases. In eight cases, excision of the prominent tibial tubercle and/or drilling of the epiphysis was performed. Additional procedures, such as rasping of the uneven anterior tibial surface, excision of inflammed bursa or the devitalized portion of the tendon, were done 21 times. Most patients were athletes or physically active young people. The mean age was 19.6 years. 54 operations were done on males and 16 on females. They had been followed preoperatively for 18 months and after surgery 2.2 years., Results: The final results were excellent or good in 56, moderate in 9, poor in 3 and unknown in 2 cases., Conclusions: Osgood-Schlatter's disease may leave an ossicle under the distal patellar tendon, a prominent tibial tubercle or an uneven surface of anterior superior tibia. These may lead to pain and disability due to recurrent injuries or athletic exercises. Surgical treatment gives good results in chronic unresolved cases.

Background and Aims: Chronic quadriceps femoris muscle compartment syndrome is described., Material and Methods: Over a 13 year period nine patients were diagnosed, treated surgically by fasciotomy and followed up at a referral center specialized in sports traumatology. There were four power lifters, three body builders, one endurance walker and one cyclist in the series. The use of anabolic steroids was admitted by four of the nine patients. The patients complained of gradually worsening pain on the anterolateral side of the thigh during training. Initially the pain appeared only at the end of the training session. As the syndrome became more severe, the pain began earlier during exercise and gradually became worse preventing maximal training. Skeletal radiographs and ultrasound examinations were normal, except in two patients, who had a positive echography finding with local atrophy. MRI examination confirmed the US diagnosis., Results and Conclusions: As conservative treatment did not provide relief of symptoms, a fasciotomy anterior to the iliotibial tract was performed bilaterally to seven patients and unilaterally to two patients. Biopsies from the atrophied sites showed muscle cell necrosis. All the patients recovered well after the surgery and were able return to their original level of sport. The only complication of surgery was a postoperative hematoma in one patient, which delayed the beginning of the training, but did not result in any persistent complaints.

The association between ABO blood groups and Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures was studied in 215 consecutive AT rupture patients treated at Oulu University Hospital during the 16-year period from 1979 to 1994 as compared with control material consisting of earlier blood group determinations performed on an unselected sample of 5,536 young Finnish male adults. There was no blood group O dominance or other statistical differences in ABO blood groups between the patients with AT rupture and the control population (chi 2 3.79, P = 0.28), the A/O ratio being 1.82 in the rupture group and 1.42 in the controls. We found no blood group O dominance in competitive athletes, recreational athletes or non-athletes, in patients with sports-related AT ruptures or non-sports-related ruptures and in younger (< 45 years) or older (> or = 45--years) patients. In conclusion, our results do not confirm early findings of blood group O dominance in patients with AT rupture.

Among the 4,020 athletes (males 73%, females 27%) treated at the Department of Sports Medicine of the Deaconess Institute, Oulu, Finland in the period 1986-1989 there were 273 athletes with 330 of instances Achilles tendon overuse. Peritendinitis, tendinitis, partial rupture, retrocalcanear bursitis and insertiotendinitis were the most common diagnoses. Acute and subacute ailments were usually treated successfully by conservative means. 45.5% of the overuse injuries became chronic, failed to respond to conservative treatment and were treated surgically. The results were excellent or good in 86% of those operated on for chronic peritendinitis. The overall results were good in 69.3% of the patients.

Stress fractures in athletes usually heal well with merely rest and conservative treatment. It has been estimated that in Finland 400-500 athletic stress fractures occur annually per year. In sports clinic series stress fractures comprise 3.3 to 4.6 per cent of all overuse injuries. Delayed and non-union have been reported to occur in athletes quite often, up to 10 per cent of athletic stress fractures in Finland. The reason is on the one hand delayed diagnosis due to late consultation of expert physicians, and on the other hand too short a rest from hard physical activity. Delayed and non-union are most often seen in the hallux sesamoids, mid-tibial staft, base of fifth metatarsal, tarsal navicular and olecranon. The pars articularis of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebra is a site of stress fracture and spondylolysis. In this report the diagnosis, symptoms and findings as well as the operative treatment of these overuse injuries is discussed.

In this report 670 operations, performed in 643 patients were analyzed. The indication for the surgery was a chronic symptomatic overuse injury caused by sports and physical activity. 552 (82.4%) of the operations were performed in men and 118 (17.6%) in women. The mean age of the patients was 24 years. Almost 90 per cent of the patients had presented following competitive sports and ten per cent recreational sports. More than 91 per cent of the operations were performed for lower extremity problems. The knee, foot and ankle regions needed surgical treatment most often in this series. Tendon and tendon sheath operations formed the majority (32%) of the operations. Chronic Achilles tendon problems (159) formed the biggest group of the diagnoses. Chronic overuse injuries do not respond always to conservative treatment. Surgery is often needed in the final stage of an overuse injury. The results of these operations are good.

The condition in which pain is felt over the area at the ischial tuberosity and radiating down the back of the thigh is labelled the hamstring syndrome. The pain is typically incurred by assuming a sitting position, stretching the affected leg or/and running fast. The symptoms are caused by tight, tendinous structures of the hamstring muscle at the area of its insertion into the ischial tuberosity. Following division of these structures, complete relief is obtained.

Between 1975 and 1984 11 athletes with stress fractures of the fifth metatarsal were treated. There were 6 diaphyseal fractures, all of them in runners, and 5 transverse fractures of the base (Jones' fractures). The diaphyseal fractures healed with rest in 3-4 weeks. One patient with Jones' fracture was treated conservatively with a non-weight-bearing toe-to-knee plaster with good results. Four patients with delayed unions were treated operatively, three with a tension band and two Kirschnerwires, one with drilling and a single, thick Kirschner-wire. The fractures treated operatively progressed to bony union in about 3 months. The tendency of the Jones' fracture to delayed union and non-union in active athletes makes special requirements to the initial therapy of stress fractures. Best results have been obtained with a toe-to-knee cast with non-weight-bearing for 6-7 weeks. In delayed unions we recommend a tension band fixation with two Kirschner-wires. Non-unions should be treated with curettage and bone-grafting.

Heterotopic ossificaton of the upper midline abdominal incision scar is reported in seven patients. This disorder may follow abdominal operations via vertical incisions. The cause is unknown. All patients were men in their fifties. The calcification resembled a "rib" and occurred in upper midline incisions between the peritoneum and fascia, fixed more to the fascia. Excision of the mass was performed in six cases. Excision is recommended only in symptomatic cases, and should be wide enough to avoid recurrence. In the differential diagnosis several other wound complications as well as intra-abdominal malignancy should be considered.

The clinical efficacy of dextranomer (Debrisan) and streptokinase-streptodornase (Varidase) was compared in a controlled randomized in-patient study. There were two patient groups: Group A consisting of 28 patients with a total of 31 venous leg ulcers and Group B consisting of 56 patients with other infected wounds (posttraumatic and postoperative wounds, amputation stumps, burn wounds, arteriosclerotic ulcers, decubital ulcers, ulcers due to bone disease, rheumatic ulcers, ulcers due to erysipelas and wounds of mixed aetiology). Both agents have a good cleansing effect as well as a good effect on infection and wet necrosis. Dextranomer stimulates the formation of granulation tissue faster than streptokinase-streptodornase.

Blunt trauma accounted for 1/3 of the 32 patients operated upon for injuries of the large intestine and penetrating wounds for 2/3. Most of the blunt injuries (9/10) were caused by traffic accidents, and more than half of the penetrating ones (12/22) were stab wounds. The transverse colon was most commonly affected, followed by the ascending, descending and sigmoid colon, rectum and mesentery. Perforation of the small intestine was the most frequent associated intra-abdominal injury, occurring in 11 patients (34%). Most patients (22/32) underwent simple suture, 6 patients suture with proximal colostomy, 3 primary resection and one exteriorization, combined in all cases with broad-spectrum antibiotic coverage and drainage of the abdominal cavity. Injuries to the right and transverse colon were managed mainly with simple suture, and those to the left colon and rectum with suture and proximal colostomy. 50% of the patients had complications, most frequently wound infection and intra-abdominal abscess. The patients with simple suture had fewer complications than the others. In the absence of complicating factors injuries to the colon are best managed with simple suture, whereas in the presence of complicating factors and in injuries of the rectum, suture or resection with proximal colostomy, especially in cases of severe tissue destruction, remains the treatment of choice.

Three cases of posttraumatic osteolysis of the lateral end of the clavicle are described. Two of the patients were judo participants who fell on their shoulder. They were treated primarily as partial acromio-clavicular joint dislocations. The third patient was a woman who fell from her bicycle and was treated surgically by a Knowless nail because of acromio-clavicular dislocation. The clinical and radiological findings of osteolysis developed slowly. The joint line was typically widened in the radiographs. The disorder settled spontaneously within one year. Further judo training was possible without symptoms. Distal osteolysis of the clavicle is a rare condition and it may well occur during injury at sport.

Over a period of three years 829 cases of greater than or equal to 16-year-old athlete exertion injuries and syndromes were collected. There were 75 women and 754 men in the series. About 90% of the athletes had been training regularly for more than two years, and 75% of them trained 6 times a week or more. Approximately 52% of the injuries occurred in track and field athletics, about 17% in ball events, 13.6% in skiing, 7.4% in orienteering, and 4.7% in power events. Other sports were associated with fewer exertion injuries. 28.7% of the conditions occurred in the knee, 17% in the ankle, foot and heel, 14.8% in the leg, 8.2% in the back and trunk, 8.1% in the thigh, 7.4% in the achilles tendon. The rest were in the shoulder, neck and upper extremities. In 92% of the patients conservative treatment and rest were used. Only 8% of the cases were treated surgically.