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Joint replacement arthroplasty for the treatment of thumb osteoarthritis is gaining popularity as recent studies have demonstrated better pinch and grip strength and faster rehabilitation. Our aim was to identify early complications in modern implant designs using a multicenter study. A total of 381 patients who underwent thumb carpometacarpal replacement surgery in six participating hospitals were enrolled. The complications included were fractures, dislocations, infections, tendon and nerve injuries, and complex regional pain syndrome. Major complications were defined as a failure to implant the prosthesis, revision surgery to remove the implant, and any other need for further surgical intervention. The secondary outcomes were any other complications treated non-surgically and the timing of the complications. Eleven procedures failed, and these patients were treated with trapeziectomies. Twelve other patients required repeat surgical interventions. Minor adverse events occurred in 25.4% of the cases, and transient irritation of the superficial radial nerve and De Quervain tendinopathy were the most prevalent complications. Although this cohort depicted the learning curves of multiple surgeons, our study demonstrated low short-term failure rates. An inability to achieve primary stability of the cup in the trapezium was the leading cause of failure. Dislocations and other major complications with modern implants were very few. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine if boney morphology influences the anatomic location of hip fractures in elderly patients. Methods: All patients with hip fractures between 2008 and 2012 who had hip radiographs taken prior to the fracture were reviewed. Fractures were classified as intracapsular or extracapsular and hip morphology was measured on the pre-fracture x-rays. Hip morphology was determined by alpha angle, lateral central edge angle, acetabular index, neck-shaft angle, hip axis length, femoral neck diameter, Tönnis classification for hip osteoarthritis (OA) and the presence of a crossover sign. Results: 148 subjects (78.4% female, age 83.5 years) with proximal femur fractures were included. 44 patients (29.7%) had intracapsular fractures and 104 (70.3%) had extracapsular fractures. 48% of patients had previous hip fractures on the contralateral side and 74.6% had the same type of fracture bilaterally. The rates of bilateral intracapsular and extracapsular fractures were similar (33.7% vs. 40.9% respectively, p = 0.39). Extracapsular fractures had a statically significant higher neck-shaft angle, a shorter hip axis length, a narrower femoral neck diameter and a higher grade of Tönnis classification of OA (p = 0.04, 0.046, 0.03, 0.02 respectively). Acetabular coverage and the proximal femoral head-neck junction, which were evaluated by lateral centre-edge angle (LCEA), acetabular index and the presence of a crossover sign, did not correlate with fracture type. The alpha angle > 40° had a statistically significant higher likelihood for extracapsular fractures (p = 0.013). Conclusions: Acetabular coverage and proximal femoral head-neck junction morphology, were found to partially correlate with the location of hip fractures and do not fully elucidate fracture type susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) of the first carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is prevalent and debilitating, commonly affecting the elderly and postmenopausal population. This review highlights the latest advancements in the treatment of thumb CMC OA, which historically includes a range of nonsurgical and surgical options without a consensus benchmark. We will focus on innovative and emerging technologies. Nonsurgical treatments typically comprise custom braces and corticosteroid injections. In addition, this review explores advanced approaches such as 3D printed braces, which have improved patient satisfaction, and novel intra-articular injectables such as autologous fat, optimized by ultrasonography to enhance treatment precision and outcomes. Although standard surgical treatments include trapeziectomy, with or without ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition, more recent implant arthroplasty designs show promising long-term survival. Newer interventions include patient-specific instrumentation for metacarpal osteotomies, selective joint denervation, and innovative suspensionplasty devices, all marked by their increased precision and personalized care. However, it is important to note that these novel technologies are not yet established as superior to standard treatments of thumb CMC OA., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Background: Following the repair of a mixed peripheral nerve, functional recovery requires successful nerve regeneration across the repair site and, eventually, reinnervation of distal targets. Reliably determining a failing nerve repair so that revision may be performed before irreversible muscle atrophy remains a challenge in peripheral nerve surgery. This study aimed to ascertain whether any commonly used clinical examination tests during surveillance after nerve repair can detect a failing repair and prompt earlier salvage intervention., Methods: A prospective observational cohort study was performed to evaluate commonly used clinical determinants of neuron regeneration that may provide early surrogate recovery measures. Sequential cutaneous thermography was used to identify temperature differences between denervated and normal skin in the hand operated on, with the contralateral hand as a control., Results: Six out of nine patients completed between 6 and 18 months of follow-up. Tinel sign progression was observed in all subjects. Tinel progression rate was associated with motor and sensory Medical Research Council grade. The delta temperature was calculated to document the size and direction of any temperature differentials in the hand detected by thermography, but we did not have sufficient data to calculate any correlations with motor and sensory Medical Research Council grade., Conclusions: Specifically, the progression of Tinel sign is associated with recovery measured by progression of the British Medical Research Council motor and sensory grades. The use of thermographic imaging demonstrates that there is a difference in temperature between an injured and noninjured nerve. Future studies could investigate to what extent thermographic imaging predicts final nerve repair outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article. The study was funded by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charities., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.)