We studied the complications after open-wedge osteotomy by hemicallotasis in 308 consecutive patients, most of whom had osteoarthritis of the knee. The participating surgeons, who worked at 17 hospitals, used their discretion in selecting patients, operating techniques and external fixators. The general complications included 11 cases of deep-vein thrombosis (4%), six of nonunion (2%) and one o...

Disuse osteopenia is a complication of immobilisation, with reversal generally noted upon remobilisation. This case report focuses on a patient who was seen 18 years following a road traffic collision when multiple fractures were sustained. The patient had an external fixator fitted for a tibia and fibula fracture, which remained in situ for a period of 4 years. Following removal, the patient w...

Open calcaneal fractures are high morbidity injuries and the risk of complications depends on the concomitant injuries, on the size and the position of the traumatic wound. A 53-year-old male patient with bilateral open calcaneal fractures and associated concomitant lower extremity injuries such as subtalar dislocation, talonavicular dislocation and open distal tibial metaphyseal fracture was i...

INTRODUCTION Extra-focal or external fixation is the method of fracture fixation through the healthy part of the bone using pins or wires. OBJECTIVE The aim was to determine which external splints (Ortofix, Mitković, Charnley and Ilizarov) had the best biomechanical properties in primary stabilization of spiral, transverse and commutative bone fractures. METHODS To determine the investigati...

This paper is a retrospective study on 8 patients admitted and treated in Paediatric Surgery and Orthopaedics Clinic of "M. S. Curie" Hospital Bucharest between 1997 and 2007. The patients with malignant bone tumors (table 1.) were studied by sex, tumor type, location, age at the moment of diagnosis, age at the moment of the last evaluation, type of surgery, external fixator implanted, complica...

OBJECTIVES To review the results of distraction osteogenesis in short-stature patients in our centre and analyse outcomes including complications. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING University teaching hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS Eight patients with short stature (three had achondroplasia, three constitutional short stature, and two hypochondroplasia) operated on for limb lengthening u...