BACKGROUND Percutaneous pedicle screw instrumentation is a minimally invasive surgical technique; however, the effects of using percutaneous pedicle screw fixation in treating patients with spinal infections have not yet been well demonstrated. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine whether percutaneous posterior pedicle screw instrumentation is superior to the traditional open appr...

PURPOSE The purpose of our study was to determine the long-term functional outcomes of pin tract infection after percutaneous pinning of displaced supracondylar humeral fractures in children, and to evaluate the potential for intracapsular pin placement based on pin configuration in cadaveric elbows. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of all patients requiring percutaneous pinning in...

BACKGROUND An unstable distal clavicle fracture (Neer type II) is an indication that surgical intervention is required. Numerous treatment options have been introduced, but there is no gold standard. METHODS We report on our experience of 29 consecutive cases, between 2002 and 2008, of acute unstable distal clavicle fracture (Neer type II) and operative treatment using transacromial pins with...

Purpose To assess graft slippage at the site of femoral fixation by follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a four-strand autogenous hamstring tendon using RigidFix (DePuy Mitek). Materials and Methods Twenty-one subjects diagnosed with ACL rupture underwent ACL reconstruction using hamstring autograft with the transtibial techniqu...

Patients infected with HIV presenting with an open fracture of a long bone are difficult to manage. There is an unacceptably high rate of post-operative infection after internal fixation. There are no published data on the use of external fixation in such patients. We compared the rates of pin-track infection in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients presenting with an open fracture. There were...

BACKGROUND The standard treatment for severe displaced pediatric supracondylar humeral fracture (SCHF) is closed reduction and percutaneous pin fixation. However, controversy persists concerning the optimal pin fixation technique. The purpose of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy on the configuration of lateral entry only with crossed entry pin fixation for SCHF, including Gartla...

The purpose of this study was to test and compare external fixator construct stiffness using pin-to-bar clamps or multipin clamps across 2 external fixation systems. Constructs were tested with 8-mm and 11-mm-diameter bar systems and pin-to-bar or multipin clamps. Three construct designs were tested: construct 1 with a single crossbar and pin-to-bar clamps, construct 2 with 2 crossbars and pin-...

Pin-tract infection (PTI) is the most commonly expected problem, or even an almost inevitable complication, when using external fixation. Left unteated, PTI will progress unavoidably, lead to mechanical pin loosening, and ultimately cause instability of the external fixator pin-bone construct. Thus, PTI remains a clinical challenge, specifically in cases of limb lengthening or deformity correct...