A 62-year-old woman with long-standing limited scleroderma presented to the outpatient rheumatology clinic because of pain and discomfort of the nose. On physical examination a firm subcutaneous nodule was observed over the ridge of the nose (A). No other such nodule-like lesions were observed. The nature of this nodule was disclosed by plain radiographs, which clearly demonstrated a subcutaneo...

Compared with arthroscopic release, open release is more commonly used for the treatment of stiff elbow. Flexion is recovered by releasing posterior tethering soft-tissue structures and by removing anterior impingement between the coronoid and/or radial head and the distal humerus. Extension is improved by releasing anterior soft-tissue tethers and by removing impingement between the olecranon ...

We report the results in 24 consecutive patients treated from 1976 to 1991 for nonunion of olecranon fractures. Their mean age was 42 years, and the mean interval from fracture to treatment for nonunion was 19 months. Management was by rehabilitation and activity as tolerated for three, continued immobilisation for one, and operative treatment for 20. Operations included excision of the olecran...

The diagnosis of nonunion was made by the presence of the clinical (pain, deformity, instability)and radiological signs of nonunion more than 4 months after the initial injury. Three patientshad developed infection and four of them had bone resorption after their initial treatments, whichprobably caused nonunion. Olecranon bone grafting combined with Kirschner wire fixation wasdone in all patie...

Surgical resection of the olecranon bursa may be complicated by wound healing problems. Treatment with debridement and primary skin closure can be attempted. We reviewed eight patients in whom this approach had failed. In four patients we achieved wound healing with a pedicled flap (three antecubital fasciocutaneous island flaps and one radial forearm flap). In three patients the wound healed a...

This report describes a 63-year-old generally healthy male with septic olecranon bursitis caused by Propionibacterium acnes The patient sustained a small laceration after striking the posterior aspect of his left elbow on a metal railing when he was at a public swimming pool. We concluded that P. acnes was not initially detected because cultures were only kept for 5 days. Consequently, initial ...