Case Reports in Orthopedics

INTRODUCTION: Rice bodies (RBs) are pale and glossy appearing small fibrinous nodules that form due to synovial or tenosynovial joint inflammation. RBs are significant as they are common in orthopedic practices causing nonspecific symptoms such as pain, swelling, range of motion limitations, crepitus, and catching sensations. These loose bodies occur often within the bursa as a symptom of chronic bursitis and are commonly associated with rheumatoid, inflammatory, or tuberculous arthritis...

A leiomyoma is a benign smooth muscle tumor that is most commonly found in the uterus. Limited studies have reported leiomyoma of the foot, rendering it an usual finding. We present a case of a 57-year-old female patient who presented to the clinic for a painless mass on the posteromedial side of the right heel. It was diagnosed by the radiologist on MRI as a probable schwannoma. The patient underwent surgical excision of this mass which turned out to be a leiomyoma on pathology report. Although foot leiomyoma is a rare finding, leiomyoma should be listed in the differential diagnosis when evaluating foot soft tissue masses...

Metallosis is a known complication of arthroplasty and has been reported for the hip, knee, and shoulder joints. Metallosis pseudotumors have been linked to an increased risk of implant failure. We report a case of pseudotumor with massive bone loss following total wrist arthroplasty (TWA) using the Maestro implant. Revision to arthrodesis is possible, but issues with bone loss have to be addressed. We recommend caution in offering TWA to young patients with high functional demands.

Spinal accessory nerve palsy (SANP) is rare and is commonly presented following iatrogenic injury. Their diagnosis is often missed on initial presentation. Injury following blunt trauma is rare, with few cases reported in literature describing blunt-associated SANP and their treatment and recovery. We present and discuss a case of SANP following an aggressive soft tissue adjustment by an uncertified individual that has been responsive to nonsurgical measures over 18 months. We also reviewed the related literature on similar cases that were presented as result of direct pressure on the nerve from soft tissue manipulation or heavy lifting and their outcome following treatment...

Bite injuries frequently occur on human hands. Human bite injuries to the hand may lead to an infection because of limited soft tissue protection and wound contamination. However, no studies have reported severe bite injuries on hands treated by flaps. We report a case of an 80-year-old woman diagnosed with a major neurocognitive disorder. The patient accidentally had a self-bite injury accompanied with an open metacarpal fracture. Debridement and fixation of the first metacarpal fracture were performed. Afterward, skin necrosis occurred gradually on the dorsum of the hand...

Dislocation of the glenohumeral joint secondary to generalized tonic-clonic seizures is well documented in the medical literature, with posterior dislocation being most commonly described. Still, these occurrences tend to be rare and affect a minority of patients, and fractures associated with dislocations after seizures are even less common. As such, the management of these injuries tends to be quite varied, and there is a paucity of documented cases in the literature. Here, we would like to present two rare cases of anterior shoulder dislocation secondary to seizures, with one patient also sustaining a fracture of the proximal humerus...

The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in the body and an important structure of the extensor apparatus which is under undue stress during flexion and extension of the knee. Bilateral fracture of the patella without trauma is a very rare event and may be multifactorial without a single cause. A repetitive stress reaction in a previously predisposed bone can be an important cause. We report a case of a 45-year-old female with a nontraumatic bilateral transverse patella fracture with loss of extensor mechanism...

Tears of the latissimus dorsi and/or teres major tendons are uncommon, with no definitive management. Surgical repair has been reported in high-level athletes, mostly in baseball players. Simultaneous tears of both latissimus dorsi and teres major tendons are rare, with little known of surgical intervention outcomes. We report on the first published case of surgical repair of both latissimus dorsi and teres major tendon tears from a water-skiing injury in a 45-year-old male with favorable outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: The Ilizarov distraction osteogenesis is a recognized method of limb lengthening in orthopaedic practice. Its most challenging problems are long duration of external fixation and related pin-tract infection and joint contractures. The solution might be the use of a bioactive degradable intramedullary implant stimulating bone healing. Case Presentation . We present a case of a 14-year-old boy with 6 cm posttraumatic shortening of the femur and associated varus deformity of 20 degrees...

There are a few reports on the treatment of nonunited tibial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) avulsion fractures. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a case of nonunited tibial ACL avulsion fracture 30 years after injury. A 36-year-old woman injured her knee during a road traffic accident 30 years ago. Since then, she had persistent knee instability that was left untreated. She presented to our clinic because of knee pain she had been experiencing for a week. Radiography and computed tomography revealed tibial ACL avulsion fracture nonunions...

INTRODUCTION: Proximal tibia physeal fractures in children are not very common but can be dangerous because they can harm popliteal fossa structures, especially the popliteal artery. Popliteal artery injuries (PAI) are most commonly the result of trauma to the lower extremity, including blunt force, hyperextension injuries, complex fractures, and knee dislocations that can compromise popliteal neurovascular structures. Case Presentation. A 14-year-old boy presents to the emergency department after being transferred from an outside hospital 24 hours after a left lower extremity hyperextension injury...

PURPOSE: The current case series describes three cases of fusion between the 2nd cervical vertebra, the axis (C2), and the 3rd cervical vertebra (C3), creating a C2-C3 osseous complex and highlighting its morphological type of fusion (partial or complete) and morphometric details. The developmental background of this complex is emphasized, pointing out the possible clinical significance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The osseous complexes were derived from disarticulated skeletons of body donors and were collected from the osseous collection of the Anatomy Department of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens...

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative ulnar neuropathy is still an unresolved complication in patients undergoing plate fixation of distal humerus fractures. We hypothesized that decreased blood flow to the ulnar nerve due to intraoperative procedures is an important factor in the development of postoperative ulnar neuropathy. We herein report three cases of distal humerus fractures in which the soft tissues surrounding the ulnar nerve were preserved as much as possible and finally not transferred anteriorly...

Pathologic fractures of the distal femur secondary to bone metastases are not as common as those in the proximal femur, and they are rarely reported on in the literature. Even in the absence of current metastatic lesions in the femoral neck, traditional orthopaedic teaching has stressed the importance of protecting the entire femur, while recent studies have shown that it may not be necessary to stabilize the entire femur in the event of future metastases. Thus, there is no consensus regarding optimal surgical treatment, making the choice of fixation often based on the experience of the surgeon...

The present study investigated the clinical utility of ultrasound imaging (USI) for assessing changes in an individual's quadriceps muscle and subcutaneous fat (SF) thickness of the anterior thigh and their relative proportions. A patient was studied prior to and after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery and during rehabilitation. This case study involved an 18-year-old female recreational athlete with a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Tissue thickness (SF and quadriceps muscle) was measured from transverse USI of the anterior thigh before surgery, at weekly intervals during 12 weeks of postsurgery, and then every 2 weeks for the following 12 weeks (total of 21 measurement sets)...

CASE: A previously healthy 11-year-old girl underwent expedited surgical fixation of a femoral neck fracture sustained while jump-roping. After further work up, she was diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism. Parathyroidectomy of a hypertrophic adenoma proved curative. Now, five months post left hip surgery, the patient is pain-free and walks without a limp. CONCLUSION: We describe the first published case of primary hyperparathyroidism presenting as a pathologic hip fracture in a child...

We present a case of a 33-year-old male with a history of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) autograft and prior ipsilateral hamstring harvest, who presented with a complete patella tendon rupture (PTR) 12 years after ACLR. The patient underwent a successful patellar tendon (PT) repair augmented with Achilles tendon allograft and cerclage with nonabsorbable suture tape. PTR after ACLR with BPTB autograft is rare, particularly in patients over a decade out from the index procedure, but can occur...

BACKGROUND: Osteochondral lesions (OCLs) can significantly impact functional status and activities of daily living. Weightbearing joints are disproportionately affected due to considerable biomechanical forces in these areas. Various biologic reconstructive procedures such as microfracture, osteochondral autograft transfer (OATS) or allograft transplantation (OCA), and matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) are utilized by surgeons to treat OCLs. The integration of osteochondral allografts can restore knee function and maintain the integrity of adjacent joint surfaces...

Aortic dissection is a life-threatening acute condition characterized by the separation of the aortic wall's layers. It is caused by a tear in the internal vascular wall (intimal layer and middle layer), which results in bleeding between the layers and causes abrupt and excruciating pain. The appropriate consideration must be given to the condition's dynamic nature, and variations in clinical presentation, without neglecting the urgency for intervention. In this case study, a 65-year-old male engaged in a car accident is admitted to urgent care with a traumatic aortic dissection diagnosis that included the aortic arch, a segmental exposed fracture of 1/3 distal of the right femur AO 32C3k, and an intertrochanteric fracture AO 31A1...

Tibial pilon fractures are difficult to treat due to articular comminution and soft-tissue injuries caused by high-energy trauma. Open reduction and internal fixation is a commonly used method of treatment. However, it has a high risk of infection and soft-tissue complications due to the extensive detachment of soft tissue. We report on a case with a tibial pilon fracture and soft-tissue necrosis that we treated using limited internal fixation combined with a circular external fixator (LIFCEF) and reverse sural artery flap (RSAF) as part of an orthoplastic approach within the orthopedic surgery department alone, which obtained good results...