Trauma immobilisation

Synovial fistulae associated with large defects in capsulo-synovial envelope have been reported rarely, mostly after surgeries or infections. Unlike post arthroscopy synovial fistulae, which may be treated with immobilisation with or without direct repair, surgical obliteration of defect and track is essential for healing of such synovial fistulae. Technical aspect of obliteration emphasized in literature is watertight tensionless closure of the defect. We report surgical technique of closure of one such synovial fistula with Free Fascia Lata Graft with an inbuilt valve mechanism to reduce chances of recurrence...

People on the move are increasingly immobilised between and within state borders, having left 'there' but not allowed to be fully 'here'. This paper presents a nuanced examination of this state of enforced in--betweenness, exploring how refugees and other migrants negotiate collective existence through, despite, and alongside liminality. Drawing on ethnographic data collected at a Swiss Red Cross psychotraumatology centre, the study identifies factors that impede and facilitate the formation of collective identities, with temporal and spatial liminality emerging as the most central collective experience for refugees and other migrants...

BACKGROUND: Vertebral artery injury is a rare condition in trauma settings. In the advanced stages, it causes death. CASE: A 31-year-old Sundanese woman with cerebral edema, C2-C3 anterolisthesis, and Le Fort III fracture after a motorcycle accident was admitted to the emergency room. On the fifth day, she underwent arch bar maxillomandibular application and debridement in general anesthesia with a hyperextended neck position. Unfortunately, her rigid neck collar was removed in the high care unit before surgery...

Supracondylar fractures of the distal humerus are the most common fracture around the elbow in children. A thorough initial assessment must be conducted to identify any associated neurovascular injury and carefully documented. The assessment should include a vascular examination of the radial pulse, temperature, colour and capillary refill time. A neurological examination must comment on the motor and sensory function of the radial, median and ulnar nerves. X-rays allow an evaluation of the fracture location and type, and the degree of displacement...

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective Observational Study. OBJECTIVE: Mandibular condyle fractures are distinctive among maxillofacial injuries in which they disrupt mandibular function in a way that other traumatic injuries do not. Condylar fractures can be treated using either the conservative (closed reduction and immobilisation) or surgical (open reduction and internal fixation) approaches. Both of these modalities of treatment have advantages and disadvantages, as well as indications and contraindications...

BACKGROUND: Prophylactic anticoagulation in emergency department patients with lower limb trauma requiring immobilisation is controversial. The Thrombosis Risk Prediction for Patients with Cast Immobilisation-TRiP(cast)-score could identify a large subgroup of patients at low risk of venous thromboembolism for whom prophylactic anticoagulation can be safely withheld. We aimed to prospectively assess the safety of withholding anticoagulation for patients with lower limb trauma at low risk of venous thromboembolism, defined by a TRiP(cast) score of less than 7...

INTRODUCTION: Most simple undisplaced fractures can be managed without surgery by immobilising the limb with a splint, prescribing medication for pain, and providing advice and early rehabilitation. Recent systematic reviews based on retrospective observational studies have reported that virtual fracture clinics can deliver follow-up care that is safe and cost-effective. However, no randomised controlled trial has investigated if a virtual fracture clinic can provide non-inferior physical function outcomes compared with an in-person clinic for patients with simple fractures...

PURPOSE: Direct Discharge protocols (DD) can alleviate strain on healthcare systems by reducing routine outpatient follow-up. These protocols include low-complex musculoskeletal injuries, such as isolated greenstick fractures or torus fractures of the wrist in children. While there is consensus on the effectiveness of DD, there is a lack of injury-specific powered studies. This study compares treatment satisfaction between DD and traditional treatment in children with a greenstick fracture or torus fractures of the wrist...

A prolonged stay on the ground after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) is a high-risk situation for venous thromboembolism (VTE), but unusual-site venous thrombosis is rare in this setting. An 81-year-old woman with no personal or family history of VTE who lied on the ground for several hours following massive COP had painful and oedematous temples, so a Doppler ultrasound was prompted and revealed a bilateral superficial temporal vein (STV) thrombosis. There was no heart failure, trauma, inflammatory disease, infection, or vascular malformation...

BACKGROUND: Tibial intramedullary nailing is a common method of fixation for fractures of the tibia, with several approaches described. Anterior knee pain is a common complication following nailing, but the reported incidence of knee pain varies in the literature between 10 % and 86 %. There is considerable variation in incidence between nailing techniques, with an exact aetiology still unknown. We investigated the reported incidence of anterior knee pain in patients undergoing tibial nailing using the semi-extended extra synovial (SEES) technique at a Major Trauma Centre (MTC) in the UK...

Injuries to the lateral ligaments of the ankle are among the most frequent sporting injuries. These injuries constitute a significant portion of all sports-related injuries. Nearly all cases involve damage to either the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) or the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL). While they are generally considered to be mild injuries, without adequate rehabilitation and treatment, these injuries often result in lingering symptoms for many patients for a period ranging from 6 weeks to 18 months...

BACKGROUND: Fractures of the calcaneus (heel bone) comprise up to 2% of all fractures. These fractures are mostly caused by a fall from a height, and are common in younger adults. Treatment can be surgical or non-surgical; however, there is clinical uncertainty over optimal management. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2013. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects (benefits and harms) of surgical versus conservative treatment of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures...

Seat belt syndrome describes a combination of injuries a person restrained by a seat belt may have after a high-velocity motor vehicle crash. A seat belt-shaped bruise may be present across the torso. A Chance fracture is a horizontal vertebral fracture, resulting from spinal hyperflexion, and in disruption of the three columns of the vertebral bodies. Its association with intra-abdominal injury is rare in children. A male, in early adolescence, was involved in a high-energy car crash. A total-body CT scan highlighted lacerations of the anterolateral abdominal wall and an acute L4 Chance fracture...

BACKGROUND: This systematic scoping review aimed to describe the content of post-operative rehabilitation programmes, and outcome measures selection following stabilisation surgery for traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation (TASD). METHODS: An electronic search of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL and AMED was conducted (2000-2021). Any cohort or clinical trial of patients receiving post-operative TASD rehabilitation were included. Study selection, data extraction and quality appraisal were undertaken by two independent reviewers...

BACKGROUND: The use of cervical collars in adult patients with possible injuries to the cervical spine has been an accepted standard of care for many years, despite the absence of evidence for the efficacy of these devices in preventing unwanted movement and harm. Changes to the terminology and recommendations of major trauma guidelines have been made but are limited by low quality evidence. In this context, little is known about what practitioners know, believe, and do, when managing the cervical spine of trauma patients...

OBJECTIVES: To report on the long-term outcomes of the management of translated proximal humerus fractures. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study was conducted from January 2010 to December 2018. SETTING: Academic Level 1 trauma centre.Participants/Patients: A total of 108 patients with a proximal humerus fracture with ≥100% translation, defined as no cortical bony contact between the shaft and humeral head fragments, were included. INTERVENTION: Patients were managed non-operatively with sling immobilisation or with operative management as determined by the treating surgeon...

Temporary lower-limb immobilisation following injury is a risk factor for the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which encompasses deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism. However, patients are not always risk-assessed for VTE in clinical practice and there is a lack of consensus among healthcare professionals on whether thromboprophylaxis should be offered and to whom. This article uses the fictional case study of a patient with an ankle fracture to explore the literature and guidance on VTE risk assessment and thromboprophylaxis in adults presenting to emergency settings with lower-limb trauma requiring immobilisation...

OBJECTIVES: To describe multiligament stifle injury in dogs and report complications and long-term outcomes. METHODS: Medical records of dogs surgically treated for multiligament stifle injury were reviewed from six veterinary hospitals. Long-term follow-up was collected from referring veterinarians. RESULTS: Twenty-six client-owned dogs and 26 stifles were included. Road traffic accidents and limb entrapment were the most common causes of injury...

OBJECTIVE: Blunt trauma patients with potential cervical spine injury are traditionally immobilised in rigid collars. Recently, this has been challenged. The present study's objective was comparison of the rate of patient-oriented adverse events in stable, alert, low-risk patients with potential cervical spine injuries immobilised in rigid versus soft collars. METHODS: Unblinded, prospective quasi-randomised clinical trial of neurologically intact, adult, blunt trauma patients assessed as having potential cervical spine injury...

INTRODUCTION: Emergency medicine (EM) is a growing field in Sub-Saharan Africa. Characterising the current capacity of hospitals to provide emergency care is important in identifying gaps and future directions of growth. This study aimed to characterise the ability of emergency units (EU) to provide emergency care in the Kilimanjaro region in Northern Tanzania. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at 11 hospitals with emergency care capacity in three districts in the Kilimanjaro region of Northern Tanzania assessed in May 2021...