Infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve lesion following tibial nailing: it is possible to avoid it?

BACKGROUND

Iatrogenic injury to the infrapatellar branches of saphenous nerve is a common complication following tibial nailing. This lesion seems to be directly related to the surgical approach adopted for nail insertion. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the current literature in order to assess the eventual superiority of one surgical approach for tibial nailing over the others in limiting the neurological impairment related to infrapatellar branch injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The available literature was systematically screened searching papers dealing with iatrogenic injury to the infrapatellar branch of saphenous nerve after intramedullary tibial nailing. The terms "Saphenous" and "Infrapatellar branch" were used in combination with "intramedullary nailing" and "tibial fractures", supplying no limits regarding the publication year. Only publications in English were considered. Case reports, technical notes, instructional course, literature reviews, biomechanical and/ or in vitro studies were all excluded. Coleman methodological score was performed in all the retained articles.

RESULTS

Four articles matched the inclusion criteria. There were one original article and three retrospective study. Hypoesthesia and a larger extension of the area of sensory-loss were more frequently observed after vertical incision approach in three out of four articles. A trend towards a lower rate of iatrogenic nerve damage using a transverse incision was found in the remaining one, without any statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

In order to avoid infrapatellar nerve lesion, horizontal or oblique incisions or percutaneous approaches should be favored, although in some cases a longitudinal incision is required. Limited-extension incisions could minimize the risk and the incidence of this complication.

Results in treatment of distal femur fractures using polyaxial locking plate

Indications and techniques of locked plate fixation for the treatment of challenging fractures continue to evolve. As design variant of classic locked plates, the polyaxial locked plate has the ability to alter the screw angle and thereby, enhance fracture fixation. The aim of this observational study was to evaluate clinical and radiographic results in 89 patients with 90 fractures of the distal femur treated, between June 2006 and November 2011, with such a polyaxial locked plating system (Polyax™ Locked Plating System, DePuy, Warsaw, IN, USA). Seventy-seven fractures formed the report of this study. These cases were followed up until complete fracture healing or for a mean time of 77 weeks. At the time of last follow-up, 58 of 77 fractures (75.3 %) progressed to union without complication and radiographic healing occurred at a mean time of 16.3 weeks. Complications occurred in ten fractures that did not affect the healing and in nine fractures that showed delayed or non-union. The mean American Knee Society Score at the time of final follow-up was 83 for the Knee Score and 71.1 for the Functional Score. In conclusion, there is a high union rate for complex distal femoral fractures associated with a good clinical outcome in this series.

Single level cervical fusion by an anterior approach using autologous bone graft influences the adjacent levels degenerative changes: clinical and radiographic results at 10-year minimum follow-up

INTRODUCTION

Cervical degenerative pathology can produce pain and disability and, in case of failure of conservative treatment surgery is indicated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

107 patients affected by single level cervical degenerative pathology were surgically treated by Cloward procedure. On radiographs, the sagittal segmental alignment (SSA) of the affected level and sagittal alignment of the cervical spine were measured.

RESULTS

Preoperatively, mean SSA was 0.6° and at the last follow-up 1.8°. In particular, adjacent-level degeneration occurred more frequently in Group A than in Group B.

CONCLUSION

Lordotic SSA angle can be considered a protective factor against adjacent-level degeneration.

Plasma insulin levels in Japanese and Japanese-American men with type 2 diabetes may be related to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease

Sixty-eight second-generation Japanese-American (Nisei) men 45-74 years old and 26 Tokyo Japanese men 40-72 years old with type 2 diabetes were given 75 g glucose by mouth, and their venous blood levels of glucose and insulin were measured at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 min. Blood glucose levels were similar for the two groups but the Nisei had higher levels of insulin at all time points (P less than 0.006). The Nisei men had a higher mean body mass index (P less than 0.001) and the Tokyo men had had diabetes for a longer duration (P less than 0.001). Data were also compared following selection of a subgroup of Nisei men (n = 39) with a diabetes duration of 2-25 years, making this group more similar to the Tokyo men with respect to this variable. The Nisei still had significantly higher plasma insulin levels. Because of a significant (P less than 0.01) positive correlation between plasma insulin and body mass index in Nisei, but not in Tokyo men, data comparing the Nisei subgroup and Tokyo men were re-examined by analysis of covariance. With an adjustment for body mass index in the analysis, all differences in plasma insulin, except for the fasting insulin level, were no longer significant between the Nisei and Tokyo men, suggesting that body mass index was responsible for these differences.