Tibial Plateau Fracture After Attack by an Escaped Goat

Humans come into contact with goats in wild settings. If a goat feels threatened, it may address the perceived threat violently. While out walking, a 55-y-old man was attacked by an escaped domestic goat. Much as goats interact with each other, this goat pushed him over with its horns and then rose up on 2 legs to come back down on him with its head. The man experienced a Schatzker VI bicondylar tibial plateau fracture that required external and then internal fixation. Besides his physical injuries, he experienced acute stress disorder, which is common after traumatic events. Acute stress reactions can progress into chronic posttraumatic stress disorder but also often resolve. Psychological first aid is appropriate after traumatic events, including animal attacks. It is appropriate to screen for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms after such events and treat or refer if present. After 1 y, the man returned to full function and experienced no posttraumatic stress disorder.

Contemporary management of subtrochanteric fractures

Cephalomedullary interlocking nails that allow for trochanteric entry and minimally invasive fixation have revolutionized the contemporary management of subtrochanteric fractures with improved union rates and decreased incidence of fixation failure. The most successful alternative to intramedullary fixation remains the angled blade plate. Despite biomechanical superiority of contemporary intramedullary implants to previous intramedullary devices, the importance of achieving and maintaining satisfactory fracture reduction prior to and during hardware insertion cannot be overemphasized. In comminuted and more challenging fractures, additional techniques, such as limited open reduction with clamps and/or cables, can allow for canal restoration and more anatomic reductions prior to and/or during nail insertion.

A radiographic study of proximal radius anatomy with implications in radial head replacement

Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral radiographs of 20 healthy volunteers' forearms were taken in three views (full supination, neutral rotation, and full pronation). Radial head maximum diameter and angular measurements between the axis of forearm rotation (AFR) and the radial neck axis (RNA) were made with digital calipers. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant difference between the three AP groups, with supination having the smallest values (P <.0001), but not for the lateral groups (P =.128). Comparison of the AFR-RNA angle between the AP supinated position and the three lateral views revealed a statistically significant difference among all of the pairs, with the AP supinated position having the smallest values. The RNA most closely approximated the AFR with the forearm in the supinated position. For best approximating the native AFR during radial head replacement, the cut should be made perpendicular to the neck axis with the elbow extended and the forearm in the supinated position.