The use of qualitative cultures for detecting infection in open tibial fractures

PURPOSE

To determine the role of qualitative cultures for detecting infection in open tibial fractures.

METHODS

From January 2003 to December 2004, 95 men and 13 women (mean age, 34 years) with open tibial fractures in one or both limbs and without any other sites of infection were prospectively studied. Patients who had been treated with intravenous or oral antibiotics before presentation and/or had undergone debridement or other surgery were excluded.

RESULTS

Infection was not correlated with age, sex, interval from injury to debridement, and cause of fracture. The association of infection with predebridement cultures was stronger (odds ratio=12.5) than that with postdebridement cultures (odds ratio=4.7).

CONCLUSION

Pre- and post-debridement cultures have a role in detecting infection in open tibial fractures. For detecting infection, predebridement cultures have better sensitivity, while postdebridement cultures have better specificity.

Greater arc injury of the wrist with fractured lunate bone: a case report

Carpal dislocation and fracture dislocation are uncommon and difficult to treat. Early diagnosis and treatment of such injuries are necessary to prevent progressive carpal instability and traumatic arthritis. Perilunate fracture dislocation is a combination of ligamentous and osseous injuries that involve the 'greater arc' of the perilunate. Despite being severe, these injuries often go unrecognised in the emergency department, leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment. We present a case of greater arc injury of the right wrist with fractures of the lunate and ulnar styloid without perilunate dislocation. This pattern of injury cannot be classified in the available literature on greater arc injury.

Massive calcaneal enthesopathy in a non-healing leg ulcer: a case report

Enthesopathy at the superior or inferior surface of a calcaneus may be seen in normal individuals having degenerative osteoarthrosis. This condition is also known to occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative spondyloarthropathy, trauma, as well as inflammatory and metabolic diseases. Enthesopathy may sometimes be the first manifestation of a variety of rheumatic diseases. In this report, we present a case of massive enthesopathy of the superior and inferior surface of the calcaneus giving rise to an 'axe effect'.