Introduction The craniocervical junction (CCJ) is a complex articulation, involving the occipital bone, the occipitoatlantal articulation, the atlas, the axis, and the ligaments that span from the occiput to the axis. The susceptibility of the CCJ to injury is related…
Introduction Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurologic entity and a life-altering event. SCI affects approximately 1.4 million North Americans, with a disproportionate number of patients who are younger than 30 years of age. Injury results in the…
Introduction Psychological stress is a normal human emotion that can be associated with any disease or injury. Most individuals confronting a new diagnosis are able to understand, accept, and move forward. Their ability to do this requires personal inner resources,…
Introduction The remote-controlled magnetic intramedullary lengthening nail is a disruptive technology that has changed the surgical approach to limb lengthening and reconstruction surgery. Its availability and use have led to a new paradigm for limb reconstruction with a decreased need…
Introduction Fracture nonunions may represent a very small percentage of the traumatologist's case load but can account for a high percentage of a surgeon's stress, anxiety, and frustration. A fracture nonunion may be anticipated after a severe traumatic injury, such…
History Osteomyelitis can occur for a variety of reasons and is often a result of open fractures. Therefore it is quite obvious that osteomyelitis has accompanied humankind and also animals over thousands or even millions of years. The most likely…
We define a complication as a disease process that occurs in addition to a principal illness. In the lexicon of diagnosis-related groupings, complications are comorbidities. However, a broken implant complicating the healing of a radius shaft fracture hardly seems to…
Introduction Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common and devastating complications of orthopaedic surgical procedures. In its most recent estimate, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that SSIs accounted for 36.4% of all healthcare-associated…
Demographics of Osteoporotic Fragility Fractures Fragility fracture refers to those fractures that result from a fall from standing height or less and frequently occur in the hip, wrist, and spine. Osteoporosis is characterized by a combination of both a decrease…
Introduction Pathologic fractures can be a source of diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the practicing orthopaedic surgeon. These fractures can be a significant cause of anxiety for patients, who are told they have a tumor, as well as for surgeons,…