Introduction The subaxial cervical spine is composed of the C3 through C7 vertebrae. Epidemiologic studies have shown that cervical spine fractures or dislocations occur in 2% to 3% of trauma patients. However, injuries to the subaxial cervical spine account for…
Introduction Fractures of the axis are diverse with many patterns having varying prognoses; they include odontoid or dens fractures, traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis (better known as the hangman's fracture), and poorly characterized axis body fractures. Fractures of the odontoid…
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…