The AO dynamic condylar screw.

The uncommon injury of mallet thumb is described, with four case reports. In diagnosis the condition must be distinguished from dropped thumb. Operative treatment is advised which, in this small series, gave excellent results.

In 65 mature Wistar rats a Kirschner wire was introduced into the medullary cavity of each femur. A closed transverse mid-shaft fracture of one femur was produced by a three-point bending technique. Subsequently the mechanical characteristics of the healing fracture, including the torque and angle of twist required to take the callus to its yield point and to ultimate failure, were compared with those for the opposite femur of each rat. Controls were killed in groups at two, three, four, five and seven weeks. Test animals were given bovine growth hormone in a daily dose of five milligrams before being killed in groups at two, three and four weeks. A significant increase in torque index was found in the two-week group of test animals but not in subsequent groups. No evidence was found that growth hormone given alone could produce an overall shortening of the healing time in fresh fractures.

No abstract

A comparative study of methods for treating fractures of the distal half of the femur was carried out prospectively in the five-year period January 1973 to December 1977. The three methods compared were conservative treatment on a Thomas' splint, application ofa knee-hinged cast-brace at five to seven weeks, and intramedullary nailing. knee. The time in bed, in hospital and to union were compared as was the rate offunctional recovery of the It is concluded that the cast-brace provides a safe reliable method of treatment, combining the advantages of non-operative management with the early mobilisation possible with intramedullary fixation but without the disadvantages of surgical treatment.