The proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ) is a plane type synovial joint. The primary function of the PTFJ is dissipation of torsional stresses applied at the ankle and the lateral tibial bending moments besides a very significant tensile, rather than compressive weight bearing. Though rare, early diagnosis and treatment of the PTFJ dislocation are essential to prevent chronic joint instability and extensive surgical intervention to restore normal PTFJ biomechanics, ankle and knee function, especially in athletes prone to such injuries. PTFJ dislocations often remain undiagnosed in polytrauma scenario with ipsilateral tibial fracture due to the absence of specific signs and symptoms of PTFJ injury. Standard orthopedic textbooks generally describe no specific tests or radiological signs for assessment of the integrity of this joint. The aim of this paper was to review the relevant clinical anatomy, biomechanics and traumatic pathology of PTFJ with its effect on the knee emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis through a high index of suspicion. Dislocation of the joint may have serious implications for the knee joint stability since fibular collateral ligament and posterolateral ligament complex is attached to the upper end of the fibula. Any high energy knee injury with peroneal nerve palsy should immediately raise the suspicion of PTFJ dislocation especially if the mechanism of injury involved knee twisting in flexion beyond 80° and in such cases a comparative radiograph of the contralateral side should be performed. Wider clinical awareness can avoid both embarrassingly extensive surgeries due to diagnostic delays or unnecessary overtreatment due to misinformation on the part of the treating surgeon.

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Background: Organ donation is defined as “When a person allows an organ of theirs to be removed, legally, either by consent while the donor is alive or after death with the assent of the next of the kin.” Common transplantations after organ donations include kidney, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs, bones, bone marrow, skin, and cornea. Although some organs such as kidney and tissues like part of the liver, pancreas, lungs, and intestines can be donated while the donor is alive, most of the donations occur only after the donor's death. In India, the legislative foundation for brain death and organ donation was officially established, under Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 amended in 2011. It provided a much-needed legal and transparent system for organ donation. India's organ donation rate (ODR) stands at an abysmal 0.34 per million populations (PMP) when compared with donation rate of 36 PMP in countries like Spain. While in the rest of the country, states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat have made efforts to ramp up their ODR, by facilitating public and private health sector activities, such vision is still a far cry for the states in the North-Eastern part of India. Materials and Methods: This study on awareness of organ donation was conducted in one of the premiere educational institutes at Guwahati. A predesigned performa (questionnaire) was used to collect data from 360 individual, of which 180 participants were undergraduate students and 180 participants were faculties having postgraduate degree. Results: The results show that 79.17% (285) of participants were aware about organ donation, and out of all participants, families of only three have donated organ in the past 5 years. A total number of 12 (3.33%) participants have signed up for organ donation. A significant portion of the study population (12.5%) opined that there might be some religious beliefs which are preventing certain strata of local population from donating or accepting organs. More than half (186) (51.67%) of the study group opined that there is lack of awareness among people which may be one of the reasons for low rates of organ donation. Conclusion: Organ donation programs are at a very primordial stage in India and are almost negligible in its North-Eastern region. It is high time for the policy makers and other stake holders of a global giant like India to understand the magnitude of the benefits from these programs. Making tangible policies that are reflected nationally, emphasizing attention to both the organ donors and recipients, is the need of the hour.

Background and objectiveThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, has turned into a rapidly spreading global healthcare crisis. The clinical and laboratory features of COVID-19 are associated with significant regional variations. In this study, we aimed to describe the clinical and demographic profile of COVID-19 patients from a tertiary care hospital in Northeast India. Materials and methodsThis was a hospital-based cross-sectional study that included all laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases admitted to the institution from 1st July to 31st October 2020. The information was collected on a predesigned proforma, which included patients' demographic profiles, clinical presentations, and outcomes as per treatment by trained doctors. ResultsThe study included 180 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases. A history of contact with laboratoryconfirmed COVID-19-affected individuals was found in 92 (51.1%) patients. The median age of the patients was 37.17 years (range: 18-80 years), and there were 104 (57.78%) males in the cohort. Of the total enrolled patients, 102 (56.67%) were asymptomatic from the time of exposure till their admission. The common presenting complaints were fever (n=55, 70.51%), cough (n=42, 53.85%), and shortness of breath (n=32, 42.02%). The case fatality rate among the admitted cases was 15%. Comorbidities were found in 84 (46.67%) patients with the most common one being diabetes mellitus (n=31, 36.9%) followed by hypertension (n=29, 34.52%). Patients with advanced age (more than 60 years) and coexisting comorbidities were at higher risk of progression of disease and death. ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic is not only a huge burden on healthcare facilities but also a significant cause of disruption in societies globally. The majority of the patients with COVID-19 infection presenting to our hospital were young and asymptomatic. Patients of advanced age with comorbidities were found to have more complications. An analysis of the trends related to COVID-19 in different hospital and institutional settings will help to achieve better preparedness and lead to improved patient care to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in a more efficient manner.

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