Purpose. To report the outcome of a technique combining direct anatomic reconstruction of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) with augmented reconstruction using the peroneus brevis tendon fixed by a bio-absorbable interference screw. Methods. 13 men and 2 women aged 17 to 36 (mean, 24) years with recurrent inversion injuries of the right (n=5) and left (n=10) ankles underwent lateral ankle reconstruction by a single surgeon. All patients had a positive anterior drawer test and heel eversion stress test, and some degree of tenderness to palpation over the anterolateral joint capsule. All patients had complete or partial tear of the ATFL and the calcaneofibular ligament, except for one. The torn ligaments were repaired anatomically and reinforced with a split peroneus brevis tendon rerouted through the fibula and fixed with a bioabsorbable interference screw. The outcome was assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle and hindfoot score and the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) at 6 months.Results. The mean time from injury to surgery was 40.5 months. The mean follow-up duration was 13.6 (range, 6-26) months. No patient had surgical or wound complications. The mean AOFAS ankle and hindfoot score was 91.5 (median, 93; range, 79-100). The mean FAOS was 78.8 (median, 77; range, 61-100). 10 patients had no limitation in both daily and recreational activities; 3 had limitation in recreational activities, and 2 had limitation in both. 12 patients had normal and 3 had moderate limitation in hindfoot motion. One patient had hindfoot instability. Conclusion. The combination of augmented and direct anatomic reconstructions enables early mobilisation despite limitation in hindfoot motion and is a viable option for chronic hindfoot instability.

Introduction: The surgeon uses different methods of surgical hand antisepsis with the aim of reducing surgical site infections. To date, there are no local studies comparing the efficacy of iodine hand scrub against newer alcohol-based hand rubs with active ingredients. Our pilot study compares a traditional aqueous hand scrub using 7.5% Povidone iodine (PVP-I) against a hand rub using Avagard: 61% ethyl alcohol, 1% chlorhexidine gluconate. The outcome measure is the number of Colony Forming Units (CFU) cultured from 10-digit fingertip imprints on agar plates. Materials and Methods: Ten volunteers underwent 2 hand preparation protocols, with a 30-minute interval in between–Protocol A (3-minute of aqueous scrub using PVP-I) and Protocol B (3-minute of hand rub, until dry, using Avagard). In each protocol, fingertip imprints were obtained immediately after hand preparation (t0). The volunteers proceeded to don sterile gloves and performed specific tasks (suturing). At one hour, the gloves were removed and a second set of imprints was obtained (t1). Results: Four sets of fingertip imprints were obtained. All 10 participants complied with the supervised hand preparation procedures for each protocol. CFUs of initial fingertip imprints (t0): The median CFU counts for initial imprint was significantly higher in the PVP-I treatment (median = 6, Inter Quartile Range (IQR) = 33) compared to the Avagard treatment (median = 0, IQR = 0, P <0.001). CFUs of fingertip imprint at 1 hour (t1): The median CFU counts for second imprint (t1) was significantly higher in the PVP-I treatment (median = 0.5, IQR = 11) compared to the Avagard treatment (median = 0, IQR = 0, P = 0.009). Our results suggest that the Avagard was more efficacious than aqueous PVP-I scrub at reducing baseline colony counts and sustaining this antisepsis effect. Conclusion: Alcohol hand rub with an active compound, demonstrated superior efficacy in CFU reduction. Based on our results, and those pooled from other authors, we suggest that alcohol-based hand rubs could be included in the operating theatre as an alternative to traditional surgical scrub for surgical hand antisepsis. Key words: Alcohol-based, Hand rub, Hand scrub, Surgical hand antisepsis, Surgical site infection

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Aim: The study aims to assess the adequacy and appropriateness of the use of chemical prophylaxis/enoxaparin in total knee and/or hip replacement (TKR and THR) surgery patients at National University Hospital (NUH) with respect to the compliance/non-compliance to NUH Venous-Thromboembolism (VTE) Prophylaxis Guidelines. This is done with the objective to identify potential gaps in current prescribing patterns that may require interventions to improve clinical efficacy and safety outcomes. Methodology:A retrospective drug utilization evaluation was performed for NUH patients aged≥18 years old who have undergone TKR and/or THR surgery from 1st January to 31st May 2013 and excluded foreigners not residing in Singapore. The study indicators included compliance of chemoprophylaxis/enoxaparin prescribing patterns to NUH guidelines. Efficacy and safety related clinical outcomes in terms of VTE and hemorrhagic events respectively in a 3-months follow-up period post-surgery were also measured.Results: A total of 127 patients were available for evaluation but data for 82 patients were collected and analyzed. Chemoprophylaxis prescribing patterns for only 46 (56.1%) patients were compliant to NUH guidelines in terms of indication. The need for chemoprophylaxis exceeded bleeding risks for 55 (67.1%) patients but only 30 (36.6%) patients were given chemoprophylaxis (enoxaparin). When enoxaparin was prescribed, none of the dosing regimens were compliant to NUH guidelines in all aspects of dose and frequency, prophylaxis duration and time of first dose initiation. During the 3-months follow-up, no bleeding events due to enoxaparin occurred. 9 (11.0%) patients developed thrombosis, 2 of which considered as clinically significant by physicians. Conclusion:The study revealed the baseline chemoprophylaxis and enoxaparin usage patterns in NUH TKR and THR patients. The adverse clinical outcomes that occurred identified potential safety gaps within the prescribing practices, for which recommendations were made to improve the safe and effective use of VTE chemoprophylaxis in NUH post-surgical orthopedic patients.