This study presents a retrospective evaluation of 57 patients who underwent a percutaneous epiphysiodesis for leg length discrepancy. Of these patients, 68.5% presented with a good result with a final leg length discrepancy of less than 1.5 cm, 14% with a fair result with a discrepancy of between 1.5 and 2 cm, and 17.5% showed a poor result with a leg length discrepancy of more than 2 cm. The percutaneous epiphysiodesis was found to be a safe and reliable technique. There were very few technical errors. The causes of failure were analyzed and compared with a previous study from the same department. Error in timing remains the main problem.

No abstract

From 1988 to 1999 we operated on 22 patients for pre-axial polydactyly. We retrospectively reviewed all files and we clinically reviewed 16 patients. We report on the epidemiology, the surgical technique, the outcome and the complications. All patients were operated on by the same hand surgeon (L.D.S.) and reviewed by an independent observer (S.K.). Aesthetic and functional outcome is reported. In general the surgical treatment for pre-axial duplications gives excellent functional and good aesthetic results. According to the Egawa score, 13 patients obtained an excellent, one a fair and two a poor result. The overall satisfaction rate is very high for both patient and parents and the complication rate was low. The functional outcome seems to be related to the stability of the interphalangeal and metacarpo-phalangeal joints. The most frequent aesthetic problem is a deviation of the axis. Loss of mobility of the thumb seems to be of less importance.

No abstract

A man, aged 55, presented with a spontaneous haemarthrosis of his right knee, 1 year after an unicompartmental knee replacement. This case showed an atraumatic rupture of the metal marker wire of an all-polyethylene inlay tibial implant which caused a destruction of the polyethylene surface and a disseminated synovitis of the right knee. This is a rare but destructive complication following an unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.