Independence as well as Multiculturalism

CASE We report a case of acute gouty arthritis-mimicking infection that occurred immediately after right total knee arthroplasty in a 73-year-old man. Repetitive laboratory tests showed acute inflammation and did not easily distinguish acute gout from bacterial infection. Surgical treatment was undertaken for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. A large amount of chalky whitish crystals suggestive of acute gout was found in both knees without the suspicion of bacterial infection, and thorough irrigation and debridement were performed. CONCLUSIONS Although conservative treatment is generally administered for acute gouty arthritis, early surgical intervention may ensure a good clinical result in a prosthetic joint.CASE A 77-year-old woman with knee osteoarthritis (OA) complained of right (ipsilateral) knee pain for more than 5 years with gait asymmetry. The OA and quadriceps muscle weakness were more severe in the left (contralateral) knee, but she had no pain. Bracing of the left knee led to decreased gait asymmetry, as determined with an inertial measurement unit, and reduced pain in the right knee. NF-κB inhibitor CONCLUSION This case highlights the contralateral knee effect on ipsilateral chronic knee pain, possibly through gait asymmetry. These findings provide a mechanistic insight into knee OA-related pain in patients with gait asymmetry and suggest a new rehabilitative approach.CASE The patient is a 63-year-old man who previously underwent a right total hip arthroplasty with the Corin MiniHip femoral stem. Within the first few months postoperatively, he had a fall that resulted in subsidence of his femoral prosthesis and subsequent revision shortly thereafter with a 10-mm skirted cobalt chrome femoral head. Eight years after the index procedure, the patient heard a crack and then collapsed while putting on bicycle shorts. Workup demonstrated a fracture of the stem at the base of the neck of the implant. Femoral stem revision with a diaphyseal engaging, modular implant, and dual mobility hip construct was performed. CONCLUSION Atraumatic catastrophic failure of the femoral stem implant may be associated with long skirted femoral heads that create excessive bending moments on the stem and revision surgery.CASE An immunocompetent 43-year-old man was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis of his forearm. Despite receiving appropriate treatment, his clinical condition continued to deteriorate. Further evaluation revealed subsequent proliferation of the infection to multiple noncontiguous areas of the body consistent with a rare condition known as synchronous multifocal necrotizing fasciitis. Prompt identification, followed by serial debridements of all affected areas, ultimately saved the patient's life. CONCLUSION This unusual multifocal presentation of necrotizing fasciitis can produce diagnostic uncertainty and delay life-saving treatment. Early recognition, followed by prompt treatment, is paramount for reducing morbidity and mortality associated with this devastating infection.CASES Three patients were referred to our musculoskeletal oncology service after undergoing autologous fat grafting procedures. Two masses were suspected to be "soft tissue sarcomas," and one was due to a mass of unknown origin. These findings have not been reported in the orthopedic literature and may generate potential referrals for orthopedic oncologists. CONCLUSIONS Awareness of potential complications of procedures from other surgical specialties and their radiographic characteristics is of utmost importance. The clinical and radiographic findings that could assist in distinguishing a mass related to an autologous fat transfer procedure from a soft tissue sarcoma are described.CASE A 51-year-old man was noted to have an irreparable subscapularis tear after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Owing to positive reported results with superior capsular reconstruction, his insufficiency was addressed with anterior capsular reconstruction with use of a dermal allograft. Two-year follow-up results demonstrate good functional outcomes, no recurrent instability, and excellent patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS Anterior shoulder insufficiency after TSA can significantly alter glenohumeral function and is an important cause of patient morbidity. This novel technique exhibits a good outcome and provides an alternative to previous methods of repair.CASE We present a 37-year-old man with uniarticular, multifocal, localized tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TSGCT) of the knee. He was treated with arthroscopic partial synovectomy of each tumor foci alone without the use of any adjuvants. At a 2-year follow-up, he had painless, full function of the knee with no signs of disease recurrence. CONCLUSION There have been several reports of multiple joints or multiple compartments in and around a joint involved with TSGCT in the same patient, but this is the first case reported to our knowledge of multiple discrete foci within the same joint.CASE A 33-year-old woman with Glanzmann thrombasthenia presented to us with a distal tibia nonunion. We attempted to treat her with a multiplanar ring external fixator, but the patient was unable to tolerate the correction, so we resorted to a tibiotalocalcaneal fusion. Hemostasis was difficult to achieve despite the use of antithrombinolytics, factor VII, and platelet transfusions. CONCLUSION Bleeding can be difficult to control in patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia. However, overaggressive preadministration of antithrombinolytics should be avoided because it may have adverse effects such as acrocyanosis. The presence of thrombasthenia does not seem to affect the success of arthrodesis.CASE A 14-year-old female presented with a profound foot drop after trauma to the right leg. Clinical examination and electrodiagnostic studies demonstrated a dense palsy of the common peroneal nerve. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intraneural peroneal ganglion cyst at the fibular neck. Surgical treatment included decompression and transection of the articular branch to the proximal tibiofibular joint. At the 1-year follow-up, the patient demonstrated complete recovery of peroneal nerve function. CONCLUSIONS This case demonstrates a rare finding of a pediatric intraneural peroneal ganglion cyst. The presentation and treatment is well-documented and adds depth to the literature on a sparsely reported condition.