Orthopaedics Flashcards
How does compartment syndrome present? Which signs occur late?
Pain - out of proportion, on passive stretch
Parasthesia
Pallor
Swelling
Late - pulseless, perishingly cold, paralysis
Describe the pathophysiology of compartment syndrome
Pressure within a muscle compartment rises, due to fracture and swelling. Osseofascial pressure rises to more than venous pressure, forcing the veins to close and restricting venous drainage. This causes stasis of blood within the compartment and aviscious cycle of increased pressure.
Ischaemia occurs because the oxygen and metabolites are used up and the pressure is too high for arterial blood to perfuse the tissue.
Which 2 fractures most commonly cause compartment syndrome?
Tibial shaft
Supracondylar
What is the treatment for compartment syndrome?
Fasciotomy.
2 incisions either side of the tibia to reach all 4 compartments.
Which structures are at risk during a fasciotomy for tibial compartment syndrome?
Superficial peroneal nerve
Saphenous vein and nerve
What are the red flag symptoms of cauda equina?
Bilateral pain Saddle anaesthesia Bowel incontinence and bladder retention Reduced reflexes - anal wink, bulbocavernosus Reduced anal tone
What causes cauda equina?
Space occupying lesion eg tumour or disc prolapse compresses nerve root L1 or below. This affects all of the nerve roots below this point
What would you order if you suspected cauda equina?
Urgent MRI
Discectomy within 48 hours
What is the differential for a single acute painful joint?
Septic arthritis
Gout
Malignancy
Pseudogout Bursitis Transient synovitis (child)
What is the work up for a single acute painful joint?
FBC
CRP
Blood culture
Aspirate - culture, histology and crystal analysis
(For septic arthritis, malignancy and gout/pseudogout)
Which bacteria are associated with septic arthritis
Staph aureus
Neisseria gonorrhoea
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (immunocompromised)
Which bacteria are associated with an infected animal bite?
Pasturella multocida
What bacteria are associated with an infected human bite?
Staph aureus
Eikenella corrodens
What is the treatment for a bite wound?
Allow to heal by secondary intention.
7 days co amox or metro+doxy
Which nerve is at risk following a supracondylar fracture? How is it tested?
Anterior interosseous.
Can’t make ok sign because radial half of flexor digitorum profundus and flexor pollicis longus
What artery is at risk following a supracondylar fracture?What sign would you look for to check it?
Brachial artery
Check pulses
What is a major complication of a supracondylar fracture? What signs would you look for?
Volkmann’s ischaemic contracture.
Skin puckering - indicates puncture of brachialis
Signs of compartment syndrome: Pain out of proportion, passive stretch, swelling, parasthesia (pulse, cold, paralysis)
What is the difference between a buckle fracture and a greenstick fracture?
(Both are partial thickness breaks due to the pliability of paediatric bones)
Buckle - break is a crush on opposite side to the tension
Greenstick - break is a snap on the side of the tension
What is the difference between a Smith’s and Colle’s fracture?
Both - low energy (think elderly women) extra articular distal radius fracture
Colles - dorsally displaced
Smiths - volarly displaced
How would you manage a minimally displaced distal radial fracture?
Surgical fix because risk to pronation and supination even if slightly displaced.
How would you assess whether a distal radial fracture was displaced?
Volar tilt >11 degrees
Dorsal tilt >22 degrees
Which nerve is at risk in a distal radial fracture?
Median nerve - acute carpal tunnel syndrome
Which tendon is at risk in a distal radial fracture?
Extensor pollicis longus
How does a SUFE present?
11-14 years
Overweight
Hip pain (can present as knee pain)
FABER position - flexed, abducted and in external rotation
What complications are associated with a SUFE?
Avascular necrosis of the femoral head
Arthritis
How is a SUFE treated?
Single percutaneous screw
What is the blood supply to the femoral head?
Which is most likely to be occluded in avascular necrosis?
Medial and lateral circumflex arteries (from the deep femoral)
Obturator artery through the ligament to the head of the femur
MEDIAL circumflex
How would you investigate a possible SUFE?
Frog leg lateral hip xray
Easily missed on AP
Describe the Salter Harris classification.
I - Slip through the growth plate
II - Above. Through growth plate and up through metaphysis
III - Lower. Through the growth plate and down through the epiphysis
IV - Through both metaphysis, growth plate and epiphysis
V - Crush
What is the most common type of Salter Harris fracture?
II
What is the differential for a child with a limp?
Infection - osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, transient synovitis
Malignancy
Trauma/fracture
SUFE (11-14)
Perthes (3-11)
DDH (0-3)
How does most hip pathology present?
FABER position and shortened
Flexed, abducted, externally rotated
(Except dislocation which is internally rotated)
How does Perthes disease present?
Scrawny, chav child (3-11 years)
Decreased ROM, pain, Faber position
What is Perthes disease?
Idiopathic avn of femoral head in a child
How does AVN of femoral head look on an x ray?
Decreased epipyseal height
Increased density
How does developmental hip dysplasia occur?
Lax joint and shallow acetabulum causes the femoral head to develop outside the acetabulum in utero.
What is the treatment for DDH?
Developmental dysplasia of the hip.
Pavlik harness
Describe the tests performed on neonates to screen fro DDH
Ortolani - Out. Flex to 90 and abduct legs out. Push thigh up to reduce. Click is positive
Barlow - Back. Flex to 90 and legs together. Push back to dislocate. Click is positive.
What are the 4 defects involved with clubfoot?
C - midfoot cavus
A - forefoot adductus
V - hindfoot varus
E - hindfoot equinus
Not passively correctable
Where do the nerve roots emerge in relation to the vertebral disc in
a) The cervical spine
b) The rest of the spine
a) nerve root emerges above
b) nerve root emerges below
This is because there are 7 cervical vertebrae and 8 cervical nerve roots.
Which nerve root is being tested by the biceps reflex?
C5
Which nerve root is being tested by the supinator reflex?
C6
Which nerve root is being tested by the triceps reflex?
C7
How would you test the sensation and movement of C5?
Sensation - lateral shoulder
Movement - elbow flexion
How would you test the sensation and movement of C6?
Sensation - lateral forearm
Movement - wrist extension
How would you test the sensation and movement of C7?
Sensation - middle finger
Movement - elbow extension
How would you test the sensation and movement of C8?
Sensation - little finger
Movement - finger flexion
How would you test the sensation and movement of T1?
Sensation - medial forearm
Movement - finger abduction
How would you test the sensation and movement of L2?
Sensation - medial thigh/ groin
Movement - hip flexion
How would you test the sensation and movement of L3?
Sensation - medial and anterior thigh
Movement - knee extension
How would you test the sensation and movement of L4?
Sensation - medial calf
Movement - dorsiflexion (foot drop)
How would you test the sensation and movement of L5?
Sensation - Big toe round to lateral calf
Movement - toe extension
How would you test the sensation and movement of S1?
Sensation - Posterior calf
Movement - plantarflexion
Which nerve root is being tested by the knee reflex?
L3/4
Which nerve root is being tested by the ankle reflex?
S1
How would you test the sensation and movement of S4?
Sensation - Perineum
Movement - Anal tone, incontinence
What nerve might be damaged by axillary node clearance? What effect would it have?
Long thoracic
Serratus anterior
Winged scapula
Press hands on wall and it pokes out
What nerve might be damaged by fracture of the neck of the humerus or dislocation of the shoulder? What effect would it have?
Axillary
Deltoid
Arm abduction 15-90 degrees
Numbness in regimental badge area
What are the signs of damage to the long thoracic nerve?
Serratus anterior - winged scapula
What are the signs of damage to the axillary nerve?
Weakness in arm abduction 15-90 degrees
Numbness in regimental badge area
What are the signs of damage to the thoracodorsal nerve?
Latissimus dorsi weakness
Can’t use a crutch
What are the signs of damage to the median nerve?
movement and sensation
Thenar wasting Weakness in thumb adduction - palm on table and raise up Ok sign (anterior interosseous branch)
Carpal tunnel
What are the signs of damage to the ulnar nerve?
movement and sensation
1st webspace wasting
Weakness in abduction of fingers together
Ulnar claw - from damaged lumbricals
Pain/numbness in medial hand
What are the signs of damage to the radial nerve?
movement and sensation
Wrist drop
Pain/numbness on back of hand
What are the signs of damage to the anterior interosseous nerve?
Weakness in ok sign
What are the signs of damage to the superior gluteal nerve? (movement and sensation)
Trendelenberg gait
Pain over buttock