Orthopaedics Flashcards
What are the two main types of postoperative infection?
Superficial:
- skin
- subcutaneous tissue
- occurs within 30 days
Deep:
- to fascia and muscle
- occurs within 30 days or 90 days if prosthetic
What are the most common organisms to cause postoperative infection in a hip arthroplasty?
Coagulase negative Staph
Staph Aureus
Strep - 9%
What are some risk factors for post opp infection in ortho?
Patient factors:
- immunosuppressed
- diabetic
- malnourished
- elderly
Trauma factors:
- Trauma related injury
- Open wounds
- open fracture
Surgical factors:
- long operating time
- complicated surgery
How should post operative wound infections be managed?
Contact orthopaedic on call
Bloods: - FBC - CRP - U&ES - G&S \+/- - blood cultures
- Wound swaps
- only commence antibiotics after wound swab and with senior ortho guidance.
Why is it so important to get swabs of wound or isolation cultures of in the infection prior to antibiotics starting?
The infections can be very difficult to treat. Especially in prosthetic joints, and require large amounts of antibiotics. As such getting the right antibiotics first time is helpful.
What is the predominant blood supply to scaphoid bone?
Dorsal Carpal Branch of the radial artery
What advice should be given to someone who has had a hip replacement, to avoid dislocation?
Don’t flex hips beyond 90 degrees
Avoid deep seats
Don’t sit crossed legged
Sleep on back for 1st 6 weeks
Name some x-ray signs seen with Pagets disease:
Skull:
- Osteoporosis Circumscripta - areas of radiolucency in a circle
- Cotton wool appearance
- Tam O’Shanter sign - looks like person is wearing a hat
Pelvis:
- Cortical thickening
- Acetabular thickening
Long bones:
- Blades of grass
- Candle flame sign
Spine:
- squaring of the vertebrae
What signs on x-ray may be seen in osteomalacia?
Looser zones
- pseudofractures
Trefoil Pelvis
- Lateral indentation of acetabulum
- causes issues with cephalo-pelvis disproportion
Protrusio acetabuli
- medial indentation of the acetabulum
List some clinical findings seen in Ricket’s:
Skull:
- Delayed fontanelle closure
- Frontal bossing
- Craniotabes
Chest:
- Rachitic rosary/ Beading of the ribs (beads at costochondral joints)
- Harrison’s grooves
Limbs:
- Widening of wrists
- Genu varum/ Valgus
- Wind Swept look
Spine:
- Kyphosis
In osteoporosis what do you expect the blood results to show:
Calcium
- normal
Vitamin D
- normal
PTH
- normal
**this contrasts with osteomalacia in which you expect the opposite and PTH to be high
What is a urinary investigation that can be done into Paget’s disease?
Hydroxyproline
- break down of collagen
What is ulnar’s paradox?
The more proximal the lesion (i.e on the elbow) he lesser the deformity. Where as the more distal the lesions the worse the deformity
What are some common complications of a hip dislocation?
AVN - set in within 4 hours
Sciatic nerve pain
Recurrent dislocations
OA
List some core features of adhesive capsulitis:
Typically seen in diabetics.
- reduction in all planes especially external rotation
- active and passive movements are painful
- worse in morning
- varies between freezing phases and recovery phases
What is the management of cubital tunnel syndrome?
Soft Elbow Splints
Decompression surgery
- cubital tunnel release, ligamental tunnel is removed and scar tissue is removed
- anterior transposition of ulnar nerve
- medial epicondylectomy
*steroid injections are not used to due risk of injury to the nerve
List some differentials for a stuck finger:
Dupuytren’s contraction
Posterior interosseous nerve palsy (radial nerve)
Locked trigger finger
Subluxed MCPs
List some differentials for radial side wrist pain:
De Quervain’s Tenovaginits
Radial fracture
Scaphoid fracture
Thumb CMC joint OA
Which population of people are affected more severely from RA?
Black Caribbean
In a joint aspiration in suspected septic arthritis/ swollen joint, what investigations are done on the sample?
Visual examination
- cloudy/ colour
Gram staining
Microscopy
Culture
Crystal examination
What drug is used in septic arthritis if allergic to penicillin?
Clindamycin