Dr BERNARD de DOMPSURE Régis

Clostridium indolis is an anaerobic spore-forming Gram-positive bacillus belonging to the Clostridium saccharolyticum group. Its clinical significance in human remains poorly known. We describe the first case of osteitis related to C. indolis, identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and provide a literature review of human infections related to C. saccharolyticum group species.

Objective: To compare radiation exposure doses and clinical and radiological outcomes between percutaneous pedicular screwing (closed reduction internal fixation [CRIF]) and classical open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) in lumbar spine fracture without neurologic deficit.

Materials and methods: Sixty patients (mean age, 42.5 years) were divided into two treatment groups: (Percutaneous) CRIF versus (traditional) ORIF. Screw position and anatomic vertebral reconstruction were checked on routine control X-ray and postoperative CT scan. Study parameters comprised: surgery time, radiation exposure time, radiation dose level for X-ray (DAP) and for CT (DLP),blood loss, length of hospital stay and postoperative pain (VAS).

Results: At a mean 25.5 months’ follow-up,there were no significant inter-group differences on the epidemiological parameters: age, gender, fracture level, fracture type on the Magerl classification, preoperative local vertebral kyphosis angle, or fracture-to-surgery interval. Effective radiation dose was 3-fold higher in CRIF than in ORIF, but 6-fold lower than for the postoperative CT scan. Postoperative pain on VAS was significantly lower after CRIF, allowing earlier gait resumption and return to work and daily activity. There were no significant differences in length of hospital stay, patient satisfaction, screw malpositioning or postoperative or end-of-follow-up kyphosis angle.

Conclusion: Percutaneous surgery provided clinical and radiological outcomes strictly comparable to those of open surgery, but with a higher effective radiation exposure dose, including for the medical team and especially for the surgeon. This higher exposure dose, however, is to be relativized by comparison to that of the postoperative CT scan, which involved a much higher exposure dose for the patient.

Level of evidence: Level IV. Retrospective study.

Chronic bone infection is associated with bone resorption. From animal studies, CD3/CD28-activated T cells are known to enhance osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. Because CD28 is expressed constitutively on T cells and its expression is down-regulated by chronic exposure to the inflammatory environment, we characterized co-stimulatory molecule expression on T cells from chronically infected patients. We used cytofluorometric techniques to phenotypically characterize T cells, its co-stimulatory molecules and perforin secretion from infected and non-infected human bones. Chronic bone infection was defined as infection lasting for more than a month. We show a higher T cell activation [human leucocyte antigen D-related (HLA-DR⁺)] in infected compared to non-infected bones: median being 16 versus 7%, P = 0·009 for CD4 T cells, and 33 versus 15%, P = 0·038 for CD8 T cells, respectively. However, T cell proliferation (Ki67⁺) was lower for CD8 T cells in infected bones: 26 versus 34%, P = 0·045. In contrast, we detected no difference in apoptosis and regulatory T cells. In infected bone, we found higher CD28-negative CD4⁺ T cells compared to non-infected bone: 20 versus 8%, respectively (P = 0·005); this T cell subset had higher CD11b expression and perforin secretion. Chronically infected human bones are characterized by an increase of CD28-negative CD4⁺ T cells, indicating long-term activated cells with cytotoxic ability. Therefore, this alteration of co-stimulatory molecules may modify interactions with osteoclasts and impact bone resorption.

Introduction: Controversy continues around selecting the best strategy for managing nonunions of the humeral diaphysis. The objective of this retrospective study was to analyse the results of management of this complication using a uniform surgical technique.

Hypothesis: The rate of union obtained in the present series is comparable to the results reported in the literature.

Patients and methods: Twenty-one patients were surgically treated at the Geneva University Hospital for nonunion of the humeral diaphysis between 1995 and 2005 with a mean follow up of 50 months. Open reduction and internal fixation in compression using plates and screws with autologous bone graft enhancement was used. Eight cases were revisions of nonunions following a closed orthopaedic treatment and 13 cases were revisions following a failed surgical treatment.

Results: All the patients obtained union within a mean 4.5 months. The functional scores for the shoulder (Constant) and the elbow (Mayo) were 77 and 97 points (mean), respectively.Two patients developed transient paresis related to radial nerve and musculocutaneous nerve injuries and one had a recurring fracture. A single patient required a second intervention for delayed union.

Discussion: Of the surgical techniques for managing nonunion of the humerus, plate osteosynthesis is the most widely used. This simultaneously allows anatomic reduction, fracture compression, and osteogenesis stimulation. However, it can lead to infectious complications(although absent in our series) and neurological complications (10% transitory paresis in our patients).We report 95% rapid union in our series. Other techniques such as intramedullary nailing and external fixation do not provide equivalent results, and this is in agreement with the data found in the literature. We therefore recommend using compression plate fixation associated with autologous bone graft for the treatment of established nonunion of the humeral shaft.