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T O Alonge

Publications and source records attributed to T O Alonge.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Microbial isolates in open fractures seen in the accident and emergency unit of a teaching hospital in a developing country.

In this prospective study, superficial and deep swabs of all open fractures seen at the accident and emergency unit of our hospital between January and June 2000 were taken (before wound debridement was done or anitibiotics commenced). Routine microscopy, culture and sensitivities for aerobic and anaerobic organisms were carried out on these specimens. The organisms were cultured and identified using standard techniques and the antibiotic sensitivity testing was carried out using the disc diffusion method of Stokes. Within six hours of injury, single-organism isolates were commonly found whilst after 48 hours a mixed or poly-microbial organism load were isolated. In 90% of the positive isolates, the organisms isolated form the superficial and the deep swabs were the same. The antibiotic sensitivity pattern of all the isolates shows that pefloxacin, ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone were more effective compared to cefuroxime and amoxycillin which had substantial resistance to most of the isolates. 41 fractures were followed to union and 4 (9.7%) developed osteomyelitis.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Congenital dislocation of the knee in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Between January 1996 and December 2001, 41 congenital dislocations of the knee joints (30 patients) were reduced with closed methods by immediate reduction without anaesthesia and serial casting in plaster of Paris immobilization for a period of six to eight weeks. The patients' age ranged from the age of one week to four weeks with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. The right knee was involved in 46.65% the left in 16.6% and bilateral involvement in 36.65% of patients. Routine check of the hip did not reveal any patient with hip instability. All the patients followed up after 2 years showed excellent results. We conclude that congenital knee dislocation when discovered early and without any other congenital malformation can be managed conservatively with excellent results.

Age Distribution↗

The complications seen from the treatment by traditional bonesetters.

Traditional bone setters are rampant in the West African subregion but the atrocities committed by them have never been reported hence the need for this article that deals with the menace caused by them. All patients referred to the University College Hospital between 1996 and 2001 were included in this study. Only a few number of the patients have been selected just to illustrate the menace caused by the traditional bonesetters in so many African societies. The deformities, financial loss and amputations resulting from the management by traditional bonesetters have been highlighted. Suggestions are made on how to improve awareness in the way of adequate communications through televisions, radio and the press. Much need to be done in the society as it was found in the study that poverty or lack of education alone is not the major cause of the society seeking the help of the traditional healers, but probably the culture and traditional beliefs of the society.

Aged↗

Limb conservation using non vascularised fibular grafts.

This paper highlights the use of non-vascularised fibular graft in limb reconstruction from bone loss due to trauma and infection. Bone loss can occur from severe high velocity injuries due to road traffic accidents, severe neglected infections, and osteolytic tumours. In majority of cases, the surgeon is left with the only option of an amputation especially where there is no access to microvascular surgery and microvascular bone grafting devices. This is a major problem in the West African subregion hence the need for this article. We present illustrative cases of limb conservation in an adult involved in a high velocity trauma and a child with a destructive osteolytic infection culminating in bone loss. The patients are still been followed up in our surgical outpatient clinics.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Domiciliary treatment of femoral shaft fracture in children.

A total of 20 children presenting in Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department of University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria with femoral shaft fracture treated with straight leg fixed traction in a domiciliary setting is presented. The male:female ratio is 3.2 with fall accounting for 65% of the cases. There was satisfactory correction of overriding and angular deformity following the application of the fixed traction in all the patients. There was good Callus formation at six weeks with no vascular, neurological or soft tissue complication.

Ambulatory Care↗

Traditional bonesetters in south western Nigeria--friends or foes?

OBJECTIVE: To highlight the dangers inherent in the practice of traditional bone setting in south western Nigeria as evidenced by the preventable complications that accompany treatment of fractures, joint dislocations and limb deformities by traditional bonesetters (TBS). METHOD: Twenty-five consecutive patients with fractures, dislocations and limb deformities who had been previously managed by TBS and who subsequently presented to the University College Hospital, Ibadan (on account of complications from treatment at the TBS) between 15 October 1999 and 31st March 2000 were evaluated. RESULT: Fourteen patients had fracture non-union or malunion necessitating open reduction and internal fixation. Two patients with wet gangrene of the extremities had amputations. CONCLUSION: Traditional bone setting is an ancient trade practiced in Nigeria and most developing countries without government regulations and they lack guidance. The complications that accompany these practices are unacceptable and it is imperative that there should be legislation to curb their activities and save the unsuspecting public from further harm or even death.

Adolescent↗

Pattern of congenital orthopaedic malformations in an African teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND: Congenital Orthopaedic malformations are common malformations that are usually unacceptable to the common populace in the West African sub-region. There is paucity of knowledge about the common types of Orthopaedic congenital malformations in our environment This study was undertaken to determine the pattern of congenital Orthopaedic malformations in a Teaching Hospital. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective study of all the Orthopaedic congenital malformations seen in our surgical outpatient departments and the inpatient referrals from the wards between January 1995 and December 2003. RESULT: There were 284 patients in total with a male to female ratio of 2:1 and age range between two days to nine years. Clubfoot (CTEV) accounted for 52.8% of all the malformations while Congenital knee dislocation (CDK) and calcaneovalgus deformity accounted for 8%. Congenital hip dislocation (CDH) accounted for only 2.2% of all the cases. CONCLUSION: Congenital talipes equinovarus deformity is the most common congenital orthopaedic malformation in this environment while congenital hip dislocation (CDH) is rare when compared with the Caucasians.

Calcaneus↗

Double blind clinical trial comparing the safety and efficacy of nimesulide (100mg) and diclofenac in osteoarthrosis of the hip and knee joints.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis of the hip or knees is a very disabling condition in both Caucasians and Africans. A lot of medical drugs have been in use with their corresponding side effects, hence the search for newer drugs with fewer side effects. STUDY DESIGN: A double blind clinical trial comparing the safety and efficacy of nimesulide and diclofenac was carried out in the University College Hospital Ibadan. All patients referred to the outpatients department of the orthopaedic division with osteoarthritis of the hips and knees who met the criteria for inclusion in the study were used for the study. RESULTS: There were a total number of sixty-seven (67) patients. 70.6% of the nimesulide patients had only mild pain in the involved joint on completion of the eight weeks trial compared to 50% of the diclofenac group. A significant proportion of the patients in the diclofenac group (50% vs 17.6%) had break through pain that warranted the use of at least two tablets of 500mg of paracetamol per week in contrast to the nimesulide group. There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of side effects between the patients in the diclofenac group and the nimesulide group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Nimesulide was found to be more effective in relieving pain in osteoarthritis of the hip and knees and with less side effects than diclofenac.

Adult↗

The ultrastructure of the peri-articular osteophytes - an evaluation by scanning electron microscopy.

OBJECTIVE: Osteophytes are intra-articular osteochondral tissues, which are usually found at the margins of degenerating synovial joints. The aetiology or pathogenesis of this tissue has been a subject of protracted debate. The aim of this study was to offer a possible aetiology and or pathogenesis of this expendable yet important osteochondral tissue using the scanning electron microscopy to evaluate the structure of the cartilage mantle of osteophytes and the relationship of this mantle with that of the adjoining normal articular cartilage. METHODS: Sections of periarticular osteophytes and osteophyte-normal articular cartilage composite tissues were obtained during total knee replacement for osteoarthritis (OA). These sections were routinely processed and examined using the scanning electron microscope with emphasis on the osteophytic cartilage mantle and the merger of the osteophyte and the adjoining normal articular cartilage. RESULTS: The cartilage mantle of osteophytes was found to be thinner but continuous with that of the adjoining normal articular cartilage. However, a longitudinal bar of acellular tissue was found to separate the subchondral bones of both tissues. The cellular (chondrocyte) arrangement in the osteophytic cartilage was similar to that of the adjoining normal articular cartilage. In addition, in the superficial layer, there was looping of collagen fibres between the normal articular cartilage mantle and that of the osteophytic tissues. CONCLUSION: The continuity between the cartilage mantle of osteophytes and the adjoining normal articular cartilage may suggest that in the formation of osteophytes, the chondrocytes from the adjoining normal articular cartilage greatly influence the mesenchymal tissue precursor of osteophyte to differentiate along a chondrocytic pathway initially. With subsequent vascular invasion probably from the periosteum, the neocartilage develops a bony core with a completely separate blood supply from that of the adjoining subchondral bone.

Aged↗

Ceftriaxone-PMMA beads--a slow release preparation?

The use of various drug delivery systems to achieve high levels of the desired antibiotic(s) at the site of infection has become commonplace in orthopaedic and trauma units the world over. One of these techniques uses the implantation of antibiotic-impregnated beads at operation sites. Commercial antibiotic beads such as the gentamicin bead are available but expensive, especially for patients in developing countries. We have shown that ceftriaxone-polymethylmethacrylate beads can be produced locally and at low cost in a resource-poor environment. We have also shown that such beads elute the antibiotic (ceftriaxone) effectively in vitro, achieving similar or better activity when measured by zones of inhibition against various bacteria species compared with standard antibiotic discs. This technique offers a cost-effective method of treating chronic bone infections in resource-poor settings.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Report on the 2nd symposium of the International Cartilage Repair Society.

The articular cartilage is a unique tissue and a functional articular cartilage is critical to proper joint function. The inability of the articular cartilage to heal traumatic defects with a similar quality tissue has been appreciated since the time of hippocrates. Although a variety of surgical procedures have been developed over the past 50 years in attempt to overcome this treatment challenge, none has been successful in achieving regeneration of normal articular cartilage. It is these treatment challenges that form the reasoning behind the formation of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) and her 2nd annual symposium is presented.

Cartilage, Articular↗

Intra-operative antibiotic bead maker--point of technique.

Chronic osteomyelitis is a disease of soft tissue and bone and it is common in the developing countries. The management of this debilitating disease requires the delivery of the appropriate chemotherapeutic agent at the site of the infection after adequate debridement. The search for a suitable carrier for these chemotherapeutic agents is the advent of the 'septopal' or gentamycin-polymethylmethacrylate (gentamycin-PMMA) beads. Septopal beads are expensive and are not affordable by patients in the developing countries. Moreover, most of the micro-organisms (mixed flora) responsible for chronic osteomyelitis in our hospitals are sensitive to ceftriaxone and only in a few cases were gentamycin-sensitive micro-organisms isolated. Therefore, it was imperative that patient-specific and antibiotic-specific PMMA beads would be the way forward and this is the reasoning behind the production of the intra-operative antibiotic bead maker (IABM) and the point of technique is hereby presented.

Chronic Disease↗

The management of metastatic bone pain in a developing country: the role of radiotherapy as an adjunct to weak opioids.

Bone pain secondary to metastatic cancer is the commonest intractable pain and is a major concern in most oncology units the world over. Cancer pain management is multidisciplinary in approach, so there is no universal or singular modality of treatment. In a developing country like Nigeria, only external radiotherapy and adjuvant weak opioids are readily available, so it is of interest to review the response of these patients to this management option. This is a retrospective review of 92 patients aged 16-80 years with radiologically confirmed metastatic bone disease associated with pain who received external radiotherapy and weak analgesics. The results showed that 23 (25%) patients had a complete response and 67 (73%) had a partial response within four weeks of treatment. Total response was over 90%, which suggests external radiotherapy has an effective palliative role. The study also demonstrated the pattern of bony involvement among the common cancers seen in our environment. The availability of strong opioids (e.g. morphine and pethidine) will obviously consolidate the gains achieved with external radiotherapy in the management of metastatic bone pain in our environment.

Adolescent↗

Fibular on-lay graft in the management of radial giant cell tumour--a case report.

The management of bone loss following tumour resection poses a problem particularly in the upper limb where limb preservation is paramount. For bone loss less than 6cm, nonvascularized fibular graft has been advocated whereas in bone defects larger than this, vascularized fibular graft is the preferred option. In this case study, we have used a nonvascularized fibular on-lay graft (supplemented with cancellous bone graft) in the management of a distal radial bone loss of ten centimeters following resection of a giant cell tumour with remarkable success.

Adult↗

Quadriceps tendon rupture in an adolescent.

Quadriceps tendon rupture is said to be rare in patients younger than 40 years of age. We report a case of quadriceps tendon rupture in a 13 year old athletic boy.

Adolescent↗

Spontaneous pubic symphysial diastasis following vaginal delivery.

Public symphysis diastasis is an uncommon condition which is caused mostly by severe trauma like road traffic accidents and fall from heights. We present cases of pubic symphysis diastasis following spontaneous vaginal delivery. This is to reiterate the fact that this type of public symphysis diastasis is different from other types of traumatic pubic symphysis diastasis and can be managed successfully with absolute bed rest.

Adult↗