Introduction: The dynamic hip screw (DHS) and cannulated compression screws (CCS) have been the two implants most frequently employed for the fixation of femoral neck fractures. The objective of this study is to compare clinical and radiographic outcomes between patients treated with the FNS and those treated with CCS. Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of femoral neck fractures treated with FNS or CCS between May 2019 and June 2022. The study included 144 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Collected data encompassed age, sex, Garden fracture classification, Pauwels classification, duration of surgery, length of hospital stays, Harris Hip Score (HHS), complications, and injured side. Results: The FNS group comprised 70 patients, while the CCS group consisted of 74 patients. The operation time was 43.6 ± 12.09 min for the FNS group and 56.47 ± 22.42 min for the CCS group. At the end of the follow-up, the mean HHS was 87.07 ± 11.77 for the FNS group and 76.20 ± 13.64 for the CCS group. The mean reduction in hemoglobin levels from pre- to post-surgery was 1.05 mg/dl in the FNS group and 0.87 mg/dl in the CCS group. The reintervention rate was 8.1% for the CCS group and 2.85% for the FNS group. Conclusion: The FNS does not demonstrate superiority over CCS regarding femoral neck shortening, complication rate, and reduction in hemoglobin levels. However, FNS does appear superior to CCS in terms HHS, operation time, and reoperation rate.

Background: Biophysical stimulation therapy, Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (PEMFs) and Capacitively Coupled Electric Fields (CCEFs) have significantly increased in the last twenty years. Due to this, it is necessary to have clear information regarding their efficacy, therapeutic indications and expected objectives. Application fields: There is a unanimous opinion regarding the usefulness of applying biophysical therapy on the bone compartment both in terms of the tissue-healing process and the symptoms associated with this situation. Differently, but no less important, positive results were observed in the joint compartment, especially with regard to the inhibition of the inflammatory process. Good results for chondroprotection were obtained in vitro and after a surgical procedure. New studies have shown the effectiveness also in cases of osteoporosis. Conclusions: The effectiveness of PEMFs and CCEFs on the bone-healing process and on joint preservation in the orthopedic and traumatology fields has consolidated evidence in the literature. We have also found positive results for symptoms and patient compliance with rehabilitation therapies. Therefore, their notable applications can be envisaged in the fields of prosthetic surgery and sports medicine.

Background: DDH is 1 of the most important causes of childhood disability. A diagnosis of instability can be made in the neonatal period via the Ortolani and Barlow manoeuvres. However, clinical examination, although highly specific, has poor sensitivity as compared to ultrasound. There is controversy between the necessity of universal screening for dysplasia of all newborns or selective screening reserved for those with clinical signs of instability or known risk factors of DDH. Aim: To analyse the risk factors of congenital hip dysplasia in a consecutive case series of children referred for diagnosis and treatment of DDH. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study on infants consecutively examined between January 2000 and December 2019 at the Marino Ortolani Centre in Ferrara, Italy. The first 3 types on Graf’s classification were considered physiological (1A, 1B, 2A+), while the last 6 pathological (2A-, 2B, 2C, 2D, 3, 4). Results: 18,954 infants met the inclusion criteria and were therefore considered eligible for the study. Of these 18,954 infants, 56% ( n = 10,629) were females and 44% ( n = 8325) were males. According to Graf classification, 34.9% ( n = 6621) were 1A, 52.7% ( n = 9999) were 1B, 4.0% ( n = 753) were 2A+, 2.5% ( n = 478) were 2A-, 1.5% ( n = 284) were 2B, 1% ( n = 196) were 2C, 1.3% ( n = 243) were 2D, 1% ( n = 193) were 3 and 1.0% ( n = 187) were 4. The most significant risk factor was the female gender (OR 5.36; 95% CI, 4.63–6.20) followed by a family history (OR 2.35; 95% CI, 2.08–2.65), then skeletal pathologies (OR 2.04; 95% CI, 1.21–3.42), oligohydramnios (OR 1.75; 95% CI, 1.44–2.13), and finally breech presentation (OR 1.42: 95% CI, 1.27–1.60). Conclusions: Based on our data, family history, musculoskeletal disease, oligohydramnios and breech presentation are the main risk factors for DDH development, as is the female sex.

The development of biomaterials in recent years has made it possible to broaden their use in the surgical field. Although iliac crest bone graft harvesting currently remains the gold standard as an autograft, the properties of hydroxyapatite bone substitutes appear to be beneficial. The first fundamental step to consider is the safety of using these devices. The purpose of this retrospective cohort study is to consider all the adverse events observed in our population and assess their relationships with the bone substitute device. The population analyzed consisted of patients undergoing trauma osteosynthesis with at least one implanted porous hydroxyapatite device. We considered a court of 114 patients treated at “Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Ferrara—U.O. di Ortopedia e Traumatologia” in the period from January 2015 to December 2022. Upon analyzing our population, no adverse events related to the device emerged. Taking into consideration different study groups from other National Hospital Centers, no critical issues were detected except for three cases of extrusion of the biomaterial. It is necessary to clarify that bone substitutes cannot replace compliance with the correct principles linked to the biomechanics of osteosynthesis. This report outlines a safety profile for the use of these devices as bone substitutes in trauma orthopedic surgery.

Background and Objectives: There are numerous techniques for the surgical treatment of Achilles tendon lesions described in the literature, and it is possible to distinguish repair techniques as either open surgery or percutaneous repair techniques. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages. With this retrospective study, we aim to analyze the incidence of re-ruptures and other complications, return to sport and overall quality of life at a long-term follow-up in the treatment of acute ATRs, comparing the results of percutaneous repair with those of open repair. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study on a consecutive series of patients with complete tear of the AT who were managed through a surgical approach by the Operative Unit of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of Sant’Anna University Hospital (Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy) between April 2014 and December 2021. Patients were treated with a percutaneous or an open technique according to the surgeon’s preference without randomization. Results: We considered 155 patients who met the established inclusion criteria. Of these, 103 (66.45%) patients underwent percutaneous treatment with the Tenolig^® system, and 52 (33.55%) underwent open surgery, with an average ATRS in the first group of 92.5 compared to an average ATRS value of 82 in patients treated with the open technique. Conclusions: In our experience, following overlapping rehabilitation protocols in all patients included, we observed that the Tenolig^® repair system led to a better ATRS at long-term follow-up, with comparable complication rates to open surgery.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the clinical and radiographic data of a consecutive series of patients treated surgically for AO/OTA 44B ankle fracture at Ferrara University Hospital, Italy, with a view to identifying risk factors contributing to worse clinical and radiographic outcomes with a minium follow up of 6 years. For each patient the following data were recorded: gender, age, Body Mass Index (BMI), follow up (months), previous ankle sprains, type of work, Kellgren-Lawrence (K&L) score, AO/OTA classification for ankle fracture, Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI score), ankle dislocation, syndesmotic transfixation, quality of reduction. FADI score in patients with AO/OTA 44B1 fracture was 95.5±7.5, in 44B2 it was 90.0±8.4 and in 44B3 it was 84.0±13.0 (p25 it was 88.6±11.4 (p=0.047 95%I.C. 0.01-8.10). In case of fracture-dislocation there was a statistically significant difference in the FADI (94.4±6.0 vs 85.8±11.98)(P=0.002 95% I.C. 0.01-8.9). In the former group, there was a statistically significant difference in the ​the K&L (1.97±0.65 vs 2.63±0.85) (P=0.006 95% I.C 0.01-1.00). Finally, the quality of the reduction was a statistically significant parameter in both the FADI and K&L (P=0.012 95% I.C. 0.90-10.60 and P=0.012 95%I.C. 0.01-1.00 respectively). The most influential risk factors for worse outcome in AO/OTA 44B ankle fractures were found to be BMI, injury severity, fracture-dislocation and reduction quality.