Background: We aimed to determine the ideal surgical timing in the first 24 hours after admission to the hospital of pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures (SHF) that do not require emergent intervention. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent surgery in our institution between January 2011 and January 2019 due to pediatric Gartland type 3 SHFs were evaluated retrospectively. Open fractures, fractures associated with vascular injury and compartment syndrome, flexion type fractures were excluded. A total of 150 Gartland type 3 were included. The effect of early (12 hours) surgical interventions, daytime or night-time surgeries, working or non-working hour surgeries on operative parameters (operative duration and open reduction rate, reduction quality on postoperative early radiographs) were evaluated in pediatric SHFs. Results: Early (12 hours), daytime or nighttime, working or non-working hour surgeries were found to be similar in Gartland type 3 patients regarding early postoperative reduction quality, duration of surgery, open reduction rate (p>0.05). Mean times passed from first admission to hospital until surgery were longer in working hour, late (>12 hours) and daytime surgery groups than non-working hour, early (<12 hours) and night-time surgery groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: Although delaying the operation to the working hours seems to prolong the time until surgery in pediatric Gartland type 3 SHF patients who do not require emergent intervention such as open fractures, neurovascular impairment and compartment syndrome, there may not be a time interval that makes a difference for the patients if surgery is performed within the first 24 hours, thus the surgery could be scheduled according to the surgeons’ preference. Level of Evidence: Level 3, Retrospective cohort study

Objective: This study aimed to examine systemic erythropoietin’s effect on the Achilles tendon’s healing in a rat model. Methods: Twenty-five adult Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The Achilles tendon of each rat was transected 5 mm proximal to its insertion to the calcaneus. All Achilles tendons were then repaired using modified Kessler methods. A single dose (5000 U/kg) of intraperitoneal erythropoietin (EPO) was administered to group I. Group II was a control group and did not receive an EPO injection. Four rats from each group were sacrificed at 1, 3 and 6 weeks after injection. Histopathological assessments were performed by observers blinded to the treatment. Results: Groups I and II showed a similar increase in fibroblast cytoplasmic content and fibrillar collagen in the extracellular matrix. Collagen deposition, cellular proliferation, number of lipid vacuoles and capillary increases were similar between the groups. Conclusion: Evidence from this study has shown no direct effect of a single systemic high dose of EPO on the histological properties of the Achilles tendon in rats. Cite this article as: Köker Y, Armangil M, Karaduman M, Yücel Tenekeci G, Acar B, Akan B. Investigation into the effect of systemic single high-dose erythropoietin on the healing of achilles tendons in rats. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc., 2022;56(6):357-360.

The aim of this study was to compare the symptomatic, functional and satisfaction outcomes of patients with different temperaments undergoing carpal tunnel surgery by a single surgeon. Dominant temperaments of 171 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome were determined using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). Patients were divided into six temperament groups, and the impact of their respective group measured against preoperative and postoperative symptom severity and functional capacity using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ] and satisfaction using the Patient Evaluation Measure (PEM). Patients in the depressive group had the largest improvement in symptoms (BCTQ score change, –2.2) as well as a significant improvement in function (BCTQ score change, –2.1), yet had the lowest postoperative satisfaction (mean PEM score 9). Determination of patient temperament before surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may be useful as an ancillary technique to help predict postoperative satisfaction, which may in turn help guide preoperative communication and expectation setting. Level of evidence: III

Joint Diseases and Related Surgery (JDRS), the official journal of the Turkish Joint Diseases Foundation, is an international, peer-reviewed, immediate open access journal. All published articles in JDRS has been free for everyone, without embargo, since 1990.