Stability after Intramedullary nail removal
As the incidence of osteoporosis is rising, trochanteric fractures are one of the most common and disabling fractures in elderly people, especially affecting postmenopausal women. Treatment of choice for pertrochanteric fracture are osteosynthesis devices, such as the gamma nail or proximal femur nail. However, optimal management and the respective complication for each device are still controversial. One of the least investigated topics regarding postoperative care is the need of implant removal after healing. Extraction of intramedullary nails are not routine, however, due to pain, often necessary. As intramedullary implants alter the force transmission and leave a big cavity in the femoral bone, removal can lead to fatigue fractures, resulting in longer hospital stays and rehabilitation period. The aim of this study is to evaluate the initial stability after removal of in-vivo implanted intramedullary gamma and proximal femur nails compared to the normal contralateral side. (Funded by the Medical Scientific Fund of the Major of Vienna)
Comparison of different CT protocols for secondary fixated femoral stems
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different scan parameters and the impact of different implant types on the image quality and the extend of metal artifacts in a realistic and unique ex-vivo setting. We hypothesized that iMAR protocols and monoenergetic reconstruction positively influence the image quality and reduce metal artifacts. Our secondary objective is to evaluate if there is a difference between cemented and cementless stems regarding the impact of CT artifacts.
Arthroscopic evaluation of accessibility of the subtalar joint
Subtalar arthroscopy is increasingly used to address soft tissue impingement, synovitis, osteochondral defects, arthrofibrosis or other degenerative arthropathies. Especially in cases of osteochondral defects, knowledge on the amount of reachable cartilage is of importance for treatment planning. Non-invasive distraction is commonly used to maximize access ankle and subtalar arthroscopy, but moving the joint in maximum joint position has also been shown to be effective in arthroscopical procedures of the ankle joint. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the accessibility of the subtalar joint between inversion/eversion and non-invasive distraction.