We performed 52 total hip replacements in 52 patients using a cementless acetabular component combined with a circumferential osteotomy of the medial acetabular wall for the late sequelae of childhood septic arthritis of the hip. The mean age of the patients at operation was 44.5 years (22 to 66) and the mean follow-up was 7.8 years (5 to 11.8). The mean improvement in the Harris Hip Score was 29.6 points (19 to 51) at final follow-up. The mean cover of the acetabular component was 98.5% (87.8% to 100%). The medial acetabular wall was preserved with a mean thickness of 8.3 mm (1.7 to 17.4) and the mean length of abductor lever arm increased from 43.4 mm (19.1 to 62) to 54.2 mm (36.5 to 68.6). One acetabular component was revised for loosening and osteolysis 4.5 years postoperatively, and one had radiolucent lines in all acetabular zones at final review. Kaplan-Meier survival was 94.2% (95% confidence interval 85.8% to 100%) at 7.3 years, with revision or radiological loosening as an end-point when two hips were at risk.

A cementless acetabular component combined with circumferential medial acetabular wall osteotomy provides favourable results for acetabular reconstruction in patients who present with late sequelae of childhood septic hip arthritis.

Distal radial fractures are common in children. Recent outcome studies have cast doubt on the success of treatment by closed reduction and application of plaster. The most important risk factor for poor outcome is translation of the fracture. If a distal radial fracture is displaced by more than half the diameter of the bone at the fracture site it should be classified as high risk. We performed percutaneous Kirschner-wire pinning on 157 such high-risk distal radial fractures in children under 16 years of age. The predicted early and late failure rate was reduced from 60% to 14% and only 1.5% of patients had significant limitation of forearm movement of more than 15 degrees in the final assessment at a mean of 31 months after operation. There were no cases of early physeal closure or deep infection.

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 94 children with fractures of the distal third of the radius, with or without ulnar fractures, treated by primary closed reduction and plaster. The overall failure rate of 29% was due mainly to irreducibility, inability to maintain reduction and eventual limitation of forearm rotation. Age, sex and severity of angulation were not significant, but the direction of angulation and the degree of translation at either the radial or the ulnar fracture sites were significant risk factors. Translation of the radius was the single most reliable predictor of outcome (83% correct). The risk of failure in fractures with translation of the radius of more than half the diameter of the bone was 60%, compared with 8% for fractures with less translation.