Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900: Being Mainly a Clinical Study of the Nature and Effects of Injuries Produced by Bullets of Small CalibreMakins, George Henry
History
Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900: Being Mainly a Clinical Study of the Nature and Effects of Injuries Produced by Bullets of Small Calibre
Makins, George Henry
Gunshot wounds; South African War, 1899-1902; Surgery, Military
I only saw one case in which a longitudinal fracture actually extended
for any considerable distance into a neighbouring joint. In this a
comminuted fracture occurred just above the centre of the shaft of the
humerus. At the time of examination and putting up of the fracture there
was considerable swelling of the whole arm, and nothing special was
noticed about the shoulder-joint. Three weeks later, however, when the
fracture was consolidating, difficulty in abduction of the shoulder was
noted, and the arm could not be placed closely in contact with the
trunk. There was no evident displacement of the head of the humerus
forwards. A skiagram, which I much regret I have not been able to
insert, showed that a longitudinal fissure extended from the seat of
fracture upwards in such a manner as to divide the upper fragment into
two parts, of which the outer bore the greater tuberosity, the inner the
articular surface of the head. The latter fragment had become somewhat
displaced downwards, and had united in such a manner that the head
rested on the lower part of the glenoid cavity. Abduction of the limb
therefore brought the greater tuberosity into contact with the acromion
process, and movement was checked. This case passed out of my
observation shortly afterwards, and I have no knowledge of the final
result as to movement.
Fractures of the bony processes surrounding the elbow-joint, and of the
malleoli of the tibia and fibula, were not infrequent, but offered no
special features.
One other form of injury indirectly affecting the joints is perhaps
worthy of mention, but I observed it only once, and that in the case of
the shoulder, the only joint where it is likely to be marked. I refer to
the displacement of the head of the humerus by the force of gravity,
when the circumflex nerve is injured. In the instance I refer to, a
fracture of the surgical neck of the humerus was accompanied by
complete motor paralysis of the deltoid and very rapid wasting of the
muscle. Circumflex sensation was impaired, but not absent at the time
the condition of the muscle was noted--a favourable prognostic sign of
much importance. At the end of five weeks, when the fracture of the bone
was consolidated, the head of the humerus had dropped vertically at
least an inch, but could be replaced with ease. Shortly afterwards an
improvement in the condition of the muscle commenced, and with this the
head of the humerus was gradually raised. This patient later recovered
his power in great part, but not completely.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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