ABOS Orthopaedic Surgery flashcards

31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Salter-Harris type II

Fracture through the physis exiting the metaphysis, the most common pediatric physeal fracture; usually managed closed with acceptable remodeling potential because the germinal layer is spared.

Salter-Harris type IV

Fracture through metaphysis, physis, and epiphysis, crossing the joint surface; requires anatomic reduction, often with internal fixation, to prevent physeal arrest and articular step-off.

Gartland type III supracondylar

Completely displaced pediatric supracondylar humerus fracture with no cortical contact; treated with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning, with urgent care for vascular compromise.

Delta pressure

Diastolic blood pressure minus compartment pressure; a value of 30 mmHg or less suggests compartment syndrome and is an indication for urgent fasciotomy regardless of absolute pressure.

Ortolani maneuver

Reduction of a dislocated infant hip by abducting and lifting the femur anteriorly; a positive test indicates a dislocatable hip but loses sensitivity after about three months of age.

Barlow maneuver

Provocative test that adducts and pushes posteriorly on the infant femur to dislocate a reducible hip; positive result indicates instability and prompts ultrasound surveillance.

Osteosarcoma location

Most common primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents, typically arising in the metaphysis of the distal femur, proximal tibia, or proximal humerus.

Ewing sarcoma translocation

Small round blue cell tumor of bone diaphysis associated with t(11;22) EWSR1-FLI1 translocation; treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus local control.

Open fracture antibiotics

Cefazolin for low-grade open fractures; add an aminoglycoside for type III injuries and penicillin for soil or farm contamination to cover anaerobes including Clostridium.

Soft callus timing

Radiographic soft callus typically appears at two to three weeks after fracture, progressing to hard callus by three to six weeks and remodeling over months to years.

Carpal tunnel electrodiagnosis

Prolonged sensory distal latency is the earliest finding; motor latency prolongation, thenar atrophy, and constant numbness indicate advanced median nerve compression.

Anterior shoulder dislocation

Most common shoulder dislocation, usually subcoracoid; associated with Bankart labral lesion and Hill-Sachs impaction; recurrence risk is highest in young patients.

Neer classification

Divides proximal humerus fractures into one to four parts based on displacement of the humeral head, shaft, greater tuberosity, and lesser tuberosity; guides operative decision-making.

Dupuytren contracture

Fibroproliferative palmar fascia disease causing flexion contractures, most often of the ring and small fingers at the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints.

SCFE presentation

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis presents in obese adolescents with hip or referred knee pain and limited internal rotation; treated with in situ screw fixation to prevent further slip.

Enneking staging

Surgical staging of bone tumors by grade, anatomic compartment, and metastasis; guides whether limb salvage resection or amputation is appropriate.

Oral case structure

Present demographics and mechanism, physical findings, imaging interpretation, differential diagnosis, then definitive plan with alternatives and complications; examiners score the reasoning chain.

Radiograph reading sequence

State the view, then alignment, then bone quality, then joint spaces, then soft tissues; commit to a diagnosis before discussing treatment options.

THA indications

End-stage hip arthritis with pain limiting function after failed activity modification, NSAIDs, injections, and physical therapy; document the nonoperative trial before recommending surgery.

Periprosthetic joint infection

Diagnosed with ESR, CRP, synovial cell count and differential, and cultures; chronic cases typically need two-stage exchange, acute cases may allow debridement with implant retention.

Cauda equina urgency

Saddle anesthesia, bowel or bladder dysfunction, and bilateral leg weakness require urgent MRI and decompression; delay beyond 24 to 48 hours worsens neurologic recovery.

Pink pulseless supracondylar

Supracondylar fracture with absent radial pulse but well-perfused hand; most regain pulse after closed reduction and pinning, and observation is acceptable if perfusion remains good.

White pulseless supracondylar

Absent pulse with a pale, poorly perfused hand, or persistent ischemia after reduction, mandates vascular exploration and brachial artery assessment rather than observation.

Informed consent elements

Must cover the diagnosis, proposed procedure, alternatives including nonoperative care, expected recovery, and specific major risks; examiners probe for omitted risks.

Biopsy tract excision

A biopsy tract for suspected sarcoma must be planned along the eventual resection line and excised en bloc at definitive surgery to prevent tumor seeding.

Compartment syndrome signs

Pain out of proportion, pain with passive stretch, tense compartment, and paresthesia are early signs; pulselessness and paralysis are late and indicate irreversible injury.

Open fracture debridement

Irrigation and debridement, tetanus prophylaxis, and antibiotics are given urgently; definitive fixation timing depends on wound grade and contamination.

Fat embolism syndrome

After long bone fractures, presents with hypoxemia, petechiae, and confusion typically 24 to 72 hours postinjury; treatment is supportive with oxygenation and stabilization of fractures.

Hip fracture prognosis

Displaced femoral neck fractures in elderly patients risk avascular necrosis and nonunion; arthroplasty is preferred in older patients, fixation in younger patients.

Tumor staging modalities

Local staging uses MRI with contrast; systemic staging uses chest imaging for sarcoma; biopsy is performed at the referral center after imaging is complete.

Nonoperative trial documentation

Record duration and type of activity modification, medications, injections, and therapy, plus functional response, to justify surgical intervention during an oral examination.