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The aim of this study was to compare osteotomy for malunited distal radius fracture with embedment of a corticospongious graft into a periosteal flap of the recipient bone (test) with the standard procedure (control) with respect to graft resorption. A retrospective assessor-blind analysis of consecutive patients (test: n = 19, control: n = 30) was performed. Ulnar tilt, palmar tilt and capitate-ulna distance were assessed from radiographs taken before, two to four days after and over three months after the surgery to determine loss of correction achieved by the surgery and estimate graft resorption during the postoperative period. In both unadjusted and adjusted comparisons, loss of correction of all parameters was lower in the test group (P < 0.05). The odds of "none to mild" resorption were greater in the test group with an adjusted odds ratio of 5.43 (95% confidence interval: 1.32-26.5, P = 0.025). Total graft collapse occurred in five of 30 controls and in none of 19 test patients. Graft embedment into the periosteum may improve its preservation.

Purpose of the Study: This is a cross section retrospective study which shows undertaken in order to determine the frequency and degree of postoperative alterations in size of cortico-cancellous autografts used in corrective osteotomies of the distal radius., Patients and Method: In the period from 1987 to 2002, 50 patients (21 females and 29 males, mean age 38 years, range 18-64, were treated with corrective osteotomy, bone grafting and internal fixation after mal-united Colles' fracture. The patients were followed up from 6 months to 5 years (average 15 months). Heights of volar, ulnar, dorsal and radial sides of the graft were determined from radiographs (preoperative, immediately after the surgery and at the late follow-up examination) according to the BIZCAD method and put into the computer program, which compared them in three dimensions., Results: In sixteen patients (32 %) one or more sides of the graft decreased in height during the postoperative period by more than three millimeters. In five cases there was a complete resorption of the implanted graft. In the other thirty-four cases, an average decrease in all sides of graft was statistically significant. Unequal decrease led to an increase of volar inclination angle of the distal articular surface of the radius, averaging 3 degrees. Influence of age on the diminution of the graft size was found. More distally placed grafts had less incidence of significant resorption. A correlation between initial height of the side of the graft and its alterations was also found (r=0.49, p<0.001)., Conclusion: Postoperative changes in the size of graft are frequent and represent a serious obstacle to the success of corrective osteotomies. We recommend that: 1. the use of a the higher bone graft for elongating of the radius, however with a greater chance of resorption; the alternative method of ulna shortening should be considered; 2. the osteotomy line and the grafts should be placed more distally to decrease the risk of resorption; 3. if osteotomy can't be performed distally enough, postoperative immobilization for about three weeks should be considered.

Aim: To assess long-term benefit of laparoscopic appendectomy for chronic abdominal pain of unknown origin in fertile women., Method: The study included 70 fertile women aged 29.2+/-13.1 years who had undergone diagnostic laparoscopy for recurrent abdominal pain at our Department between 1996 and 2000. In December 2002, a questionnaire with symptom-specific questions and procedure-specific questions was sent to all the patients. The response rate was 76% (53 out of 70)., Results: According to intraoperative findings there were 8 patients with adhesions, 12 with gynecological origin of pain, 27 with chronic inflammation or narrowed lumen of the appendix, and 6 with normal laparoscopic findings and innocent appendix. The most common intervention was appendectomy, performed in 41 out of 53 cases; cysts fenestration in 10 cases; and lysis of adhesions in 8. The average hospital stay was 3.6+/-2.6 days. Postoperative complications occurred in 10/53 patients. A serious complication involving bladder injury after lysis of adhesions occurred in a single patient. There was no mortality. 3 out of 53 patients were readmitted 1, 3, and 9 months postoperatively because of residual abdominal pain. Two of them had appendectomy. Long-term follow up showed that there were no differences in the overall satisfaction with diagnostic laparoscopy in the patients with (n=41) and without appendectomy (n=12). There was no difference in overall satisfaction between the patients having inflamed appendix (n=22) and those without inflamed appendix (n=19)., Conclusion: Diagnostic laparoscopy is a diagnostic and therapeutic option in most fertile women with chronic abdominal right iliac fossa pain of unknown origin. Our results showed low postoperative complications and no mortality rate with laparoscopic appendectomy indicate removal of appendix as a part of diagnostic laparoscopy when the origin of pain is unknown. In some cases of persistent pain, the removal of appendix is beneficial by eliminating appendicitis in differential diagnosis.

After the war in Croatia, thousands of landmines were left on the fields and because of this today we have many casualties. Area around Sisak is a region where a large number of landmines were laid and accidents are frequent. The authors of this article present results of retrospective analyses of accidents (death, injuries and type of injuries) which occurred after the military operation "Oluja" since August 1995 until March 2000. Data is collected from local hospital and police department in Sisak and compared with data obtained from Croatian Mines Action Center.