14.  What is a girdlestone?  (PRS 1993; 91:288)

Answer:
Girdlestone arthroplasty is a proximal femoral head resection.  Usually soft tissue coverage is done with a vastus lateralis flap.  In the article quoted this procedure was found extremely useful in paraplegics and quadraplegics who were septic and had osteomyelitis from pressure sores with hip joint involvement.
 

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