News

A Medicolegal Perspective on Cervical Spine Injuries

The cervical spine comprises the bones that make up the neck. Injuries to this area can be caused by road traffic accidents, falls, workplace- or sports-related accidents and physical assaults. Cervical spine injury (CSI), which…
Categories : Articles, Spinal surgery
Read more

A Medicolegal Perspective on Birth Injuries Involving Nerve Damage and Scarring

A birth injury is defined as any structural damage and/or functional deterioration that occurs in a newborn infant as a direct result of a traumatic event during labour, delivery or both. Such injuries occur most…
Categories : Articles, Plastic Surgery
Read more

The Medicolegal Implications of Hindsight Bias

In the context of clinical medicine, bias is the predisposition to form premature or undue impressions that are not based on the actual data to hand. Hindsight bias refers to the tendency to exaggerate one’s…
Categories : Articles, Pain
Read more

Medicolegal issues surrounding consent in dentoalveolar surgery

Other than in an emergency situation, informed consent must be obtained from all patients before any surgical procedure can be performed. Ideally, informed consent is provided by the patient under optimal conditions, without any coercion…
Categories : Articles, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Read more

The medicolegal challenges of spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of pain

Chronic pain affects millions of people worldwide and most adults will experience it at some point during their lifetime. It can have a significant cost, both in terms of healthcare expenditure and quality of life.…
Categories : Articles, Pain
Read more

A Medicolegal Perspective on Arterial Injury Following Joint Replacement

Arterial injury is an extremely rare consequence of joint replacement surgery. Estimates of its incidence range from 0.03–0.67%, with the average being around 0.25%. Therefore, many surgeons will only experience a handful of cases during…
Categories : Articles, Vascular Surgery
Read more

The Medicolegal Challenges of Assessing Prognosis and Degree of Disability

Once causation has been established in a medical negligence or personal injury case, the amount of compensation awarded to the claimant is dependent upon the injuries suffered and the long-term effects of these injuries on…
Categories : Articles, Pain
Read more

Chronic primary pain: what is it and what are the medicolegal challenges?

Primary pain is defined as pain that occurs in the absence of, or is disproportionate to, any clearly defined injury or underlying condition. It is deemed chronic when it persists for three months or more.…
Categories : Articles, Pain
Read more

Medicolegal Issues Surrounding the Correction of Congenital Abnormalities

In around 2–3% of pregnancies, the resulting infant is born with a congenital abnormality. The impact of these can be significant: worldwide, over 400,000 children, from new-borns to 5 years of age, die annually due…
Categories : Articles, Plastic Surgery
Read more

A Medicolegal Perspective on the Choice of Bone Graft Material for Dental Implants

Dental implants are now commonly used in patients with missing teeth, giving both functional and aesthetic improvements. However, loss of one or more teeth can lead to resorption of the alveolar ridge, particularly when the…
Categories : Articles, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Read more