Kalava's Textbook of Orthopaedics

Title	Kalava's Textbook of Orthopaedics
Author	S.Kalava
Publisher	PARAS PUBLISHING
ISBN	81-8191-026-5
Price	Rs 325
Type of Book	Textbook
Exams covered	All Exams
Subjects covered	Orthopaedics
Intended for	MBBS Students PG Aspirants Ortho PGs (and teachers)	Can be Used for	MBBS - Final Year, PG Entrance Exams, Orthopaedics Post Graduate Exam Part I
Impressed with	1. Alternate names and Eponyms of the Conditions are given 2. Learning Objective of each chapter is given 3. Plain Line and color diagrams that help in understanding 4. Clinical Signs are enumerated 5. Surgical Procedures are dealt with	Areas for Improvement	1. Images of X Rays are (like other Indian Ortho text books) not up to the mark
Review	Orthopaedics, for a long time was a “neglected” subject as far as authors and publishers were concerned. There were very few textbooks for an undergraduate student even a decade ago. The books gave too little or too much with the result that the students were forced to depend upon the notes. But, fortunately the situation has changed in the last decade with new excellent books by Indian Authors like Natarajan, Maheswari and Ebnezer. Kalava’s textbook of Orthopaedics, published by PARAS PUBLISHING is a vibrant book that hangs on to the delicate balance of giving enough points to make the student answer a five mark question , as well as giving the nuances to score in a Multiple Choice Question. And what is more note worthy is that the book deals with the fundamentals of the subject so well. This book is probably the best book in Indian market for MBBS Students and Postgraduates in Orthopaedics who have to write a theory paper in Orthopaedics. Most of the topics are given in a crisp and succinct way. The topics are supplemented with the various clinical signs and surgeries associated with the condition. Emphasis is laid on the pathogenesis in case of Cold Ortho and biomechanics in case of Traumatology. Principles of therapy is elaborated with the procedures making this an ideal text for General Practitioners or those from allied branches like physiotherapy or Nursing. A common problem faced by Students in Theory Examination is the alternate name confusions. Many a times we have seen and heard students not attempting or wrongly attempting a question in the exam because the questions paper had the alternate name (eponym or such things) and the student is trapped inspite of knowing the particular condition. I have personally known my friends write pages about TB Spine during my Undergraduate days when the Question paper had Pott’s Fracture. Needless to say only those who wrote about Ankle Injuries would have scored. This book alleviates this problem as all commonly (and rarely !!) used names for a specific condition are given For Example 1. Cerebral Palsy, Spastic Paresis, Little’s Disease 2. Perthe’s Disease, Coxa Plana, Leg-Calve-Perthe’s Disease, Pseudocoxalgia Another area where this book scores over other similar books is by the chapters on Bone Graft (from Campbell) , Bone Scan (and other investigations). Orthotics, Instruments, and Traction, splints are covered in detail like other books The book is divided into 5 sections, anmely 1. Introduction 2. Traumatology 3. General Orthopaedics 4. Regional Orthopaedics 5. Special Topics
Highlights	Few conditions (like Rickets) which are not given enough attention in other Undergraduate text books is covered in an elaborate detail.
Reviewed on	March 4th 2004	Reviewed by	Bruno