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Background: The commonly accepted treatment of displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children is fracture reduction and percutaneous pin fixation; however, there is controversy about the optimal placement of the pins. A crossed-pin configuration is believed to be mechanically more stable than lateral pins alone; however, the ulnar nerve can be injured with the use of a medial pin. It has not been proved that the added stability of a medial pin is clinically necessary since, in young children, pin fixation is always augmented with immobilization in a splint or cast.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the results of reduction and Kirschner wire fixation of 345 extension-type supracondylar fractures in children. Maintenance of fracture reduction and evidence of ulnar nerve injury were evaluated in relation to pin configuration and fracture pattern. Of 141 children who had a Gartland type-2 fracture (a partially intact posterior cortex), seventy-four were treated with lateral pins only and sixty-seven were treated with crossed pins. Of 204 children who had a Gartland type-3 (unstable) fracture, fifty-one were treated with lateral pins only and 153 were treated with crossed pins.Results: There was no difference with regard to maintenance of fracture reduction, as seen on anteroposterior and lateral radiographs, between the crossed pins and the lateral pins. The configuration of the pins did not affect the maintenance of reduction of either the Gartland type-2 fractures or the Gartland type-3 fractures. Ulnar nerve injury was not seen in the 125 patients in whom only lateral pins were used. The use of a medial pin was associated with ulnar nerve injury in 4% (six) of 149 patients in whom the pin was applied without hyperflexion of the elbow and in 15% (eleven) of seventy-one in whom the medial pin was applied with the elbow hyperflexed. Two years after the pinning, one of the seventeen children with ulnar nerve injury had persistent motor weakness and a sensory deficit.Conclusions: Fixation with only lateral pins is safe and effective for both Gartland type-2 and Gartland type-3 (unstable) supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children. The use of only lateral pins prevents iatrogenic injury to the ulnar nerve. On the basis of our findings, we do not recommend the routine use of crossed pins in the treatment of supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children. If a medial pin is used, the elbow should not be hyperflexed during its insertion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acrodysostosis is an uncommon skeletal dysplasia associated with nasal hypoplasia, midface deficiency, severe brachydactyly, and varying degrees of hearing loss and mental retardation. Previous publications have suggested that it may be difficult to distinguish acrodystostosis from pseudohypoparathyroidism on clinical grounds, but acrodysostosis does appear to have distinct clinical and radiologic findings. Spinal stenosis is an underappreciated risk in acrodysostosis, despite the reported loss of normal caudal widening of the lumbar interpediculate distance on AP spine radiographs in the original report of this disorder by Robinow et al., with confirmation of these radiographic findings by Butler et al. We report two sporadic cases of acrodysostosis, one of which required decompressive laminectomy for symptomatic spinal stenosis, and review 11 cases of acrodysostosis from 9 families that were submitted to the International Skeletal Dysplasia Registry. The objective of this report is to determine the frequency and severity of spinal stenosis in patients with acrodysostosis and to summarize the clinical and radiographic findings of acrodysostosis in an effort to distinguish acrodysostosis clearly from pseudohypoparathyroidism. The pattern of brachydactyly differs between these two conditions, and varying degrees of spinal stenosis are characteristic of acrodysostosis. Both our index patients with acrodysostosis had normal bioactivity of the alpha subunit of the Gs protein, therefore indicating that acrodysostosis has a different pathogenesis from pseudohypoparathyroidism. Furthermore, single-strand confirmational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis failed to demonstrate any confirmational alterations in the coding exons of the Gs alpha gene. These radiographic and laboratory findings substantiate that acrodysostosis is clinically different from pseudohypoparathyroidism and that it is necessary to follow patients with acrodysostosis for signs of spinal stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a patient with pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism who had an osseous tubercle on the anterolateral margin of the foramen magnum causing compression of the spinal cord. This patient had no evidence for any endocrinopathies and had no other spinal canal anomalies. We suggest that the morphologic phenotype found in patients with pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism, also known as Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy, has an associated risk for spinal cord compression due to congenital vertebral anomalies. The poor recovery of neurologic function following spinal decompression mandates prompt recognition and therapy of this condition in patients with Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Retrospective review., Objective: Our goal was to investigate the incidence of cervical degenerative disk disease (DDD) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), before surgical intervention., Summary of Background Data: AIS is often associated with thoracic hypokyphosis and compensatory cervical kyphosis. In adults, cervical kyphosis is associated with DDD. Although cervical kyphosis has been reported in up to 60% AIS patients, the association with cervical DDD has not been reported., Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was conducted from January 2014 to December 2019 of all consecutive AIS patients. Inclusion criteria were AIS patients over 10 years of age with cervical magnetic resonance imaging and anterior-posterior and lateral spine radiographs within 1 year of each other. Magnetic resonance imaging were reviewed for evidence of cervical DDD. Severity of cervical changes were graded using the Pfirrmann classification and by a quantitative measure of disk degeneration, the magnetic resonance signal intensity ratio., Results: Eighty consecutive patients were included (mean age: 14.1 years, SD=2.5 years). Increasing cervical kyphosis was significantly correlated to decreasing thoracic kyphosis ( r =0.49, P <0.01) and increasing major curve magnitude ( r =0.22, P =0.04). Forty-five patients (56%) had the presence of DDD (grades 2-4) with a mean cervical kyphosis of 11.1° (SD=9.5°, P <0.01). More cervical kyphosis was associated with more severe cervical DDD as graded by Pfirrmann classification level ( P <0.01). Increasing cervical kyphosis was also positively associated with increasing magnetic resonance signal intensity ratio ( P <0.01). Nine patients had ventral cord effacement secondary to DDD with a mean cervical kyphosis of 22.8° (SD=8.6°) compared with 2.6° (SD=11.2°) in those who did not ( P <0.01)., Conclusions: Cervical kyphosis was significantly associated with increasing severity of cervical DDD in patients with AIS. Patients with evidence of ventral cord effacement had the largest degree of cervical kyphosis with a mean of 22.8±8.6°. This is the first study to evaluate the association between cervical kyphosis in AIS with cervical DDD., Competing Interests: D.L.S. has received royalties from Wolters Kluwer Health, Zimmer Biomet, Globus Medical, and Medtronic; consulting fees from Zimmer Biomet, Globus Medical, Top Doctors, and Orthobullets; research funding from NuVasive; has ownership interest in Zipline Medical Inc., Green Sun Medical, and Orthobullets; and has held leadership or advisory positions in the Pediatric Spine Foundation and CHLA Foundation. V.T. holds a leadership or advisory position for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery . K.D.I. has received consulting fees from Orthopediatrics and has served on a safety or advisory board with Medtronic. The remaining authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Lumbar kyphosis occurs in approximately 8-20% of patients with myelomeningocele (MMC). The purpose of this article is to analyze the risks and benefits of vertebrectomy and spinal stabilization in MMC children with severe lumbar kyphosis and to establish treatment guidelines., Methods: This is an IRB-approved retrospective analysis of 59 patients with MMC who underwent kyphectomy and posterior instrumentation in three centers. Average age at surgery was 7.9 years (2 weeks-17 years). Sitting trunk position, skin status, kyphosis angle, and thoracic lordosis were analyzed preoperatively, postoperatively, and at an average follow-up of 8.2 years (range 2.5-16). The correction was maintained by applying a short posterior instrumentation in 6 patients, and extending to the pelvis in 53 cases. Pelvic fixation was achieved using the Warner and Fackler technique in 24 patients, the Dunn-McCarthy in 8, Luque-Galveston in 8, sacral screws in 2, and ilio-sacral screws in 11., Results: Sitting position improved postoperatively in 47 of the 53 patients who underwent pelvic fixation and only in one patient with short instrumentation. All 6 patients with long instrumentation and poor postoperative sitting balance were in the Dunn-McCarthy fixation group. Skin sores at the apex of the deformity disappeared postoperatively in all patients but recurred in two patients with short instrumentations. Kyphosis angle improved from 109° (45°-170°) preoperatively to 10° (0°-45°) postoperatively and 21° (0°-55°) at last follow-up. The best results were seen in cases where a cross-k-wire fixation of the kyphectomy site was used, augmented with a long thoraco-pelvic instrumentation consisting of Luque sublaminar wires in the thoracic region and a Warner-Fackler type of pelvic fixation. Good results were also found with the bipolar technique and ilio-sacral screw fixation. Six over 24 patients with the Warner and Fackler technique showed gradual dislodgment or hardware failure, with subsequent nonunion of the kyphectomy site in four. Infection, with or without wound dehiscence and/or hardware exposure, occurred in 17 cases, necessitating hardware removal in 9 patients., Conclusion: Lumbar kyphosis in MMC children is best managed by resection of enough vertebrae from the apex to produce a flat lumbar spine, with perfect bone-to-bone contact and long thoraco-pelvic instrumentation using the Warner and Fackler technique through the S1 foramina or the bipolar technique with ilio-sacral screw fixation. Additional local fixation of the osteotomy site using cross-wires with or without cerclage increases the stability of the construct. The majority of complications occurred in patients with short instrumentations or where residual kyphosis persisted postoperatively regardless of the type of pelvic fixation or hardware density. The Dunn-McCarthy technique for pelvic fixation following kyphectomy in MMC was less successful in producing stable pelvic fixation and should not be considered in this patient category., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background:  In the pediatric population, bony defects of the extremities pose a significant challenge for which free vascularized fibular grafts (FVFGs) represent a valuable reconstructive option. The purpose of this study was to explore surgical outcomes, complications, and long-term functionality of FVFG for this patient group., Methods:  Using MEDLINE and PubMed databases, studies were identified of pediatric extremity reconstruction using FVFG which reported functional outcomes and/or complications. The operative logs at a tertiary pediatric center were then reviewed for cases of FVFG between January 2000 and 2017. Demographic characteristics, surgical indications, operative details, graft survival, bony union, complications, and functionality of the reconstruction were recorded., Results:  A total of 366 studies were identified with 23 ultimately meeting inclusion criteria in the systematic review. In the institutional series, 29 patients were included with mean age of 9.7 years (1-17 years). Indications for reconstruction included malignant bone tumor ( n  = 11), osteomyelitis ( n  = 9), congenital pseudoarthrosis ( n  = 6), and osteofibrous dysplasia ( n  = 3). Major postoperative complications included graft nonunion (24.1%), fracture (17.2%), and hardware failure (17.2%). Thirteen patients (44.8%) experienced delayed complications, while two (6.8%) experienced an immediate complication. Complications occurred in the donor site in 2 cases and the recipient site in all 13 cases. Long-term graft survival was achieved in 27 patients (93.1%), and 23 (79.3%) had full functional recovery, with an average Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score of 90% (60-100%). Mean follow-up was 5.17 years (2-12 years)., Conclusion:  This review and institutional series demonstrate the versatility of FVFG to facilitate limb reconstruction in large defects or serve as a salvage option in complex cases. While immediate and donor-site complications are uncommon, delayed recipient-site complications are frequent, and patients and families should be counseled regarding this expectation. Though technically challenging, excellent long-term graft viability and functional recovery can be achieved in the large majority of patients., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.)

Case: We report a case of kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) of the scapula in a 2-year-old boy with motor and sensory abnormalities of the left upper extremity, suggesting brachial plexus involvement. The locally invasive nature prevented resection; sirolimus therapy resulted in improvement of the motor and sensory impairment, as well as decreased tumor size on imaging., Conclusion: Osseous infiltration of KHE is known to occur, but its primary presentation in bone without skin involvement is rare and diagnostically challenging. Awareness of rare presentations of KHE, along with accurate histopathologic interpretation, is important to achieve a diagnosis and to differentiate KHE from more common vascular lesions (e.g., infantile hemangioma). Sirolimus therapy is emerging as a promising treatment for unresectable KHE.

We report a rare case of femoral nerve palsy secondary to hematoma compression of the iliacus. The patient presented with pain 2 days after performing a double kick in karate. The femoral nerve symptoms (numbness and weakness) did not begin until 3 to 4 days after the initial trauma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed that there was a hematoma compressing the iliacus (and femoral nerve). This hematoma was subperiosteal, within the iliac fossa. This case is rare because the femoral nerve palsy resolved without surgical intervention, the mechanism of injury, the imaging used to diagnose the iliacus hematoma, and the hematoma was subperiosteal and not within the actual iliacus muscle. A review of the literature regarding femoral nerve palsy secondary to traumatic iliacus hematoma is presented. If the diagnosis of femoral nerve palsy secondary to iliacus hematoma is suspected after history and physical examination, MRI is the imaging study of choice. If MRI does not depict a discreet hematoma mass, nonoperative management should be considered. Electromyography has not been shown to offer information that was not provided by history, physical examination, and other imaging. Surgery should be considered if there is progression of the femoral nerve symptoms, or if MRI depicts a discreet collection of blood impinging on the femoral nerve.

Study Design: Review of the use of Cell Saver in a non-randomized group of patients undergoing spinal fusion for scoliosis., Objectives: To determine the efficacy of the use of Cell Saver for spinal fusions for scoliosis. Although Cell Saver is widely used in scoliosis surgery, it is not clear whether its use decreases the need for other transfusions or whether there are certain patients more likely to benefit from its use. The blood collected by Cell Saver intraoperatively is not always of sufficient volume to be returned to the patient, and there are no current guidelines addressing the amount that is likely to be returned to the patient., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine: Does use of Cell Saver reduce the need for other transfusions in scoliosis surgery? Is there an amount of blood loss at which Cell Saver is likely to be returned?, Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 95 children who had undergone posterior spinal fusion between January 2002 and March 2004 with one of two surgeons. One surgeon used Cell Saver, the other surgeon did not. Of the total, 58 patients who underwent posterior spinal fusion with the use of Cell Saver (group 1) were compared with the 37 (group 2) who underwent the same procedure without the use of Cell Saver., Results: Of those in group 1, 34 received Cell Saver blood back as an intraoperative autologous transfusion (IAT) (59%). Patients in the Cell Saver group were just as likely to receive non-Cell Saver transfusions as those in the control group (P = 0.12). Of the 39 patients who lost more than 500 cc of blood, 34 received IAT (87%). No patient who lost less than 500 cc of blood received IAT., Conclusion: The use of Cell Saver does not reduce the need for other transfusions in scoliosis surgery. The amount of blood loss at which Cell Saver is likely to be returned is 500 cc. We demonstrated no benefit in the use of Cell Saver in our patient population.

Objectives: The aim of this study were (1) to evaluate the incidence of apparent missed diagnosis of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) by the primary care system and (2) to identify possible factors leading to a delay in diagnosis of this disorder., Setting and Design: A retrospective review of emergency department records, outside medical charts, and preoperative and postoperative radiographs of children treated surgically for SCFE at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA) from 1989 to 1997 was done to assess the delay in diagnosis for SCFE. The primary care system included outside emergency department visits, urgent care clinic visits, and private office visits., Results: Of 102 patients (69 men, 33 women; mean age at surgery, 11.9 years), 68% were above the 95th percentile mean weight for age. Pain in the hip and/or groin was documented in 60%. The mean duration of symptoms experienced before being seen at CHLA was 140 days (hours to 1.5 years) and the mean delay after the first primary care visit till being seen at CHLA was 76 days (hours to 1 year). Fifty-two percent of primary care visits for hip, groin, knee, or thigh pain in obese children did not lead to either a diagnosis of SCFE or a referral for orthopedic evaluation., Conclusions: This study documents a 2 1/2-month delay and a 52% incidence of apparent missed diagnosis for SCFE by the primary care system. There seems to be a need for increased orthopedic education for primary care providers.

A large number of children sustain fractures after relatively minor trauma and several investigators have associated these fractures to a deficient accumulation of bone during growth. This study was conducted to better characterize the skeletal phenotype associated with low-energy impact fractures of the forearm in girls. The densities of cancellous, cortical, and integral bone and the cross-sectional area were measured in the radius of 100 healthy white girls (aged 4-15 years) using computed tomography (CT); 50 girls had never fractured and 50 girls had sustained a forearm fracture within the previous month. Fractured and nonfractured groups were matched for age, height, weight, and Tanner stage of sexual development. Compared with controls, girls with fractures had, on average, 8% smaller cross-sectional area at the distal radius (1.82 +/- 0.50 cm2 vs. 1.97 +/- 0.42 cm2; p < 0.0001) but similar cancellous, integral, and cortical bone densities. Neither radial length nor the amount of fat or muscle at the midshaft of the radius differed between girls with and without fractures. Both study subjects and matched controls were overweight. Although mean height was at the 50th percentile, mean weight was at the 90th percentile for age-adjusted normal values. Girls who sustain forearm fractures after minor trauma have small cross-sectional dimensions of the radius and tend to be overweight. The smaller cross-sectional area confers a biomechanical disadvantage that, coupled with the greater body weight, increases the vulnerability to fracture after a fall.

The impact of postoperative gait analysis on the ongoing orthopaedic care of 38 consecutive patients with a static encephalopathy was evaluated. Of the 38 postoperative gait analyses, 32 (84%) resulted in recommendations of a change in patient care. Surgery was recommended in 16 of 38 (42%) cases, bracing in 20 (53%) cases, and specific physical therapy regimens in eight (21%) cases. Eleven of the 38 (29%) patients had changes recommended in at least two of the three areas (surgery, bracing, and therapy). The results of this study suggest that postoperative gait analysis serves not only as a measure of treatment outcome, but also as a useful tool in planning ongoing care for these patients.

Valgus osteotomy of the hip is required in a number of orthopedic conditions in children. We present a simplified valgus osteotomy in which a dynamic compression plate is used. This technique has the advantages of using easily available equipment, requiring only one osteotomy, and providing immediate rigid fixation while not violating the proximal femoral physis. We have used this simplified technique for valgus osteotomy in six hips in four children with excellent fixation, good maintenance of correction, and no complications.

The impact of preoperative gait analysis on the orthopaedic care of 97 patients (101 gait analyses) at the authors' institution was evaluated. For the 70 patients for whom a specific treatment plan had been outlined before the preoperative gait study, the treatment plan was altered in 62 (89%) after the gait analysis study. In 10 of the 70 patients with specific treatment plans before the gait study, the referring physician also served as the physician in the gait laboratory; ultimate treatment was changed in nine of these 10 patients. Of the 273 surgical procedures recommended before the gait study in the 70 patients, 106 (39%) of these procedures were not done when the gait laboratory data were considered. An average of 1.5 procedures per patient that were planned before the gait study ultimately were not deemed necessary by the treating physician after the addition of the gait data. An additional 110 procedures (1.6 per patient) that had not been recommended before the gait study ultimately were performed after addition of the gait laboratory data. This study shows that ultimate surgical intervention frequently is altered by the addition of gait laboratory data.

Sixty-six femur fractures sustained by children ages 4-14 years and treated with external fixation were reviewed retrospectively to assess factors influencing the incidence of refracture. The total rate of secondary fracture was 12% (eight patients) including five recurrent fractures at the original fracture site and three fractures through the pin sites. After removal of the external fixator, five patients refractured at the original fracture site and one patient fractured through a pin tract. Two patients fractured at pin sites while the fixator was still in place. Multivariate linear-regression analysis showed no correlation between the incidence of refracture and fracture pattern, percentage of bone fragment contact after fixator application, type of external fixator, or dynamization. A statistically significant association (p < 0.05) was found between the number of cortices demonstrating bridging callus [on both anteroposterior (AP) and lateral views] at the time of fixator removal and the rate of refracture. Fractures showing fewer than three cortices of bridging callus had a three (33%) in nine rate of refracture, whereas fractures with three or four cortices of bridging callus had a two (4%) of 57 rate of refracture.

To evaluate the outcome of hamstring lengthening and distal rectus femoris transfer, a retrospective study was performed comparing preoperative and postoperative gait analysis data from 16 children with neurologic involvement. Postoperatively, the timing of peak knee flexion during swing and the total arc of knee motion significantly improved. Hamstring range of motion and knee extension at terminal swing significantly improved, but stride length and gait velocity did not for the overall population. Patients who used braces postoperatively showed an improvement in stride length and velocity when wearing orthoses. This suggests that postoperative bracing may be needed in some patients to maximize the surgical outcome.

This study examined the variability in the measurement of the acetabular index (AI) in normal and dysplastic hips, both before and after reduction. This variability for dysplastic hips is greater than that of normal hips. The variability is greater before an open or closed reduction than after reduction, and the variability after an open reduction is nearly 3 times greater than after a closed reduction. The 95% confidence interval of the AI is 10.1 degrees intraobserver and 21.9 degrees interobserver for all hips. The AI is most accurate in the situation in which it is most useful, after a closed reduction of a dysplastic hip. A 95% confidence interval of 5.1 degrees in this selected population supports the use of the AI for monitoring acetabular remodeling after closed reductions in accordance with previous clinical recommendations.

Metastatic osteosarcoma is a potential target for gene therapy, because conventional therapies are only palliative and metastatic disease is invariably fatal. Overexpression of the cyclin G1 (CYCG1) gene is frequently observed in human osteosarcoma cells, and its continued expression is found to be essential for their survival. Previously, we reported that down-regulation of cyclin G1 protein expression induced cytostatic and cytocidal effects in human MG-63 osteosarcoma cells (Skotzko et al., Cancer Research, 1995). Here, we extend these findings in a tumorigenic MNNG/HOS cell line and report on the effective inhibition of tumor growth in vivo by an antisense cyclin G1 retroviral vector when delivered as concentrated high titer vector supernatants directly into rapidly growing subcutaneous tumors in athymic nude mice. Histologic sections from the antisense cyclin G1 vector-treated tumors showed decreased mitotic indices and increased stroma formation within the residual tumors. Furthermore, in situ analysis of the cell-cycle kinetics of residual tumor cells revealed a decrease in the number of cells in S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle concomittant with an accumulation of cells in the G1 phase. Taken together, these studies demonstrate in vivo efficacy of a high-titer antisense cyclin G1 retroviral vector in an animal model of osteosarcoma.

Problems with the gastrocnemius-soleus muscle group can severely impair the gait of children with cerebral palsy. Treatments, including bracing, muscle lengthening, neurectomy, or a combination, have been used with mixed results. Soleus neurectomy was performed as the primary treatment for ankle clonus in 38 legs of 21 children with a variety of cerebral palsies. Concurrent heel cord or muscle lengthening was performed if needed. Patients were followed for an average of 9 years (range, 2 to 14 years). Clonus recurred in 4 treated ankles. In 2 cases, this was due to a nerve anomaly. Postneurectomy Achilles tendon lengthening was required in 8 of the treated ankles. Neurectomy was beneficial for 19 of 21 children. Functional improvements included better control of stopping, better balance, and less toe walking. The greatest improvement was seen in those patients who did not also have heel cord contractures.

Lengthening of the psoas tendon commonly is performed for various conditions of the hip including developmental dysplasia and neuromuscular contractures and instability. Anecdotal reports of injury to surrounding neurovascular structures suggest an investigation of the local anatomy is warranted. Using magnetic resonance images from 54 children younger than 10 years, the authors examined the anatomic relationship between major neurovascular structures (femoral artery and vein, external iliac artery and vein, femoral nerve) and the psoas tendon. The mean distance between the neurovascular structures and the psoas tendon in the over the brim position is 1 cm, although it may be as close as 4 mm in a child. The mean distance is 3.1 cm at the tendon's insertion at the lesser trochanter. Surgeons performing psoas over the brim lengthenings should be aware that major neurovascular structures may be only 4 mm from the psoas tendon. The recommended surgical technique is presented.