DOES RECTUS FEMORIS TRANSFER INCREASE KNEE FLEXION DURING STANCE PHASE IN CEREBRAL PALSY?

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate whether distal rectus femoris transfer (DRFT) is related to postoperative increase of knee flexion during the stance phase in cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: The inclusion criteria were Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III, kinematic criteria for stiff-knee gait at baseline, and individuals who underwent orthopaedic surgery and had gait analyses performed before and after intervention. The patients included were divided into the following two groups: NO-DRFT (133 patients), which included patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery without DRFT, and DRFT (83 patients), which included patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery that included DRFT. The primary outcome was to evaluate in each group if minimum knee flexion in stance phase (FMJFA) changed after treatment. Results: The mean FMJFA increased from 13.19° to 16.74° (p=0.003) and from 10.60° to 14.80° (p=0.001) in Groups NO-DRFT and DRFT, respectively. The post-operative FMJFA was similar between groups NO-DRFT and DRFT (p=0.534). The increase of FMJFA during the second exam (from 13.01° to 22.51°) was higher among the GMFCS III patients in the DRFT group (p<0.001). Conclusion: In this study, DRFT did not generate additional increase of knee flexion during stance phase when compared to the control group. Level of Evidence III, Retrospective Comparative Study.

Padrões de marcha mais frequentes na paralisia cerebral tipo diparesia espástica / Most frequent gait patterns in diplegic spastic cerebral palsy

Identificar padrões de marcha em um grande grupo de crian-ças com paralisia cerebral (PC) tipo diplegia espástica e caracterizarcada grupo de acordo com a idade, nível do Gross Motor FunctionClassification System (GMFCS) e Gait Deviation Index (GDI) e cirurgiasprévias. Métodos: Foram divididos em sete grupos 1805 pacientescom base nos padrões de marcha observados: joelho saltitante, agachamento,recurvatum, joelho rígido, assimétrico, misto, e não classificável.Resultados: O grupo assimétrico foi o mais prevalente (48,8%).Os grupos joelho saltitante (9,6 anos) e recurvatum (9,4 anos) exibiramidade média menor que os demais grupos. O GDI mais baixo (43,58)foi observado no grupo agachamento. Notaram-se mais pacientesclassificados como nível III do GMFCS nos grupos agachamento emisto. Cirurgias prévias no tríceps sural foram mais frequentes nosgrupos joelho rígido e misto. O grupo joelho saltitante recebeu menornúmero de procedimentos cirúrgicos prévios nos isquiotibais, enquantoque o grupo com joelho rígido recebeu maior número, quandocomparado aos demais. Conclusões: Os casos assimétricos forammais frequentes, mesmo em grupo de pacientes diplégicos. Pacientescom padrão em agachamento foram caracterizados pelo GDI maisbaixo e prevalência do nível III no GMFCS, enquanto que o grupojoelho rígido exibiu uma porcentagem maior de alongamento préviodos isquiotibiais em comparação com os demais grupos. Nível deEvidência III, Estudo Retrospectivo Comparativo...

To identify gait patterns in a large group of childrenwith diplegic cerebral palsy and to characterize each groupaccording to age, Gross Motor Function Classification System(GMFCS) level, Gait Deviation Index (GDI) and previous surgicalprocedures. Methods: One thousand eight hundred and fivepatients were divided in seven groups regarding observed gaitpatterns: jump knee, crouch knee, recurvatum knee, stiff knee,asymmetric, mixed and non-classified. Results: The asymmetricgroup was the most prevalent (48.8%). The jump knee (9.6 yearsold) and recurvatum (9.4 years) groups had mean age lowerthan the other groups. The lowest GDI (43.58) was found in thecrouch group. There were more children classified within GMFCSlevel III in the crouch and mixed groups. Previous surgical procedureson the triceps surae were more frequent in stiff kneeand mixed groups. The jump knee group received less and thestiff-knee group more surgical procedures at hamstrings thanothers. Conclusions: The asymmetrical cases were the most frequentwithin a group of diplegic patients. Individuals with crouchgait pattern were characterized by the lowest GDI and the highestprevalence of GMFCS III, while patients with stiff knee exhibited ahigher percentage of previous hamstring lengthening in comparisonto the other groups. Level of Evidence III, RetrospectiveComparative Study...

A comparação do valor diagnóstico do exame físico para lesão meniscal em pacientes com e sem lesão doligamento cruzado anterior / A comparison of the diagnostic value of physical examination for meniscal injury in patients with and without injury of the anterior cruciate ligament

Introdução: Lesões meniscais (LM) ocorrem habitualmente em pacientes que sofrem traumas rotacionais do joelho sob compressão. Elas podem ocorrer de forma isolada ou estar associadas a rupturas ligamentares e a patologias condrais. O objetivo deste estudo é o de comparar o valor do exame físico para diagnóstico das LMs em pacientes com e sem lesão do ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA). Métodos: 162 pacientes que seriam submetidos a videoartroscopia, por patologias intra-articulares do joelho, foram examinados previamente ao procedimento por 3 de 5 residentes treinados para realizar o conjunto de manobras para diagnóstico de LM (McMurray, Appley, Childress, Steinmann 1 e 2). Foi considerado positivo o exame físico meniscal quando um dos testes era positivo. Os pacientes foram divididos em 2 grupos com lesão do LCA (grupo A) e sem lesão do LCA (grupo B). Os achados cirúrgicos foram anotados e comparados aos achados do exame clínico. Toda lesão meniscal encontrada na artroscopia foi considerada como achado positivo. Em relação ao LCA, a ruptura desta estrutura foi considerada como achado positivo. Resultados: No grupo A, o conjunto de manobras para LM apontou 70% de sensibilidade, 48% de especificidade e 60% de acurácia, enquanto que no grupo B, este valor foi de 97%, 42% e 88%, respectivamente. Conclusão: No presente estudo, o exame físico para LM se mostrou mais eficiente na ausência de lesão do LCA. A presença de lesão do LCA diminuiu a acurácia do exame físico para as LMs

Introduction: Meniscal Injuries (MIs) commonly occur in patients suffering rotational trauma of the knee under compression. They can occur in isolation or be associated with ligament ruptures and chondral pathologies. The aim of this study is to compare the value of physical examination for diagnosis of MI in patients with and without injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Methods: 162 patients who were undergoing arthroscopy because of intraarticular knee pathologies were examined prior to the procedure by 3 of 5 residents trained to perform the set of maneuvers for diagnosis of MI (McMurray, Appley, Childress, Steinmann 1 and 2). The physical examination was considered positive when any of the tests was positive. The patients were divided into two groups with ACL injury (group A) and without ACL injury (group B). Surgical findings were recorded and compared with clinical examination findings. Every meniscal lesion found at arthroscopy was considered as a positive finding. Regarding LCA, the rupture of this structure was considered as a positive finding. Results: In group A, the set of maneuvers for MI showed 70% sensitivity, 48% specificity and 60% accuracy, while in group B, these figures were 97%, 42% and 88%, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, the physical examination for MI was more efficient in the absence of ACL injury. The presence of ACL injury decreased the accuracy of physical examination for MIs

Prevalence and record of alcoholism among emergency department patients

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of alcoholism among inpatients, to identify social and demographic factors associated with this prevalence and to determine its rate of recognition by the medical team. METHODS: The study population consisted of all patients admitted to the emergency room at Hospital São Lucas, Porto Alegre, Brazil, between July and September of 2005. The data were collected in two steps: an interview with the patient and a review of the medical records to investigate the cases of alcoholism recorded by the medical team. The questionnaire consisted of questions concerning social and demographic data, smoking habits and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. RESULTS: We interviewed 248 patients. Twenty-eight (11.3 percent) were identified as alcoholics. Compared to the patients with a negative Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test value (less than 8), those with a positive Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test were more likely to be male, illiterate and smokers. The medical records of 217 (87.5 percent) patients were reviewed. Only 5 (20.0 percent) of the 25 patients with a positive Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test whose medical records were reviewed were identified as alcoholics by the medical team. The diagnosis made by the medical team, compared to Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, shows only a 20 percent sensitivity, 93 percent specificity and positive and negative predictive values of 29 percent and 90 percent, respectively. CONCLUSION: Alcoholism has been underrecognized in patients who are hospitalized, and, as such, this opportunity for possible early intervention is often lost. Key social and demographic factors could provide physicians with risk factors and, when used together with a standardized diagnostic instrument, could significantly improve the rate of identification of alcoholic patients.

Intervenção coronariana percutânea em pacientes com mais d 70 anos: análise de desfechos intra-hospitlares na era contemporânea / Percutaneous coronary intevention in patients aged after 70 years-old: in hospital outcomes in the current era

Introdução: Dados observacionais da década de 90 sugerem que pacientes com mais de 70 anos de idade evoluem com maior risco de eventos quando submetidos a intervenção coronariana percutânea (ICP). Objetivo: Avaliar os desfechos hospitalares em pacientes com idade superior a 70 anos submetidos a ICP na era contemporânea. Método: Entre janeiro de 2005 e junho de 2007, pacientes submetidos a ICP foram incluídos consecutivamente em um registro. Informações referentes a fatores de risco, indicação do exame, detalhes técnicos da ICP e desfechos intra-hospitalares foram prospectivamente coletadas. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos: idade < ou > 70 anos. Para comparação, foram utilizados os testes t de Student e qui-quadrado, para variáveis contínuas e categóricas, respectivamente. Valores de p < 0,05 foram considerados diferença estatisticamente significante. Resultados: Foram incluídos na análise 296 pacientes (186 com < 70 anos e 110 com > 70 anos). Não foi observada diferença em relação às características clínico-angiográficas entre os grupos e o sucesso angiográfico foi semelhante (96,6% vs. 97,1%; p = 0,91). Ocorreu tendência a maior mortalidade (1,81% vs. 0,53%; p = 0,06) e a maior incidência de acidente vascular encefálico (1,81% vs. 0%; p = 0,06) no grupo mais idoso. A incidência de cirurgia de urgência e de complicações vasculares não diferiu entre os grupos. Ocorreu maior incidência de nefropatia induzida pelo contraste no grupo > 70 anos (2,7% vs. 0%; p = 0,02). Conclusão: Pacientes com idade > 70 anos apresentaram incidência aumentada de nefropatia induzida pelo contraste e tendência a maior mortalidade e a maior ocorrência de acidente vascular encefálico.

Introduction: Observational data from the 90’s demonstrates that elderly population has an increased risk when treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Objective: To evaluate in-hospital outcomes in patients aged > 70 years old who underwent PCI in the current era. Methods: In a single center, from January/2005 to June/2007, a total of 296 patients who underwent PCI were included in this analysis. The presence of risk factors, angiographic characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were recorded and compared among patients < 70-yo (n = 186) and > 70-yo (n = 110) in a dedicated database. For comparison purposes, unpaired t test and chi-square were used for continuous and dichotomous variables respectively. An alpha < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There was no difference between groups < 70-yo and > 70-yo regarding clinical presentation and the presence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Also, there was a homogenous distribution of treated vessels, angiographic pattern, coronary calcification and success rate (96.6% in > 70-yo group x 97.1% < 70-yo, p = 0.91). Regarding complications, there was an increased rate of contrast induced nephropathy in the older group (2.7% x 0%, p = 0.02) that required dialysis. Additionally, we observed a trend in higher mortality (1.81% x 0.53%, p = 0.06) and neurological compromise (1.81% x 0%, p = 0.06) in the elderly population. Vascular complication rates and urgent surgical revascularization were similar in both groups. Conclusion: Patients older and younger than 70-yo present similar clinical profile, angiographic characteristics and success rate. However, the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy requiring dialysis, mortality and neurological compromise are higher in the older group.

Claudicação na infância / Claudication in infancy

Este artigo discore sobre a claudcação na infância, sua etiologia nas diversas faixas etárias e as rotinas diagnósticas. Apresenta também conceitos básicos sobre marcha, servindo como um guia para o estabelecimentode uma linha de racioncínio clínico para a investigação dessas crianças.