Distal femoral physeal crush injury with metaphyseal comminution - A report of two cases and a new perspective to physeal injury / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

The physis of a long bone may get 'sandwiched' and crushed between the metaphysis and the epiphysis if it is traumatically loaded along its long axis. Such a physeal injury may lead to complications like angular deformities and growth restrictions and hence, management of such injuries requires adequate planning and attentive execution. Two patients with distal femoral physeal crush injury were treated using a ring fixator such that one ring had the wires passing through the epiphysis and the other through the femoral shaft. On table image intensifier controlled distraction of the crushed physis was done to bring the height of the physis similar to that of the opposite limb. Patients were followed up for more than two years clinically and radiologically. There was no clinical or radiological angular deformity of the operated limbs. MRI scans showed intact physes with no physeal bar formation in either of the two patients. The distraction obtained by the ring fixator appears to have provided ample 'breathing space' to the compressed physis and that the growth potential may have been re-gained by the procedure. However, two years is a relatively short duration of follow-up and further follow-up of longer duration and in greater number of patients is needed to gauge the actual effectiveness of the technique used by us.

Bilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty in a Rare Case of Multicentric Reticulohistiocytosis

Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH) is a rare systemic disease, which commonly manifests as muco-cutaneous papulonodules and inflammatory erosive polyarthropathy. In this research, we report the clinical manifestations and management of a rare case of MRH with destructive arthropathy of bilateral hip joints and arthritis mutilans presenting with characteristic deformities. Disabling hip arthropathy that occurs secondary to MRH can be successfully managed with bilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA). Osteopenia and acetabular bone defects must be anticipated during THA. This case is reported due to its rare occurrence and because little literature has been published regarding THA in such patients.

Significant Incidence of Extra-Articular Tibia Vara Affects Radiological Outcome of Total Knee Arthroplasty

PURPOSE: To identify and quantify the presence of extra-articular tibia vara that might influence the mechanical axis alignment after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 48 TKAs in 30 osteoarthritic Indian patients were prospectively evaluated. The hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), joint line convergence angle, and varus angulation at the femur and tibia were measured from the preoperative and postoperative standing hip-to-ankle radiographs. Four different methods were used to measure the varus angulation at the tibia: metaphyseo-diaphyseal angle (MDA), the angle between the anatomical axis and mechanical axis of the tibia, the angle between the proximal third and distal third of tibia and the angle between the proximal half and distal half of tibia. RESULTS: Extra-articular tibia vara quantified using MDA had the most positive correlation with HKA. Receiver operating characteristic plotting showed that MDA of >4degrees predicts abnormal postoperative HKA. Twenty-eight out of 48 knees had MDA of >4degrees, and 78.6% of these had postoperative HKA under-correction and 21.4% had less than ideal tibial component position. CONCLUSIONS: A significant inherent extra-articular varus angulation best measured using MDA exists in the proximal tibia in osteoarthritic Indian patients undergoing TKA. MDA of >4degrees is associated with abnormal postoperative HKA. Computer navigation may be useful for achieving ideal correction in such cases.