Conservative Treatment of Physeal Bar after Triradiate Cartilage Injury / 대한정형외과학회잡지

We report a patient who experienced no function problems during the 5-year follow-up after a conservative treatment for minimally displaced acetabular fracture that developed as a result of the formation of physeal bar. According to the computed tomography, triradiate cartilage was fractured and minimally displaced, which was identified as a Salter Harris type II physeal injury. A fracture of the anterior wall of the acetabulum was also observed. It was judged as a stable fracture, and conservative treatment was performed. On the follow-up x-ray, the physeal bar was formed in the damaged triradiate cartilage. At 5-year follow-up, physeal injury of the triradiate cartilage has influenced the acetabular growth, resulting in acetabular dysplasia, pelvic asymmetry, hypoplasia of pubis, and widening of the tear drop. However, anteversion and inclination of the injured acetabulum were similar with those of the contralateral side. Our patient also did not complain of any hip discomfort.

Fracturas fisarias Salter-Harris VI de tobillo y pie / Salter-Harris VI fractures of the foot and ankle

Introducción: Las fracturas Salter-Harris VI son lesiones cuya característica es la ablación del anillo pericondral. Son infrecuentes, pero potencialmente devastadoras. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el mecanismo, el tratamiento y los resultados funcionales de estas lesiones en pie y tobillo. Materiales y Métodos: Se analizaron retrospectivamente todos los pacientes con lesiones Salter-Harris VI de tobillo y pie, tratadas entre enero de 2010 y enero de 2013. Se documentaron datos demográficos, clasificación, mecanismo de lesión, tipo de lesiones asociadas y número de cirugías necesarias. La evaluación funcional se realizó con el puntaje de la AOFAS y se tomaron radiografías para determinar viabilidad de la fisis, acortamiento o deformidad angular. Resultados: Se analizaron 5 fracturas (4 pacientes). La edad promedio fue de 7.5 años (rango 6-10 años). El seguimiento promedio fue de 26.2 meses. Tres lesiones se produjeron por accidentes de moto y 2, por auto versus peatón. Todos los casos se acompañaron de pérdida de sustancia, el 75% tenía lesiones en más de un hueso y el 50%, lesiones tendinosas asociadas. Cada paciente requirió un promedio de 3,2 cirugías. El puntaje de la AOFAS promedio fue de 79.8 (rango 62-100). Sólo el 40% de las fisis afectadas permanecían viables al último control. Conclusiones: Las fracturas Salter-Harris VI se acompañan de una gran variedad de lesiones asociadas, requieren múltiples cirugías, suelen producir un cierre precoz de la fisis y algún grado de discapacidad. Se requieren medidas preventivas para evitar la exposición de los niños a este tipo de lesiones. Nivel de evidencia: IV - Serie de casos.

Background: Salter-Harris VI fractures (SHVI) are injuries in which part of the physis is missing. They are rare in children but potentially devastating. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of production, treatment, and functional outcomes of these injuries in the foot and ankle. Methods: All patients with foot and ankle SHVI injuries treated between January 2010 and January 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographics, classification, mechanism of injury, type and number of associated injuries that required surgery were documented. Patients were assessed functionally with the AOFAS score and a radiological evaluation was performed to determine the viability of the physis, limb length discrepancies or angular deformities. Results: Five fractures in 4 patients were analyzed. The average age at injury was 7.5 years (range 6-10 years). Mean follow-up was 26.2 months (range 12-37 months). Three injuries occurred as a result of motorcycle accidents, and 2 in a car accident. All were associated with soft-tissue injuries, 75% had more than one injured bone and 50% had tendon lesions. Each patient required an average of 3.2 surgeries (range 2-5). The average AOFAS was 79.8 points (range 62-100). Radiographically, only 40% of the affected physis remained viable at last follow-up. Conclusions: SHVI fractures are associated with several injuries, require multiple surgeries and often result in premature growth arrest and some degree of disability. Prevention measures are required to avoid the exposure of children to this type of injury.

Avaliação por imagem das lesões da placa de crescimento / Imaging of growth plate injuries

As estruturas responsáveis pelo crescimento do osso incluem a fise (também chamada placa de crescimento) e as epífises. Afecções que acometem pacientes com o esqueleto imaturo, ou seja, com a placa de crescimento ainda aberta, podem interferir no crescimento ósseo, resultando em complicações como parada do crescimento, encurtamento dos membros ou deformidades angulares. Condições traumáticas que resultam muitas vezes em fraturas epifisárias são a causa mais comum das lesões da placa de crescimento. A avaliação cuidadosa desses pacientes pelos métodos de diagnóstico por imagem atualmente disponíveis, sobretudo a radiografia, a tomografia computadorizada e a ressonância magnética, permite o reconhecimento precoce do comprometimento das estruturas relacionadas ao crescimento ósseo, além de tratamento adequado, diminuindo a possibilidade do desenvolvimento de tais complicações.

The structures responsible for the growth of bones include the physis (also called growth plate) and the epiphysis. Affections involving patients with immature skeletons, i.e., with a still open growth plate, may affect the bone growth, resulting in complications such as growth arrest, limb shortening and angular deformities. Traumatic conditions, many times resulting in epiphyseal fractures, are the most frequent cause of growth plate injuries. A careful evaluation of these patients by means of currently available imaging methods, especially radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, allows an early diagnosis of the involvement of structures related to the bone growth, besides an appropriate management, reducing the probability of secondary complications.

Surgical Treatment of Partial Closure of Growth Plate: Physeal Bar Resection and Free Fat Graft / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of physeal bar resection and free fat graft as a treatment method for partial epiphyseal closure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen cases of partial epiphyseal closure (4 of the distal femur, 8 of the distal tibia and one of the distal radius) were subjected to physeal bar resection. All of the cases were caused by trauma. The physeal bar was central in 3 cases, peripheral in 9, and mixed (central-peripheral) in 1. Mean patient age at surgery was 10.7 years and mean follow-up period was 47 months. Final results were evaluated by a modified Williamson-Staheli classification. RESULTS: Results at final follow-up were as follows: 6 satisfactory (3 excellent and 3 good) and 7 unsatisfactory (5 fair and 2 poor). Satisfactory results according to location and region of the physeal bar were as follows: distal tibia, 5 of 8 cases; distal femur, 1 of 4; central, 1 of 3; peripheral, 4 of 9; and mixed, 1 of 1. When considered by areal extent, physeal bars occupying 30% or less of the bone's cross-sectional area showed satisfactory results in 5 of 7 cases, while in 6 cases with the physeal bar over 30%, 5 were unsatisfactory. CONCLUSION: Accurate preoperative evaluation of the size and type of the physeal bar, and meticulous surgical technique, are important predictors of satisfactory outcome of physeal bar resection. Cases where the physeal bar extent exceeded 30% had mostly unsatisfactory results.

Prognostic Factors of Physeal Bar Resection and Fat Graft Interposition in the Treatment of Partial Physeal Arrest / 대한정형외과학회잡지

This purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible prognostic factors of physeal bar resection in the treatment of partial physeal growth arrest. From January 1979 to October 1993, 23 skeletally immature patients (16 males, 7 females) underwent physeal bar resection and fat graft interposition. The age was ranged from 1 year 8 months to 16 years 9 months (average 8 years 9 months). The follow-up period was ranged from 12 months to 10 years 6 months (average 3 years 4 months). The results of the surgery were categorized into 4 groups on the basis of relative growth ratio (RGR), spontaneous angular correction after physeal bar resection, disappearance of converging growth arrest lines, and the viability & proximal migration of the interposed fat verified by follow-up MRI. The RGR was assessed as a percentage of the contralateral limb segment: change in length of operated limb segment divided by change in length of unoperated limb segment multiplied by 100. The angular correction was calculated as the difference of the degrees of angular deformity between the preoperative and the latest follow-up visit. In the sixteen cases which required concomitant operations (osteotomy, Ilizarov method of for lengthening or deformity correction), their contribution to the angular correction was excluded in the calculation. The etiology of partial physeal arrest consisted of fracture (17), infection (5), and leukemia (1). In 10 of 17 fracture cases in which initial radiographs were available, the Salter-Harris types were assessed. There were type II (2), type III (2) and type IV (6) fractures. Distal femur was the most common site of physeal arrest (13), followed by distal tibia (7), proximal tibia (2), and distal radius (1). There were peripheral (9), combined (6), central (5) and linear (3) types of physeal bar. The nine variables including preoperative limb length discrepancy and degree of angulation, age, onset, etioloty of physeal arrest, Salter-Harris type of epiphyseal injury, site of the arrested physis, type and size.