Angular Deformities of the Knee in Children Treated with Guided Growth

@#Introduction: The guided growth technique is an alternative to corrective osteotomy for treating angular deformities of the extremities. It has the advantage of being minimally invasive and is effective in a growing child. This study reports on the outcome of guided growth technique using a plate in correcting knee angular deformities. Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective study of children with angular deformity of the knee treated by the guided growth technique from January 2010 to December 2015 in a tertiary centre. The guided growth technique was done using either the flexible titanium plate (8-plate) or the 2- hole reconstruction plate. Correction of deformity was assessed on radiographs by evaluating the mechanical axis deviation and tibiofemoral angle. The implants were removed once deformity correction was achieved. Results: A total of 17 patients (27 knees) were evaluated. Twenty-two knees (81.5%) achieved complete correction of the deformity. The median age was 4.0 (interquartile range 3.0-6.0) years and the median Body Mass Index (BMI) was 26.0 (25.0-28.0). There were 7 unilateral and 10 bilateral deformities with different pathologies (14 tibia vara, 3 genu valgus). The median rate of correction was 0.71° per month. One patient (1 knee) had screw pull-out and two patients (4 knees) had broken screws in the proximal tibia. Three patients (5 knees) failed to achieve complete correction and were subsequently treated with corrective osteotomies. Out of five patients (8 knees) who were followed-up for at least 12 months after removal of hardware, two had rebound deformities. No permanent growth retardation occurred in our patients. Conclusion: Our outcome for guided growth to correct knee angular deformity was similar to other studies. Guided growth is safe to perform in children below 12 years old and has good outcome in idiopathic genu valgus and Langeskiold II for tibia vara. Patients should be observed for recurrence until skeletal maturity following implant removal.

Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Juvenile idiopathic scoliosis includes scoliosis diagnosed from three to ten years old according to the chronological age. Spine growth in juveniles does not occur at a rapid rate spinal deformity does not show rapid progress. However, because of the intimate relationship between chest wall growth and the spine, decrease of chest wall capacity due to scoliosis could lead to development of cardiovascular and pulmonary complication, especially in early age. In scoliosis in early age, other causes of the deformity including neurological problems should be evaluated. If the scoliosis angle is more than 25 degrees, it could progress very easily, thus aggressive treatment is needed. A new growing-sparing surgical technique (growing rod and growth modulation) is introduced for improvement of spine and chest growth, and for prevention of crankshaft phenomenon.

Management of Class II Malocclusion with Modification in Forsus Fatigue Resistance Device: A Case Report.

Management of class II malocclusion in adolescents by growth modulation is one of the most difficult and commonly encountered scenario in clinical orthodontics. Noncompliance has been a major concern for orthodontists. This case report describes the management of class II malocclusion in young adult with Forsus fatigue resistance device (3M Unitek, 2724 S., Peck Road, Monrovia, CA 91096; www.3Munitek.com), a fixed functional appliance, that is now most widely used for correction of Class II malocclusion. A common problem with this appliance is frequent debonding of mandibular canine brackets. The present article also describes a simple, chairside fabrication of acrylic button that will ensure prevention of debonding of brackets. This case report illustrates that functional appliances even today have a significant role in growth modulation that further minimizes the necessity of extraction of permanent teeth and orthognathic surgery.

Treatment of skeletal class II malocclusion using the “Forsus” appliance: A case report.

Fixed functional appliances are valuable tools introduced to assist in the correction of skeletal class II malocclusions at the deceleration stage of growth for achieving stable results. The most commonly used such appliances are the Herbst appliance and the Jasper jumper. The recent advance in the field of fixed functional appliance is the Forsus appliance. We are reporting a 16 year old patient with a skeletal class II malocclusion treated using the Forsus appliance. The appliance was worn for 4 months after the initial alignment with fixed mechanotherapy (MBT O22). The mandible was brought forward to a class I skeletal and dental relationship by the end of this treatment.