Wrist fracture in children.

Distal radius fractures in children are the most common fractures in children. There is no consensus on when and how to treat these fractures. This review summarises the present knowledge. Children have a capacity to remodel and the remodeling of the bone is reverse correlated to the child's age. The remodeling potential allows us to accept some degree of malunion before intervention. Solely a cast applied with a 3-point fixation can treat most distal radius fractures. It is therefore essential to increase focus on educating doctors in applying a correct molded cast. Unstable fractures can usually be fixated with k-wires alone.

Long-term biopsychosocial issues and health-related quality of life in young adolescents and adults treated for childhood Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, type 1.

OBJECTIVES: Treatment for childhood Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is associated with long-term recovery. The present study aimed to investigate the long-term biopsychosocial status and quality of life in young adolescents and adults after the treatment of childhood CRPS. METHODS: A 4 year follow-up of individuals with childhood-CRPS, type 1 (n=22; age:12 years (years) [median] at treatment and 17 years at follow-up) was completed. Biopsychosocial status and quality of life were assessed with structured interviews, using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Pediatric Pain Coping Inventory (PPCI), and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Comparisons were made with normative samples of age-matched controls. RESULTS: CRPS at follow-up was still present in seven out of 22, and non-CRPS pain symptoms were found in 12 out of 22 individuals. Signs of mental health pain-related problems, including phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder, were observed in ten out of 19 individuals. Mental well-being, social functioning, and quality of life (SDQ and PedsQL) were independent of pain status (p>0.05). Adaptive pain coping strategies were utilized regardless of pain status (PPCI). Social functioning (p<0.01) and the quality of life (p=0.01) were attenuated and statistically significantly poorer than healthy age-matched young adults but better than for fibromyalgia subjects. CONCLUSIONS: A subset of individuals treated for childhood-CRPS, type 1 experiences long-term consequences of persistent pain, a decrease in quality of life indicators, and demonstrates significant psychosocial issues. Childhood-CRPS is suggested to be associated with long-term psychosocial consequences and poorer quality of life than found in age-related healthy peers. Subjects treated for childhood CRPS may need a longer clinical follow-up attempting to preclude relapse of CRPS and non-CRPS pain.

A closed-claim analysis of complaints after paediatric antebrachial fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Antebrachial fractures in children (AFC) are common and account for one third of all paediatric fractures. The Danish Patient Compensation Association (PCA) receives complaints from patients who believe that they have sustained injuries due to potential malpractice or unfortunate circumstances. Case files on AFC from the PCA were assessed to identify causality and factors contributing to complaints and potential malpractice. METHODS: A closed-claim analysis was performed in 138 cases with the diagnosis codes DS52.2 through DS52.6. RESULTS: The most frequent complaints were fracture re-displacement (n = 49) and dissatisfaction with an otherwise correctly treated injury (n = 30). Doctor's delay due to missed primary diagnosis was found to be a median of 63 days. Complaints about surgery were almost equally distributed between K-wire and intramedullary nails, and unequally distributed for conservative treatment between splinting (n = 29) and casting (n = 10). Two thirds of the in-juries were unacknowledged and evaluated as light injuries or no injury. One third of the complaints were acknowledged; the majority of which were both-bone fractures. CONCLUSIONS: Two thirds of all complaints were due to normal fracture sequelae; thus, patient anticipation should be accommodated by thorough patient information. Mid-diaphyseal fractures of the forearm are overrepresented among the acknowledged complaints. Casting seems to be preferred to splinting. However, more awareness of these fractures using routinely performed radiographs at the first visit to the emergency room and at follow-up could avoid complaints as well as doctor's delay. FUNDING: none. 
TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Intra-articular hyaluronan is without clinical effect in knee osteoarthritis: a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of 337 patients followed for 1 year.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the long-term efficacy and safety of five intra-articular injections with hyaluronan in knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: A multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled double-blind study of 337 patients fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for knee osteoarthritis (clinical and laboratory) and with a Lequesne algofunctional index score (LFI) of 10 or greater. Patients received a hyaluronan product (sodium hyaluronate; Hyalgan) (n=167) or saline (n=170) intra-articularly weekly for 5 weeks and were followed up to 1 year. Time to recurrence was the primary efficacy parameter. LFI, pain on walking 50 m based on visual analogue scale (VAS pain 50 m), paracetamol consumption, patients' global assessment, Nottingham health profile, joint effusion and number of responders were secondary efficacy parameters. The efficacy parameters were analysed by intention to treat (ITT) and per protocol (PP). All adverse events (AE) were recorded as safety parameters. RESULTS: Time to recurrence showed no significant treatment effect (ITT analysis, p=0.26). Change from baseline in LFI and VAS pain 50 m for the ITT population showed no treatment effect. Paracetamol consumption, patients' global assessment, responder rates and AE displayed no significant difference between treatment groups, analysed by both ITT and PP. Treatment compliance was 95% in the hyaluronan group and 99% in the placebo group. No safety problems were registered. CONCLUSION: In patients fulfilling the ACR criteria for osteoarthritis of the knee with moderate to severe disease activity (LFI > or = 10), five intra-articular injections of hyaluronan did not improve pain, function, paracetamol consumption or other efficacy parameters 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the treatment.