Reconstruction of the distal radius using a double-barrel vascularized fibula flap: A case series.

Treatment of distal radius tumor sometimes requires sacrificing the epiphysis. We propose adding to currently available reconstruction options a technique using a double-barrel vascularized fibula flap fixed distally to the first carpal row, conserving midcarpal mobility. We monitored 4 cases of Campanacci III giant-cell tumor and 2 cases of osteosarcoma. After en-bloc tumor resection, a double-barrel vascularized fibula flap was lodged distally in the scaphoid and lunate and proximally in the radius. Follow-up was clinical and radiological, using DASH, PRWE and MSTS functional scores. At a median 3 years' follow-up, there were no cases of recurrence or non-union. Median ranges of motion were 23° flexion, 28° extension, 90° pronation and 62° supination. Median grip strength proportional to the contralateral side was 67%. Median DASH and PRWE functional scores were respectively 13.7 and 17 points. Median MSTS was 83%. Although this technique is challenging, with difficulties in double-barrel flap placement and in pedicle plication, the double-barrel vascularized fibula flap provided a stable and mobile wrist.

Free vascularised fibular flap harvesting in children: An analysis of donor-site morbidity.

BACKGROUND: The free vascularised fibular flap (FVFF) is widely used to treat bone defects, although it must be harvested from a healthy site. The objective of this study was to assess clinical morbidity and radiological changes at the FVFF donor site in children. HYPOTHESIS: Distal fibular stabilisation using a tibial strut decreases the prevalence of valgus ankle deformity. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Thirty-one children managed at two centres between 1994 and 2014 were included. Mean age was 8.9 years (range, 2-14 years) and mean follow-up was 6.6 years (range, 2-21 years). Early and delayed complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 17 early complications, 82.4% resolved fully within 7 months. Valgus ankle deformity developed in 6 (19.4%) patients. Age-residual fibula index under 16 was not significantly associated with valgus ankle deformity, although the P-value was borderline (P<0.058). Residual distal fibula length did not predict valgus ankle deformity. Three techniques were used for fibular reconstruction: syndesmotic screw, tibial strut, and both. None of these techniques prevented the occurrence of valgus ankle deformity. DISCUSSION: Clinical donor-site morbidity after FVFF harvesting, although noticeable, usually resolved promptly. Taken alone, an age-residual fibula index under 16 did not predict valgus ankle deformity. We recommend a distal tibio-fibular quadricortical syndesmotic screw or combined syndesmotic screw-tibial strut fixation to prevent valgus ankle deformity, which is common when a tibial strut is used alone. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

[Not Available]. / Traitement chirurgical initial des brûlures de la main de l'enfant. Revue.

The early management of pediatric hand burns includes surgical treatment, medical follow up and prevention of abnormal scarring by splits and/or pressure garment therapy. The aim of this review was to find the best available evidence in the literature on the surgical part of this management. This review started with a search in the PubMed database for the keywords, hand AND/OR child AND/OR burn. Only the articles published between January 1(st), 2005 and January 1(st), 2011 were selected. The data were compared to French and American textbooks. Contradictory findings were reported on the timing of the excision and graft, with only two comparative studies reported, with a lot of biases. The state of the art on the initial management of hand burns in children is not totally conclusive due to the lack of statistic power in these studies, but many expert opinions help to define options for good therapeutic paradigms. It is important to include these patients in prospective protocols with both early and long-term follow-up in order to increase the amount of evidence at our disposal.

[Recovery of elbow flexion in post-traumatic C5-C6 and C5-C6-C7 palsy: retrospective dual-center study comparing single and double nerve transfer]. / Restauration de la flexion du coude dans les paralysies traumatiques C5-C6 et C5-C6-C7 : étude bicentrique rétrospective comparant simple versus double neurotisation.

Twenty-nine patients underwent single (n=15) or double (n=14) nerve transfer for post-traumatic elbow flexion palsy. Patients averaged 30.2 years, with a mean preoperative delay of six months and postoperative follow-up of 34.2 months. Sixty per cent of the single transfer patients recovered to BMRC grade M4 after an average of follow-up of 13.2 months. Eighty-five percent of double nerve transfer patients reached grade M4 after an average follow-up of 11 months. There were no significant differences between groups. Clinical assessment revealed motor or sensory deficit in seven cases, which did not cause any impairment. Patients with a C5-C6 injury had shorter recovery times and better strength in comparison with those with C5-C6-C7 injury. By restoring shoulder function, elbow flexion will be indirectly improved. This improvement can be partially attributed to the base of the arm being more stable.

Finger replantation: surgical technique and indications.

In this article, we discuss the surgical technique of finger replantation in detail, distinguishing particularities of technique in cases of thumb amputation, children fingertip replantation, ring finger avulsion, and very distal replantations. We emphasize the principles of bone shortening, the spare part concept, the special importance of nerve sutures and the use of vein graft in case of avulsion or crushing. However, even if finger replantation is now a routine procedure, a clear distinction should be made between revascularization and functional success. The indications for finger replantation are then detailed in the second part of this paper. The absolute indications for replantation are thumb, multiple fingers, transmetacarpal or hand, and any upper extremity amputation in a child whatever the level. Fingertip amputations distal to the insertion of the Flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) are also a good indication. Other cases are more controversial because of the poor functional outcome, especially for the index finger, which is often functionally excluded.

Continuous in situ diffusion of ropivacaine for ambulatory congenital hand disorders surgery in young children.

Pediatric ambulatory surgery presents a specific set of challenges to the anesthesiologist. Similarly to adult ambulatory surgery, we report four ambulatory surgical procedures in two young children with congenital hand disorders. For each surgical procedure pain was controlled with continuous in situ infusion of ropivacaine.

[Evaluation of postoperative pain and early functional results in the treatment of carpometacarpal joint arthritis. Comparative prospective study of trapeziectomy vs. MAIA(®) prosthesis in 74 female patients]. / Analyse de la douleur postopératoire et des résultats fonctionnels précoces dans le traitement de la rhizarthrose. Étude prospective comparative de 74 patientes trapézectomie-interposition vs prothèse MAIA(®)

UNLABELLED: Trapeziectomy has been the basis of basal thumb arthritis surgical treatment since the 1950s. This resection arthroplasty has been continuously refined (soft-tissue interposition, ligament reconstruction, spacer implantation, etc.) without leading to a dramatic outcome improvement. Pain decrease is often satisfying in the long-term, but comfort during the early postoperative period may vary. Those disadvantages of trapeziectomy led to the emergence of total trapeziometacarpal prostheses in the 1970s, with a constant improvement of implant design. Few series have compared those two surgical techniques side by side, and prospective ones are even rarer. We compared total trapeziometacarpal prosthesis and trapeziectomy-interposition in the very short term in two similar groups of female patients, to determine whether prosthesis led to faster recovery or not. We compared a total trapeziometacarpal prosthesis (MAIA(®)) and trapeziectomy-interposition in the immediate and short-term (6 months), for objective, subjective, functional criteria, as well as short-term comfort or discomfort. We prospectively followed two comparable cohorts of 47 and 27 female patients above 50 years of age, treated for basal joint arthritis with a constrained trapeziometacarpal joint prosthesis or trapeziectomy-interposition, respectively, between April 2009 and February 2010. The patients were followed postoperatively for 6 months. Mobility, pain reduction, satisfaction, strength and functional scores were better in the prosthesis group. The pinch strength improved by 30%, the length of the thumb column was maintained, and better correction of the subluxation was obtained in this group. There were six cases of De Quervain's tenosynovitis and one case of loosening due to trauma. In the short-term, the MAIA(®) trapeziometacarpal prosthesis gives better outcome than trapeziectomy with interposition. This has to be confirmed in the long-term and after revision surgery that will be likely to occur. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Therapeuthic 3.

The role of three-ligament tenodesis in the treatment of chronic scapholunate instability.

Restoring ligamentous control in dissociative carpal instability is a major issue in protecting against osteoarthritis. We present clinical and radiological results for 20 patients who underwent flexor carpi radialis three-ligament tenodesis and were prospectively reviewed at a mean follow-up of 25.1 months. Three-ligament tenodesis significantly relieved pain and increased grip strength, wrist function at the expense of joint stiffness. This improvement was not seen in cases of dynamic instability. However, ligamentous loosening did result in rapid recurrence of radiological anomalies and frequent complications. This study challenges the long-term benefit of three-ligament tenodesis in both dynamic and static chronic scapholunate instability.

[Digital replantation in children]. / La replantation digitale chez l'enfant.

Digital amputations in children are usually caused by crush or avulsion injuries (door hinge, bicycle chain, etc.). The preponderance of this mechanism of injury means a survival rate generally lower than in adults. However, finger amputation in children is an absolute indication for replantation because the sensory and functional results are significantly higher. Technically, there is little difference, apart from the difficulty of the size of the structure and the presence of growth plates. Kirschner wires are the most suitable fixation method but two subcutaneous needles are ideally used in distal amputations. The dressing and postoperative immobilization in a circular plaster above the elbow is kept for 1 month. Secondary procedures are rare, later than in adults and give poorer results because of the difficulty of understanding the active mobilization exercises. The postoperative analgesia is fundamental following replantation to avoid the risk of arterial spasm, and after a secondary procedure to allow proper rehabilitation.

Vascularized proximal fibular epiphyseal transfer: two cases.

Vascularized proximal fibular epiphyseal transfer in children enables reconstruction of long-bone epiphyseal defect, while conserving axial growth potential. This technique was applied in two children for diaphyseal-epiphyseal reconstruction of the proximal humerus and distal radius respectively, using a graft vascularized only by the anterior tibial artery. There were no major complications during harvesting. Both cases showed transplant growth, of a mean 0.5cm/year. Joint function in the proximal humerus reconstruction was satisfactory, with functional range of motion. In the distal radius reconstruction, range of motion was almost zero; insufficient transplant growth induced radial club hand, requiring partial correction by progressive lengthening using an external fixator. In case of severe bone loss, fibular epiphyseal-diaphyseal graft vascularized only by the anterior tibial artery is a feasible attitude.

Arthroscopic release of shoulder contracture secondary to obstetric brachial plexus palsy: retrospective study of 18 children with an average follow-up of 4.5 years.

INTRODUCTION: Children affected by obstetric brachial plexus palsy have an internal rotation contracture of the shoulder and a deformed glenohumeral joint. In 2003, Pearl proposed doing an arthroscopic release of the shoulder to restore external rotation and allow the glenohumeral joint to remodel. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the active and passive shoulder external rotation range of motion and glenohumeral joint remodelling in children treated with arthroscopic-directed release. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2004 and 2010, 18 children with passive external rotation under 10° were treated with shoulder arthroscopy to release the anterior capsule and ligaments and perform a subscapularis tenotomy; no tendon transfer was performed. The average age was 4 years, 2 months. Nine children had an injury at C5C6, four had an injury at C5C6C7 and five had a complete injury. The average follow-up was 4.5 years. The clinical evaluation consisted of active and passive external rotation (ER) with elbow at the side, active internal rotation, and the modified Mallet score. One child who required an external rotation osteotomy of the proximal humerus was excluded from the clinical outcomes. An MRI was performed on both shoulders to assess glenoid retroversion, glenoid type, degree of posterior subluxation (measured by the percentage of humeral head anterior to the middle glenoid fossa) and humeral head hypoplasia. RESULTS: At the latest follow-up, passive ER was 58° on average and active ER was 42°. Eleven children had regained more than 30° of active ER. The average internal rotation had decreased after the release. The MRI assessment showed that the glenohumeral joint had remodelled in 66% of cases; the glenoid type had improved, the glenoid retroversion had diminished and the humeral head was recentred. Humeral head hypoplasia was found in 28% of cases. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic release of the shoulder results in more external rotation and allows for glenohumeral joint remodelling. Tendon transfer is not always necessary to restore active external rotation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV - Retrospective study.

Distal radius reconstruction using a split vascularized fibula. Two cases following giant cell tumor resection.

We propose a distal radius reconstruction technique that provides a strong stable wrist while preserving mediocarpal range of motion. Two cases of giant cell tumor of the distal end of the radius were treated. The technique included en bloc resection of the lesion followed by wrist reconstruction with partial arthrodesis. A vascularized fibular graft was used. With 4 years of follow-up for patient 1 and 1 year for patient 2, range of movement in flexion was, respectively, 20°and 20°; in extension, 20 and 30°; in pronation, 80 and 30°; and in supination, 20 and 15°. Strength reached 68 and 57% of the strength of the opposite side. The time to union of the radial graft and the carpal graft was 2 months in both cases. This technique provided cosmetic and functional results matching the results reported in the literature. It increases the reliability of the procedure and the recovery process.

[The free groin flap utility. About 19 cases]. / Intérêt du lambeau inguinal libre. À propos de 19 cas.

INTRODUCTION: The pedicled groin flap, well known for the hand resurfacing, has first been described by Mac Gregor in 1972. But the free groin flap is unpopular because of its short (5mm) and small artery (caliber 1,5 to 2mm) and a bulky aspect. The purpose of this study is to show its interest by weighing up the pros and cons of its advantages and of its disadvantages. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study concerns 19 cases of free groin flap for posttraumatic reconstruction of limbs between 1994 and 2009. The patients including six children, were 10 males and nine females, ages from 4 to 50 years old. The size flap ranged from 4×10 to 15×25cm. We reported the indications, the wound's size, the postoperative complications and the quality of life. RESULTS: We observed one total necrosis and three partial necrosis. One debulking was generally required. CONCLUSION: The free groin flap has a lot of valuable qualities: a good vascularisation, allowing a big size flap (20×30cm), with direct closing of the donor site, in only one surgical installation, without sacrifying a muscle. The scar of the donor site is easily hidden by underwear. The flap's skin has good quality, without hair, and the antifibrotic effect of the fat permits a good tendinous sliding. Compared to the pedicled groin flap, this free technique enables the reconstruction of the lower limbs, while upper limbs are free, without weaning time. The functional and aesthetic result of the reconstruction is good and we think that for a microsurgical team, this reliable flap should be more chosen for the posttraumatic reconstruction of limbs.

Is combining massive bone allograft with free vascularized fibular flap the children's reconstruction answer to lower limb defects following bone tumour resection?

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Bone tumours are frequent conditions in children, and their surgical resection may lead to extensive defects which reconstruction is often challenging. Indeed, local conditions do not promote bone healing, and the achieved surgical result requires to be life-lasting. Capanna suggested a reconstruction technique combining massive allograft and free vascularized fibular flap. The first one is intended to withstand mechanical stress, and the second one offers biological and vascular support to improve bone healing and prevent infections. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We report our experience with this technique when applied to the lower limb in a prospective study including seven children, with a mean follow-up of 44 months. RESULTS: Bone healing was achieved by one single procedure in 85.7% of the cases, usually 7 months after surgery. Six out of seven patients achieved a final and long-lasting outcome, five of them following a simple surgical history. Partial weight-bearing was post-operatively allowed at about 2 months, full weight-bearing was initiated at about 5.5 months. DISCUSSION: A low complication rate was reported despite the extent of the disease and the type of the surgical procedure. Capanna's combined reconstructive technique appears very efficient in the management of massive bone defects following tumour resection in children's lower limb. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV. Retrospective therapeutic study.

[Free temporoparietal flap in hand coverage. Report of three cases]. / Les transferts vascularisés de fascia temporalis dans les pertes de substance de la main. A propos de trois cas.

Hands defect coverage needs thin and pliable flaps. Few free flaps such as free temporoparietal flap are adequate. It provides moderate donor scar and unique range of motion for tendinous coverage. We expose three cases of hand reconstruction: two dorsal coverage with tendinous exposition and reconstruction and one thumb coverage. The postoperative results were satisfactory concerning hands. One patient developed alopecia and dysesthesis on scalp. We think that this flap is a good alternative for serratus free fascial flap.

[Postoperative analgesia following trapeziectomy with continuous intra-articular infusion of ropivacaïne versus continuous perineural infusion. A prospective randomised study]. / Analgésie postopératoire après trapezéctomie par infusion continue de ropivacaïne par cathéter in situ intra-articulaire versus cathéter périnerveux : étude prospective randomisée.

UNLABELLED: A prospective randomised study on 46 patients was performed to evaluate postoperative analgesia after trapezectomy. We compare the efficacy of an in situ catheter 777 (ISC) positioned by the surgeon in the space of the trapezectomy (26 patients) with an axilliary perineural catheter (APC) positioned preoperatively by the anaesthetist (20 patients). The patients were followed-up postoperatively for 48 hours and assessed at 3, 7, 24 and 48 hours, recording pain (VAS), consumption of intravenous rescue analgesia and recovery of sensory and motor function. RESULTS: The mean time to site the ISC was 1 min 30 versus 16 min the APC group. The mean pain scores were: in the ISC group consistently below 2 for the entire postoperative 48 hours. Seven patients (29%) required supplemental analgesia (16 doses). Two patients failed (7.7%) to achieve adequate postoperative analgesia; they were the only patients in whom the surgeon had sited a drain, probably implying a siphoning off of the local anaesthetic solution. In the APC group also less than 2, and rescue analgesia was required by seven patients (35%) (40 doses). In four patients (20%) the pain score remained greater than 4 throughout the study period implying failure of the perineural catheter. There was a more rapid and complete recovery of both sensory and motor function in the group treated with in situ catheters during the study period. There were no haematomata or infections in the tow groups. CONCLUSION: The in situ catheter provided at least as good postoperative analgesia while requiring considerably less time and expertise to site. There was also more rapid recovery of motor and sensory function in patients treated with in situ catheters.

[Primary ray resection as an alternative to microsurgical replantation in the management of ring finger avulsion]. / Alternative à la replantation dans les amputations type doigt d'alliance stade IV: amputation basimétacarpienne d'emblée.

OBJECTIVES: Ray resection of the metacarpal with conservation of the proximal end is a technique of management of complete ring avulsion injuries in the emergency situation. This study is a functional evaluation of the technique in comparison to replantation. METHODS: The present series includes 11 patients, average age of 35 years, predominantly manual workers, operated between October 2005 and July 2007. It consisted of two grades IVA, six grades IVB, and three grades IVC (classification of Merle-Michon). Cases were assessed according to grip and pinch strength, quantitative 400 points score and a work evaluation. RESULTS: Ten patients were evaluated with an average follow-up of nine months (range: three to 19 months). There were no complications apart from four patients with phantom pain. The time to return to work was three months (range: 10-219 days). All patients were satisfied with the cosmetic appearance, however eight of them suffered from psychological problems, finding it difficult to accept a four-fingered hand. Secondary surgery was unnecessary in the majority of the patients (80%). The grip strength was measured as 30% of grip strength of the unaffected side (range: 3-70%). The result of the 400 point score was 75,94% (range: 55-99%). CONCLUSION: Ray resection of the metacarpal with conservation of the proximal end is a reliable procedure. Strength is decreased but this does not stand in the way of a rapid return to previous work. However, the choice of strategy (ray resection versus microsurgical replantation) should be discussed in detail with the patient prior to selecting the appropriate option.

[Second toe transfer in congenital hand differences]. / Transfert de deuxième orteil dans les différences congénitales de la main.

In congenital hand differences, microsurgical toe transfer involves the creation of one or several rays in a child that never possessed them before. Second toe transplantation was uniformly used in this series that include 65 consecutive cases. Etiologies were represented by symbrachydactyly, constriction band syndrome or central cleft hand. Second toe transfer was performed with or without the MTP joint and followed by proximal ray resection of the donor toe. In the vast majority of theses cases, transplantation was performed in adactylic or monodactylic hand, the ultimate functional goal was the creation of a "tip-to-tip" two fingers pinch. Implantation site was chosen according to the situation of the existing finger(s). The existence of a functioning recipient MCP joint was one of the key factors of the final functional outcome. There were two vascular failures in this series with complete necrosis of the transplanted toe. Two additional toes appeared mediocre with respect to the overall transfer integration. The final mobility of the fingers reconstructed was measured using the total active motion score. Average TAM was poor (42 degrees +/-24 degrees ). In 12 out of 15 patients that were evaluated with a follow-up of at least five years, the static two-point discrimination was found to be excellent (less than 6mm). Our series did not allow us to establish a firm correlation between the type of nerve suture used and the quality of sensory recovery. Growth was measured as a percentage of the intact second toe (68 to 95%). All children on a long term basis had a normal gait without any impediment during sports or leisure activities. Clinical results obtained in this series lead to think that the cerebral cortex has got some plasticity which allows the integration of the transplants.

[Thumb duplication]. / Duplications du pouce.

Thumb duplication is one of the most frequent congenital abnormality. Treatment is rarely limited to surgical amputation of one of the thumb duplicate. Wassel proposed a classification of seven categories based on the level of skeletal division, the most frequent being the type IV. Factors influencing the surgical result are numerous, including the importance of angular deviation of both duplicates, the joint stability and the duplicate size. In the distal categories (type I and II), when both duplicates are symmetrical, thumb reconstruction should be achieved by fusion of both duplicates on the midline after partial resection of the central portion (Bilhaut-Cloquet procedure). In more proximal types, one of the thumb duplicates will usually be retained whereas the other smaller one will be removed. Additional surgical steps are also required including ligament reconstruction at the MCP level to improve stability, osteotomy to correct angular deviation in the frontal plane, and soft tissue augmentation with a local flap harvested from the resected duplicate. If acceptable thumbs can usually be obtained both on a cosmetic and functional standpoint, these thumbs are never perfect with at least a reduced ROM at the IP and/or MP level.

[Reconstruction of the trapeziometacarpal joint and the first metacarpal bone by reversed free osteocutaneous dorsalis pedis flap]. / Reconstruction de l'articulation trapézométacarpienne et du premier métacarpe par un lambeau ostéocutané retourné de deuxième métatarsien.

A case of reconstruction after first metacarpal resection by reversed free vascularized osteocutaneous pedis flap is presented. This procedure avoids bone resorption and preserves the trapezio metacarpal joint contrary to conventional bone graft. A double rotation is applied to the flap: the head of the metatarsal becomes proximal and the palmar side becomes dorsal. The metacarpo-phalangeal joint undergo arthrodesis. With a follow up of three years, there is no pain, the Kapandji score is 8/10 (very good range of motion), there is no osteoarthritis.