Entrapment of Median Nerve After Pediatric Elbow Dislocation with a Brief Review of Literature: A Case Study.

CASE: We present a case of type II (intraosseous) entrapment of the median nerve in a patient who was diagnosed based on clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging and who was treated with medial epicondyle osteotomy, neurolysis, and transposition of the nerve to its anatomical position within a month of injury. Our patient made a complete motor and sensory recovery at 5 months with complete functionality and grip strength. CONCLUSION: Median nerve entrapment after posterolateral elbow dislocation is a rare complication with roughly 40 cases reported in the literature. This case illustrates the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Constriction Band Release in a Neonatal Ischemic Limb: A Pediatric Anesthesiology Case Report.

A 1.1 Kg, four-hour-old, 29-weeks-gestation male patient presented with right upper extremity ischemia secondary to neonatal constriction band syndrome. Emergency constriction band release was deemed necessary to facilitate limb salvage. The anesthetic management of this patient required close communication with the surgical team and meticulous attention to the risks of post-reperfusion syndrome and blood loss in this fragile neonate. Limb salvage was ultimately successful, and the patient demonstrated full neurologic recovery at his two-year follow-up visit.

Successful Emergent Treatment of Limb-Threatening Amniotic Constriction Band in a Neonate with a 2-year Follow-up: A Case Report.

CASE: A 29-week-old gestational age neonate born by emergent cesarean delivery was found to have a circumferential upper arm amniotic constriction band. Initial removal of the amniotic band at the time of delivery uncovered a circumferential skin band with profound venous obstruction but preserved Doppler arterial flow. Emergent excision of the constricted skin band with fasciotomies of the arm and forearm was performed shortly after birth to preserve the extremity. CONCLUSION: This report outlines a visualized constriction band at the time of delivery causing neurovascular compromise to an extremity of a neonate. Prompt intervention ensued preserving both form and function with an excellent 2-year follow-up.

Septic Joints: Finger and Wrist.

Infections in the joints of the hand and wrist carry the risk of significant morbidity. Common presenting symptoms include joint redness, swelling, and pseudoparalysis that occurs several days following a penetrating trauma. Diagnostic workup should be expedited, including a laboratory evaluation and arthrocentesis. Imaging, including radiographs, ultrasound, computed tomography, and/or MRI, are helpful tools in diagnosis. Once infection is identified, prompt surgical debridement and antibiotics are required. Once the infection has been managed, hand therapy is initiated to decrease the risk of stiffness. Stiffness is the most common complication following infection; additional reported complications include arthritis, ankylosis, and amputation."

Efficacy of Dorsoradial Capsulodesis for Trapeziometacarpal Joint Instability: A Cadaver Study.

PURPOSE: To test the biomechanical properties of the dorsoradial capsulodesis procedure. METHODS: Six cadaveric hands were used. After exposing the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint, we placed Kirschner wires in the distal radius and thumb metacarpal. The rotation shear test was then performed to test the joint axial laxity, and angular measurements using Kirschner wires as reference points were documented. The dorsoradial (DR) ligament and capsule were released, followed by the intermetacarpal (IM) ligament; angular measurements were obtained. Finally, the DR capsulodesis procedure was performed, and final measurements were obtained. Comparisons were made among the various stages of ligament integrity to determine the amount of stability provided by DR capsulodesis. RESULTS: All cadavers demonstrated axial laxity with transection of the DR ligament; an increase in stability was obtained after DR capsulodesis. Transection of the capsule and IM ligament caused increased laxity relative to the native joint (median, 24° and 35°, respectively, on rotational testing). After we performed DR capsulodesis, rotational stability improved by a median of 41° compared with DR ligament transection, 49° compared with DR and IM ligament transection, and 18° relative to the native joint. CONCLUSIONS: Dorsoradial capsulodesis restores rotational stability for TMC joint after division of the DR and IM ligaments. The stability achieved was statistically significant compared with both an intact native TMC joint and induced laxity of the TMC joint. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The DR capsulodesis procedure may improve rotational stability to the TMC joint.

Neurobehavioral consequences of cortical adaptation disruption during ontogeny.

Filtering of redundant or stable inputs is a critical function of all sensory pathways. Normal sensory gating can allow processing resources to be differentially devoted to changing or otherwise biologically significant stimuli. In olfaction, short-term odor habituation is mediated by a metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-mediated depression of afferent synapses in the piriform cortex. Given the role of early experience in shaping cortical function and anatomy, the present experiments examined the effects of chronic habituation disruption during development on behavior and local circuit anatomy. Rats were chronically intra-cerebrally infused with the mGluR group III antagonist (RS)-a-cyclopropyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine (CPPG) during early development. The results demonstrated that early onset mGluRIII blockade resulted in a long-lasting decrement in odor habituation compared to controls, evident for at least 2 weeks post-infusion offset. Odor investigation time in the youngest animals was correlated with cortical laminar thickness, though the long-lasting behavioral effect showed no such correlation. No changes in apical dendritic spine density in the piriform cortex were detected. Combined with previous work, these results suggest that sensory gating disruption during development can have both immediate and long-lasting effects on sensory-guided behavior.