Clinical assessment of upper limb hypertonia in central neurological diseases.

The clinical assessment of a hypertonic upper limb in central neurological diseases should be analytical, systematic (shoulder, elbow, extrinsic and intrinsic hand) and focused on the patient or caregiver's wishes and on the expected objectives (esthetic, hygienic, functional). Nerve blocks can help to separate mixed contractures, show the existence of antagonist muscles or find a starter muscle in dystonia patterns. The etiology (especially the evolving nature of the disease), general health condition (especially in older adults), associated deficits (cerebellar, sensory and cognitive; hemineglect) are considered together to arrive at a contract with patients and/or caregivers.

Orthopaedic surgery for patients with central nervous system lesions: Concepts and techniques.

Since ancient times, the aim of orthopedic surgery has been to correct limb and joint deformities, including those resulting from central nervous system lesions. Recent developments in the treatment of spasticity have led to changes in concepts and management strategies. The increase in life expectancy has increased the functional needs of patients. Orthopedic surgery, along with treatments for spasticity, improves the functional capacity of patients with neuro-orthopaedic disorders, improving their autonomy. In this paper, we describe key moments in the history of orthopedic surgery regarding the treatment of patients with central nervous system lesions, from poliomyelitis to stroke-related hemiplegia, from the limbs to the spine, and from contractures to heterotopic ossification. A synthesis of the current surgical techniques is then provided, and the importance of multidisciplinary evaluation and management is highlighted, along with indications for medical, rehabilitation and surgical treatments and their combinations. We explain why it is essential to consider patients' expectations and to set achievable goals, particularly before surgery, which is by nature irreversible. More recently, specialized surgical teams have begun to favor the use of soft-tissue techniques over bony and joint procedures, except for spinal disorders. We highlight that orthopedic surgery is no longer the end-point of treatment. For example, lengthening a contractured muscle improves the balance around a joint, improving mobility and stability but may be only part of the problem. Further medical treatment and rehabilitation, or additional surgery, are often necessary to continue to improve the function of the limb. Despite the recognized effectiveness of orthopedic surgery for neuro-orthopedic disorders, few studies have formally evaluated them. Hence, there is a need for research to provide evidence to support orthopedic surgery for treating neuro-orthopedic disorders.

Resection of neurogenic heterotopic ossification (NHO) of the hip.

Neurogenic heterotopic ossification of the hip is secondary to neurologic lesions such as cranial trauma, stroke, medullary injury or cerebral anoxia. We shall not deal here with the other etiologies of heterotopic ossification. There are numerous locations within the hip, depending on etiology and relations with adjacent neurovascular structures are sometimes close. Preoperative work-up should include contrast-enhanced CT; scintigraphy is non-contributive. Indications for surgery are decided in a multidisciplinary team meeting, with a contract laying out expected functional gain. It is this contract that determines the extent of resection, without seeking complete resection, which would incur an increased risk of complications. The surgical approach and resection strategy depend on lesion location and any resulting neurovascular compression. The most common complications are infection and postoperative hematoma. No adjuvant treatments have demonstrated efficacy against recurrence.

Empirical advances with text mining of electronic health records.

BACKGROUND: Korian is a private group specializing in medical accommodations for elderly and dependent people. A professional data warehouse (DWH) established in 2010 hosts all of the residents' data. Inside this information system (IS), clinical narratives (CNs) were used only by medical staff as a residents' care linking tool. The objective of this study was to show that, through qualitative and quantitative textual analysis of a relatively small physiotherapy and well-defined CN sample, it was possible to build a physiotherapy corpus and, through this process, generate a new body of knowledge by adding relevant information to describe the residents' care and lives. METHODS: Meaningful words were extracted through Standard Query Language (SQL) with the LIKE function and wildcards to perform pattern matching, followed by text mining and a word cloud using R® packages. Another step involved principal components and multiple correspondence analyses, plus clustering on the same residents' sample as well as on other health data using a health model measuring the residents' care level needs. RESULTS: By combining these techniques, physiotherapy treatments could be characterized by a list of constructed keywords, and the residents' health characteristics were built. Feeding defects or health outlier groups could be detected, physiotherapy residents' data and their health data were matched, and differences in health situations showed qualitative and quantitative differences in physiotherapy narratives. CONCLUSIONS: This textual experiment using a textual process in two stages showed that text mining and data mining techniques provide convenient tools to improve residents' health and quality of care by adding new, simple, useable data to the electronic health record (EHR). When used with a normalized physiotherapy problem list, text mining through information extraction (IE), named entity recognition (NER) and data mining (DM) can provide a real advantage to describe health care, adding new medical material and helping to integrate the EHR system into the health staff work environment.

Postoperative infections after excision of neurogenic heterotopic ossifications at the hip: Risk factors and causative organisms.

BACKGROUND: Neurogenic heterotopic ossification (NHO) is usually treated by surgical excision. Postoperative infection (POI) is a possible complication, whose epidemiology, causative organisms, and risk factors are poorly known. We therefore conducted a case-control study to (1) identify the risk factors for POI after surgical excision of NHO at the hip, (2) determine the frequency of POI, (3) and identify the causative organisms. HYPOTHESIS: Risk factors for POI after NHO excision at the hip can be identified. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this retrospective case-control study, the BANKHO database for patients with NHO at our centre was used to identify risk factors by comparing patients with and without POI after NHO excision at the hip. To this end, odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were computed for each main criterion. Postoperative follow-up was at least 6 months. RESULTS: Between 1993 and 2013, 411 hip NHO excisions were performed. Among them, 42 (10%) were followed by POI. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score was I in 2/42 (5%) patients with vs. 74/369 (20%) patients without POI, II in 30/42 (71%) patients with vs. 258/369 (70%) patients without POI, and III in 10/42 (24%) patients with vs. 37/369 (10%) patients without POI (P<0.01). Mean age was 31±11 years (range, 17-79years) in the group with POI and 39±14 years (range, 15-77years) in the group without POI (P<0.01). The NHO was related to spinal cord injury in 26/42 (62%) patients with POI compared to 92/369 (25%) patients without POI (P<0.01). ORs indicated a significant risk increase in patients with an ASA score of III (2.84; 95%CI, 1.28-6.31), age younger than 30 years (1.85; 95%CI, 1.03-3.32), and spinal cord injury as the cause of NHO (4.89; 95%CI, 2.67-8.98). The predominant organisms were staphylococci (skin flora) in the patients with spinal cord injury and bacteria commonly found in intensive care units in the other patients. DISCUSSION: A higher ASA score, younger age, and spinal cord injury as the cause of NHO at the hip are risk factors for POI. The proportion of patients with POI after hip NHO excision was 10%, in accordance with previous reports. POI was more common among patients with spinal cord injury (22% vs. 5% in the other patients). Neither changes in prophylactic antibiotic therapy regimens nor the institution of a detailed skin preparation protocol affected the frequency of POI. Skin pH alterations may deserve to be investigated with the goal of diminishing the risk of POI, most notably in spinal cord injury patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, case-control study.

Successive motor nerve blocks to identify the muscles causing a spasticity pattern: example of the arm flexion pattern.

Botulinum Toxin A has been the main treatment for spasticity since the beginning of the 1990s. Surprisingly, there is still no consensus regarding injection parameters or, importantly, how to determine which muscles to target to improve specific functions. The aim of this study was to develop a systematic approach to determine this, using the example of the arm flexion pattern. We first determined anatomical landmarks for selective motor block of the brachialis nerve, using 20 forearms from 10 fresh cadavers in Ecole Européenne de Chirurgie and a university-based dissection centre, Paris, France. We then carried out selective blocks of the motor nerves to the brachialis, brachioradialis and biceps brachii in patients with stroke with an arm flexion pattern, in a University Rehabilitation Hospital, Garches, France. We measured: the resting angle of the elbow angle in standing (manual goniometer), active and passive range of extension, and spasticity using the Held and Tardieu and the Modified Ashworth scales. Range of passive elbow extension was also measured with the shoulder in 90° of flexion. The resting angle of the elbow in standing decreased by 35.0° (from 87.6 ± 23.7 to 52.6 ± 24.2°) with inhibition of brachialis, by a further 3.9° (from 52.6 ± 24.2 to 48.7 ± 23.7°) with inhibition of brachioradialis and a further 14.5° (from 48.7 ± 23.7to 34.2 ± 20.7°) with inhibition of biceps brachii. These results were consistent with the clinical evaluation of passive elbow range of motion with the shoulder at 90°. Sequential blocking of the nerves to the three main elbow flexors revealed that the muscle that limited elbow extension the most, was brachialis. This muscle should be the main target to improve the arm flexion pattern. These results show that it is important not simply to inject the most superficial or powerful muscles to treat a spastic deformity. A comprehensive assessment is required. The strategy proposed in this paper should increase the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections by ensuring that the relevant muscles are targeted.

Beliefs relating to recurrence of heterotopic ossification following excision in patients with spinal cord injury: a review.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of the literature. OBJECTIVES: It is widely believed that the timing of surgery and the size of the initial Neurological Heterotopic Ossification (NHO) affect the recurrence risk of NHO after SCI. A large number of studies were published in the 80s and the 90s, mostly of poor quality despite the fact that they were carried out by experienced surgical teams. The aim of this study was to suggest recommendations relating to the timing of excision of heterotopic ossification after SCI following the analysis of a recent review of the literature. SETTING: France. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed Embase from January 2002 until June 2014 using the MESH headings 'spinal cord injury', 'paraplegia', 'heterotopic ossification' and 'surgery'. Results were compared with results from epidemiological studies based on the BANKHO database (patients who underwent surgery for troublesome HO after central neurological system (CNS) lesions in our center (357 patients, 539 surgeries)). RESULTS: Few studies were found in the literature, results were sometimes contradictory and practices heterogeneous. Results from the BANKHO database showed that troublesome recurrence of NHO was not associated with 'early' surgery (before 6 months), and no association was found between recurrence and the size of the NHO around the joint (Brooker status). CONCLUSION: We suggest that surgical excision of the NHO should be carried out when it begins to be troublesome, as soon as comorbid factors are under control and the HO is sufficiently constituted for excision.

Acquired deforming hypertonia and contractures in elderly subjects: definition and prevalence in geriatric institutions (ADH survey).

OBJECTIVE: By proposing a new terminology (acquired deforming hypertonia or ADH) and a new definition for contractures, the main objective of this study was to establish their prevalence among institutionalized elderly patients. Secondary objectives were to analyze the negative impact of ADH and collect the opinions of clinicians on the possible treatments available. METHODOLOGY: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among residents of 39 geriatric institutions (29 EHPAD and 10 USLD). All subjects presenting at least one ADH were surveyed over a one-week period. RESULTS: Among 3145 observed patients (mean age 88.9±9.7 years) 22% (n=692) presented at least one ADH. In average, each patient presented 4.4±3.2 ADHs. Negative consequences on self-care, nursing and difficulties in getting dressed were most frequently observed. Only 25.4% of clinicians considered the ADH to be potentially reversible. Physical therapy was the therapeutic option most frequently chosen over medication and surgery. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the important prevalence of ADH among elderly institutionalized patients. Consequences on the level of dependence were significant. It seems relevant to elaborate hierarchical therapeutic strategies in order to counter these disorders and the fatalism that ensues.

[Surgical management of spasticity of the intrinsic muscles of the long fingers in adults after cerebral palsy, 68 operated hands]. / Prise en charge chirurgicale de la spasticité des muscles intrinsèques des doigts longs dans la main spastique de l'adulte cérébrolésé, à propos de 68 mains opérées.

Between November 2001 and January 2008, 56 patients (68 hands) out of 110 patients operated for spastic hand deformities, presented with spasticity of the intrinsic muscles of the long fingers (interosseii and the abductor pollicis brevis). All patients were adults (mean age 42.1 years). The surgical indication was discussed during multidisciplinary consultations with selective nerve blocks enabling us to distinguish between extrinsic and intrinsic pathologies on the one hand and muscular spasticity and tendon retractions on the other hand. The aim of the treatment was defined in a "contract" signed with the patient and/or his family. It was hygienic, aesthetic and analgesic in 15 cases, hygienic and analgesic in 32 cases and functional in 21 cases. Four hands were treated by neurectomy of the ulnar nerve's motor ramus, 54 by tenotomies of the interosseous muscles, 18 by tenotomy of the abductor digiti minimi, six by metacarpal disinsertion of the interosseous muscles. On a total of 67 hands operated associating surgery of the extrinsic and intrinsic flexors, 63 had good primary results as defined in the contract. We noted four relapses, two of which required revision. The authors emphasize the frequency of mixed spastic hands in adults after cerebral palsy. However modest the functional results may be, correction of hygienic and pain problems of non-functional hands as well as aesthetic improvements make surgery of the mixed spastic hand a successful intervention, which should be shared.

Impact of late surgical intervention on heterotopic ossification of the hip after traumatic neurological injury.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) of the hip after injury to the central nervous system can lead to joint ankylosis. Surgery is usually delayed to avoid recurrence, even if the functional status is affected. We report a consecutive series of patients with HO of the hip after injury to the central nervous system who required surgery in a single, specialised tertiary referral unit. As was usual practice, they all underwent CT to determine the location of the HO and to evaluate the density of the femoral head and articular surface. The outcome of surgery was correlated with the pre-, peri- and post-operative findings. In all, 183 hips (143 patients) were included of which 70 were ankylosed. A total of 25 peri-operative fractures of the femoral neck occurred, all of which arose in patients with ankylosed hips and were associated with intra-articular lesions in 18 and severe osteopenia of the femoral head in seven. All the intra-articular lesions were predicted by CT and strongly associated with post-operative complications. The loss of the range of movement before ankylosis is a more important factor than the maturity of the HO in deciding the timing of surgery. Early surgical intervention minimises the development of intra-articular pathology, osteoporosis and the resultant complications without increasing the risk of recurrence of HO.

OPHDIAT: a telemedical network screening system for diabetic retinopathy in the Ile-de-France.

OBJECTIVE: International and national guidelines recommend an annual funduscopic examination for all diabetic patients, but such annual fundus examinations are not sufficiently performed in France. Non-mydriatic fundus photography is a valid method of evaluation for diabetic retinopathy (DR) and a viable alternative to ophthalmoscopy. After two pilot studies demonstrated the feasibility of telemedical screening for diabetic retinopathy in both hospital and primary-care settings, we developed a regional telemedical network, OPHDIAT, designed to facilitate access to regular annual evaluations of patients with diabetes while saving medical time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OPHDIAT comprises peripheral screening centres equipped with non-mydriatic cameras, where fundus photographs are taken by technicians linked by telemedicine to a reference centre, where ophthalmologists grade the images. Currently in the Ile-de-France region, 16 screening centres are linked through a central server to an ophthalmologic reading centre and includes 11 centres located in the diabetes departments of 11 hospitals, one diabetic retinopathy screening centre located in northern Paris, three in healthcare centres and one in a prison. RESULTS: During the 28-month evaluation period, 15,307 DR screening examinations were performed. Retinal photographs of at least one eye could not be graded in 1332 patients (9.7%) and diabetic retinopathy was detected in 3350 patients (23.4%). After the screening examination, 3478 patients (25.2%) were referred to an ophthalmologist for either DR, cataract and/or non-gradable photographs. CONCLUSION: Fundus photography combined with telemedicine has the potential to improve the regular annual evaluation for diabetic retinopathy. The organization of the network around a central reading centre serves to guarantee quality control.

[Excision of heterotopic new bone around the elbow in patients with head injury: 51 cases]. / Résultats de la chirurgie des ostéomes du coude chez le cérébro-lésé: a propos de 51 cas.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Neurogenic paraosteoarthropathy of the elbow is a frequent complication in head injury patients. The functional impairment may be severe. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of our medico-surgical approach and to determine indications for surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed retrospectively a continuous series of 44 patients (51 elbows) with neurogenic heterotopic new bone of the elbow joint managed from 1993 to 2000. The heterotopic bone had developed on a central deficit limb in 70% of the patients. Flexion-extension was limited in all patients, and pronation-supination in nine. The ulnar nerve was compressed by the heterotopic bone in half of the patients. A 3D reconstruction CT-scan with contrast injection was obtained in all patients. We consider did not the classical criteria for bone maturation to assess operability. Using an adapted approach, we removed the heterotopic new bone to enable complete elbow motion. Associated procedures were performed in fifteen patients due to persistent intraoperative joint stiffness related to muscle-tendon retraction. We did not prescribe diphosphonates or radiotherapy postoperatively. RESULTS: At 45 months follow-up, one patient had been lost. Relative gain was considered very good in 34 elbows, good in 13 and fair in 3. There were no cases of lost motion. There were no recurrences causing joint limitation, but two of nine cases of radioulnar synostosis recurred. DISCUSSION: Neurogenic paraosteopathy of the elbow impairs joint function and may lead to ulnar nerve compression. The goal of surgery is to improve function. The analysis of our results show that early surgery yields good results without complementary treatment, irrespective of the patient's overall functional deficit or cognitive status and irrespective of the localization of the hetertopic bone. The essential prognostic factor for the quality results is the neurological status of the limb, particularly the degree of spasticity and muscle-tendon retraction.

[Constituted adult equine from the ankle: surgical treatment by Ilizarov external fixator]. / Pieds équins constitués de l'adulte: correction par fixateur externe d'Ilizarov.

INTRODUCTION: Ilizarov's external fixator indications are classically used in children to lengthen the lower limbs. This technique is used for adults to gradually correct articular limitations, especially in the knee, ankle and foot. METHOD AND RESULTS: We report a case of a 53-year-old patient with distal microangiopathy of the lower limbs leading to amputation of the toes and a bilateral, direct, irreducible, isolated equine feature? from the back foot to 0/50/60 degrees? on retraction of the Achilles tendon. The aim of patient management was to regain walking ability. Because of vascular and cutaneous fragility, the classical surgical treatment was contra-indicated. Progressive reduction by Ilizarov's external fixator was tried. Dorsal inflection was obtained by twice-daily screwing until a radiological angle of 90 degrees was obtained between the tibia and talus. At ten weeks post-surgery, the dorsal voluntary inflection ankle amplitude was symmetrical to 0/10/60 degrees. The patient walked with orthopaedic shoes compensating for the few degrees of residual equine. DISCUSSION: Correction of adult equine without osseous deformation by Ilizarov's external fixator should be considered when conventional surgery is contra-indicated.

Ankylosing neurogenic myositis ossificans of the hip. An enhanced volumetric CT study.

Neurogenic myositis ossificans is a disabling condition affecting the large joints of patients with severe post-traumatic impairment of the central nervous system. It can result in ankylosis of the joint and vascular or neural compression. Surgery may be hazardous with potential haemorrhage, neurovascular injury, iatrogenic fracture and osteochondral injury. We undertook pre-operative volumetric CT assessment of 45 ankylosed hips with neurogenic myositis ossificans which required surgery. Helical CT with intravenous contrast, combined with two- and three-dimensional surface reconstructions, was the only pre-operative imaging procedure. This gave good differentiation of the heterotopic bone from the adjacent vessels. We established that early surgery, within 24 months of injury, was neither complicated by peri-operative fracture nor by the early recurrence of neurogenic myositis ossificans. Surgical delay was associated with a loss of joint space and a greater degree of bone demineralisation. Enhanced volumetric CT is an excellent method for the pre-operative assessment of neurogenic myositis ossificans and correlates well with the operative findings.

[Surgical treatment of orthopedic deformities due to spasticity in the lower limb]. / Les traitements orthopédiques des conséquences dela spasticité membre inférieur.

Orthopedic deformities in the lower limb concern all joints (hip, knee, ankle, foot) with a wide range of clinical forms. Spasticity, contracture, stiffness, laxity, neurological deficit are assessed to establish the surgical procedure. Surgical techniques are adapted to the goals that are detailed with the patient and his family: standing, transferring, walking, hygiene, devices (shoes, orthosis, canes, wheelchair). Surgical procedures can associate: lengthening of contractured muscles (tenotomy with or without sutures, fractional lengthening at the musculo-tendinous junction or desinsertion), strengthening of antagonists (passive or active tendon transfer) and correction of joint deformity (arthrolysis, arthrodesis, arthroplasty). In adults, the most common deformities are the equinus or equinovarus foot, toe curling, hip adductum, knee flessum. Talus or knee recurvatum are less frequently observed. The association of various deformities raises questions concerning the hierarchy of surgical procedure, from an anatomical point of view (do we start with proximal or distal joint first?) as from chronological concerns (shall we do one or more procedures?). Pluridisciplinary assessment using neurological anesthetic blocs and dynamic EMG or gait analysis is necessary to detail the aims of surgery and choose the surgical procedures.

The value of suction drainage fluid culture during aseptic and septic orthopedic surgery: a prospective study of 901 patients.

There are no guidelines on the value of suction drainage fluid culture (SDC), and it is difficult to determine whether the organisms cultured from suction drainage fluid samples are pathogenic or simply contaminants. We performed 2989 cultures of suction drainage fluid samples obtained, during a 1-year period, from 901 patients who underwent aseptic or septic orthopedic surgery (946 operations). The culture results were analyzed to evaluate their ability to detect postoperative infection after aseptic operations or to detect either a persistent or new episode of sepsis in patients known to have infection. For aseptic operations, the sensitivity of SDC was 25%, the specificity was 99%, the positive predictive value was 25%, and the negative predictive value was 99%. For septic operations, the sensitivity of SDC was 81%, the specificity was 96%, the positive predictive value was 87%, and the negative predictive value was 94%. We conclude that, for aseptic orthopedic surgery, SDC is not useful in detecting postoperative infection. However, for septic orthopedic surgery, it is of clinical importance.

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) for the treatment of osteomyelitis: evaluation of efficacy, tolerance and cost.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and cost of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) in the treatment of osteomyelitis. SUBJECTS: 39 patients with an osteomyelitis requiring parenterally administered antibiotics for more than 4 weeks, and able to receive antibiotics at home. METHODS: All patients had a totally implanted catheter. Antibiotics were administered by continuous infusion using a portable elastomeric infusion system, which was changed every day by the patient or by the home-care nurse. Laboratory monitoring and surveillance were performed weekly. Clinical efficacy, adverse effects and quality of life were recorded. RESULTS: The most commonly used antibiotics were vancomycin (51%) and beta-lactam (44%) antibiotics. Thirty patients were available for follow-up for a minimum of 12 months after completion of therapy. Twenty-eight (93%) were considered cured of their infection with a mean of 24 +/- 4 months after completion of antibiotic therapy. Adverse effects among the study patients were rare. The 39 patients in our OPAT programme resulted in a potential saving of US $1 873 885 relative to conventional therapy. CONCLUSION: OPAT is practicable and effective and may be the best alternative treatment for patients suffering from osteomyelitis requiring intravenous therapy.

Results of excision of heterotopic new bone around the elbow in patients with head injuries. A series of 25 cases.

Twenty patients were operated upon for heterotopic ossification around the elbow of neurogenic origin following intra-cranial trauma between 1993 and 1997. They did not receive any diphosphonates or radiotherapy. Pre-operative evaluation included a CT scan with enhancement using a dye injected intravenously and 3D reconstruction. Surgery was indicated in the presence of a clinical deficit in mobility or signs (clinical or electrical) of nerve compression. The average delay between the accident and the surgery was 34 months (5 months to 9 years). Associated procedure included lengthening of the brachialis (4 cases), lengthening of the triceps tendon (4 cases) and an anterior capsulotomy in 3 cases. 24 elbows were reviewed with an average follow-up period of 18 months (6 months to 4 years). In 58% of the cases, the result was very good (gain in mobility > 70%) while in the remaining 42% of cases, the improvement was between 40% and 70%. This study confirms the possibility of obtaining good results by excision of the masses of heterotopic ossification of neurogenic origin around the elbow before 1 year after the accident without the necessity of complementary treatment.