[Legg-Calve-Perthes disease]. / La maladie de Legg-Perthes-Calvé: challenge étiologique, thérapeutique et pronostique.

Treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease remains, in spite of realized progresses, difficult and disturbing. The important factors for establishing diagnosis concerning definition, etiology, physiopathology and clinical manifestations are reminded. The role of present complementary investigations as well as their evolution are very important to better establish the prognosis and the treatment. The most important factors for treating and establishing the prognosis of LPC are: 1) age. The prognosis is good in almost every case before 5 years old, without any treatment; 2) the prognosis is not good after 9 years, also, very often, after surgical treatment; 3) area of the epiphyseal necrosis, particularly of the lateral pillar; 4) extrusion of the hip at any age. Today, there is always no causal treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. Conservative and surgical treatment aims to prevent deformities of the femoral head accompanied or not by articular incongruency, responsible for hip arthritis from the fourth decade. The place of conservative and surgical treatment as well as their complications are described; it aims to guide the spontaneous recovery with as little as possible, deformation of the femoral epiphysis.

[Gait disorders and lower leg deformities in children]. / Mon enfant marche mat les anomalies du morphotype des membres inférieurs.

Gait disorders and lower legs deformities in children are frequent causes of parental concern and of medical advice. These deformities should be analysed systematically as well as their consequences for daily activities. We should define precisely type, localisation and importance of the deformity: femoral or tibial torsion, knock knees, bow legs. The evaluation should always be done according to age of the child because these deformities are most often a step toward adult morphotype. Sometimes they could be the manifestation of some generalised or localised pathology that should be investigated and treated. Nevertheless patience and explanations, regular follow-up allow to reassure the parents. There is in the great majority of case no place for any conservatrice and especially surgical treatment for theses disorders spontaneously healing in 95% of cases.

Post-traumatic overload or acute syndrome of the os trigonum: a possible cause of posterior ankle impingement.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the post-traumatic overload syndrome of the os trigonum as a possible cause of posterior ankle impingement and hindfoot pain. We have reviewed 19 athletes who were referred to our foot unit between 1995 and 2001 because of posterior ankle pain, and in whom a post-traumatic overload syndrome of os trigonum was diagnosed. All these patients were followed up over a period of 2 years. In 11 cases a chronic repetitive movements in forced plantar flexion was found. In the other eight cases the pain appeared to persist after a standard treatment of an ankle sprain in inversion plantar flexion. The diagnosis was based on clinical history, physical examination and X-rays that revealed a non-fused os trigonum. The confirmation of diagnosis was carried-out injecting local anaesthetic under fluoroscopic control. In all cases a corticosteroid injection as first line treatment was performed. In 6 cases a second injection was necessary to alleviate pain because incomplete recovery with the first injection. Three cases (16%) were recalcitrant to this treatment and in these three cases a surgical excision of the os trigonum was carried out. Our conclusion is that after some chronic athletic activity or an acute ankle sprain the os trigonum, if present, may undergo mechanical overload, remain undisrupted and become painful. Treatment by corticosteroid injection often resolves the problem.

Avascular necrosis after osteotomy of the talar neck to correct residual club-foot deformity in children. A long-term review.

In order to determine the incidence of avascular necrosis after osteotomy of the talar neck, we re-evaluated 11 patients (16 feet) with idiopathic club foot who had undergone this procedure at a mean age of eight years (5 to 13) to correct a residual adduction deformity. All had been initially treated conservatively and operatively. The mean follow-up was 39 years (36 to 41). Surgery consisted of a closing-wedge osteotomy of the talar neck combined, in 14 feet, with lengthening of the first cuneiform and a Steindler procedure. At follow-up eight feet were free from pain, three had occasional mild pain and five were regularly painful after routine activities. Two patients were unlimited in their activity, six occasionally limited after strenuous and three regularly limited after strenuous activity. Using the Ponseti score, the feet were rated as good in four, fair in three and poor in nine. In seven feet avascular necrosis with collapse and flattening of the talar dome had occurred. In all of these feet the children were younger than ten years of age at the time of surgery. In three feet, avascular necrosis of the talar head was also observed. We conclude that osteotomy of the talar neck in children under the age of ten years can cause avascular necrosis and should be abandoned.

Mechanical characterization of brushite and hydroxyapatite cements.

Compression, tension and torsion tests were designed and completed successfully on a brushite and a precipitated hydroxyapatite cement in moist condition. Elastic and strength properties were measured for these three loading cases. For each cement, the full set of strength data was fitted to an isotropic Tsai-Wu criterion and the associated coefficients identified. Since the compressive Young's moduli were about 10% larger than the tensile moduli, the full set of elastic data of each cement was fitted to a conewise linear elastic model. Hysteresis of the stress-strain curves was also observed, indicating dissipation mechanisms within these cement microstructures. A comparison of the measured mechanical properties with human cancellous bone confirmed the indication of brushite as a bone filling material and the potential of the hydroxyapatite cement as a structural biomaterial.

Clear cell syringofibroadenoma (of Mascaro) of the nail.

Eccrine syringofibroadenoma (ESFA) is a rare disorder. We report the first case of ESFA of the nail apparatus, which presented as a yellow longitudinal onycholytic band of the left fourth finger over an intermittently painful subungual filamentous tumour. Histological examination showed features of ESFA with a digitate pattern of papillomatosis due to the specialized physiological longitudinal arrangement of the ridges in the nail bed. In addition, we describe a new feature of colloidal iron-positive clear cells. In our case, the presence of two types of cells with a central ductal differentiation and a significant amount of mucopolysaccharides in clear cells could suggest differentiation towards both the ductal and the secretory portion of the eccrine gland.

The scarf osteotomy for the treatment of hallux valgus deformity: a review of 84 cases.

This study reviewed the subjective, clinical and radiological outcome of 71 patients (84 feet) treated by scarf osteotomy for hallux valgus deformity at our institution from 1995 to 1998 with an average follow-up time of 22 months (range, 17 to 48 months). At the time of follow-up, 39% of the patients were very satisfied, 50% were satisfied and 11% were not satisfied. The mean AOFAS score raised significantly from 43 points (14-68) preoperatively to 82 points (39 to 100) at follow-up (p < 0.001). The radiological angles including M1-M2, M1-P1, M1-M5 and DMAA improved significantly (p < 0.001). Among the 16 complications recorded, seven (8%) were minor and nine (11%) required an additional procedure. The scarf osteotomy of the first metatarsal coupled with a lateral soft-tissue release and, in three-quarters of our cases, with a basal closing wedge varisation osteotomy of the first phalanx, resulted in overall high satisfaction rate as well as significant clinical and radiological improvements in our series. Nevertheless, the range of motion of the first MP joint remained low: 30 degrees to 74 degrees in 52 patients (62%) and <30 degrees in four patients (5%). Furthermore, the mobility of the first ray as well as the consequences of the procedure in the sagittal plane need to be assessed more accurately, and this may be achieved by incorporating measurement of the plantar pressures in the forefoot area into the global rating system.

["My child walks on his tiptoes"]. / "Mon enfant marche sur la pointe des pieds".

Toe walking is a symptom that occurs frequently in the normal childhood population. The management of children who walk in a symmetrical and permanent way on the toes is presented. In most cases no etiology of toe walking is found. Idiopathic Toe Walking (ITW) is considered a diagnosis of exclusion and is employed only when all other possibilities have been eliminated with a meticulous clinical examination and various investigations. If any etiology is found, the treatment should be first non operative whereas heel cord lengthening is the treatment of choice in ITW. This surgical treatment should be limited to children with functional impairement and is ideally carried out as late as possible.

["Round back" in children and adolescents]. / Le "dos rond" de l'enfant et de l'adolescent.

The hyper-kyphosis or "the postural round back" is one of the most common complaints in orthopedic practice. In the majority of cases, the thoracic kyphosis are painless and flexible. The vertebral bodies are normal on radiograms. This is "the kyphotic attitude" or postural round-back. A medical treatment is not the necessary rule. Life hygiene, sports and simple supervision are needed. Nevertheless, there are still pathological fixed kyphosis, induced in the majority of cases by Scheuermann's disease. The other possible etiologies (congenital, paralytic, post-traumatic, Pott's disease, postradiation, or metabolic origin) are a lot rare ones and will be excluded by clinical examination and imaging studies. The structural hyper-kyphosis require treatment. We will approach successively steps of the diagnosis and treatment of the hyper-kyphosis of the adolescent.

Simplified 3D-evaluation of periacetabular osteotomy.

Reorientation osteotomies are widely used for the treatment of residual dysplasia of the hip. Preoperative planning is mandatory, and 3D-evaluation is of utmost importance for precise definition of direction and magnitude of displacement of the acetabulum. Instead of a 3D-CT scan reconstruction which needs multiple slices, we developed a 3D-reconstruction from a single AP pelvic view. This method is applicable if we accept that the femoral head and acetabulum are quite spherical. Appropriate software and a PC are used for this reconstruction that we compared with 3D CT-scan reconstruction and pelvic anatomical preparations. Twenty-two patients, 17 female, 5 male, with hip dysplasia, were treated by periacetabular osteotomy according to Ganz. The mean age was 27 years (14-40 years); the mean follow-up, 4.8 years (2-7 years). Four patients were treated conservatively in infancy for DDH, one patient had snapping hips associated with hip dysplasia, and two patients had slight sequellae of cerebral palsy. All patients were symptomatic mainly during daily activities or sports. The clinical evaluation was done using the Charnley scoring system. The Charnley score for pain improved from 3.6 (2-3.5) to 5.8 (5-6) at follow-up. No restriction of mobility or of walking capacity was observed after operation. The computer-assisted method also permits appreciation of the evolution of classical coxometry; i.e. Wiberg and Lequesne angles. The improvement after Ganz osteotomy was respectively 141% and 161% for Wiberg and Lequesne angles without any posterior uncoverage. The 3D-evaluation showed an improvement of 28% of the vertical projection area of the acetabulum on the femoral head. The anterolateral coverage improved from 20.3 to 50.1%. The Ganz osteotomy is really a 3D-reorientation osteotomy. With our simplified method it is possible to predict and control the amount of displacement to be done. However, we have to keep in mind that the articular cartilage is a limited crescent in the acetabulum; this method cannot replicate exactly the form and shape of articular cartilage. At this time it allows us to better control the amount of displacement during operation to avoid too large a displacement or lateralization.

A proven case of materno-foetal transfusion determined by cytogenetic and DNA analysis.

We report a case of materno-foetal transfusion in a phenotypically normal male foetus after death in utero at the 35th week of gestation. We have used cytogenetic and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) microsatellite analysis to determine the presence of maternal cells in foetal blood collected by intracardiac puncture. In the intracardiac blood sample, maternal cells were estimated to comprise between 5 and 10% of nucleated foetal blood cells. When there is a suspicion of foetal genetic pathology, it is necessary to be aware that the foetal blood karyotype may be misrepresentative, as the analysed blood cells can indeed be of maternal origin.

Talocalcaneal bar resection.

The purpose of this retrospective study is to report the author's experience with talocalcaneal bar resections in eight young patients, mean age 14.1 years, with a mean follow-up of 54 months (range, 36-136 months). All patients were submitted before surgery to conservative treatment during 20.3 months (range, 6-60 months) which consisted of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, short waves, and insoles. At follow-up, no recurrence and no secondary deformity of the foot were observed. Four patients were totally pain free with no restriction of activity, two patients had some pain during sport exercises, and one patient with bilateral involvement had pain after strenuous activities. The study evaluated the mobility of the subtalar joint at follow-up by comparing it with the healthy side. A total restoration of mobility was observed in four patients, partial in three, and limited residual mobility was observed in only one patient. Talocalcaneal bar resection is the treatment of choice in young patients after failure of conservative measures. In this population, there is no place for subtalar joint arthrodesis.

[Percutaneous epiphysiodesis in the treatment of adolescent genu valgum]. / Epiphysiodèse percutanée dans le traitement du genu valgum de l'adolescent.

UNLABELLED: Persistent genu valgum in adolescent induce abnormal gait and functional disturbances. Surgical correction should prevent secondary osteoarthritis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty three percutaneous epiphysiodesis in 12 children are reviewed at the end of growth. The surgical technique and the X-ray evaluation and timing calculation of epiphysiodesis according to Bowen are described. RESULTS: The supine intermalleolar distance is reduced from 11.8 cm to 2.8 cm. The femoro-tibial angle is reduced from 12.9 degrees to 7.9 degrees and distance between mechanical axis and center of knee from 25.3 mm to 8.6 mm. These results are very good, without any complications. DISCUSSION: Percutaneous epiphysiodesis is really a mini-invasive and cost effective method for treatment of genu valgum. The results are at least as good as in Blount stapling without any complication or second surgery for hardware removal. The timing of epiphysiodesis remain a difficult problem and the physician should be very cautious in determining the good time for surgery. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous epiphysiodesis is today the treatment of choice for genu valgum. This method is non invasive and cost effective.

Pathologic fracture of the femur neck as first manifestation of a minute columnar cell carcinoma of the thyroid gland.

This case report concerns a 64 year-old woman who presented a pathologic fracture of the femur neck. Histologic examination of the performed bone biopsy disclosed the presence of a carcinomatous metastasis with unusual microscopic features. The site of the primary tumor could be unequivocally determined as being the thyroid gland, as immunostaining of the tumor cells showed positivity with anti-thyroglobulin. The thyroidectomy specimen weighed 149 g, was nodular and partially calcified. Exhaustive microscopic examination finally revealed the presence of a minute columnar cell carcinoma, 0.6 cm in diameter, with obvious vascular invasion. This case illustrates well 1) the usefulness of immunostaining with anti-thyroglobulin in cases of bone metastasis with unusual microscopic features and unknown primary, as well as 2) the aggressiveness of this rare type of carcinoma of the thyroid.

Immunoscintigraphy with antigranulocyte monoclonal antibodies for the diagnosis of septic loosening of hip prostheses.

To determine the value of immunoscintigraphy (IS) with antigranulocyte monoclonal antibodies (Mab) in the diagnosis of subacute or chronic infection of hip prostheses, we prospectively studied 57 patients (23 women and 34 men; age 29-92 years, mean 72.7 years) sent to our institution in the past 6 years for clinical suspicion of septic loosening of a hip prosthesis. Nineteen patients had bilateral prostheses and one of them was studied twice. A total of 78 prostheses were examined. All patients had three-phase bone scans followed by IS with technetium-99m antigranulocyte Mab BW 250/183. Intervals between bone scans and IS varied from 2 days to 4 weeks. Final diagnosis was assessed by culture in 48 cases (articular puncture or intraoperative sampling) and by clinical follow-up of at least 8 months in 30 cases. Twelve prostheses were considered septic and 66 non-septic. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 92% and 64% respectively for bone scans, 67% and 75% for IS and 67% and 84% for both modalities together. In three cases, IS was doubtful and the final clinical diagnosis was negative for infection. False-positive results were observed in the presence of massive loosening of the prosthesis or in association with metaplastic peri-articular bone formation. In three of the four false-negative results, infection was proven only after enrichment of the culture, and the bacterium was Staphylococcus epidermidis. In 12/33 (36%) positive bone scans IS allowed the diagnosis of infection to be excluded. Overall accuracy of both modalities together was 81% and the negative predictive value was 93%, which compares favourably with the results reported for other non-invasive methods.