Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis managed by a nighttime bending brace.

This study evaluated and compared the effectiveness of managing adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with a total contact bending spine orthosis worn only during nighttime sleep with established bracing programs and electrical stimulation treatment. Brace treatment was prescribed for 30 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis for the management of 50 spinal curvatures averaging 28.5 degrees (range: 13 degrees-40 degrees). Average patient age at the initiation of brace wear was 12+/-10 years (range: 9+/-10 to 16+/-8 years). All 30 patients were skeletally immature (Risser sign, 0-3) at initiation of orthotic treatment and underwent follow-up to maturity. Patients were instructed to wear the braces for at least 8-10 hours a day during nighttime sleep. Eighteen of 30 patients were compliant with the bracing program. Compliance with the nighttime bending brace was no better than the reported compliance with established thoracolumbosacral orthosis programs. Moreover, noncompliant patients and those treated by the ineffective electrical stimulation program also did not differ in curve progression. Curve progression was controlled in 56% of the compliant patients, and the nighttime bending brace was considered as effective as the Wilmington brace in controlling adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Both braces were more effective than the ineffective electrical stimulation treatment.

Posttraumatic tibia valga in children. A long-term follow-up note.

BACKGROUND: We reevaluated seven patients who initially had been managed nonoperatively because of a progressive valgus deformity that had occurred within approximately twelve months after satisfactory healing of a proximal tibial metaphyseal fracture sustained at an average age of four years (range, eleven months to six years and four months). All seven patients were described in a previous report from our institution, published in 1986. In that report, spontaneous improvement of the angulation was documented after an average duration of follow-up of thirty-nine months and nonoperative treatment of the deformity was recommended. METHODS: The patients were followed radiographically for an average of fifteen years and three months (range, ten years and four months to nineteen years and eleven months) after the injury. The radiographs were reviewed to determine the metaphyseal-diaphyseal angle, the mechanical tibiofemoral angle, the proximal and distal tibial remodeling angles, the limb-length discrepancy, and the deviation of the mechanical axis of the limb from the center of the knee joint. Knee function was assessed with use of the rating system of the Cincinnati Sportsmedicine and Orthopaedic Center, and ankle function was assessed with use of the rating system of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. RESULTS: Every patient had spontaneous improvement of the metaphyseal-diaphyseal and mechanical tibiofemoral angles. Most of the correction occurred at the proximal part of the tibia. The mechanical axis of the limb remained lateral to the center of the knee joint in every patient, with an average deviation of fifteen millimeters (range, three to twenty-four millimeters). The affected tibia was longer than the contralateral tibia in every patient, with an average limb-length discrepancy of nine millimeters (range, three to eighteen millimeters). The knee score on the affected side was excellent for five patients and fair for two; one of the patients who had a fair score had had a tibial osteotomy at the age of sixteen years because of pain in the lateral aspect of the knee that was thought to be due to malalignment. The ankle score on the affected side was excellent for three patients and good for four. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous improvement of the deformity occurred in all patients and resulted in a clinically well aligned, asymptomatic limb in most. We believe that patients who have posttraumatic tibia valga should be followed through skeletal maturity and that operative intervention should be reserved for patients who have symptoms secondary to malalignment.

Complications of blade plate removal.

The AO fixed-angle blade plate is commonly used to obtain fixation in proximal femoral osteotomies. This device provides stable fixation and obviates the need for postoperative immobilization. There are no reports in the literature on the rate and types of complications associated with blade-plate removal. We report our rate and type of perioperative and early postoperative complications associated with removal of fixed-angle blade plates in a pediatric population. With an overall complication rate of 5.3% and a major complication rate of 2.0%, our study showed that removal of the blade plate was a relatively safe procedure in those patients troubled by prominent/painful hardware or skin breakdown.

Hip arthroscopy in Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.

The case of a 7-year-old boy with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is presented. He had a prominent island of superficial epiphyseal ossification in his right femoral head, an unusual finding in Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Hip arthroscopy was used successfully to identify and treat the lesion. After the procedure, the patient had a reduction in pain and an increase in range of hip motion. We believe that this case demonstrates the effective use of hip arthroscopy in the treatment of this unusual sequela of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.

Acetabular volume.

Reconstructive acetabular osteotomies can affect the acetabular volume. Volume mismatch between the femoral head and the acetabulum should be an important consideration but is rarely evaluated before hip reconstruction. Accurate measurement of the volume of the acetabulum is difficult because of the unusual shape and spatial orientation of the acetabulum. In this study, we used three techniques (physical, two-dimensional computed tomography, and three-dimensional computed tomography reconstruction) to determine the volume of 18 pig, four sheep, and 15 model acetabulae. A comparison of pre- and post-Pemberton osteotomy volumes of three dysplastic acetabulae models and two patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip also was performed. The results indicate that accurate, reproducible volume determinations can be made by using all three techniques, and that certain data-selection modes can reduce the patient's exposure to radiation. In addition, we observed an increase in the volume of the acetabulum after the Pemberton osteotomy.