Treatment of type I capitellar fractures in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Because fractures of the capitellum are rare in childhood and the young adolescent period, their treatment is still debatable and there appears to be no established treatment protocol. In the present study, we evaluated the results obtained in adolescents with type 1 capitellar fractures who were treated with open reduction and internal fixation with a 3.5 mm lag screw, directed from posterior to anterior. METHODS: Twelve type I capitellar fractures in adolescents were treated with open reduction and internal fixation with a single 3.5 mm cortical lag screw directed from the posterior to the anterior and the results were evaluated by an objective evaluation score (Broberg and Morrey's functional rating index). Mean age of the patients was 13.5. RESULTS: At final examination (24 to 90 months follow-up), mean Broberg and Morrey's functional rating index was 96.7 points (91 to 100 points). All fractures had healed in anatomic position and no avascular necrosis or heterotrophic ossification was observed. CONCLUSION: Since it is essential to obtain the full range of motion at the elbow, accurate open reduction and stable internal fixation are best to manage displaced type I capitellar fracture in children and adolescents. Single cortical lag screw directed from posterior to the anterior without penetrating the joint surface is suitable for this purpose.

Congenital clubfoot associated with an accessory soleus muscle.

A 16-month-old male with previously untreated bilateral clubfeet was admitted to S.B. Izmir Tepecik Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. Both feet underwent surgical treatment. During surgery, an accessory soleus muscle was detected on the right side. The accessory soleus muscle had a distinct distal insertion at the superior anteromedial border of the calcaneus and also anterior and medial to the Achilles tendon. He was treated by bilateral complete subtalar release with Cincinnati incision, and the accessory soleus was also cut and the distal part resected. At the final follow-up visit, when the patient was 6 years and 9 months old, both feet had a normal appearance and appeared normal on radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging, with no presence of the accessory soleus muscle or its remnant. In our opinion, awareness of the association between an accessory soleus muscle and clubfoot, and sectioning of this muscle during surgery may improve surgical results.

[The importance of predicted risk factors in developmental hip dysplasia: an ultrasonographic screening program]. / Gelisimsel kalça displazisi tanisinda bilinen risk faktörlerinin önemi: Seçici ultrasonografik tarama.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of the risk factors in the diagnosis of developmental hip dysplasia (DDH) by ultrasonographic screening. METHODS: The hips of 327 newborns (151 females, 176 males) with identifiable risk factors including family history (n=20), congenital muscular torticollis (n=19), oligohydramniosis (n=2), breech presentation (n=51), multiple gestation (n=6), pes calcaneovalgus (n=74), clubfoot (n=152), and postural metatarsus adductus (n=3) were examined clinically on the first day of life and by ultrasonography within two weeks after birth. The hips were evaluated according to the Graf method. RESULTS: Clinical examination of 239 newborns were normal. Of these, sonographic abnormalities were found in 15 newborns (6.3%). On the other hand, out of 88 newborns who were found clinically abnormal, ultrasonography findings were normal in 24 cases (27%). According to the Graf method, of 654 hips, 550 were type 1, 81 were type 2a, 15 were type 2c, five were type D, two were type 3a, and one was type 4. Treatment was required for only 19 infants (5.8%), four of whom had been found normal on clinical examination. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that risk factors are important for early diagnosis of DDH, and that, due to detection of abnormal ultrasonography findings among newborns who had been found normal on clinical examination, screening of all newborns with ultrasonography seems to be essential regardless of the presence of any risk factors.