Conscious sedation and reduction of fractures in the paediatric population: an orthopaedic perspective.

PURPOSE: Closed reduction under conscious sedation in the emergency department (ED) has been demonstrated to provide cost-effective, timely care. There has been little research into the efficacy of conscious sedation and reduction from an orthopaedic trauma perspective. This study describes the epidemiology and outcomes associated with fracture conscious sedation and reduction in our level I paediatric ED. METHODS: All fracture patients presenting overnight to our level I trauma centre ED between 01 June 2016 and 30 June 2017 were identified. Patient records were reviewed to determine diagnoses, treatments and outcomes. The rate of repeat intervention after successful conscious sedation and reduction and rate of changes in management in which the orthopaedic resident's overnight management plan to provide procedural sedation was altered to surgical intervention after morning case review rounds was calculated. RESULTS: Conscious sedation and reduction was performed on a total of 386 patients covering ten fracture types during the course of our study, with distal radius fractures (n = 167, 43.3%) comprising the majority of cases. A total of 53 cases (13.7%, 53/386) lost alignment and required repeat intervention, consisting of 33 cases (8.5%, 33/386) that required repeat surgery and 5.2% (20/386) that required cast wedging. In all, 12 patients (3.1%, 12/386) initially reduced under conscious sedation required a change in management and surgical intervention. There were five cases of growth arrest and two cases of malunion. CONCLUSIONS: Conscious sedation and reduction provides an alternative to general anaesthesia for many paediatric trauma injuries without compromising patient outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Elbow arthroscopy in the pediatric and adolescent population.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to show the diagnostic and therapeutic benefits of elbow arthroscopy in athletically active pediatric patients. We describe our techniques for elbow arthroscopy in young patients. TYPE OF STUDY: Case series of 47 patients. METHODS: We reviewed 49 cases of elbow arthroscopies performed in 47 pediatric and adolescent patients retrospectively over a 16-year period. Charts were reviewed to identify the age of patients at the time of surgery, side involved, hand dominance, diagnosis, complications, the primary sport involved, and the average volume of loose bodies if surgical removal was performed. Each patient was contacted after a minimum of 2 years after surgery and a modified Andrews elbow scoring system was used to rate elbow function. RESULTS: The average age of this group was 14.0 years (range, 3.5 to 17.0 years) with an average follow-up of 4.7 years. Elbow arthroscopy was performed for osteochondritis dissecans (58%), arthrofibrosis and joint contracture (20%), synovitis (10%), acute trauma (10%), and posterior olecranon impingement syndrome (5%). Based on a modified Andrews elbow scoring system, 85% of patients had good or excellent result with 90% of the children returning to sports without limitation. No patient experienced nerve injury, infection, or loss of elbow motion as a postoperative complication. CONCLUSIONS: This series shows that elbow arthroscopy has a safe and effective role in the treatment of selective elbow pathologies in the pediatric and adolescent population when performed by experienced small joint arthroscopists.

Radial neck fracture nonunion in children.

Radial neck nonunion in children is a rare complication of a displaced radial neck fracture. The authors conducted a retrospective review of nine cases of radial neck nonunion in an effort to identify risk factors for nonunion and to evaluate treatment options. Nine patients, average age 8.2 years, sustained displaced Salter-Harris type II fractures of the radial neck, with average angulation of 83 degrees and average displacement of 83%, and elbow dislocation or additional fracture in eight of nine patients. Initial treatment with open reduction achieved anatomical alignment of the fracture fragments in seven of the nine patients. Initial reduction was lost and radial neck nonunion developed in all patients. The nonunion was treated with observation, radial head and neck excision, or open reduction and internal fixation with bone graft, depending on the level of pain, deformity, and functional deficit. Healing of the nonunion did not necessarily lead to improvement of clinical symptoms. Severity of initial fracture displacement and inadequate fixation technique contributed to radial neck nonunion. Treatment of the nonunion should depend on the patient's pain, deformity, and functional restriction.

Surgical treatment of posttraumatic elbow contracture in adolescents.

Thirteen adolescent patients with posttraumatic elbow contractures were treated with open surgical release at an average of 16.2 years of age. When possible, an extensile medial approach to the elbow was used. All patients were treated with 6 weeks of postoperative continuous passive motion in addition to physical therapy and splinting. Eleven patients with >6 months of follow-up were evaluated at an average of 29 months after surgery. Average loss of extension improved from 57 degrees to 15 degrees, and average flexion improved from 109 degrees to 123 degrees. Average total arc of motion improved from 53 degrees to 107 degrees. Complications included one case of wound drainage requiring irrigation and debridement and one case of transient ulnar neuropraxia. One of the 13 patients was unable to tolerate postoperative therapy and showed loss of motion.

Acute compartment syndrome in children: contemporary diagnosis, treatment, and outcome.

Compartment syndrome can be difficult to diagnose in a child, with delays in diagnosis leading to disastrous outcomes. Thirty-six cases of compartment syndrome in 33 pediatric patients were treated at the authors' institution from January 1, 1992, to December 31, 1997. There were 27 boys and 6 girls, with nearly equal upper and lower extremity involvement. Approximately 75% of these patients developed compartment syndrome in the setting of fracture. Pain, pallor, paresthesia, paralysis, and pulselessness were relatively unreliable signs and symptoms of compartment syndrome in these children. An increasing analgesia requirement in combination with other clinical signs, however, was a more sensitive indicator of compartment syndrome: all 10 patients with access to patient-controlled or nurse-administered analgesia during their initial evaluation demonstrated an increasing requirement for pain medication. With early diagnosis and expeditious treatment, >90% of the patients studied achieved full restoration of function.

Normal ranges of scapholunate distance in children 6 to 14 years old.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this study was to determine the normal ranges of scapholunate distance (SLD) applicable to children. Bone age radiographs of 85 children (36 boys, 49 girls) 6 to 14 years of age were used to establish the normal ranges. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significant age and gender differences. Therefore, linear regression was used to determine normal SLD ranges separately for girls and boys based on chronologic age and bone age. SLD normal ranges were similar for chronologic age and bone age. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was excellent. There was no significant age by gender interaction found, indicating that although boys had significantly longer distances than girls, both showed a similar rate of decreasing SLD distance with age. These results provide age-and gender-based normal ranges of SLD in young children. These results may be useful in assessing traumatic soft tissue injuries about the pediatric wrist. Of note, only three girls and two boys (all 12 years or older) met the adult criterion of normal SLD of < or = 2 mm.

Pediatric floating elbow.

SUMMARY: A retrospective review of 16 patients with floating elbow injuries over a 9-year period at a tertiary care children's hospital confirms that these injuries are associated with substantial swelling and the potential to develop compartment syndrome, particularly when circumferential cast immobilization is used. Among 10 patients in whom the forearm was treated with closed reduction and plaster immobilization, a compartment syndrome developed in 2, and 4 patients had incipient compartment syndrome that responded to splitting of the cast; 3 of these subsequently required remanipulation of the distal radius. One patient with compartment syndrome had Volkmann ischemic contracture. Six patients underwent stabilization of both the distal humeral and forearm fractures with percutaneously inserted Kirschner wires, thereby allowing postreduction immobilization in a split cast. None of these patients had problems with excessive swelling or compartment syndrome. Percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation of both the humeral and forearm fractures in pediatric floating elbow injuries allows noncircumferential immobilization, thereby reducing the risk of compartment syndrome.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head associated with slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

We performed a retrospective analysis of 212 patients (299 hips) with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) over a 9-year period to assess the incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Risk factors for the occurrence of osteonecrosis and the influence of treatment on the development of osteonecrosis were determined. Osteonecrosis occurred in 4 hips with unstable SCFE (4/27) and did not occur in hips with stable SCFE (0/272). The proportion of hips in which osteonecrosis developed was significantly higher among the unstable hips (4/27 vs. 0/272, p < 0.0001). Among those with an unstable hip, younger age at presentation was a predictor of a poorer outcome. Magnitude of the slip, magnitude of reduction, and chronicity of the slip were not predictive of a poorer outcome in the unstable group. In situ fixation of the minimally or moderately displaced "unstable" SCFE demonstrated a favorable outcome. We have identified the hip at risk as an unstable SCFE. The classification of hips as unstable if the epiphysis is displaced from the metaphysis or if the patient is unable to walk is most useful in predicting a hip at risk for osteonecrosis.

Shoulder injuries in the childhood athlete.

Shoulder dysfunction in the young athlete usually is manifested differently than the adult counterpart. The physiology and biomechanics of a growing child and adolescents result in different injury patterns that require different and thoughtful approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Most of these conditions are served well by nonsurgical treatment modalities. Judicious use of surgical interventions, however, can significantly improve patient outcome and return them to their sport of interest. Postoperative rehabilitation, and proper training techniques are essential to ensure continued participation of the athlete.

Upper extremity injuries in the paediatric athlete.

Injuries to the upper extremity in paediatric and adolescent athletes are increasingly being seen with expanded participation and higher competitive levels of youth sports. Injury patterns are unique to the growing musculoskeletal system and specific to the demands of the involved sport. Shoulder injuries include sternoclavicular joint injury, clavicle fracture, acromioclavicular joint injury, osteolysis of the distal clavicle, little league shoulder, proximal humerus fracture, glenohumeral instability and rotator cuff injury. Elbow injuries include supracondylar fracture, lateral condyle fracture, radial head/neck fracture, medial epicondyle avulsion, elbow dislocation and little league elbow. Wrist and hand injuries include distal radius fracture, distal radial physeal injury, triangular fibrocartilage tear, scaphoid fracture, wrist ligamentous injury thumb metacarpalphalangeal ulnar collateral ligament injury, proximal and distal interphalangeal joint injuries and finger fractures. Recognition of injury patterns with early activity modification and the initiation of efficacious treatment can prevent deformity/disability and return the youth athlete to sport.

A case of recurrent trigger thumb.

In this report we present a case of recurrent trigger thumb after surgical release. A 3-year-old girl underwent surgical release of the first annular pulley at another institution. The resected first annular pulley had been confirmed by pathologic analysis. After surgery the triggering and locking recurred, and she developed limited function due to persistent pain. The second operative release revealed a fibrous band in the region of the previous first annular pulley and a thickened flexor tendon sheath.

Posttraumatic reconstruction of the elbow in the pediatric patient.

The elbow in a pediatric patient does not usually have the propensity for stiffness like that of the elbow in an adult. There are some posttraumatic conditions of the elbow in the pediatric patient that do require reconstruction. These include reconstruction for malunion after supracondylar humerus fractures and after Monteggia fractures. Nonunion of lateral condyle fractures also may require reconstruction. The posttraumatic elbow contracture in the pediatric patient is an operative challenge when the patient does not respond to conservative treatment. Patients with osteochondritis dissecans resulting in osteochondral loose bodies, significant loss of motion, or radiocapitellar subluxation will benefit from surgery. An entrapped median nerve or medial epicondyle after an elbow fracture or dislocation is an impending disaster that requires reconstruction immediately on recognition.

Pediatric hand injuries due to home exercycles.

The clinical presentation and management of 19 children who sustained injuries by stationary exercise bicycles were reviewed retrospectively. These injuries represented 32 traumatized digits with a minimum of 2-year follow-up. The index and long fingers were most commonly involved. Wheel-spoke injuries typically produced repairable nerve and tendon lacerations, and full functional recovery in these cases was common. The chain/sprocket injury involved a crushing mechanism and frequently produced severe injury including amputations that were not salvageable. Stationary exercise bicycles represented a predictable source of severe hand injury in children between the ages of 18 months and 5 years. Adult supervision was not reliable in preventing contact between an operating exercycle and a child's hand. We recommend that children not be allowed access to any stationary exercycle machinery, whether it is in use or not. Safety design considerations should focus on not only shielding the wheel spokes, but also (and perhaps even more important) on enclosing the entire chain axis and gear interface. In addition to these design considerations, public education will be critical in reducing the incidence of injury.

Shoulder reconstruction in patients with chronic brachial plexus birth palsy. A case control study.

Patients with chronic brachial plexus birth palsy and persistent peripheral neurologic deficits frequently have problems related to their shoulder. Specifically, internal rotation and adduction contractures develop because of the loss of muscle balance about the glenohumeral joint. With time, progressive and predictable deformity of the glenohumeral joint occurs. The authors reviewed their results in treating patients with persistent functional deficits with either soft tissue procedures (tendon transfers and muscle releases) or rotational humeral osteotomies based on criteria incorporating patient age and degree of glenohumeral deformity. Patients in each group were evaluated prospectively and compared with each other. In all cases, patients in both groups experienced substantial improvements in global shoulder function. In the patients in the tendon transfer group, global Mallet scores improved from an average of 9.5 to 15.6. Patients undergoing humeral osteotomies also had improvements in global Mallet score from an average of 9.5 to 15.1. This study confirms that both operations, when appropriately applied, will predictably improve shoulder function.

Comparison of the natural history, the outcome of microsurgical repair, and the outcome of operative reconstruction in brachial plexus birth palsy.

BACKGROUND: The purposes of this study were to document the natural history of brachial plexus birth palsy, in relation to the recovery of biceps function, in the first six months of life; to assess the outcome after microsurgical repair of the brachial plexus in patients who had no recovery of biceps function at six months; and to compare the results of transfer of the latissimus dorsi and teres major tendons with the results of derotation osteotomy of the humerus and to compare the results of the tendon transfers and the osteotomy with the natural history of the disorder. METHODS: Sixty-six patients (sixty-seven lesions) who had brachial plexus birth palsy were seen for an initial evaluation when they were less than three months old. The time of recovery of biceps function was recorded for each month of life for six months from the date of birth. The patients were divided into groups according to the month of life during which recovery of biceps strength was noted. A physical examination and an assessment with use of the functional criteria of Mallet were performed each month. Microsurgical repair of the brachial plexus was performed in six infants who had no evidence of biceps function within the first six months of life. Another group of twenty-seven patients were referred for evaluation of chronic neuropathy after they were six months old. A transfer of the latissimus dorsi and teres major tendons to the rotator cuff was performed in nine of these patients and a derotation osteotomy of the humerus was performed in seven because of an internal rotation contracture or functional weakness of the external rotators of the shoulder. RESULTS: Twenty-two infants had recovery of biceps function within the first three months of life and had normal function at the time of the latest evaluation. Infants who had recovery of biceps function during the fourth, fifth, or sixth month of life later had significantly worse function, according to the criteria described by Mallet, than those who had had recovery in the first three months (p<0.005). The clinical results for the six patients who had had microsurgical repair six months after birth were significantly better (p<0.04) than those for the fifteen patients who had had recovery of biceps function in the fifth month of life. However, the results for the patients who had had repair of the brachial plexus were not found to be better than those for the eleven patients who had had recovery of biceps function in the fourth month of life. The improvement in function, as assessed with use of the Mallet criteria, after tendon transfer (p<0.001) and humeral osteotomy (p<0.0001) was significant. CONCLUSIONS: The present study confirms the observation of Gilbert and Tassin that it is rare for infants who have recovery of biceps function after the age of three months to have complete neurological recovery. Microsurgical repair was effective in improving function in the small subgroup of patients who had no evidence of recovery of biceps function within the first six months of life.

T-condylar fractures of the distal humerus in children and adolescents.

This was a retrospective review of 17 T-condylar fractures in children and adolescents, aged 9-16 years. It examined the results by sex, age, arm injured, hand dominance, mechanism of injury, radiologic appearance, operative findings, operative procedure, outcome, and complications. There was a male-to-female ratio of 2.4:1. The large majority of patients received their fractures as a result of a fall. The majority of patients injured their nondominant left distal humerus. Five patients had a neuropathy, all of which spontaneously resolved. Fifteen patients underwent open reduction, internal fixation, with a mean postoperative follow-up of 16 months. The posteromedial (Bryan-Morrey) and the olecranon osteotomy approach resulted in a statistically significant better extension than the triceps-splitting approach (p < or = 0.05). Patients with articular damage had statistically significantly less extension at follow-up (p < or = 0.001). The use of continuous passive motion (CPM) in the immediate postoperative period resulted in a functional range of motion sooner and yielded a statistically significant increase in flexion at follow-up examination than when not used (p < or = 0.05).

Surgical treatment of pediatric scaphoid fracture nonunions.

Scaphoid fractures in the pediatric population are uncommon but can usually be successfully managed with standard immobilization techniques. However, nonunions of pediatric scaphoid wrist fractures have been reported. We present the treatment and outcome of 13 pediatric scaphoid fracture nonunions in 12 children treated over an 18-year period. The average time elapsed between time of fracture and time of surgery was 16.7 months. Four of the nonunions were treated by using the Matti-Russe procedure, and nine were treated with Herbert screw fixation and iliac crest bone grafting. The average time of follow-up was 6.9 years (range, 2-19 years). All cases went on to clinical and radiographic union. There was no statistically significant difference in range of motion or strength between the operative and nonoperative wrist. Eleven of 12 patients demonstrated an excellent rating based on the Mayo Modified Wrist score. The length of time for postoperative immobilization in the Herbert screw group was significantly less than that in the Matti-Russe group. Currently our standard approach to the treatment of scaphoid fracture nonunions in the skeletally immature patient is the use of the Herbert screw and iliac crest bone graft.

Pediatric elbow trauma.

This article provides a summary of the acute management of pediatric elbow trauma. Treatment options are reviewed for all pediatric fractures, specific recommendations are outlined, and complications are addressed. Particular emphasis is placed on the common, but often complicated supracondylar fracture of the distal humerus.

Surgical treatment of arthrogryposis of the elbow.

The purpose of this study was to analyze our results of surgical treatment of arthrogryposis of the elbow and to compare our tendon transfer results using range of motion (ROM) criteria versus functional use criteria. Eighteen tendon transfers for elbow flexion in 14 children with arthrogryposis with an average follow-up period of 4 years (range, 1-14 years) and 6 elbow capsulotomies with triceps lengthening in 6 children with arthrogryposis with an average follow-up period of 5 years (range, 2-9 years) were evaluated. Each child was assessed by a questionnaire regarding functional use of the upper extremity, physical examination of ROM and strength, and a videotaped activities of daily living evaluation. Tendon transfer results were classified and compared using 2 methods of evaluation: postoperative strength and ROM and effective functional use of the tendon transfer to perform activities of daily living. The 6 elbow capsulotomies improved from an average preoperative arc of 17 degrees of motion (average extension, -2 degrees; average flexion, 19 degrees) to an average final follow-up arc of 67 degrees (average extension, -25 degrees; average flexion, 92 degrees). The 18 tendon transfers evaluated by strength and ROM criteria showed 9 triceps to biceps transfers in 9 arms (7 good, 1 fair, and 1 poor), 5 pectoralis to biceps transfers in 4 arms (1 good, 3 fair, and 1 poor), and 4 latissimus dorsi to biceps transfers in 3 arms (2 good and 2 fair). Evaluation by functional use criteria gave the same result in 13 transfers and downgraded the result in 5; the downgraded results were due to resultant flexion contracture or limited functional use because the transfer was in the nondominant arm. Based on this review, optimal surgical candidates for tendon transfer are children older than 4 years, who have full passive ROM of the elbow in the dominant arm, and at least grade 4 strength of the muscle to be transferred.