Cervical spine injury: clinical and medico-legal overview.

Spinal trauma is an important cause of disability worldwide. Injury to the cervical spine (CS) occurs frequently after major trauma. 5-10% of patients with blunt trauma have a cervical spine injury. The cervical spine accounts for ~ 50% of all spinal injuries. Determination of CS stability is a common challenge in the acute care setting of patients with trauma. Several issues, indeed, are of particular concern: who needs CS imaging; what imaging should be obtained; when should computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or flexion/extension (F/E) radiographs be obtained; and how is significant ligamentous injury excluded in the comatose patient. CT and MRI both have roles to play. This article aims to present the different imaging to frame techniques to be used with greater precision in the acute event also for the purpose of planning the next therapeutic process. An overview of the applicability of the same methods in forensic pathology is also provided highlighting possible future biomarker to ease in diagnosis of acute TBI.

A Perspective on Management of Limb Fractures in Obese Children: Is It Time for Dedicated Guidelines?

Limb fractures are the most common injuries in pediatric orthopedics. Early and late complications are often not preventable, even when providing the best treatment; furthermore, these injuries are largely implicated in medico-legal claims. The development of evidence-based guidelines is one of the main goals of medical research. Approved guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and follow up are fundamental to obtain the best results in medical practice. Guidelines in pediatric traumatology have been developed, even though specific conditions, like obesity, could influence their drafting. The cast and fixation systems usually applied in pediatric fractures provide a growth plate sparing, a satisfying reduction, and good stress resistance, mostly because of a lower bodyweight compared to adults. Several studies suggest that obesity influences the bone quality, the management, and the outcomes in cases of fracture. High body weight increases the risk of trauma, modifies fracture characteristics, and increases the risk of incomplete reduction. Fractures in obese children have a higher rate of complications, regardless of conservative or surgical treatment. In obese children, surgical treatment is often used more frequently than with non-obese children. Such considerations are valid both for lower and upper limb fractures. The aim of this paper is to discuss recent scientific literature and provide a perspective on the benefits of a dedicated approach in the management of obese children. Guideline updates could improve healthcare quality in a pediatric setting, and also reduce medico-legal implications.

Double hindfoot arthrodesis technique for the treatment of severe equino-plano-valgus foot deformity in cerebral palsy: long-term results and radiological evaluation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological results of a double arthrodesis technique for the treatment of equino-plano-valgus foot deformity in pediatric patients affected by cerebral palsy. A retrospective evaluation was performed on 175 feet surgically treated with a talonavicular and calcaneocuboid joint fusion technique. The average age at surgery was 14.7 years (range: 12-20 years). Visual analogue scale for pain score, Gross Motor Function Classification System scale, talonavicular angle, Costa-Bertani angle, and Kite's angle on standard weight bearing radiographs were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively. The mean clinical follow-up was 62.4 months (range: 12-112 months). The mid Gross Motor Function Classification System scale value did not show a significant improvement in any of the subgroups considered. A significant improvement in the visual analogue scale for pain score value was evident 6 months after surgery. Radiological examination showed a statistically significant improvement in the talonavicular angle (average 7.4°) and the Costa-Bertani angle (average 128.5°). Complications occurred in 8.6% of cases. The described surgical technique is safe and efficacious, and could represent a useful option of treatment of equino-plano-valgus severe deformity in cerebral palsy patients older than 12 years of age.

Modified Roux-Goldthwait Procedure for Management of Patellar Dislocation in Skeletally Immature Patients with Down Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Patellar instability is a common problem in Down syndrome patients since their childhood. Several treatment have been proposed, but relapses are frequent and not all surgeries are suitable for growing patients. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a modified Roux-Goldthwait technique, for the management of patellar instability in children with Down syndrome at minimum 5-year followup. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 19 patients (23 knees) affected by Down syndrome surgically treated for patellar dislocation, between 2000 and 2012 were included in this study. The mean age of patients was 9.5 years (range 3.7 - 15 years) and had a Dugdale Grade III, IV, and V patellar dislocation. Trochlear groove dysplasia was present in 15 patients. Each patient was clinically evaluated considering relapse rate, pre- and postoperative range of motion (ROM), Kujala score, and modified Lysholm score. Radiographic examination was performed on standard X-ray considering patellar height, trochlear angle, and patellofemoral congruence angle. RESULTS: The mean followup was 134 months (range 62-206 months). No case of relapse of dislocation was registered with an improved ROM (significant for knee extension, P < 0.05). The Kujala score showed significant improvement from a mean preoperative value of 39 ± 6.3 to a mean postoperative value of 92.7 ± 3.4 (P < 0.05) at final followup such as the modified Lysholm score (from mean preoperative 55.6 ± 6.3 to mean postoperative of 94.2 ± 2.6). Radiographs performed at latest followup showed a tendency to normalization of all the parameters considered, with a restored patellofemoral congruence and trochlear groove shape and without signs of osteoarthritis. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that the Roux-Goldthwait procedure is a valid surgical option for the treatment of patellar dislocation in children with Down syndrome.

Locking plate fixation in pediatric femur fracture: evaluation of the outcomes in our experience.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Femoral shaft fracture is a common traumatic musculoskeletal injures in pediatric population. The treatment of diaphyseal femoral fractures depends on age patient and pattern fracture. We present our record about the use of locking plate fixation and their outcomes. METHOD: We conduct a retrospective analysis in 22 patients, surgically treated for 26 diaphyseal femur fracture between 2008 and 2013. The mean age was 13 years. All the patients underwent a clinical and radiological follow-up for two years. We recorded time to weight bearing, time to union, complication (malalignment, dysmetria, infection), time to resumption to sport, plate removal, parents' satisfaction. RESULTS: All the patients had a minimal clinical e radiological follow-up of 24 months. The average fracture healing time was of 7.4 weeks. All the patients had a full hip and knee range of movements. Fifteen patients developed minor malalignment (varovalgus or procurvatum femur) without clinical effects. No cases of infections. The mean time to a full weight bearing was 12 weeks and the return to sportive activity was 24 weeks. Four patients required a plate and screws removal. The average result of parents' satisfaction was 8/10. CONCLUSIONS: Locking plate fixation is to be considered a successful way of treatment for pediatric femur fractures, especially in patients older than 6 years, head-injured or in the treatment of polytrauma. The anatomic and functional outcomes are comparable to those of other fixation techniques for this kind of fracture.

Early failure of a locked titanium plate in a proximal humeral fracture: Case report and metallurgic analysis.

Angular stability locking plates are commonly used in proximal humeral fractures, especially in old patients with osteoporotic bones. These implants show good results in short and midterm follow-up, but complications are not uncommon. Here we present a case report to describe a case of early failure of a proximal angular stability plate implanted in a 72 years old female with a highly unstable two part proximal humeral fracture. An optical and metallurgic analysis was also conducted to study the modalities of failure. We concluded that anatomic reduction and restoration of the medial cortical support are crucial in order to minimize the mechanical load on the bone-metal interface and to prevent mechanical failure, in particular when the fracture rim drop in the weak point of the plate that was found in the proximal two symmetric holes (Holes E).

Stemless hip arthroplasty versus traditional implants: a comparative observational study at 30 months follow-up.

INTRODUCTION:: The aim of this retrospective case-control study is to evaluate clinical and radiographic results of short stems compared with traditional hip prostheses. METHODS:: 46 short stems (SS) and 50 traditional stems (TS) were selected. All the stems were implanted by the same surgeon using posterior approach because of primary osteoarthritis, post-traumatic osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis. All the patients were compared clinically by Harris Hip Score (HHS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), visual analogue scale (VAS), 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12F/M) and radiographically (offset, CD angle, limb length discrepancy, cup inclination, subsidence, osseointegration, heterotopic ossification). Radiographic evaluations were carried out by 3 different blinded surgeons. A statistical analysis was performed (chi-square, t-test, Mann-Whitney). RESULTS:: At a mean follow-up of 30 months all the implanted stems were well-positioned and osseointegrated. In both groups there was a marked improvement in pain ( p < 0.001) with a statistically significant advantage in the SS group for WOMAC (90.8 vs. 87.5; p = 0.02) and in part for HHS (93 vs. 91.7; p = 0.18). The radiographic evaluations, with high concordance correlation between the 3 blinded surgeons (ICC consistently >0.80), showed no significant differences in the restoration of the articular geometry, with a reduction of cortical hypertrophy (2% SS vs. 7% TS) and periprosthetic stress-shielding ( p < 0.05) in the SS group. On the other hand, SS were more related to limb length discrepancy (61% vs. 33%; p < 0.05). No major complications were recorded in the 2 groups. CONCLUSION:: Short stems were shown to be comparable or better than traditional implants at short-term follow-up.

Titanium elastic nailing in diaphyseal femoral fractures of children below six years of age.

AIM: To report the clinical and radiographic results of titanium elastic nail (TEN) in diaphyseal femoral fractures of children below age of six years. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 27 diaphyseal femoral fractures in children younger than six years treated with TEN between 2005 and 2015 was conducted. Patients were immobilized in a cast for 5 wk and the nails were removed from 6 to 12 wk after surgery. Twenty-four cases were clinically and radiographically re-evaluated using the Flynn's scoring criteria, focusing on: Limb length discrepancy, rotational deformity, angulation, hip and knee range of motion (ROM), functional status, complications, and parent's satisfaction. RESULTS: Sixteen males and eight females with a mean age of 3.2 years at the time of treatment were re-evaluated at an average follow-up of 58.9 mo. No cases of delayed union were observed. The mean limb lengthening was 0.3 cm. Four cases experienced limb lengthening greater than 1 cm and always minor than 2 cm. Twelve point five percent of the cases showed an angulation < 10°. Complete functional recovery (hip and knee ROM, ability to run and jump on the operated limb) occurred in 95.7% of cases. Complications included two cases of superficial infection of the TEN entry point, one case of refracture following a new trauma, and one TEN mobilization. According to the Flynn's scoring criteria, excellent results were obtained in 79.2% of patients and satisfactory results in the remaining 20.8%, with an average parent's satisfaction level of 9.1/10. CONCLUSION: TEN is as a safe, mini-invasive and surgeon-friendly technique and, considering specific inclusion criteria, it represents a useful and efficacy option for the treatment of diaphyseal femoral fractures even in patients younger than six years of age.

Beyond Bernoulli: Improving the Accuracy and Precision of Noninvasive Estimation of Peak Pressure Drops.

BACKGROUND: Transvalvular peak pressure drops are routinely assessed noninvasively by echocardiography using the Bernoulli principle. However, the Bernoulli principle relies on several approximations that may not be appropriate, including that the majority of the pressure drop is because of the spatial acceleration of the blood flow, and the ejection jet is a single streamline (single peak velocity value). METHODS AND RESULTS: We assessed the accuracy of the Bernoulli principle to estimate the peak pressure drop at the aortic valve using 3-dimensional cardiovascular magnetic resonance flow data in 32 subjects. Reference pressure drops were computed from the flow field, accounting for the principles of physics (ie, the Navier-Stokes equations). Analysis of the pressure components confirmed that the spatial acceleration of the blood jet through the valve is most significant (accounting for 99% of the total drop in stenotic subjects). However, the Bernoulli formulation demonstrated a consistent overestimation of the transvalvular pressure (average of 54%, range 5%-136%) resulting from the use of a single peak velocity value, which neglects the velocity distribution across the aortic valve plane. This assumption was a source of uncontrolled variability. CONCLUSIONS: The application of the Bernoulli formulation results in a clinically significant overestimation of peak pressure drops because of approximation of blood flow as a single streamline. A corrected formulation that accounts for the cross-sectional profile of the blood flow is proposed and adapted to both cardiovascular magnetic resonance and echocardiographic data.

Infective complications in tumour endoprostheses implanted after pathological fracture of the limbs.

INTRODUCTION: Pathological fractures represent an adverse prognostic factor in primary and metastatic bone tumours. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of tumour silver-coated prosthesis implanted after pathological fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 30 patients with pathological limb fracture after primary or metastatic bone tumours treated by the same surgeon with wide margin resection and tumour prosthesis implant between 2005 and 2015. Silver-coated prostheses were implanted in 17 patients and uncoated prostheses were implanted in 13 patients. The primary outcome of the study was to evaluate the infective risk, the secondary outcomes were survival and functional level (visual analogue scale [VAS], 36-Item Short Form Health Survey [SF 36], and Musculoskeletal Tumour Society [MSTS] score) obtained at the longest follow-up available. A multivariate analysis was performed considering age, sex, tumour histology, grading and location, resection size, concomitant radiotherapy/chemotherapy, use of mesh for soft tissue reconstruction and local complications (dislocation, relapse, implant breakage). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of explanted prosthesis was performed to study the residual silver-coating. RESULTS: The average age of patients in the study was 56.2 years (range 12-78 years). Silver-coated prostheses were implanted in 56.7% of patients, and uncoated tumour prostheses were used in the remaining 43.3%. The mean follow-up was 40.7 months. A total of 26.7% of patients died at a median time of 28.6 months after surgery. The overall rate of complications was 30%, with 16.7% due to infection. A total of 11.8% of the patients treated with silver-coated implants developed infection compared with 23.1% of the patients treated with uncoated tumour prostheses. There were no cases of early infection in the silver-coated prosthesis group, whereas early infection occurred in 66.7% of patients in the uncoated prosthesis group. All the functional outcomes were significantly improved after surgery. None of the other parameters analysed can be considered a significant negative prognostic factor for infection. The SEM analyses showed severe silver-coating degradation 2 years after first implant. No case of silver toxicity was demonstrated. DISCUSSION: There are few papers in the literature about infective complications in tumour prosthesis after pathological fracture. Silver-coated implants showed a protective action against early infection. Late infection rate was similar between the groups, thereby indicating a reduction of antimicrobial activity for the silver-coating over time. CONCLUSIONS: Silver-coated prostheses are a protective factor against early infections in limb salvage surgery after pathological fractures, so may represent the first-choice of implants in this type of surgery.

Intraspinal extradural benign fibrous histiocytoma of the lumbar spine in a pediatric patient. Case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Benign fibrous histiocytoma (BFH) is a rare skeletal tumor. Spinal localizations have been previously described in 17 cases, and this is the first report of BFH occurring at the lumbar spine in a pediatric patient. CASE REPORT: A 13-year-old male complained lower limb motor and sensory impairment with severe claudication and urination disorders. A huge intraspinal, extradural mass at L4-L5 level, clearly evident on a preoperative MRI, caused dislocation and severe compression of the cauda equina nerve roots. After a biopsy, confirming BFH, a tumor resection and L4-S1 vertebral arthrodesis was carried out. At 1 year follow-up, no recurrence was detached on postoperative MRI, with complete neurological recovery. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Review of the literature is discussed. Histological examination is mandatory for a correct diagnosis and plan of treatment. None of the pediatric patients treated for BFH have ever shown local relapse.

Prognostic factors influencing the outcome of rotator cuff repair: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: To identify prognostic factors significantly associated with rotator cuff repair outcome and define the strength of these associations. METHODS: Search was performed using electronic databases. Studies reporting prognostic factors affecting rotator cuff repair outcome were included. Primary outcomes were: structural integrity, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and Constant score. Each other outcome was considered as secondary outcome. Descriptive statistics was used. When possible, meta-analyses were performed. Methodological quality was assessed using the Quality In Prognosis Studies Tool. A best evidence synthesis was performed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework adapted to prognostic studies. RESULTS: Sixty-four studies were included. Methodological quality was high only for twelve studies. The overall quality of evidence was low to very low. Meta-analyses were possible only for seven studies. Older age and larger tears size were found to affect retear risk. Results were controversial for fatty infiltration, acromioclavicular joint or biceps procedures, acromiohumeral distance, delamination of tendon edges, musculotendinous junction position, number of tendons involved, and tendon length, quality and retraction. Baseline scores and workers compensation claim predicted functional outcomes. Subjective outcome was also affected by patient's expectations. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the large number of outcomes and prognostic factors evaluated by a relative small number of studies, almost not prognostic in design, it was not possible to reach any definitive conclusion regarding the most relevant predictors of outcome of rotator cuff repair. Moreover, the low methodological quality of the included studies and, subsequently, the low quality of evidence, seriously affected the strength of recommendation of the present review. Based on data available, retear risk is mainly affected by older age and larger tears size. Baseline scores and work compensation claim are the most significant predictors for functional outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review of level I-IV prognostic studies, Level IV.

Surgical versus conservative treatment of primary patellar dislocation. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of surgical and conservative treatment in the prevention of recurrence after primary patellar dislocation. METHODS: Studies were searched on MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and CINHAL from their inception to April 2015. All randomized controlled clinical trials comparing surgical versus conservative treatment after first patellar dislocation were included. Primary outcomes were: recurrent dislocation, subluxation, overall instability and subsequent surgery. Secondary outcomes included imaging, and subjective and objective clinical assessment tools. Methodological quality of the studies was assessed using Cochrane Collaboration's "Risk of Bias" tool. Pooled analyses were reported as risk ratio (RR) using a random effects model. Continuous data were reported as standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed using I². RESULTS: Nine studies were included in the meta-analyses. Methodological quality of the studies was moderate to low. Meta-analyses showed that surgical treatment significantly reduces the redislocation rate (RR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.39, 0.98, p = 0.04) and provides better results on Hughston VAS score (SMD = -0.32; 95% CI = -0.61, -0.03; p = 0.03) and running (OR = -0.52; 95% CI = 0.31, 0.88; p = 0.01). Conservative treatment showed less occurrence of minor complications (OR = 3.46; 95% CI = 2.08, 5.77; p = 0.01) and better results in the figure-of-8 run test (SMD = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.06, 0.77; p = 0.02) and in the squat down test (SMD = -0.45; 95% CI = -0.81, -0.10; p < 0.00001). No other significant differences could be found. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the available data, surgical treatment of primary patella dislocation significantly reduces the risk of patella redislocation.

Efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections and exercise-based rehabilitation programme, administered as isolated or integrated therapeutic regimens for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injections and exercise-based rehabilitation (EBR) programme, administered as isolated or integrated for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: One hundred sixty-five patients affected by moderate degrees of knee OA were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 (HA) underwent three HA injections (one every 2 weeks); group 2 (EBR) underwent 20 treatment sessions in a month of an individualized programme; and group 3 (HA + EBR) received both treatments simultaneously. Primary outcome was the Italian version of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index; secondary outcome was the evaluation of active range of movement (AROM). All patients were evaluated before and 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment. Significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Two patients in each group were lost to follow-up. No adverse events occurred. All groups experienced improvements at 1-month follow-up. No further improvements could be detected within groups over time. At 1-month follow-up, WOMAC pain subscale showed significant improvement in group 3 compared to group 1 (p = 0.043). WOMAC pain, stiffness and function subscales showed that group 2 significantly worsened between 1 and 6 months after treatment (p = 0.004, p = 0.026 and p = 0.025, respectively). AROM revealed no significant differences between and within groups over time. CONCLUSIONS: Intra-articular HA injections and individualized rehabilitation programmes administered in isolation or in combination are effective in improving knee function and pain relief. The combined treatment showed the greatest pain relief at 1-month follow-up compared to either in isolation. Compared to the previous studies, this is the first study, which proposed an EBR programme tailored to the compartment of the knee joint most involved in the degenerative process. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I.

Non-invasive pressure difference estimation from PC-MRI using the work-energy equation.

Pressure difference is an accepted clinical biomarker for cardiovascular disease conditions such as aortic coarctation. Currently, measurements of pressure differences in the clinic rely on invasive techniques (catheterization), prompting development of non-invasive estimates based on blood flow. In this work, we propose a non-invasive estimation procedure deriving pressure difference from the work-energy equation for a Newtonian fluid. Spatial and temporal convergence is demonstrated on in silico Phase Contrast Magnetic Resonance Image (PC-MRI) phantoms with steady and transient flow fields. The method is also tested on an image dataset generated in silico from a 3D patient-specific Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation and finally evaluated on a cohort of 9 subjects. The performance is compared to existing approaches based on steady and unsteady Bernoulli formulations as well as the pressure Poisson equation. The new technique shows good accuracy, robustness to noise, and robustness to the image segmentation process, illustrating the potential of this approach for non-invasive pressure difference estimation.

Pressure mapping from flow imaging: enhancing computation of the viscous term through velocity reconstruction in near-wall regions.

Although being small compared to inertial acceleration, viscous component of the pressure gradient has recently emerged as a potential biomarker for aortic disease conditions including aortic valve stenosis. However, as it involves the computation of second order derivatives and viscous dissipation is locally higher in the near-wall region of the larger vessels, where the lowest local signal-to-noise ratios are encountered, the estimation process from medical image velocity data through mathematical models is highly challenging. We propose a fully automatic framework to recover the laminar viscous pressure gradient through reconstruction of the velocity vector field in the aortic boundary region. An in-silico study is conducted and the pressure drop is computed solving a Poisson problem on pressure using both a reconstructed and non-reconstructed velocity profile near the vessel walls, showing a global improvement of performance with the enhanced method.