Incidence and Risk Factors for Concurrent Syndromic Diagnosis in Presumed Idiopathic Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip.

BACKGROUND: Infants referred for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) may have a previously unidentified concomitant diagnosis of syndromic pathology. Our purpose was to examine the incidence of syndromic pathology in infants referred to a tertiary center with presumed idiopathic DDH and identify risk factors and difference in treatment courses between idiopathic and nonidiopathic cohorts. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort of infants younger than 3 years who were evaluated for DDH between 2008 and 2013 with a minimum 2-year follow-up. The clinical history and treatment were noted to determine the incidence and nature of concomitant syndromic diagnoses, after a confirmed diagnosis of DDH. RESULTS: There were 202 patients: 177 were females (87.6%). Thirteen patients (6.4%) were later diagnosed with a neurologic/syndromic diagnosis. The workup leading to additional diagnosis was initiated by the orthopaedic surgeon in 8 of 13 patients (61.5%). Half of the referrals (4 of 8) made to other specialists were because of an abnormal treatment course (three-failure of typical DDH treatment and one-relapsed clubfeet). 7 of the 8 referrals were made because of developmental delays and decreased tone. 5 of the 13 nonidiopathic patients had other orthopaedic problems. The syndromic diagnoses included three cerebral palsy, two Kabuki syndrome, one Down syndrome, one myopathy, and one neuropathy. The diagnosis was made at an average of 2.3 years (0.04 to 4.7). No notable difference was observed in the incidence of the four known risk factors for DDH in syndromic patients compared with the idiopathic group. The syndromic patients required more open reductions (P = 0.002). DISCUSSION: By the age of 3 years, 6% of the patients treated for DDH were found to have a syndrome or neurologic abnormality, and the referral for workup was made by the treating surgeon greater than 60% of the time.

Utilization of the AO LockingRatNail in a novel rat femur critical defect model.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to utilize a commercially available rodent locked intramedullary nail in a rat femur diaphyseal defect. This model is needed for future studies where materials in the critical defect could be modified with agents to fight infection (antibiotics) or promote osteogenesis. METHODS: After unsatisfactory attempts to develop a reliable femur critical size defect model utilizing various forms of fixation, a locked intramedullary nailing system (AO LockingRatNail) was employed in 105 male Sprague Dawley rats. A 5 mm critical size mid-diaphyseal femoral defect was created using a pneumatic sagittal saw. The intramedullary nail was placed in the femur in a retrograde manner. A prefabricated polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) spacer was utilized to fill the defect. Once adequate alignment was achieved, two locking pegs were placed (one distal, one proximal) to provide stable fixation. RESULTS: The technique was successful in 90% of femurs (95 of 105). The majority of complications centered on failure of the placement of locking pegs (7 of 10). One rat presented with migration of the nail out of the knee. Two rats presented with fractures not recognized intraoperatively. These complications occurred early in the study and decreased as surgical experience increased. Surgery was tolerated well by the rats as reflected by significant weight postoperative gain (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The AO LockingRatNail is a novel, reproducible, and successful method for stabilization of critical size femoral diaphyseal defects in the rat. This model has future value in the examination of the biological processes involved in the healing of critical bone defects.

Open treatment of pelvic and acetabular fractures.

The open operative management of pelvic and acetabular fractures in the obese is technically demanding, with a significantly higher rate of complications compared with patients who are nonobese. The decision to perform surgery should involve a thorough understanding of risks, and patients should be counseled. Careful attention should be paid to patient factors; coexisting systemic conditions and patient positioning to reduce complications. Wound complications are most commonly seen, and techniques to reduce risk should be incorporated. When complications occur, aggressive management can result in successful salvage. Future areas of study should include methods to reduce risk of surgical site infections and improving our understanding of the physiologic alterations that occur with obesity. This article summarizes the current literature on open treatment of pelvic and acetabular fractures in the obese patient, reviews the physiologic adaptations of obesity as they relate to pelvic surgery, highlights risk factors for complications, and provides recommendations to reduce the incidence of complications.

Obesity in pediatric orthopaedics.

Obesity is a rapidly expanding health problem in children and adolescents and is the most prevalent nutritional problem for children in the United States. Some believe that obesity has become a major epidemic in American children, with the prevalence having more than doubled since 1980. This epidemic has led to a near-doubling in hospitalizations with a diagnosis of obesity between 1999 and 2005 and an increase in costs from $125.9 million to $237.6 million between 2001 and 2005. This article describes some of the orthopaedic conditions commonly encountered in overweight/obese children and adolescents, classically infantile and adolescent tibia vara and slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Also discussed are genu valgum, which has been associated with obesity, and other difficulties encountered in providing orthopaedic care to obese children.

Quality and content of Internet-based information for ten common orthopaedic sports medicine diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: Although the use of the Internet to access health information has grown quickly, the emergence of quality controls for health information web sites has been considerably slower. The primary objective of this study was to assess the quality and content of Internet-based information for commonly encountered diagnoses within orthopaedic sports medicine. METHODS: Ten common diagnoses within the scope of orthopaedic sports medicine were chosen. Custom grading templates were developed for each condition, and they included an assessment of web-site type, the accountability and transparency of the information (Health On the Net Foundation [HON] score), and the information content. Information content was divided into five subcategories: disease summary, pathogenesis, diagnostics, treatment and complications, and outcomes and prognosis. Two popular search engines were used, and the top ten sites from each were independently reviewed by three authors. Data were evaluated for interobserver variability, HON scores, information content scores, and subgroup score comparisons. RESULTS: After eliminating duplicate sites, a total of 154 unique sites were reviewed. The most common web-site types were commercial (seventy-four sites) and academic (thirty-two sites). Average HON scores, on a 16-point scale, were 9.8, 9.5, and 8.5, for reviewers 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Average information content scores, on a 100-point scale, were 56.8, 56.0, and 54.8 for reviewers 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Average content scores in each subgroup ranged between 45% and 61% of the maximum possible score. The presence of the HONcode seal was associated with significantly higher HON (p = 0.0001) and content scores (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The quality and content of health information on the Internet is highly variable for common sports medicine topics. Patients should be encouraged to exercise caution and to utilize only well-known sites and those that display the HONcode seal of compliance with transparency and accountability practices.