Transition of Caregiver Perceptions after Pediatric Neuromuscular Scoliosis Surgery.

Introduction: Spinal fusion for children with neuromuscular scoliosis has been known to improve sitting balance and quality of life as well as for high caregiver satisfaction. However, most studies performed were single surveys, and it remains unclear whether high satisfaction levels are maintained. Thus, in this article, we report the short- and medium-term improvements in caregiver standing assessment after neuromuscular scoliosis surgery in children with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level IV or V. Methods: In total, 18 patients with GMFCS levels IV and V were included in this study. The underlying diseases were typical cerebral palsy in 12 cases, chromosomal abnormalities in 5 cases, and congenital myopathy in 1 case. The median age at the time of surgery was 14.5 years. The medians for the first and second follow-up surveys were after 1.4 and 5.9 years, respectively. All the patients had undergone posterior spinal fusion, whereas 12 had undergone pelvic fixation. These patients were assessed using a caregiver questionnaire, in addition to patient demographic data and radiographic assessments. Results: The median BMI was 15.4 kg/m2 preoperatively, 16.6 kg/m2 at the first survey, and 17.1 kg/m2 at the second survey. The main Cobb angles were 97.5°, 36.5°, and 37.0° and the spino-pelvic obliquity angles were 22.5°, 6.0°, and 6.5° preoperatively, at the first survey and at the second survey, respectively. In the questionnaire, most domains were rated similarly in the first and second surveys, but the ratings for the "children's QOL" and "digestion and defecation" domains were noted to increase, while that for the "transfer" and "satisfaction with treatment" domains have decreased. Conclusions: Neuromuscular scoliosis surgery in children has been associated with extremely high treatment satisfaction in the early postoperative period. However, some caregivers showed a decline in the "transfer" and "treatment satisfaction" domains over time.

CT-based analysis of muscle volume and degeneration of gluteus medius in patients with unilateral hip osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: The gluteus medius (GMED) affects hip function as an abductor. We evaluated muscle volume and degeneration of the GMED by using CT-based analysis and assessed factors that affect hip abductor strength in patients with unilateral hip osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: We examined clinical and imaging findings associated with hip abductor strength in consecutive 50 patients with unilateral hip OA. Hip abductor muscle strength and Harris hip score (HHS) were assessed. Leg length discrepancy (LLD) and femoral offset were assessed using X-ray; CT assessment was employed for volumetric and qualitative GMED analysis. Volumetric analysis involved measurement of cross sectional area (CSA) and three-dimensional (3D) muscle volume. CT density was measured for the qualitative assessment of GMED degeneration with or without adjustment using a bone mineral reference phantom. RESULTS: Hip abductor muscle strength on the affected side was significantly lower than that on the contralateral healthy side and positively correlated with overall score and score for limping of gait of HHS, demonstrating the importance of hip abductor strength for normal hip function. A significant correlation was found between CSA and 3D muscle volume, unadjusted CT density and adjusted CT density, and hip abductor strength and these CT measurements. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that 3D muscle volume, adjusted CT density, and LLD are independent factors affecting hip abduction. CONCLUSIONS: 3D measurement of muscle volume and adjusted CT density more accurately reflect quantity and the GMED quality than do conventional assessments. Increase in muscle volume, recovery of muscle degeneration, and correction of LLD are important for improving limping in patients with hip OA.

Scoliosis surgery for handicapped children.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess treatment outcomes and caregivers' satisfaction regarding scoliosis surgery for handicapped children. METHODS: Handicapped children are, by definition, noncommunicatory and/or nonambulatory. We recruited 26 handicapped children who were followed-up for >1 year after a scoliosis surgery. We recruited 40 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who underwent a surgery during the same period as controls. We used a posterior approach in all the children. We determined preoperative body mass index (BMI), main Cobb angle, Cincinnati correction index (CCI), and fusion level; intraoperative time and blood loss per level; and postoperative complications. We also assessed caregivers' satisfaction with surgical treatments for these patients using the modified Bridwell's questionnaire. RESULTS: We have described the results as handicapped children/AIS. Median preoperative BMI was 16.1/18.6 kg/m2. Preoperative and final Cobb angles were 94.2°/59.7° and 39.7°/17.0°, respectively and CCI was 2.0/1.7. The number of fusion levels was 14.6/9.0. The operative time and blood loss per level were 40.1/44.1 minutes and 264/138 ml, respectively. Postoperative complications in handicapped children were adynamic ileus in 8 cases, dysphagia in 5, pneumonia in 3, urinary tract infection in 2, and superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMA), surgical site deep infection, infectious enteritis, agitation, and liver dysfunction in 1 each. However, in the AIS group, there was only 1 case of SMA. Median caregivers' satisfaction score on the 0-10 visual analog scale was 9. Caregivers for 19 of the 26 handicapped cases (73%) recommended surgical treatment to caregivers of other children with the same disease. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment for neuromuscular and syndromic scoliosis was associated with a high rate of postoperative complications. However, the caregivers' satisfaction score after surgery was high.

Quantitative evaluation of periprosthetic infection by real-time polymerase chain reaction: a comparison with conventional methods.

Several recent studies have demonstrated the limited accuracy of conventional culture methods for diagnosing periprosthetic infections. We have applied real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for the rapid identification of bacteria around implants and reported its utility. However, the capability of quantification is also a useful feature of this type of assay. The aim of our study was to validate the usefulness of quantitative analyses using real-time PCR of cases with clinical periprosthetic infections in comparison with more established tests, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, microbiologic cultures, and histopathology. Fifty-six joints with suspected infections were reviewed retrospectively. A universal PCR assay was used to perform the quantitative analyses. The differences in the threshold cycles between clinical samples and a negative control (∆Ct) in each case were calculated. The results of the quantitative PCR assay were compared with CRP levels, microbiologic cultures, and histopathology. There was a significant correlation found between the CRP and ∆Ct values. There were also significant differences found in the ∆Ct values according to CRP levels, with higher CRP levels showing higher ∆Ct values. Similarly, there were significant differences in the ∆Ct measurements in our culture results and among our pathologic evaluations. We confirmed that quantification by universal PCR based on the ∆Ct correlated with preoperative CRP levels and was associated with the microbiologic culture results and pathologic severity. This quantification method may be valuable for assessing infection severity.