Appropriate Use Criteria for Treatment of Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures With Vascular Injury: Do Our Hospital Practice Patterns Agree With Current Recommendations?

BACKGROUND: Managing the pulseless pediatric supracondylar humerus fracture (PSHF) remains a significant clinical decision-making challenge for the treating surgeon. The purpose of the study is to determine frequency of the treatments according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for the PSHF with vascular injury and evaluate the appropriateness of these interventions. METHODS: We identified all PSHF with concern for vascular injury at one high volume, level 1 trauma center managed by 6 fellowship-trained pediatric orthopaedic surgeons over 4.5 years. Demographic information and other injury and treatment variables were obtained. Each patient was classified as 1 of the 6 patient scenarios specified by the AAOS AUC. Each of the 18 interventions identified in the AUC were documented, including the level of "appropriateness" as specified by AAOS AUC. RESULTS: A total of 638 PSHF were managed identified; of these, 52 were pink, pulseless, or dysvascular (8.2%). Only 7 of the 18 treatment options suggested by the AUC were used in this cohort. Across all 7 interventions used in this cohort, 20.2% (17/84) of interventions were "appropriate," 52.4% (44/84) were "maybe appropriate," 22.6% (19/84) were "rarely appropriate," and 4.8% (4/84) were not listed in treatment options. CONCLUSIONS: Supracondylar fractures are the most common injury to the elbow seen in children and are variable in presentation and management. The pink, pulseless fracture continues to be a major topic for research and discussion due to the morbidity if not treated "appropriately." The AUC were created to help guide practitioners when strong evidence is lacking. In this study at a single, pediatric hospital, there was variation and disagreement with "appropriateness" of treatments that were performed but this discrepancy did not result in any poor outcomes. Although the AUC do offer valuable guidance, our findings highlight a need for continued research in this area to help validate the AUC and help strengthen the recommendations moving forward. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-retrospective.

Bent Telescopic Rods in Patients With Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

BACKGROUND: Telescopic rods require alignment of 2 rods to enable lengthening. A telescopic rod converts functionally into a solid rod if either rod bends, preventing proper engagement. Our goal was to characterize implant bending as a mode of failure of telescopic rods used in the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta in children. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of our osteogenesis imperfecta database for patients treated with intramedullary telescopic rods at our institution from 1992 through 2010 and identified 12 patients with bent rods. The 6 boys and 6 girls had an average age at the time of initial surgery of 3.1 years (range, 1.8 to 8.3 y) and a total of 51 telescoping rods. Clinic notes, operative reports, and radiographs were reviewed. The rods were analyzed for amount of lengthening, characteristics of bending, presence of cut out, or disengagement from an anchor point. Bends in the rods were characterized by their location on the implant component. The bent and straight rods were compared. Data were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney test (statistical significance set at P≤0.05). RESULTS: Of the 51 telescoping rods, 17 constructs (33%) bent. The average interval between surgery and rod bending was 4.0 years (range, 0.9 to 8.2 y). Before bending, 11 of 17 telescoping rods had routine follow-up radiographs for review. In 10 of the rods, bending was present when early signs of rod failure were first detected. Rod bending did not seem to be related to rod size. There was no area on the rod itself that seemed more susceptible to bending. CONCLUSIONS: Rod bending can be an early sign of impending rod failure. When rod bending is first noted, it may predispose the rod to other subsequent failures such as loss of proximal and distal fixation and cut out. Rod bending should be viewed as an indicator for closer monitoring of the patient and discussions regarding future need for rod exchange. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-retrospective review.

Is There an Optimal Time to Distract Dual Growing Rods?

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective multicenter observational cohort study. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether there is a significant difference in final spinal height achieved, instrumented height, or Cobb angle related to the mean time interval between distractions of dual growing rods. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Patients were prospectively enrolled in "The Treatment of Progressive Early Onset Spinal Deformities: A Multi-Center Study." Additional data were collected via a retrospective review of medical records. METHODS: Using data from a multicenter database, the authors identified 46 patients (23 boys and 23 girls) with early-onset scoliosis who were treated with dual growing rods and who had surgical treatment spanning more than 4 years. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those who had less than 9 months (16 patients) and those who had 9 months or more (30 patients) between distractions. Standard univariate statistics were calculated. The researchers performed 2-tailed t tests. Significance was set at p = .05. RESULTS: The differences in primary Cobb angle, T1-S1 height, and instrumented segment length at the last distraction or final arthrodesis, compared with the post-index procedure values, were not significantly different (p = .52, .58, and .60, respectively) between groups with the available data. The normalized instrumented height gains, in millimeters per year, were not significantly different (p = .22). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with longer times between growing-rod distractions (9 or more months) had no significant differences in primary Cobb angle, T1-S1 length, or instrumented length gain compared with patients with shorter times (less than 9 months) between distractions.

Chondroblastoma: a rare cause of femoral neck fracture in a teenager.

Chondroblastomas usually present in the epiphyseal region of bones in skeletally immature patients. These uncommon, benign tumors are usually treated with curettage and use of a bone-void filler. Here we report a case of a hip fracture secondary to an underlying chondroblastoma in a 19-year-old woman. Open biopsy with intraoperative frozen section pointed toward a diagnosis of chondroblastoma. Extended curettage was performed, followed by cryotherapy with a liquid nitrogen gun and filling of the defect with calcium phosphate bone substitute. The femoral neck fracture was stabilized with a sliding hip screw construct. The patient progressed well and continued to regain functional status. A final pathology report confirmed the lesion to be a chondroblastoma. Clinicians should have heightened awareness of a pathologic lesion in a young person presenting with a femoral neck fracture and should consider the uncommon differential diagnosis that the lesion is located in the greater trochanter apophysis.