A Child With Acute Hematogenous Osteomyelitis of the Distal Fibula and Infective Endocarditis.

Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO) commonly interests the pediatric population. It typically affects the metaphyses of long tubular bones. However, the fibula is rarely involved. Regarding the hematogenous inoculation, this infection may be associated with distant foci. Herein, we present the case of a 10-year-old girl who was initially diagnosed with atypical AHO of the distal fibula complicated by a subperiosteal abscess. Upon admission, the child showed a severe septic condition, including embolic infective endocarditis (IE), which was responsible for multiple cerebral, renal, and splenic loci. AHO was successfully resolved with appropriate intravenous antimicrobial treatment targeting Staphylococcus aureus, surgical drainage, and debridement. Due to the complexity of the lesions and the embolic nature, the IE was also managed operatively with a mechanical prosthesis. The distal fibula is a rare and challenging location for AHO. EI co-infection should always be sought and suspected because, in such instances, it will genuinely complicate diagnostic and therapeutic management.

Cleavage Intercondylar Fracture of the Femur: A Case Report.

Distal femur fractures account for less than 1% of all fractures and about 3 to 6% of all femoral fractures. Several classifications have been described but some types of distal femur fractures escape them such as the cleavage intercondylar fracture of the femur. To our knowledge, there have been only four cases reported in the literature. The authors report a case of a 32-year-old woman who presented at the emergency department with a cleavage intercondylar fracture of the left femur. The patient was treated with a long leg cast for 6 weeks, followed by physiotherapy and full weight-bearing. After 4 months, the evolution was favorable: the patient was asymptomatic and regained full knee range of motion. After 10 years of follow-up, there was no clinical or radiological evidence of knee osteoarthritis.

Tenosynovial giant cell tumour in Hoffa fat pad: a case report.

Giant cell tumour is a benign lesion classified as a fibrocystic tumour whose localization in Hoffa's fat pad is very rare. Clinical symptoms are insidious and non-specific causing a frequent confusion and delay in diagnosis therefore it should be distinguished radiologically from other similar conditions such as Hoffa´s disease and lipomas. We report a case of a 37-year-old patient, with no relevant history, who complained of a right knee pain for 5 years. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a small nodular mass in Hoffa's pad which was excised through a direct approach. Histologic examination of the specimen revealed a giant cell tenosynovial tumour. One year after surgery, the patient was asymptomatic with no local recurrence. The surgical removal of the tumour is the ideal treatment. The choice between open surgery and endoscopy depends on the site, size, and extent of the tumour.

Primary giant hydatid cysts of the thigh and the gluteal region: a case report.

Primary musculoskeletal echinococcosis is rare and accounts for 2-3% of the patients with hydatid disease. We report a case of giant primary hydatid cysts of the thigh and the gluteal region in an 82-year-old female, who presented with a painful multiple palpable mass. The diagnosis was confirmed by imaging and serology. Total resection was performed through an extended lateral approach of the thigh and intraoperative findings revealed infected giant hydatid cysts. The postoperative outcome was uneventful. Albendazole drug (400mg per day) was given for the next 3 months. At 6 months follow-up, the patient was satisfied with no complications or recurrence.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Orthopedic and Trauma Departments in Tunisia.

OBJECTIVE: Measure the effect of the strategy to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, based on containment, on the practice of orthopedic and trauma surgery in Tunisia. METHODS: This is a comparative study, concerning the impact of Covid-19 on the flow of patients, operated in orthopedic surgery and trauma departments, during the containment period from March 12, 2020 to April 30, 2020, comparing it to the same period of the year 2019, in the Central-East region of Tunisia (Kairouan, Sousse, Mahdia, Monastir). RESULTS: A significant decrease of 27% in the flow of patients admitted to orthopedic surgery departments in central-eastern Tunisia, during the 2020 containment period, compared to the same period of the previous year was documented. This decrease was generally widespread, notified in three orthopedic departments: Sousse (39%; p<10-3), Monastir (29%; p<10-3) and Mahdia (27%; p<10-3). It focused on the following three groups: infections (45%; p<10-3), wounds (30%; p<10-2), and fractures (20%; p<10-3). CONCLUSION: The collateral effects of the strategy to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, are "obvious" in orthopedic surgical practice. A health crisis management plan (including disasters and pandemics) should be better prepared in orthopedic surgery departments.

COVID-19 and Management of Orthopedic Emergencies. Producing a Consensus of Experts.

OBJECTIVE: Report the results of a participatory approach in Tunisian orthopedic surgery, for the development of a consensus of experts, on the identification of the list of pathologies to always be considered as non-postponable emergencies, during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This descriptive study of the opinions of Tunisian experts covered all orthopedic morbidities classified into three homogeneous groups: trauma, infections and tumors of the musculoskeletal system. The attitudes of the interviewees were collected using the "Delphi" method, using a "Google-Form" questionnaire, sent by email to all of the Tunisian university orthopedic surgeons in practice, and registered at the SOTCOT. Consensus has been established for an item, if validated by at least 80% of the experts. The analysis of the results focused on the first 30 responses to this "online" form. RESULTS: Tunisian experts agreed on the continuity of the urgency of taking in charge all the items of orthopedic morbidity during the COVID-19 pandemic, apart from the following affections: aseptic nonunions in the upper and lower limbs, aggressive giant cell tumors, and hyperalgesic disc herniations, where agreement rates were only at 8%, 12%, 58% and 77%. CONCLUSION: Relative to its disciplinary and professional specificities, the majority the of orthopedic conditions were still considered as emergencies, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which did not lend to postponement of the surgery. However, their management should obey to the recommendations of "Sorting" and the " COVID-19 Patient Pathway ", established by national authorities.

Monteggia fracture with unreducable anterior dislocation of the radial head and a lesion of the external collateral ligament of the elbow.

Monteggia described a fracture of the proximal third of the ulna with anterior dislocation of the radial head from both the proximal radioulnar and radiocapitellar joints. The key treatment principle in Monteggia fractures is stable anatomic alignment of the ulna. We present an uncommon case of a Monteggia fracture-dislocation with an unreducable anterior dislocation of the radial head and associated with a lesion of the lateral collateral ligament of the elbow. The patient in our report had a successful clinical outcome and functional range of motion after rigid fixation of the ulnar shaft fracture and exploration of the elbow joint, reduction of the radial head and repair of the lateral collateral ligament. This case is unusual because of the association of a complete tear of the external collateral ligament of the elbow.

An unusual Monteggia equivalent type 1 lesion: Diaphyseal ulna and radius fractures with a posterior elbow dislocation in a child.

In this report, we describe an extremely unusual Monteggia equivalent type 1 lesion in a 10-year-old boy following a fall from a height of 1 m. On the plain radiographs, our patient had a particular Monteggia equivalent type 1 injury associating a posterior elbow dislocation with diaphyseal radius and ulna fractures. The patient was treated by closed reduction technique. At six months of follow-up, the fractures were consolidated and the elbow was stable. To our knowledge, only 8 adult cases and one paediatric observation with similar lesions had been reported through medical literature. Therefore, the aim of our case report is to remind this rare entity and also to provide a comprehensive review of the literature related to this uncommon lesion.

[Treatments associated with scarf osteotomy for hallux valgus correction]. / Place des gestes associés à l'ostéotomie de Scarf dans le traitement de l'hallux valgus.

In view of the multiplicity of the proposed techniques for hallux valgus correction, we recommend to evaluate scarf osteotomy associated or not with phalangeal osteotomy and/or Weil osteotomy. We conducted a retrospective study of 29 patients, including a bilateral case, undergoing scarf osteotomy of the first ray with associated treatments in 80% of cases between 2011 and 2016. Results were analyzed on the basis of patients' satisfaction, Groulier index and radiological measurements. The overall Groulier score showed good objective assessment of the end results based on radiological and anatomical data influencing the end results in case of insufficient correction. The mean follow-up period was 3 years and 5 months. A significant reduction in phalangeal valgus (from 34.17% to 16.1%), in metatarsus varus (from 15.13% to 9.93%) and the distal metatarsal joint angle (17.63% to 12.73%) were obtained. Patients were satisfied and very satisfied in 83% of cases. Complications were dominated by hypocorrection in 13.3% of cases and no case of pseudarthrosis or of M1 head necrosis was reported. Our results are comparable to those reported in the literature. We particularly insist on the functional role of hallux valgus surgery that should be included in overall forefoot deformity correction. Scarf osteotomy requires rigorous technique. It gives reliable results, with limitations related to major deformities, especially of the distal metatarsal joint angle.

Intra-articular knee arborescent lipoma: a case treated with arthroscopic synoviectomy.

Arborescent lipoma is an unusual intra-articular lesion that typically develops in the knee and has to be evoked before chronic effusion. It corresponds to hyperplasia of mature fatty tissue and hypertrophy of synovial villi, developing within a joint. The reference treatment is synovectomy by arthrotomy. The rare forms localized to the anterior compartment of the knee can benefit from an arthroscopic synovectomy. The authors report a case of arborescent knee lipoma in a 47-year-old patient who received arthroscopic synoviectomy. To our knowledge, only a few cases of arborescent lipoma treated by arthroscopic synoviectomy have been reported in the literature.

Uncommon Floating Knee in a Teenager: A Case Report of Ipsilateral Physeal Fractures in Distal Femur and Proximal Tibia.

INTRODUCTION: The concomitance of ipsilateral physeal fractures of the distal femur and the proximal tibia is an extremely scarce entity. It is conceptually similar to floating knee in pediatric population. CASE REPORT: One case with this injury is reported in a 16-year-old teenager. He was treated surgically by close reduction and internal fixation. The diagnosis of the tibial fracture was initially missed and the fracture was seen on the post-operative radiographs. Orthopedic treatment was made for this injury. 2 years after, no angular deformity neither shortening of the limb were found. CONCLUSION: These rare injuries could have serious immediate and remote complication with a considerable functional impact. The diagnosis of proximal tibia physeal fracture could be missed in the context of a concomitant more impressive distal femur fracture. The possibility of a combination of these two injuries should then be kept in mind. Anatomic reduction should be made as soon as possible using a gentle technique and attention should be given to the diagnosis of the neurovascular complications.

Uncommon Floating Knee in a Teenager: A Case Report of Ipsilateral Physeal Fractures in Distal Femur and Proximal Tibia.

INTRODUCTION: The concomitance of ipsilateral physeal fractures of the distal femur and the proximal tibia is an extremely scarce entity. It is conceptually similar to floating knee in the pediatric population. CASE REPORT: One case with this injury is reported in a 16-year-old teenager. He was treated surgically by close reduction and internal fixation. The diagnosis of the tibial fracture was initially missed, and the fracture was seen on the post-operative radiographs. Orthopedic treatment was made for this injury. 2 years after, no angular deformity neither shortening of the limb were found. CONCLUSION: These rare injuries could have serious immediate and remote complication with a considerable functional impact. The diagnosis of proximal tibia physeal fracture could be missed in the context of a concomitant more impressive distal femur fracture. The possibility of a combination of these two injuries should then be kept in mind. Anatomic reduction should be made as soon as possible using a gentle technique, and attention should be given to the diagnosis of the neurovascular complications.

Chondroblastic osteosarcoma of the distal tibia: a rare case report.

Chondroblastic osteosarcoma, representing about 25% of osteosarcoma, is a fatal primary malignancy of the skeleton if not diagnosed and treated appropriately. It most commonly occurs in the long bones of the extremities near the metaphyseal growth plates. In this report, we describe the occurrence of chondroblastic osteosarcoma involving the left distal tibia in a 14-year-old male. The diagnosis was confirmed by the histological examination of a surgical biopsy. The patient was treated by both surgery and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. No recurrence was noted at 3 years of follow-up. To our knowledge, only two cases describing chondroblastic osteosarcoma of the distal tibia had been reported through English medical literature. Therefore, the aim of our article is to make the clinician aware of this rare clinical presentation and also to provide a comprehensive review of the literature related to this uncommon malignant tumour.

Dislocation of the First Metatarsophalangeal Joint: A Case Report and Suggested Classification System.

Dislocation of the first metatarsophalangeal joint is a relatively rare and still poorly known injury. The current classification includes only the dorsal variety of this lesion; thus, as further cases of other varieties are reported, a larger understanding of this entity is required. We report the case of a young male with dorsal dislocation of the first metatarsophalangeal joint treated by closed reduction. The clinical outcome at the 2-year follow-up point is reported. A review of the published data of the variations of this injury reported to date is included, and a new summarizing classification is suggested.

[The fracture risk assessment tool (FRAXTM), where are we in Tunisia?]. / Le score FRAX®, ou on est en Tunisie.

BACKGROUND: The fracture risk assessment tool (FRAXTM), published in February 2008, is developed based on the use of clinical risk factors with or without bone mineral density tests. AIM: To calculate the FRAX tool in a cohort of Tunisian patients in whom bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual X ray absorptiometry (DXA); to correlate this score to osteoporotic fracture and to BMD assessment and to propose a threshold for therapeutic intervention. METHODS: In a cross sectional study of 582 patients older than 40 years, in whom a BMD measurement by DXA has been performed between January 2006 and December 2009, clinical risk factor for osteoporotic fracture and the occurrence of a prior fragility fracture were assessed. The French version of the FRAX tool was used. Threshold for pharmacological intervention was evaluated by ROC curve. RESULTS: Patients were aged 62.3 ± 10.4 years. They were female in 91.2% of cases. BMD measurement was under 2.5 standard deviation in 53.2%. Osteopenia was noted in 29.2% of cases and BMD was normal in 17.4 % of cases. Osteoporotic fractures were observed in 38.2% of cases. Major osteoporotic fractures (FOM) (hip, vertebra, radius occurred in 82% of cases. The FRAX® score calculated with T-score was 8.55 ± 8.54% for the FOM and 3.02 ± 6.37% for femoral neck (FN), while it was 7.81 ± 6.45% for the FOM and 2.58 ± 3.97% for the FN if calculated without T-score with a significant difference (p <10-3). For the patients having T-score under 2.5 SD, FRAX score was 11.39 ± 10.32% for the FOM and 4.74 ± 8.13% for the FN if calculated with T-score and it was 9.18 ± 6.95 % for the FOM and 3.19 ± 4.11 % if calculated without T-score. The score FRAX was correlated to BMD (r=0,53, p <10-3) and to fracture prevalence (p < 10-3). The threshold of therapeutic intervention was fixed to 30% for the FOM and 7% for the FN. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms the usefulness of the FRAX score in the prediction of fracture risk in Tunisian population. The determination of therapeutic threshold intervention requires other prospective and larger studies with medico-economic analyses.

An unusual Monteggia type I equivalent fracture: a case report.

We report an unusual case of a type I Monteggia equivalent lesion in a 6-year-old girl consisting of fracture of the ulnar diaphysis and fracture of the neck of the radius without dislocation of the radial head. Manual reduction and immobilization in a plaster cast were performed. At 10 years of follow-up, the patient had regained full flexion and extension of the elbow, and nearly full pronation and supination. In the literature, this lesion has been reported only in two paediatric patients indicating that this is an extremely rare trauma.

[Adult-onset of Still's disease with atypical articular and skin manifestations]. / Atteintes articulaire et cutanée atypiques au cours d'une maladie de Still de l'adulte.

BACKGROUND: Adult-onset Still's disease (ASD) is an uncommon clinical entity. It is a diagnosis of exclusion, characterized by a clinical triad of intermittent fever spikes, evanescent rash, and either arthralgia or arthritis. Destructive arthritis more commonly affects the hips, wrists, tarsal joints and cervical spine. AIM: To report an unusual case of ASD with severe distal interphalangeal destructive arthritis and finger skin vesiculopustules. OBSERVATION: A 19 years old girl was followed for 2 year-history of ASD with polycyclic articular involvement. She noted, since 2 months, rapid appearance of painful tumefaction in the distal interphalangeal joints (DIP) with maculopustular eruption distributed exclusively on the hands, in front, only of DIP and few proximal interphalangeal joints (PIP). Further more, she complained of polyarticular active disease. Hands and wrists X-ray showed narrowed distal-interphalangeal joint space of only DIP joints. RMN imaging revealed in addition carpal, metacarpal and PIP articular inflammatory damage. The infectious investigation remained negative. A surgical skin and DIP biopsy specimens showed disseminated micro-abscesses with polynuclear leukocyte dermal infiltration. There was no signs of osteitis. Bacterial and fungal cultures from the pus failed to reveal any causative organisms. Skin lesions gradually disappeared in response to conventional ASD therapy after intensification. Hence, the diagnosis of distal destructive arthritis of ASD associated with atypical neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet's syndrome) was made. CONCLUSION: ASD is rare, heterogeneous, with unpredictable evolution. The distal destructive arthritis represents a possible complication. The presence of pustules as atypical cutaneous features of Sweet's syndrome may be seen in severe forms of ASD and clinicians must be alert to the possibility of a misdiagnosis in these cases.

[Li Fraumeni syndrome: a case with multiple primary cancers and presenting a germline p53 mutation]. / Le syndrome de Li Fraumeni: à propos d'un cas familial avec cancers multiples et présentant une mutation germinale du gène p53.

Li Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) is a rare autosomal disorder characterized by a familial clustering of tumors. Analysis of several series of LFS families have shown that 70% of such families are attributable to germ-line mutations in TP53. We report the case of a patient who had a first degree family antecedent of cancer in young ages. At the age of 31 years, the patient was operated of bladder papillary superficial carcinoma; five years later, he was treated for a high grade pleomorphe sarcoma of the left thigh and treated by surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. At the age of 38 years, after abdominal pain, radiologic examination reveled pancreatic tumor with bone and lymphatic metastases. The patient died one month later from pulmonary embolism. Sequencing revealed a germiline mutation of this patient that was confirmed in a member of his family in codon 1009C>T, protein Arg337Cys, exon 10 of TP53 gene this mutation was revealed in his nephew (died at the age of 20 from bone sarcoma).

Reimplantation of a totally extruded talus: a case report.

Total extrusion of the talus is an unusual injury, and the obvious risks of reimplantation of the extruded bone include infection and avascular necrosis. In this article, the authors present the case of a 34-year-old man who sustained an open ankle injury with complete extrusion of the talus. The talus was recovered at the scene of the accident, and subsequently reimplanted along with ankle stabilization with pins and an external fixator. At 6 weeks following the osseous surgery, final soft tissue reconstruction with a suralis flap was performed. At 3 years after the injury, radiographs revealed spontaneous fusion of the tibiotalar and subtalar joints, and the clinical examination and history indicated satisfactory weight-bearing function of the involved foot and ankle. The definitive treatment of this serious lower extremity injury remains controversial, and the use of large allogeneic bone grafts, vascularized bone grafts, and tibiocalcaneal fusion, as well as reimplantation of the extruded talus have been recommended.