False aneurysm of the popliteal artery revealing a solitary osteochondroma of the distal femur in an 11-year-old boy.

An 11-year-old boy presented with pain in the right knee, intermittent reverse ischemia of the right foot and paraesthesia of the right toes. An angio-CT showed a false aneurysm of the right superior popliteal artery, and a solitary osteochondroma of the posterior aspect of the distal femur. Excision of the aneurysm and the osteochondroma was performed in two-stages. The patient was clinically well at 1-year follow up.

Are postoperative standing radiographs relevant before hospital discharge in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?

PURPOSE: Postoperative standing radiographs are usually performed before hospital discharge after AIS fusion. However, patients are often still painful and have not recovered yet their physiological balance. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the relevance of such early radiographs and more specifically investigate whether postoperative alignment could be analyzed. METHODS: All consecutive AIS patients operated between January 2015 and December 2015 were included. All patients underwent biplanar stereoradiographs before hospital discharge, at 4 months postoperative and at last follow-up. Fifteen parameters (eight coronal and seven sagittal), reflecting correction and spinal alignment were measured and compared. The incidence of implant misplacement, requiring or not surgical revision, was recorded. RESULTS: In total, 100 patients were included. A significant difference was found for 12 out of the 15 (80%) parameters between the first erect radiograph and the 4-month follow-up visit, including the CVA and the SVA, which are commonly used to assess postoperative alignment. Clavicle, UIV and LIV tilts also decreased significantly at 4 months postoperative. In opposition, no significant change occurred for the same parameters between the 4-month visit and latest follow-up. In nine patients, a pedicle screw was considered misplaced on the first radiograph, but all patients remained asymptomatic and no revision was performed. CONCLUSION: There is no need for additional immediate postoperative radiographs in AIS, if an intraoperative radiograph has already been taken. This finding could help reducing radiation exposure in immature patients and should be further studied in other etiologies. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Tailor-made management of thoracic scoliosis with cervical hyperextension in muscular dystrophy.

PURPOSE: We report the case of a 13-year-old boy managed for fixed cervical hyperextension due to congenital muscular dystrophy with partial merosin deficiency. He presented a right decompensated thoracic scoliosis (T6-L1 Cobb angle 72°) associated with cervical and lumbar lordosis. The spinal extension was accompanied by major flexion of the hip resulting in the trunk being bent forward. This posture caused daily severe back pain responsible for significant loss of quality of life. This led to the decision to perform surgery. METHODS: Initially, the surgery was limited to the thoraco-lumbo-sacral area. An anterior release was done, followed by posterior T1-pelvis vertebral fusion using a modified Luque-Galveston technique. The correction achieved was satisfactory in the coronal plane, but the correction of the thoracic kyphosis was insufficient to compensate for the cervical hyperextension. Cervical spine was fixed at 52° of lordosis, and associated with a left 50° rotation and a right 45° inclination of the head. We performed a posterior and lateral release of the cervical muscles followed by positioning of the halo, itself connected to a made-for-measure thoracic corset. A daily adjustment of the threaded rods was done daily for 3 months to correct the cervical position. Then, we performed a spinal fusion without instrumentation, by posterior articular abrasion and grafting from the occiput to T1. Following that, the halo-corset was kept in place for 4 months. RESULTS: At the end of 8 month treatment, the clinical result was satisfactory with a balanced spine both face on, and sideways, allowing for comfortable painless positioning. At 5 year follow-up, he showed stable spinal fusion without any loss of correction. CONCLUSION: There is no gold standard treatment for cervical hyperextension, but approaches have to be tailor-made to the patient's needs and the team's experience.

Selective versus hyperselective posterior fusions in Lenke 5 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: comparison of radiological and clinical outcomes.

PURPOSE: Recent literature has reported that the ]progression risk of Lenke 5 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) during adulthood had been underestimated. Surgery is, therefore, proposed more to young patients with progressive curves. However, choice of the approach and fusion levels remains controversial. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the length of posterior fusion on clinical and radiological outcomes in Lenke 5 AIS. METHODS: All Lenke 5 AIS operated between 2008 and 2012 were included with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Patients were divided into two groups according to the length of fusion. In the first group (selective), the upper instrumented level (UIV) was the upper end vertebra of the main structural curve and distally the fusion was extended to the stable and neutral vertebra, according to Lenke's classification. In the second group (hyperselective), shorter fusions were performed and the number of levels fused depended on the location of the apex of the curve (at maximum, 2 levels above and below, according to Hall's criteria). Apart from the fusion level selection, the surgical procedure was similar in both groups. Radiological outcomes and SRS-22 scores were reported. RESULTS: 78 patients were included (35 selective and 43 hyperselective). The number of levels fused was significantly higher in the first group (7.8 ± 3 vs 4.3 ± 0.6). None of the patients was fused to L4 in selective group. No correlation was found between length of fusion and complication rate. Eight patients had adding-on phenomenon among which 6 (75%) had initially undergone hyperselective fusions and had significantly higher postoperative lower instrumented vertebra (LIV) tilt. In the adding-on group, LIV was located above the last touching vertebra (LTV) in 62.5% of the cases and above the stable vertebra (SV) in 87.5%. Patients in the selective group reported a significantly lower score in the SRS function domain. CONCLUSION: Coronal alignment was restored in both groups. Hyperselective posterior fusions can be considered in Lenke 5 AIS, preserving one or two mobile segments, with similar clinical and radiological outcomes. However, selection of the LIV according to SV and LTV need to be accurately analyzed in order to avoid adding-on during follow-up.

A new procedure for fractures of the medial epicondyle in children: Mitek(®) bone suture anchor.

We present a new bone suture anchor technique for fractures of the medial epicondyle. The hypothesis was that the results would be similar to those with the divergent K-wire fixation. This retrospective study included 40 patients who presented with displaced fractures of the medial epicondyle: one group was treated with a Mitek(®) non-resorbable bone suture anchor (group A: n=21), the other by K-wire fixation (group B: n=19). A medial approach was taken with an anchor placed above the olecranon fossa. The epicondyle was then repositioned by bone suture. After a mean follow-up of 18.6 months, union was obtained in all epicondyles. There was no difference in flexion-extension of the elbow. The rate of hypertrophy of the medial epicondyle was similar in both groups (57%). The bone suture anchor of the medial epicondyle is an effective technique that does not require hardware removal and is an alternative treatment option to divergent K-wire fixation.

Reconstruction of femoral bone loss with a monoplane external fixator and bone transport.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of femoral bone loss is difficult. Ilizarov described the bone lengthening technique using a circular external fixator, but this technique is uncomfortable on the femur because of the circular fixator. We have therefore opted for use of a monoplane external fixator to treat femoral bone loss with bone lengthening. The objectives of this study were to determine whether (1) bone union can be obtained with a monoplane external fixator; (2) infections can be treated; (3) the lower limb axes and alignment can be controlled; and (4) patient satisfaction is high. HYPOTHESIS: A monoplane external fixator provides a high rate of bone union during bone transport with no risk of deformity over the long term. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 2007 and 2012 seven patients were treated with bone transport using a monoplane external fixator for femoral bone loss measuring a mean 8.1cm (range, 6-10cm). All were infected (osteomyelitis) or contaminated following Gustilo type IIIB fractures. The mean time from initial injury to the beginning of bone loss management was 3.9months (range, 1.5-8 months) for six of them and 108 months for one patient. RESULTS: At the mean follow-up of 4.7 years (range, 2-7 years), all of the patients showed union after a mean 11.1months (range, 8-18 months), i.e., 41.2 days/cm of transport, and all infections were resolved. Only one patient had unequal leg length measuring 2cm and another showed 3° varus. Five patients were satisfied despite disappointing functional results. All could fully extend the knee but the mean flexion was 50° (range, 20-90°). DISCUSSION: This series confirms that use of the monoplane external fixation with descending bone transport to treat infected femoral bone loss is efficient and provides bone union, treatment of the infection, and control of bone axes and lengths. This technique does not allow recuperation of complete knee flexion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, retrospective study.

Proximal humerus fractures in children and adolescents.

Proximal humerus fractures are rare in paediatric traumatology. Metaphyseal fractures account for about 70% of cases and epiphyseal separation for the remaining 30%. The development and anatomy of the proximal humerus explain the various fracture types, displacements, and potential complications; and also help in interpreting the radiographic findings, most notably in young children. Physicians should be alert to the possibility of an underlying lesion or pathological fracture requiring appropriate diagnostic investigations, and they should consider child abuse in very young paediatric patients. Although the management of proximal humerus fractures remains controversial, the extraordinary remodelling potential of the proximal humerus in skeletally immature patients often allows non-operative treatment without prior reduction. When the displacement exceeds the remodelling potential suggested by the extent of impaction, angulation, and patient age, retrograde elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) provides effective stabilisation. As a result, the thoraco-brachial abduction cast is less often used, although this method remains a valid option. Retrograde ESIN must be performed by a surgeon who is thoroughly conversant with the fundamental underlying principles. Direct percutaneous pinning is a fall-back option when the surgeon's experience with ESIN is insufficient. Finally, open reduction is very rarely required and should be reserved for severely displaced fractures after failure of closed reduction. When these indications are followed, long-term outcomes are usually excellent, with prompt resumption of previous activities and a low rate of residual abnormalities.