Residual Acetabular Dysplasia at Walking Age: A Study of 470 Hips Treated With Pavlik Harness.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to report on the acetabular indices of walking age children following successful DDH treatment with Pavlik harness and investigate risk factors for residual acetabular dysplasia (RAD). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data for children treated for DDH at a single centre between 2015 and 2020. Acetabular indices (AI) measured on pelvic radiographs taken at 2- and 4-year follow-up visits were referenced against age-matched and sex-matched normal data. Values ≥90th percentile were considered to represent RAD. RESULTS: A total of 305 children with 470 hips were suitable for inclusion. The mean age at treatment initiation was 7.0±4.5 weeks and mean treatment duration was 15.9±4.3 weeks. Overall, 27% and 19% of hips were found to have RAD at 2- (n=448) and 4-year (n=206) follow-up, respectively. The χ2 test for independence demonstrated that the difference in the proportion of hips with RAD at both time points was significant (P=0.032). Patients with RAD at 2 years were found to have been treated for longer (P=0.028) and had lower alpha angles on final ultrasound assessment (P<0.001). Patients with RAD at 4 years were older at initiation of treatment (P=0.041), had lower alpha angles on final ultrasound assessment (P<0.001) and were more likely to have had RAD at 2 years (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis identified lower alpha angles on final ultrasound to be predictive for RAD at 2 years (P=0.011), and presence of RAD at 2 years to be predictive for RAD at 4 years (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of RAD beyond walking age in children successfully treated with Pavlik harness is not negligible. However, we observed that a significant proportion of children with RAD at 2-year follow-up had spontaneously improved without any intervention. This data suggests that routine long-term radiologic follow-up of children treated with Pavlik harness is necessary, and surgical intervention to address RAD should be delayed until at least 4 years of age. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-case-control study.

Aneurysmal bone cysts: A UK wide tumor center experience.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This multicenter retrospective series of consecutive extra-spinal aneurysmal bone cysts aims to identify risk factors for treatment failure. METHODS: Aneurysmal bone cysts treated within seven collaborating centers with over 12-months follow-up were eligible for inclusion. Survival analyses were performed to identify variables associated with recurrence using log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazard regression. RESULTS: One hundred and fifteen (M:F 60:55) patients were included. Median age at presentation was 13 years and median follow-up was 27 months. Seventy-five patients underwent surgical curettage and 27% of these required further intervention for recurrence. Of the 30 patients who underwent biopsy with limited percutaneous curettage as initial procedure, 47% required no further treatment. Patients under 13 years (log-rank p = 0.006, HR 2.3, p = 0.011) and those treated who had limited curettage (log-rank p = 0.001, HR 2.7, p = 0.002) had a higher risk of recurrence/persistence. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high risk of recurrence following surgical treatment for aneurysmal bone cysts and this risk is higher in young patients. However, the cyst heals in a substantial number of patients who have a limited curettage at the time of biopsy.

Risk of Neurovascular Injury during Screw Fixation of Tibial Tubercle Fractures in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients / Risco de lesão neurovascular durante a fixação com parafuso de fraturas da tuberosidade da tíbia em pacientes pediátricos e adolescentes

Abstract Objective To review knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for the analysis of the location of neurovascular structures (NVSs), and to define the risk of bicortical fixation. Methods Distances between the posterior cortex and the popliteal NVSs were measured on the MRI scans of 45 adolescents (50 knees) at 3 levels (C1: center of the proximal tibial epiphysis; C2: 10 mm distal to the physis; and C3: 20 mm distal to the physis). The NVSs located between 5 mm and 10 mm from the incision were considered in a zone of moderate risk for damage, while those less than 5 mm from the incision were considered in a zone of high risk for damage, and those more than 10 mm from the incision were considered to be in a zone of low risk for damage. The independent Student t-test was used for the comparison of the NVS distance 0with gender, skeletal maturity, and the tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance. Values of p < 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant. Results The path of the C1 screw posed an increased risk of damage to the popliteal artery and vein compared with other screw paths (p < 0.001). The popliteal artery has a high risk of damage at the level of C1 (4.2 ± 2.2mm), and a moderate risk at C2 (9.6 ± 2.4mm), and the popliteal vein has a moderate risk at C1 (6.0 ± 2.7 mm), and a low risk at C2 and C3 (10.8 ± 3.1mm, and 12.05 ± 3.1mm respectively). The C3 position presented the lowest risk of damage to these structures (p < 0.001). The distance between the posterior tibial cortex and the posterior tibial nerve was < 15 mm at the 3 levels analyzed (C1: 11.0 ± 3.7 mm; C2:13.1 ± 3.8 mm; and C3:13 ± 3.9 mm). Conclusions The present study clarifies that the popliteal vessels are at risk of injury during tibial tubercle screw fixation, particularly when drilling the proximal tibial epiphysis. Monocortical drilling and screw fixation are recommended for the surgical treatment of tibial tubercle fractures. Level of Evidence III Diagnostic study.

Resumo Objetivo Revisar estudos de ressonância magnética (RM) do joelho para análise da localização das estruturas neurovasculares (ENVs) e definição do risco de fixação bicortical. Métodos As distâncias entre o córtex posterior e as ENVs poplíteas foram medidas nas RMs de 45 adolescentes (50 joelhos) em 3 níveis (C1: centro da epífise proximal da tíbia; C2:10 mm distalmente à fise e C3: 20 mm distalmente à fise). Considerou-se que as ENVs entre 5mme10mmda incisão estavam na zona de risco moderado de lesão, as ENVs a menos de 5 mm da incisão, na zona de alto risco de lesão, e as ENVs a mais de 10 mm da incisão, na zona de baixo risco de lesão. O teste t de Student independente foi usado para comparar a distância até as ENVs com o gênero, a maturidade esquelética e a distância entre a tuberosidade tibial e a garganta (fundo) da tróclea (TT-GT). Valores de p < 0,05 foram considerados estatisticamente significativos. Resultados A trajetória do parafuso em C1 apresentou maior risco de lesão à artéria e à veia poplítea em comparação com outras trajetórias (p < 0,001). A artéria poplítea apresenta risco de lesão alto em C1 (4,2 ± 2,2 mm) e moderado em C2 (9,6 ± 2,4 mm), e a veia poplítea tem risco moderado em C1 (6,0±2,7 mm) e baixo em C2 e C3 (10,8±3,1 mm e 12,05±3,1mm, respectivamente). A posição C3 apresentou o menor risco de lesão dessas estruturas (p < 0,001). A distância entre o córtex tibial posterior e o nervo tibial posterior foi inferior a 15 mm nos 3 níveis analisados (C1: 11,0±3,7mm; C2: 13,1±3,8 mm; e C3: 13±3,9mm). Conclusões Este estudo esclarece que os vasos poplíteos correm risco de lesão durante a fixação do parafuso na tuberosidade tibial, principalmente durante a perfuração da epífise proximal da tíbia. A perfuração monocortical e a fixação com parafusos são recomendadas para o tratamento cirúrgico das fraturas da tuberosidade tibial. Nível de Evidência III Estudo diagnóstico.

Percutaneous Strain Reduction Screws Are a Reproducible Minimally Invasive Method to Treat Long Bone Nonunion.

OBJECTIVES: (1) Evaluate whether initial results from percutaneous treatment of nonunion are reproducible (2) Estimate the relative cost of percutaneous treatment of nonunion versus traditional methods. DESIGN: Retrospective multicentre case series. SETTING: Four Level 1 trauma centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-one patients (34 men and 17 women) with a median age of 51 years (range 14-81) were treated for nonunion at a median of 10 months (range 4-212) from injury. INTERVENTION: Percutaneous strain reduction screws (PSRS). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURED: Union rates and time to union were compared for patients treated in the developing institution versus independent units as well as with previously published results. RESULTS: Forty-five (88%) patients achieved union at a median time of 5.2 months (range 1.0-24.7) confirming the previously published results for this technique. Comparable results were seen between the developing institution and independent units. No patients experienced adverse events beyond failure to achieve union. PSRS seems to offer savings of between £3177 ($4416) to £11,352 ($15,780) per case compared with traditional methods of nonunion surgery. CONCLUSIONS: PSRS is a safe, efficacious treatment for long bone nonunion and may be more cost-effective than traditional nonunion treatment methods. The promising initial results of this technique have now been replicated outside of the developing institution. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Efficacy of treatment interventions for primary aneurysmal bone cysts: a systematic review.

AIMS: Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are locally aggressive lesions typically found in the long bones of children and adolescents. A variety of management strategies have been reported to be effective in the treatment of these lesions. The purpose of this review was to assess the effectiveness of current strategies for the management of primary ABCs of the long bones. METHODS: A systematic review of the published literature was performed to identify all articles relating to the management of primary ABCs. Studies required a minimum 12-month follow-up and case series reporting on under ten participants were not included. RESULTS: A total of 28 articles meeting the eligibility criteria were included in this review, and all but one were retrospective in design. Due to heterogeneity in study design, treatment, and outcome reporting, data synthesis and group comparison was not possible. The most common treatment option reported on was surgical curettage with or without a form of adjuvant therapy, followed by injection-based therapies. Of the 594 patients treated with curettage across 17 studies, 86 (14.4%) failed to heal or experienced a recurrence. Similar outcomes were reported for 57 (14.70%) of the 387 patients treated with injection therapy across 12 studies. Only one study directly compared curettage with injection therapy (polidocanol), randomizing 94 patients into both treatment groups. This study was at risk of bias and provided low-quality evidence of a lack of difference between the two interventions, reporting success rates of 93.3% and 84.8% for injection and surgical treatment groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: While both surgery and sclerotherapy are widely implemented for treatment of ABCs, there is currently no good quality evidence to support the use of one option over the other. There is a need for prospective multicentre randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on interventions for the treatment of ABCs. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(2):125-133.

The lateral edge and sourcil acetabular indices for surgical decision-making in developmental dysplasia of the hip.

PURPOSE: The acetabular index (AI) is a radiographic measure that guides surgical decision-making in developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Two AI measurement methods are described; to the lateral edge of the acetabulum (AI-L) and to the lateral edge of the sourcil (AI-S). The purpose of this study was to determine the level of agreement between AI-L and AI-S on the diagnosis and degree of acetabular dysplasia in DDH. METHODS: A total of 35 patients treated for DDH with Pavlik harness were identified. The AI-L and AI-S were measured on radiographs (70 hips) at two and five years of age. AI-L and AI-S were then transformed relative to published normative data (tAI-L and tAI-S). Bland-Altman plots, linear regression and heat mapping were used to evaluate the agreement between tAI-L and tAI-S. RESULTS: There was poor agreement between tAI-S and tAI-L on the Bland-Altman plots with wide limits of agreement and no proportional bias. The two AI measurements were in agreement as to the presence and severity of dysplasia in only 63% of hips at two years of age and 81% at five years of age, leaving the remaining hips classified as various combinations of normal, mildly and severely dysplastic. CONCLUSION: AI-L and AI-S have poor agreement on the presence or degree of acetabular dysplasia in DDH and cannot be used interchangeably. Clinicians are cautioned to prudently evaluate both measures of AI in surgical decision-making. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I.

How Does Bony Surgery Affect Results of Anterior Open Reduction in Walking-age Children With Developmental Hip Dysplasia?

BACKGROUND: Anterior open reduction is commonly used to treat hip subluxation or dislocation in developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in walking-age children. Pelvic and/or femoral osteotomy may be used in addition, but it is unclear how this affects avascular necrosis (AVN) risk and radiological and clinical results. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The purpose of this study was to review studies of walking-age patients treated either with an open reduction alone or combined with pelvic and/or femoral osteotomies and determine whether there is a difference between groups in the proportion of patients: (1) developing clinically relevant femoral head AVN (Kalamchi & MacEwen Types II to IV or equivalent); (2) achieving a satisfactory radiological result (Severin Grade I/II or equivalent); (3) achieving a satisfactory clinical result (McKay excellent or good rating or equivalent); and (4) requiring further nonsalvage surgery. METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Centre Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for studies of anterior open reduction for DDH in children aged 12 months to 6 years old. We assessed AVN, clinical and radiological results, and requirement for further procedures. The effect of failed conservative management, traction, age at operation, and followup duration was also assessed. Eighteen studies met the review eligibility criteria. RESULTS: Open reduction alone had a lower risk of AVN than open reduction combined with pelvic and femoral osteotomy (4% versus 24%), but there was no significant difference compared with open reduction with either pelvic (17%) or femoral osteotomy (18%). More hips treated with open reduction alone had satisfactory radiological results than open reduction combined with pelvic and femoral osteotomy (97% versus 83%) and satisfactory clinical results than all other interventions. More hips treated with open reduction alone required further surgical management (56%) compared with open reduction and pelvic osteotomy (11%) and combined pelvic and femoral osteotomies (8%). CONCLUSIONS: Open reduction with concomitant pelvic osteotomy is the most appropriate option to provide durable results with the lowest risk of AVN and best radiological and clinical results. There is no evidence that addition of a femoral osteotomy provides any additional benefit to the patient, although it may be necessary to achieve reduction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

What Is the Early/Mid-term Survivorship and Functional Outcome After Bernese Periacetabular Osteotomy in a Pediatric Surgeon Practice?

BACKGROUND: The Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is a recognized joint-preserving procedure. Achieving joint stability without creating impingement is important, but the orientation target that best balances these sometimes competing goals has not yet been clearly defined. Moreover, the learning curve of this challenging procedure has not been described. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were (1) to determine the 10-year survivorship and functional outcome after Bernese PAO in a single-surgeon series; (2) to review which patient, surgical, and radiographic factors might predict outcome after the procedure; and (3) to define the learning curve for target acetabular correction. METHODS: The first 68 PAOs performed for symptomatic hip dysplasia were retrospectively evaluated. None have been lost to followup with followup less than 2 years. Endpoints for the lost to followup (n = 2) are at the time of when last seen. During the study period, the same surgeon performed 562 pelvic osteotomies (including Salter, Pemberton, Dega and Chiari) and 64 shelf acetabuloplasties. Bernese PAO was used only for symptomatic dysplasia (center-edge angle < 25° and nonhorizontal acetabular roof) in developmentally mature hips without evidence of major joint incongruence or subluxation. Most patients were female (n = 49 [60 hips, 88%]); mean age at operation was 25 years (SD 7). Sixteen hips had previous hip procedures. The study's mean followup was 8 years (range, 2-18 years). Patient-reported functional outcome was obtained using the WOMAC score (best-worst: 0-96). Radiographic parameters of dysplasia (acetabular index [AI], center-edge angle [CEA], congruency, Tönnis grade, and joint space) were evaluated from preoperative and postoperative radiographs using computer software. RESULTS: The 10-year survival rate was 93% (95% confidence interval [CI], 82%-100%); four patients underwent further surgery to the hip in the study period. The mean WOMAC was 12 (range, 0-54). Factors that influenced survival included joint congruency (100% versus 78%; 95% CI, 61%-96%; p = 0.03) and acetabular orientation correction achieved (AIpostoperative < 15° [100% versus 65%; 95% CI, 43-88; p < 0.001] and CEApostoperative 20° to 40° [100% versus 71.9%; 52.8-100; p < 0.001]). Better WOMAC scores were seen if postoperative AI < 15° (7 versus 25, p = 0.005) and CEA between 20° and 40° (7 versus 23, p = 0.005) were achieved. The chances of obtaining acetabular correction within this range improved after the 20(th) procedure (30% versus 70%, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: This study reports excellent results after Bernese PAO in the hands of an experienced pediatric hip surgeon. We advocate cautious correction of the acetabular fragment. Future studies should concentrate on how to determine what the optimal target is and how to achieve it intraoperatively, minimizing the learning curve associated with it. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

The jones fracture classification, management, outcome, and complications: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The Jones fracture has been a topic of controversy ever since being first described by Sir Robert Jones himself in 1902. The aim of this review is to summarize the classification, management, outcome, and complications of this particular injury. METHODS: The authors conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature regarding the Jones fracture. RESULTS: There was no consistent approach to the Jones fracture classification. The rate of nonunion with nonoperative treatment is high in both acute and chronic cases. Surgical intervention reduces the incidence of nonunion, but the complication rate of surgery is high. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intervention for the acute Jones fracture should be reserved for the athletic individual because there is a clear advantage in terms of time to return to sporting activity. Nonoperative treatment remains a viable alternative to surgery in all acute and delayed cases, providing there is no established nonunion and the patient is aware of the implications.