Stabilisation of Pathologic Proximal Femoral Fracture near the Growth Plate with Use of a Locking Plate and Transphyseal Screws.

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign osseus lesion with a high pathologic fracture risk. The described treatment options are varied and inconsistent. For successful treatment results, it is essential to prevent recurrence and sufficiently stabilise the weakened bone. Lesions close to the growth plates, especially in the femoral neck region, are challenging to stabilise in children. In this study, 27 clinics, including 11 sarcoma centres, 15 paediatric orthopaedic clinics, and one sarcoma/paediatric orthopaedic centre, were surveyed and asked about their treatment approaches for an exemplary case of ABC in the femoral neck causing a pathological fracture in a 20-month-old infant, with a response rate of 81%. The heterogeneity of treatment options described in the literature is consistent with the survey results. The most favoured approach was curettage, defect filling of any kind, and surgical stabilisation. However, the lesion stabilisation option introduced in this paper, which involves the use of transphyseal screws, was not mentioned in the survey and has not been reported in the literature. Contrary to the existing concepts, our technique offers high stability without significant growth restriction. Transphyseal screws are also suitable for the treatment of femoral neck fractures of other aetiologies in children.

The Effect of Breast Size on Spinal Posture.

Macromastia can cause various clinical symptoms, such as low back and shoulder pain as well as sacro-iliac disorders. Because of these symptoms, some women consider breast reduction surgery. So far there does not exist a clear correlation between breast size and back pain. Purpose of this study was to evaluate if increasing breast size has a measurable effect on women's posture using radiation free surface topography.A total of 100 women were grouped according to their breast cup size into four groups (Cup Size: A, B, C, D). All female subjects were measured with a surface topography system, and their spinal posture and pelvic position were analysed accordingly.Our results showed that cup size affects kyphotic angle (p = 0.027) and surface rotation (p = 0.039) significantly. Kyphotic angle increased with cup size. Multiple linear regression analysis, however, revealed that the body mass index has the greatest influence on woman's posture, showing significant correlation to kyphotic and lordotic angle (p < 0.01), as to trunk (p < 0.01) and pelvic inclination (p = 0.02).This is the first study that evaluates the influence of increasing breast size on posture using surface topography. The results match with previous studies using different measuring techniques. However, the great influence of BMI on posture is also confirmed. Therefore, in clinical practice these factors should be taken into account and be approached. Surface topography seems to be a promising tool to further investigate the influence of breast size on posture.Level of Evidence IV This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Do hip-abduction braces work?-A biomechanical evaluation of a commercially available hip brace.

INTRODUCTION: Dislocations of the hip joint are a common and clinically relevant complication following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Hip-abduction braces are currently used following operative or non-operative treatment of THA dislocations to prevent re-dislocations. However, the clinical and biomechanical effectiveness of such braces is still controversial. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 30 volunteers were measured during standing and during sitting up and down from a chair task wearing a hip brace set at 70°, 90° or no hip flexion limitation. Range of motion of the hip joint was measured in all directions by an inertial sensor system. Further it has been evaluated if the range of motion would be reduced by the additional use of an arthrodesis cushion. RESULTS: The use of a hip brace set up with flexion limitation did reduce hip ROM in all directions significantly compared to unhinged brace (p < 0.001-0.035). Performing the "sit down and stand-up task" the brace set up at 70° flexion limitation did reduce maximum hip flexion significantly (p = 0.008). However, in most cases the measured hip flexion angles were greater than the settings of the hip brace should have allowed. The additional use of a cushion can further limit hip motion while sitting up and down from a chair. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that hip-abduction braces reduce hip range of motion. However, we also found that to achieve a flexion limitation of the hip to 90°, the hip brace should be set at a 70° hip flexion limitation.

Dynamic spinal posture and pelvic position analysis using a rasterstereographic device.

BACKGROUND: Until recently, rasterstereographic analysis of the spine was limited to static measurements. However, understanding and evaluating the motion of the spine under dynamic conditions is an important factor in the diagnosis and treatment of spinal pathologies. The aim of this study was to study the spinal posture and pelvic position under dynamic conditions and compare it to static measurements using a dynamic rasterstereographic system. METHODS: A total of 121 healthy volunteers (56 females; 65 males) were included in this observational study. The parameters trunk inclination, trunk imbalance, pelvic obliquity, kyphotic angle, lordotic angle, surface rotation, and lateral deviation were studied and compared under static and dynamic (1, 2, 4, 5 km/h) conditions using the system "Formetric 4D Motion®" (DIERS International GmbH, Germany). RESULTS: Female volunteers had a higher lordotic angle than males under static conditions (p < 0.001). Trunk inclination (5.31° vs. 6.74°), vertebral kyphotic angle (42.53° vs. 39, 59°), and surface rotation (3.35° vs. 3.81°) increase under dynamic conditions (p < 0.001). Trunk inclination and lordotic angle both show significant changes during walking compared to static conditions (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The spinal posture differs between females and males during standing and during walking. Rasterstereography is a valuable tool for the dynamic evaluation of spinal posture and pelvic position, which can also be used to quantify motion in the spine and therefore it has the potential to improve the understanding and treatment of spinal pathologies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered.

Eccentric and Isometric Exercises in Achilles Tendinopathy Evaluated by the VISA-A Score and Shear Wave Elastography.

BACKGROUND: Apart from eccentric exercises (EE), isometric exercises (ISO) might be a treatment option for Achilles tendinopathy. Shear wave elastography (SWE) provides information for diagnosis and for monitoring tissue elasticity, which is altered in symptomatic tendons. HYPOTHESIS: Isometric exercises will have a beneficial effect on patients' outcome scores. Based on SWE, insertional and midportion tendon parts will differ in their elastic properties according to current symptoms. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2. METHODS: Group 1 (EE; n = 20; 12 males, 8 females; mean age, 52 ± 8.98 years) and group 2 (EE + ISO; n = 22; 15 males, 7 females; mean age, 47 ± 15.11 years) performed exercises for 3 months. Measurement points were before exercises were initiated as well as after 1 and 3 months using the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) score, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society score, and SWE (insertion and midportion). RESULTS: Both groups improved significantly, but there were no significant interindividual differences (VISA-A; P = 0.362) between group 1 (n = 15; +15 VISA-A) and group 2 (n = 15; +15 VISA-A). The symptomatic insertion (symptomatic, 136.89 kPa; asymptomatic, 174.68 kPa; P = 0.045) and the symptomatic midportion of the Achilles tendon (symptomatic, 184.40 kPa; asymptomatic, 215.41 kPa; P = 0.039) had significantly lower Young modulus compared with the asymptomatic tendons. The midportion location had significantly higher Young modulus than the insertional part of the tendon (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Isometric exercises do not have additional benefit when combined with eccentric exercises, as assessed over a 3-month intervention period. SWE is able to distinguish between insertional and midportion tendon parts in a symptomatic and asymptomatic state. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The present study shows no additional effect of ISO when added to baseline EE in treating Achilles tendinopathy. Different elastic properties of the insertional and midportion tendon have to be taken into consideration when rating a tendon as pathologic.

Quantitative articular cartilage sub-surface defect assessment using optical coherence tomography: An in-vitro study.

Assessment of structural cartilage damage is of high scientific and clinical interest. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a light-based cross-sectional imaging modality that allows the real-time assessment of articular cartilage at near-histological resolution. Algorithm routines for the detection, parameterization and quantification of sub-surface defects as assessed by OCT were implemented and validated in this study. Standard defects of 0.9mm, 1.1mm and 1.3mm diameter were created in the sub-surface regions of macroscopically intact human articular cartilage samples (n=60 defects of variable sizes in n=20 samples). Subsequently, samples were scanned by 3D OCT and defect size, height, width and distance to the surface were determined based on the algorithm and related to manual measurements. Histology served as the standard-of-reference. Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA's and Tukey's post-hoc test. All defects were correctly identified by the algorithm, while five structural tissue inhomogeneities were erroneously marked as defects (sensitivity 100%, specificity: 92.3%). Inter-modality analysis revealed no significant differences in terms of defect area, height or width within the different defect sizes, while the distance to the surface was significantly different. The comprehensive algorithm-based characterization of cartilage defects is consistent and reliable and allows their more objective evaluation. Given further research in this field, OCT and OCT-based quantitative measures may become clinically useful in the arthroscopic detection and evaluation of sub-surface cartilage defects.