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INTRODUCTION: Spina bifida (SB), as one of the spine abnormalities, is caused by incomplete closure of the neural tube and generally includes two types: open and closed. This study aims to introduce one of the rare cases of closed SB. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital with neck pain. Radiographic and computed tomography (CT) imaging revealed bifid spinous processes from C6 to T1 vertebrae, indicative of a rare case of closed SB in the cervicothoracic region. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Closed SB, while often regarded as benign, can be associated with various pathologies that require follow-up. CONCLUSION: Diagnosing this abnormality is crucial for addressing potential complications that may arise from it.
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Background: Wrist function has a significant impact on quality of life, which is why restoring normal wrist movement after surgery is so important. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the restrictions imposed on "face-to-face" visits, using smartphones has become more important in tracking patients. The main purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of telemedicine in following up patients who had undergone distal radius fracture operation. Materials and Methods: From February to October 2020, 126 patients between 20 and 60 years old were randomly selected at our orthopedic trauma center. All patients were visited in person by an orthopedic surgeon in the morning (control group) and again all of them were visited online via smartphone in the evening by another orthopedic surgeon (case group). Both visits were done at regular intervals in the 2nd, 6th, and 12th weeks after surgery. Patients were evaluated for extremity function outcomes and joint range of motion. Results: The two groups were similar in terms of mean Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation score and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score and did not show a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in wrist range of motion measurements between the two groups (in-person visits and smartphone visits) during the follow-ups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Changes in wrist range of motion after surgery can be assessed with high accuracy using smartphone applications and this method can be considered as a proper alternative to frequent in-person visits to evaluate postsurgical wrist condition.
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Background: Environmental factors play a key role in the occurrence of pediatric supracondylar humerus (SH) fracture which has been widely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to curb its spread. In this study, we aim to investigate the ultimate impact coronavirus pandemic has had on SH fractures in children. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study compares SH fractures which occurred during the pandemic with their prepandemic counterpart in a pediatric trauma public hospital. Patient's data, submitted from February to July 2020 and 2019, were collected and divided into two groups based on fractures' time of occurrence, i.e., during or before the pandemic. Results: There was no significant difference in terms of gender, type of fracture, injury location, and time of admission during a day between the aforementioned groups. However, in the pandemic group, patients were transferred to the operating room significantly quicker (odds ratio; 2.13 vs. 0.607, P = 0.01) and the surgery duration was shorter (40.17 ± 12.28 min vs. 49.11 ± 15.48 min, P = 0.011). It was found that the location of injury (home, school, etc.) varied between the two groups (P = 0.01) and the proportion of domestic injuries during the pandemic grew significantly (53.6% vs. 19.8%). Conclusion: Although the incidence of pediatric SH fractures has decreased due to the closure of schools and sports clubs during the pandemic, domestic occurrence of the same fracture type has grown disproportionately. To prevent this trend, pediatric centers should educate parents on child safety measures and fracture risks during the lockdown.