Emergency Pediatric Orthopaedic Transfer Criteria: A Pilot Study.

The purpose of this study was to define pediatric orthopaedic transfer criteria for patients coming from a smaller facility to a Level I pediatric trauma center. A 10-question phone survey was utilized for every transfer request. Fifty-eight transfer requests were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed. The criteria were based on The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines and the expert opinion of the senior author. The AAP criteria included complex fractures/dislocations and bone and joint infections. The expert opinion criteria included a patient requiring admission to the hospital or a patient needing surgery. All centers requesting transfers were staffed by an on-call board-certified general orthopaedic surgeon with the ability to care for pediatric orthopaedic injuries. Of the 58 transfers, 37 (64%) did not meet transfer criteria; 21 (36%) met transfer criteria. Transfer requests came from Emergency Department (ED) physicians in 25/58 cases (43%), physician assistants in 11/58 (19%), orthopaedic attending physicians in 3/58 (5%), and orthopaedic residents in 3/58 (5%). The orthopaedic surgeon at the referring hospital examined the patient in only six instances (10%) prior to transfer. Of the 58 patients, 18 (31%) required a hospital admission, and 17 (29%) patients were indicated for surgery. In the current study, 64% of pediatric orthopaedic transfers did not meet criteria for an inter-facility hospital to hospital transfer and were potentially avoidable. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 32(3):182-186, 2023).

Late presenting developmental dysplasia of the hip after a normal hip ultrasound at 6 weeks of age: A report of two cases.

Developmental hip dysplasia (DDH) is a paediatric condition in which the 'ball and socket' hip joint fails to form properly during infancy. The increased mechanical stress on the hip joint from DDH can contribute to the development of osteoarthritis during adulthood. Therefore, careful physical examination and imaging of all infants to diagnose DDH is critical to provide the best possible functional outcome. Ultrasonography (US) is a useful diagnostic test in providing a real-time evaluation and three-dimensional view of the hip in infants less than 4 months. In infants with a normal hip ultrasound, the risk of subsequent development of hip dysplasia at an older age and the need for further follow-up is assumed to be unnecessary. In the present study, we report 2 cases of late presenting DDH in infant girls born breech with a previous normal hip exam and normal hip ultrasound at 6 weeks of age.

The posterior tibial slope and Insall-Salvati index in operative and nonoperative adolescent athletes with Osgood-Schlatter disease.

INTRODUCTION: Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is a common cause of anterior knee pain in adolescent athletes due to repetitive stress on the tibial tubercle. The posterior tibial slope angle (PTSA) and the Insall-Salvati Index (ISI) play a role in knee biomechanics. However, to our knowledge, the posterior tibial slope and patellar height have not been compared in operated versus nonoperative OSD patients. The purpose of the current study is to compare the differences in the PTSA and the ISI between operative and nonoperative patients with OSD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was approved by the College of Medicine's Institutional Review Board. A retrospective review was performed on 75 adolescent athletes with OSD between 2008 and 2019. The data extracted included: age, sex, body mass index (BMI), sporting activity and type, mechanism of injury (MOI), chronicity of symptoms, PTSA, and the ISI. Descriptive and quantitative statistics were used. RESULTS: Seventy-five patients (88 knees) with OSD were studied (28 boys, 47 girls). The average age was 12.2 years and the average BMI was 22.3. The mechanism of injury (MOI) included repetitive stress (77%) and trauma (23%). The duration of knee pain averaged 10.3 months. Sixty-six patients were included in the nonoperative cohort. Nine patients were included in the operative cohort and underwent surgery due to persistent symptoms after skeletal maturity with tubercleplasty and/or ossicle excision. The average PTSA was 12.1° ± 1.7° and average ISI was 1.05 ± 0.15. Comparing the operative and nonoperative patients, we found no significant difference in PTSA (11.2° ± 0.73° versus 12.8° ± 1.8°, p < 0.064). However, we did find that patients treated operatively had a lower ISI (0.95 ± 0.18 versus 1.14 ± 0.13, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In patients with OSD, operative and nonoperative patients demonstrated a similar PTSA. On the other hand, the ISI was higher in nonoperative patients. In the current paper, a decreased ISI was helpful in predicting the need for operative intervention in symptomatic patients after skeletal maturity.

Operative Outcomes for Accessory Navicular in Adolescents.

The purpose of this study is to report the operative outcomes in a consecutive series of adolescent patients with symptomatic accessory navicular (AN). A retrospective review was conducted. Patient characteristics, operative techniques, and outcomes were recorded. Radiographs were used to identify the type of AN, skeletal maturity, and presence of concurrent pes planus. Twenty-two patients and 24 feet were studied. All 22 patients had an excision of the AN, and 19 patients had an additional reefing of the tibialis posterior tendon. At final follow up, 22 cases reported no pain, one had minimal pain, and one reported no change in pain. Symptomatic AN is more common in females. Surgery technique was not correlated with postoperative pain. Surgery eliminated pain in 91% of patients and can be safely performed in athletes with high rate of return to their previous athletic performance. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 31(1):053-055, 2022).

Descriptive Analysis of Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program Directors.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the demographics and backgrounds of U.S. orthopaedic surgery residency program directors (PDs). We collected publicly available information on 189 orthopaedic surgery residency PDs. Of those PDs, 90% were male MDs with an average age of 52. The average age at PD appointment was 45. The average duration of appointment was 7 years. About 81% of programs were university-affiliated, and 61% were in an urban environment. PDs attended 100 medical schools, 129 residencies, and 96 fellowships. of PDs, 87% completed fellowships, commonly in trauma and sports medicine. There was no significant difference between male and female PDs when comparing age, academic appointment, or urban/rural environment. Most female PDs (89%) were at university-based hospitals. Of PDs at osteopathic-focused programs, 28% had an MD/PD. No program with an allopathic focus had a DO/PD. Lastly, 38% of PDs worked at the center where they completed residency. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 31(4):252-255, 2022).

A comparison of orthopaedic surgery and internal medicine perceptions of USMLE Step 1 pass/fail scoring.

BACKGROUND: United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 will transition from numeric grading to pass/fail, sometime after January 2022. The aim of this study was to compare how program directors in orthopaedics and internal medicine perceive a pass/fail Step 1 will impact the residency application process. METHODS: A 27-item survey was distributed through REDCap to 161 U.S. orthopaedic residency program directors and 548 U.S. internal medicine residency program directors. Program director emails were obtained from the American Medical Association's Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database. RESULTS: We received 58 (36.0%) orthopaedic and 125 (22.8%) internal medicine program director responses. The majority of both groups disagree with the change to pass/fail, and felt that the decision was not transparent. Both groups believe that the Step 2 Clinical Knowledge exam and clerkship grades will take on more importance. Compared to internal medicine PDs, orthopaedic PDs were significantly more likely to emphasize research, letters of recommendation from known faculty, Alpha Omega Alpha membership, leadership/extracurricular activities, audition elective rotations, and personal knowledge of the applicant. Both groups believe that allopathic students from less prestigious medical schools, osteopathic students, and international medical graduates will be disadvantaged. Orthopaedic and internal medicine program directors agree that medical schools should adopt a graded pre-clinical curriculum, and that there should be a cap on the number of residency applications a student can submit. CONCLUSION: Orthopaedic and internal medicine program directors disagree with the change of Step 1 to pass/fail. They also believe that this transition will make the match process more difficult, and disadvantage students from less highly-regarded medical schools. Both groups will rely more heavily on the Step 2 clinical knowledge exam score, but orthopaedics will place more importance on research, letters of recommendation, Alpha Omega Alpha membership, leadership/extracurricular activities, personal knowledge of the applicant, and audition electives.

Modern Day Scurvy in Pediatric Orthopaedics: A Forgotten Illness.

INTRODUCTION: Scurvy, or vitamin C deficiency, is rare. The goal of this study is to highlight the common risk factors and identify the orthopaedic presentation of scurvy in children. METHODS: A retrospective chart and radiograph review was performed of all patients consulted to the pediatric orthopaedic service from 2010 to 2019 who ultimately had the diagnosis of scurvy confirmed by an abnormally low serum vitamin C level. Data extracted included: patient age, sex, neurological conditions, prematurity, psychiatric conditions, dietary abnormalities, bone pain, arthritis, limb swelling, inability to walk, skin changes, child abuse evaluations, radiographic findings, additional vitamin deficiencies, lab studies, additional tests, response to treatment. Descriptive statistics were performed. RESULTS: Nine patients (7 males, 2 females) with scurvy were studied. The average age was 7 years (range 3 to 13 y). The average body mass index was 21.4 (range, 14 to 30). Five had autism, 2 had a neurological disorder. Two had been born premature. Two had a psychiatric disorder. Seven had an abnormal diet. One presented with bone pain. Four presented with limb swelling. Seven had unilateral and 2 had bilateral leg symptoms. Five presented with inability to walk. Six demonstrated skin changes with ecchymosis or petechiae. Three presented with gingival bleeding. Radiographic findings included subperiosteal hematoma in 2, ring epiphysis in 3, Pelkan spurs in 1, metaphyseal white lines (Frankel sign) in 6, and a metaphyseal zone of rarefaction (Trummerfeld zone) in 3. Seven had additional vitamin deficiencies including: A, B1, B6, B9, D, E, K, iron and zinc. Four had a bone marrow biopsy and 1 had lumbar puncture. All were anemic. The average erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 25.7 (range 6 to 35) and C-reactive protein was 1.5 (range 0.55 to 5.64). Six had a computed tomography, 3 had a magnetic resonance imaging. After treatment with vitamin C lasting 3.4 months (range, 2 wk to 7 mo), all symptoms gradually resolved, including leg pain and swelling. All children began to walk. CONCLUSION: The pediatric orthopaedic surgeon should have an increased awareness about the diagnosis of scurvy when consulted on a child with bone pain or inability to walk. The most common orthopaedic presentation was the refusal to bear weight, the most common radiographic finding was the metaphyseal line of increased density (Frankel sign) and treatment with vitamin c supplementation was excellent in all cases.

The Pediatric Open Supracondylar Fracture: Associated Injuries and Surgical Management.

BACKGROUND: While supracondylar (SC) fractures are relatively common in children, the incidence of open injuries is believed to be only 1%. Two prior studies on open SC fractures in children reported an increased incidence of vascular injuries. The purposes of our study were to clarify the incidence, associated conditions, and current treatment for open SC fractures. METHODS: The Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study database was queried. Subjects age 25 to 156 months old admitted to trauma centers between January 2000 and December 2015 with a SC fracture were included. Controls were those with closed fractures and the study group, those with open injuries. Study variables were age, sex, weight, injury severity score, length of stay (LOS), nerve injury, ipsilateral forearm fracture, compartment syndrome/fasciotomy, requirement for a vascular procedure. Other variables were mode of treatment, provisional reduction, repeat reduction, time interval between referring facility admission and operation, and time from emergency department admission to operation. RESULTS: A total of 4308 subjects were included, 104 (2.4%) of whom had an open SC fracture. LOS was 2 days for the study group versus 1 day for controls (P<0.001). Open SC fractures were more likely than closed to be associated with a nerve injury (13.5% vs. 3.7%), ipsilateral forearm fracture (18.3% vs. 6.4%) and/or a vascular procedure (6.7% vs. 0.3%) (P<0.001). 5.9% of those in the study group required repeat surgery compared with 0.4% for controls (P<0.001). Time from emergency department admission to operation was 3.2 versus 10.3 hours (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We report the largest series to date of open SC fractures in children. Surgeons caring for such patients should be aware of their increased risks for both associated injuries and potential requirement for vascular reconstruction. The majority of children with an open SC fracture are managed with 1 operation and in the absence of vascular injury, seldom require an extended LOS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-retrospective cohort study.

Variation Among Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeons When Diagnosing and Treating Pediatric and Adolescent Distal Radius Fractures.

BACKGROUND: Distal radius fractures are the most common injury in the pediatric population. The purpose of this study was to determine the variation among pediatric orthopaedic surgeons when diagnosing and treating distal radius fractures. METHODS: Nine pediatric orthopaedic surgeons reviewed 100 sets of wrist radiographs and were asked to describe the fracture, prescribe the type of treatment and length of immobilization, and determine the next follow-up visit. κ statistics were performed to assess the agreement with the chance agreement removed. RESULTS: Only fair agreement was present when diagnosing and classifying the distal radius fractures (κ=0.379). There was poor agreement regarding the type of treatment that would be recommended (κ=0.059). There was no agreement regarding the length of immobilization (κ=-0.004).Poor agreement was also present regarding when the first follow-up visit should occur (κ=0.088), whether or not new radiographs should be obtained at the first follow-up visit (κ=0.133), and if radiographs were necessary at the final follow-up visit (κ=0.163). Surgeons had fair agreement regarding stability of the fracture (κ=0.320).A subgroup analysis comparing various traits of the treatment immobilization showed providers only had a slight level of agreement on whether splint or cast immobilization should be used (κ=0.072). There was poor agreement regarding whether long-arm or short-arm immobilization should be prescribed (κ=-0.067).Twenty-three of the 100 radiographs were diagnosed as a torus/buckle fracture by all 9 surgeons. κ analysis performed on all the treatment and management questions showed that each query had poor agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The interobserver reliability of diagnosing pediatric distal radius fractures showed only fair agreement. This study demonstrates that there is no standardization regarding how to treat these fractures and the length of immobilization required for proper fracture healing. Better classification systems of distal radius fractures are needed that standardize the treatment of these injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

Variation Among Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeons When Treating Medial Epicondyle Fractures.

BACKGROUND: Medial epicondyle fractures are a common pediatric and adolescent injury accounting for 11% to 20% of elbow fractures in this population. This purpose of this study was to determine the variability among pediatric orthopaedic surgeons when treating pediatric medial epicondyle fractures. METHODS: A discrete choice experiment was conducted to determine which patient and injury attributes influence the management of medial epicondyle fractures by pediatric orthopaedic surgeons. A convenience sample of 13 pediatric orthopaedic surgeons reviewed 60 case vignettes of medial epicondyle fractures that included elbow radiographs and patient/injury characteristics. Displacement was incorporated into the study model as a fixed effect. Surgeons were queried if they would treat the injury with immobilization alone or open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Statistical analysis was performed using a mixed effect regression model. In addition, surgeons filled out a demographic questionnaire and a risk assessment to determine if these factors affected clinical decision-making. RESULTS: Elbow dislocation and fracture displacement were the only attributes that significantly influenced surgeons to perform surgery (P<0.05). The presence of an elbow dislocation had the largest impact on surgeons when choosing operative care (ß=-0.14; P=0.02). In addition, for every 1 mm increase in displacement, surgeons tended to favor ORIF by a factor of 0.09 (P<0.01). Sex, mechanism of injury, and sport participation did not influence decision-making. In total, 54% of the surgeons demonstrated a preference for ORIF for the included scenarios. On the basis of the personality Likert scale, participants were neither high-risk takers nor extremely risk adverse with an average-risk score of 2.24. Participant demographics did not influence decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: There is substantial variation among pediatric orthopaedic surgeons when treating medial epicondyle fractures. The decision to operate is significantly based on the degree of fracture displacement and if there is a concomitant elbow dislocation. There is no standardization regarding how to treat medial epicondyle fractures and better treatment algorithms are needed to provide better patient outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V.

The Open Bankart Repair for Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Instability in Teenage Athletes.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic anterior shoulder instability from recurrent dislocations or subluxations is a debilitating problem for the teenage athlete. The risk of recurrent instability is high in this adolescent population. We performed a retrospective case series analysis of adolescent athletes with recurrent instability treated with open Bankart repair and evaluated functional outcomes as well as redislocation rates. METHODS: The retrospective study included 21 teenage patients with Bankart lesions and recurrent anterior shoulder instability. There were 19 males (90%) and 2 females (10%) with an average age of 16 years (range, 14 to 18 y). Patients were evaluated based on Rowe and UCLA shoulder scores, return to previous level of sport, external rotation, and recurrence. RESULTS: The average number of anchors used to repair the Bankart lesion was 3 (range, 2 to 5). One patient was lost to follow-up at 6 months after surgery. The remaining 20 patients all had at least 2-year follow-up. The recurrent instability rate was zero. In total, 100% of patients had an excellent result based on an average Rowe score of 96.5 points of 100 points (a score of 90 to 100 is an excellent result). In total, 100% of patients had good/excellent result based on an average UCLA shoulder score of 34 of 35 (a score >27 is a good/excellent result). At final follow-up, 7 patients (34%) had lost an average of 11 degrees of external rotation (range, 5 to 20 degrees) on the injured shoulder with the arm at the side compared with the noninjured shoulder. CONCLUSIONS: Contact teenage athletes with recurrent anterior shoulder instability can be treated with open Bankart repair with a low recurrence, excellent functional shoulder outcomes, and return to sport. A small amount of external rotation may be lost with this technique. Care must be taken when considering this method with throwing athletes (ie, quarterback or pitcher). The open Bankart should remain a viable alternative for the adolescent population with recurrent anterior instability. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Pediatric Orthopaedic Consults From Chiropractic Care.

Alternative medicine in pediatrics is expanding, with chiropractic now a common choice for families seeking alternative medical care. Currently, there is sparse information in the literature exploring the role of chiropractic in orthopaedic pathology. The objective of this case series is to present pediatric patients who received treatment from chiropractors and orthopaedic physicians as well as to review the respective existing research. Data collected included chiropractic diagnosis, orthopaedic diagnosis, imaging studies, treatments, and complications. Twenty-three patients were studied. Scoliosis, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, developmental dysplasia of the hip, cerebral palsy, skeletal dysplasia, and slipped capital femoral epiphysis were diagnoses included. Children had multiple sessions of chiropractic for management of these conditions. The parents' perception for chiropractic was positive in every case. Delayed referral, misdiagnosis, adverse events from manipulative therapy, and ineffective treatments were observed in the present study. More research is indicated to validate chiropractic in children with orthopaedic pathology. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 27(1):58-63, 2018).

Lawnmowers Versus Children: The Devastation Continues.

BACKGROUND: Accidents with lawnmowers can cause mutilating injuries to children. Safety guidelines regarding the use of lawnmowers were promoted by professional organizations beginning in 2001. The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation maintains a database including all admissions to accredited Levels 1 to 4 trauma centers in the state. The annual rates of admission for children in our state and the severity of injuries subsequent to introduction of safety guidelines have not been reported, to our knowledge. Ride-on lawnmowers have been associated with more severe injuries in children. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We asked: (1) What was the incidence of hospital admissions for children with lawnmower-related injuries during 2002 to 2013 and did the incidence vary by age? (2) What was the severity of injuries and did the severity vary by age? (3) How often did these injuries result in amputation? (4) What types of lawnmowers were involved? METHODS: This was a retrospective study using a statewide trauma registry. We queried the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study database for children 0 to 17 years old admitted to trauma centers in Pennsylvania between January 2002 and January 2014 with injuries resulting from lawnmower-related accidents. All accredited Levels 1 to 4 trauma centers in the state are required to submit their data to the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation which maintains the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study database. Demographic information, Injury Severity Scores, International Classification of Diseases procedure codes, and injury location codes were recorded. Type of lawnmower was determined from the narratives and was identified in 60% (119/199) of patients. Traumatic and surgical amputations performed during the index hospitalization were included in the analysis. Information on later surgeries was not available. Subjects were stratified by age: 0 to 6, 7 to 12, and 13 to 17 years old. RESULTS: The incidence of lawnmower injuries in Pennsylvania was a median five of 100,000 children (range, 4-12/100,000) during the study period. The median age was 6 years (range, 1-17 years). The median Injury Severity Score was 4 (range, 1-75). Children 0 to 6 years old had higher median Injury Severity Scores (median, 8; range, 1-75) compared with those 13-17 years old (median, 4; range, 1-20; difference of the medians, 4; p < 0.001). A total of 53% of the patients (106/199) underwent at least one amputation. There were 83 amputations in or of the foot, 18 in the leg, 14 in the hand, and three in the arm. Ride-on lawnmowers accounted for 92% (110/119) of mowers identified by type. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of serious injuries to children owing to lawnmower-related trauma did not change during the 12-year study period. If children younger than 6 years had not been near the lawnmower and those younger than 12 years had not been operating one, at least 69% of the accidents might have been prevented. We recommend annual publicity campaigns during spring to remind the public of the dangers of lawnmowers to children. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.

Fixation of Displaced Medial Epicondyle Fractures in Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Open reduction and internal fixation of displaced medial epicondyle fracture dislocations in adolescents is recommended for incarceration of the epicondyle in the joint and for athletes who need a stable elbow for their sport. A screw placed across the epicondyle into the medial column avoiding the olecranon fossa is a common fixation method. One author has recommended adding a metal washer to the screw fixation because of the perceived risk of epicondyle fragmentation or penetration when using a screw alone. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of a screw and washer for the fixation of pediatric medial epicondyle fractures results in less fragmentation of the epicondyle at the time of surgery and more complaints of hardware prominence leading to a second surgery to remove a deep implant. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of patients treated surgically for displaced medial epicondyle fracture dislocations between 2008 and 2014. RESULTS: Sixteen patients with a total of 17 fracture dislocations were included in the study. The average follow-up was 11.5 months. Twelve fractures were treated with a screw and washer and 5 fractures were treated with a screw alone. All fractures healed. No fracture treated with a screw alone resulted in fragmentation or penetration of the epicondyle fragment. Seven of 12 patients treated with a screw and washer requested deep metal removal due to prominence and irritation at the medial epicondyle. No patient treated with a screw alone requested metal removal (58% vs. 0%; P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: One author suggested that adding a washer to the screw for fixation of medial epicondyle fractures improved the ability to safely compress the fragment. However, the results of the present study report no case of fragmentation or penetration of the epicondyle when a washer was not used. In addition, the use of a screw and washer significantly increased the likelihood of a second surgery for removal of prominent hardware. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

The Effect of the Pucker Sign on Outcomes of Type III Extension Supracondylar Fractures in Children.

BACKGROUND: The pucker sign, also called skin tenting, indicates significant displacement of the supracondylar fracture and can be a cause for alarm. The purpose of this study is to compare a cohort of patients with type III supracondylar fractures presenting with a pucker sign to a group without a pucker sign by evaluating neurovascular injury at presentation, need for open reduction, persistent neurovascular injury, range of motion, and carrying angle at final follow-up. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed for Gartland type III extension type supracondylar fractures. Those with a pucker sign were identified and evaluated. Type III supracondylar fractures with a pucker sign were compared with a similar cohort without a pucker sign. RESULTS: In total, 12 patients with a pucker sign at an average age of 5.2 years were evaluated. A total of 11 patients (92%) had diminished or absent pulses, and 2 (17%) had weakness in the median nerve distribution. Nine (75%) patients in this group were transferred to the university hospital. Average time to surgery was 8.9 hours with an average operating time of 25.1 minutes. Open reduction was not needed in any case. At an average follow-up of 4.7 months no patients had persistent neurovascular compromise. Two patients lacked <5 degrees of extension and 1 lacked 10 degrees of extension. One patient lacked 10 degrees of flexion. No patients had a change in carrying angle difference compared with the contralateral side. No statistical differences were observed between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Pucker sign, in the context of a supracondylar fracture of the humerus, is a soft tissue defect with potential entrapment of median nerve and brachial artery. At a maximum time of 16 hours from injury to surgery we report excellent outcomes and no long-term complications. Using the techniques of gradual traction, and milking the soft tissue, the pucker sign can be eliminated. Closed reduction and percutaneous pinning were performed in all the cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-retrospective comparative study.

Ultrasound Examination for Infants Born Breech by Elective Cesarean Section With a Normal Hip Exam for Instability.

INTRODUCTION: Because of the risk of developmental dysplasia of the hip in infants born breech-despite a normal physical exam-the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines recommend ultrasound (US) hip imaging at 6 weeks of age for breech females and optional imaging for breech males. The purpose of this study is to report US results and follow-up of infants born breech with a normal physical exam. METHODS: The electronic medical record for children born at 1 hospital from 2008 to 2011 was reviewed. Data were analyzed for sex, birth weight, breech position, birth order, ethnicity, US and x-ray results, follow-up, and cost. RESULTS: A total of 237 infants were born breech with a normal physical examination, all delivered by cesarean section. Of the infants, 55% were male and 45% female. About 151 breech infants (64%) with a normal Barlow and Ortolani exam had a precautionary hip US as recommended by the AAP performed at an average of 7 weeks of age. Eighty-six breech infants (35%) did not have an US and were followed clinically. Of the 151 infants that had an US, 140 (93%) were read as normal. None had a dislocated hip. Two patients had a normal physical exam but laxity on US. These 2 patients were the only infants treated in a Pavlik harness. A pediatric orthopaedic surgeon followed those with subtle US findings and no laxity until normal. CONCLUSIONS: The decision by the AAP to recommend US screening at 6 weeks of age for infants with a normal physical exam but breech position was based on an extensive literature review and expert opinion. Not all pediatricians are following the AAP guidelines. The decision to perform an US should be done on a case-by-case basis by the examining physician. A more practical, cost-effective strategy would be to skip the US if the physical exam is normal and simply obtain an AP pelvis x-ray at 4 months. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-this is a case-control study investigating the outcomes of infants on data drawn from the electronic medical record.

Bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation.

Shoulders are the most common major joint to become disarticulated, and shoulder dislocation is a frequent patient presentation to the ED. Bilateral shoulder dislocations, however, are rare and typically caused by seizure activity or electrocution. Posterior disarticulation is most common following seizure activity. This article describes an adolescent girl who dislocated both shoulders anteriorly following seizure activity.

In-Toeing Is Often a Primary Care Orthopedic Condition.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in-toeing consults to a pediatric orthopedic clinic to determine the proportion that could be managed by a primary care physician. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective registry was created for 143 consecutive children referred to a pediatric orthopedic clinic for "in-toeing." Each patient underwent a careful history and physical examination, which included a rotational profile. We recorded the final diagnosis, treatment offered, follow-up visit results, and the source of the referral. RESULTS: After pediatric orthopedic evaluation, 85% of patients had a confirmed diagnosis of in-toeing, and 15% had a different final diagnosis. Seventy-four percent of patients had 1 consultation visit, 18% had 2, and 8% had >2 visits. None of the referred patients was a candidate for treatment by casting or surgery. CONCLUSION: In most cases, in-toeing is a normal variation of development that can be managed by counseling and observation by the primary care physician alone. Rare cases of severe in-toeing >2 standard deviations from the mean should likely still prompt referral to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon for potential intervention.

Toe tourniquet syndrome caused by cable tie.

BACKGROUND: Tourniquet syndrome clinically presents as pain, discoloration, paresthesias, and swelling distal to a constricting band. If left untreated or unrecognized, it may induce ischemia, resulting in tissue necrosis or auto amputation of the appendage. Treatment involves removal of all constricting bands and monitoring of the neurovascular status of the digit after constriction removal. RESULTS: A healthy 7-year-old female had tied a cable tie around her toe for an unknown amount of time before evaluation. After examination of the toe and concern for ischemia, the cable tie was removed. Once the cable tie was removed, the area of necrotic tissue at the dorsal proximal phalanx was gently debrided taking special care to avoid the extensor tendon, which was exposed but appeared to be intact. Tetanus prophylaxis was updated, she was sent home on oral antibiotics and she went home with dressing changes. The patient was referred for a psychiatric consultation due to the unique nature of the self-injury and concern for possible underlying disorder. CONCLUSIONS: This case is the first in the literature to describe toe tourniquet syndrome caused by a cable tie. This case highlights the importance of treatment of the offending structure with release and to monitor the digit for signs of ischemia. A thorough history should be sought from both the patient and, in this case, the patient's caregiver to seek any additional clues of depression, anxiety, or anger. If warranted, appropriate consultation of a psychiatrist may be warranted.