Progressive Distal Radius Deformity in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Case Report.

CASE: We report a case of progressive angular deformity of the left wrist in a 4-year-old girl with a 2-year history of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-oligoarthritis subtype (<4 joints affected) with inflammatory extensor tenosynovitis affecting the left wrist, who underwent a left distal radius osteotomy with tricortical allograft for angular correction and functional recovery. Six years postoperatively, the patient demonstrates a near-anatomic left wrist and has recovered full range of motion and function. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates how rare clinically devastating angular deformities in JIA may safely and effectively be surgically managed to promote normal, long-term, extremity function.

Fracture and Nonaccidental Injury: A Case Report of a Lateral Condylar Fracture in a 13 Month Old.

Pediatric nonaccidental injury (NAI) is an important entity that is commonly seen in a variety of medical settings. These children often present to the emergency department or primary care physicians as the first point of contact after an NAI. There is a major risk associated with nonrecognition of an NAI, including a 35% chance of subsequent injury and a 5% to 10% risk of mortality. Therefore, it is essential for physicians to be vigilant when assessing injuries compatible with NAI, especially in infants and young children who are not able to independently express themselves. As fracture is the second most common manifestation of NAI, practitioners should be vigilant to recognize unusual fractures in atypical age ranges to aid in its diagnosis. Here, we present a novel case of a lateral condylar fracture in an almost 13-month-old-child that has not been previously associated with NAI.

Pediatric clavicular fractures: assessment of fracture patterns and predictors of complicated outcome.

BACKGROUND: Clavicular fractures are the most common pediatric long-bone fracture, and although the vast majority heal with supportive treatment, complications do occur and can lead to pain and disability. Although many studies have characterized adult complication rates and risk factors, to our knowledge no comparable studies to date have looked at clavicular fractures in the pediatric population. STUDY OBJECTIVES: The study aim was to identify the radiological and clinical variables that increase the complication rate of clavicular fractures. Identification of these variables would help emergency physicians identify patients who require more thorough follow-up or surgical intervention. METHODS: We analyzed radiographs of 537 clavicular fractures on initial presentation to the Pediatric Emergency Department at the Children's Hospital at London Health Sciences Center over a 4-year period, collecting data on variables such as displacement, angulation, and comminution, as well as demographic data such as age and gender. We then determined the outcome of each fracture by reviewing each patient's chart, and through a logistic regression analysis, determined the variables associated with complications. RESULTS: Of all the fractures treated supportively (i.e., non-operatively), only 2.5% resulted in a complication. Our analysis determined that patient age was an independent predictor of complications, with each year past zero conferring an 18.1% increase in risk of complication. Furthermore, completely displaced fractures were shown to increase the odds of complication by a factor of 3.2. CONCLUSION: These findings help the emergency physician identify a group of high-risk pediatric patients with clavicular fractures for which more thorough follow-up should be considered.