Recurrence of kyphotic deformity following implant removal in pediatric pure discoligamentous Chance-type injury: A case report.

Pediatric pure discoligamentous Chance-type injury is relatively rare and the appropriate surgical method has not yet been established, particularly, whether spinal fixation with fusion or without fusion is more effective. This case report describes a 10-year-old-boy who sustained an L2-3 pure discoligamentous Chance-type injury following a car accident and underwent an L2-3 posterior fixation without fusion. The implants were removed after eight months of an uneventful postoperative course. However, four months later, the kyphotic deformity recurred. Although the deformity gradually progressed over nine months, the patient remained neurologically intact and asymptomatic. This report suggests that fixation without fusion may not be appropriate in pediatric patients with pure discoligamentous Chance-type injuries. Spinal fixation with fusion may be recommended to prevent loss of correction and ensure secure stabilization.

A novel radiological assessment to identify acute vertebral compression fractures: A pilot observational study.

Aim: The diagnosis of acute vertebral compression fractures (AVCFs) is often challenging. An alternative to magnetic resonance imaging, which may not always be available, includes a comparison of supine and sitting/standing position radiographs. However, this cannot be accomplished in patients with acute vertebral compression fractures who require emergency transport and are in severe pain. In this study, aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of comparing lateral-view radiographs of the thoracolumbar spine in supine and 30° head-elevated positions, which are less painful. Methods: We retrospectively examined 30 patients with AVCFs who were transported by ambulance to our emergency department between June 2018 and May 2019. All underwent 30° head-elevated lateral-view thoracolumbar spine radiography and magnetic resonance imaging. We evaluated vertebral fractures by examining changes in vertebral wedging ratio (WR) from supine to 30° head-elevated position (Δ WR) using the following equation: Δ WR = WR (30° head-elevated) - WR (supine). We compared Δ WR to that of unfractured vertebrae as control. Results: A total of 176 vertebrae were included (fractured, 32 and non-fractured, 144). Δ WR of fractured vertebrae ranged between 5.1% and 24.4%, whereas non-fractured vertebrae ranged between -6.7% and 4.3%. Median Δ WR of fractured vertebrae was significantly higher than non-fractured vertebrae (12.6% versus -0.5%, p < 0.001). No patients reported pain during 30° head-elevated positioning. Conclusions: Lateral radiographs in supine and 30° head-elevated positions can accurately diagnose of AVCF, without worsening pain. This study showed a Δ WR value of ≥5.1% for AVCFs.

Dynamic analysis of the ulnar nerve and cubital tunnel morphology using ultrasonography: a cadaveric study.

BACKGROUND: The causes of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow are unclear. The authors hypothesized that the humeral trochlea protrudes into the cubital tunnel during elbow flexion and causes a dynamic morphologic change of the ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel. METHODS: An ultrasonic probe was fixed to the ulnar shafts of 10 fresh cadavers with an external fixator, and dynamic morphology of the cubital tunnel and ulnar nerve was observed. The distance from the Osborne band to the trochlea (OTD), distance from ulnar nerve center to the trochlea (UTD), and the short- and long-axis diameters of the nerve at 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120° of elbow flexion were recorded. We compared the OTD, UTD, and the flattening of the ulnar nerve at the different angles of flexion using single-factor analysis of variance. Correlation between the ulnar nerve flattering, OTD, and UTD was examined using Spearman correlation coefficient. A P value less than .05 was used to denote statistical significance. RESULTS: Flattening of the ulnar nerve progressed with increasing elbow flexion and was significantly different between 0° and 60°, 90°, and 120° (P = .03 at 60°, P < .01 at 90° and 120°). OTD decreased with elbow flexion, and there was a significant difference at all elbow flexion angles (all P < .01). UTD decreased significantly from 0° flexion to 90° flexion (P = .03). Flattening of the nerve was significantly correlated with the OTD (r = 0.66, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: A positive correlation was found between the protrusion of the humeral trochlea into the cubital tunnel during elbow flexion and ulnar nerve flattening using cadaveric elbow and ultrasonography.

Comparison of Changes in Vital Signs During Ground and Helicopter Emergency Medical Services and Hospital Interventions.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have evaluated the effects of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) alone. This single-center study compared the changes in vital signs during ground emergency medical services (GEMS), HEMS, and hospital interventions to assess the impact of HEMS interventions. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included 168 trauma patients older than 18 years of age who received HEMS. Patients with cardiac arrest or those who received medical attention before HEMS were excluded. We assessed 3 intervention phases (GEMS, HEMS, and hospital). The changes in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, and shock index in response to interventions were calculated and divided by the intervention time, and the changes observed during the interventions were compared. RESULTS: No changes in vital signs were observed when receiving GEMS. Systolic blood pressure increased and shock index decreased after HEMS, whereas systolic blood pressure decreased and shock index increased during hospital interventions. Heart rate showed no significant change (P = .12), and respiratory rate showed very little change. Systolic blood pressure increased significantly during HEMS compared with the pre- and postintervention periods. CONCLUSION: Changes in vital signs differed according to the intervention. Systolic blood pressure increased during HEMS but not with GEMS or hospital interventions.

Intensive care management of a patient with necrotizing fasciitis due to non-O1/O139 Vibrio cholerae after traveling to Taiwan: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Vibrio cholerae are oxidase-positive bacteria that are classified into various serotypes based on the O surface antigen. V. cholerae serotypes are divided into two main groups: the O1 and O139 group and the non-O1/non-O139 group. O1 and O139 V. cholerae are related to cholera infection, whereas non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae (NOVC) can cause cholera-like diarrhea. A PubMed search revealed that only 16 cases of necrotizing fasciitis caused by NOVC have been recorded in the scientific literature to date. We report the case of a Japanese woman who developed necrotizing fasciitis caused by NOVC after traveling to Taiwan and returning to Japan. CASE PRESENTATION: A 63-year-old woman visited our hospital because she had experienced left knee pain for the past 3 days. She had a history of colon cancer (Stage IV: T3N3 M1a) and had received chemotherapy. She had visited Taiwan 5 days previously, where she had received a massage. She was diagnosed with septic shock owing to necrotizing fasciitis. She underwent fasciotomy and received intensive care. She recovered from the septic shock; however, after 3 weeks, she required an above-knee amputation for necrosis and infection. Her condition improved, and she was discharged after 22 weeks in the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: With the increase in tourism, it is important for clinicians to check patients' travel history. Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of necrotizing fasciitis in patients with risk factors. Necrotizing fasciitis caused by NOVC is severe and requires early fasciotomy and debridement followed by intensive postoperative care.

Promotion of Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis in Vascularized Tissue-Engineered Bone Using Osteogenic Matrix Cell Sheets.

BACKGROUND: The regeneration of large, poorly vascularized bone defects remains a significant challenge. Although vascularized bone grafts promote osteogenesis, the required tissue harvesting causes problematic donor-site morbidity. Artificial bone substitutes are promising alternatives for regenerative medicine applications, but the incorporation of suitable cells and/or growth factors is necessary for their successful clinical application. The inclusion of vascular bundles can further enhance the bone-forming capability of bone substitutes by promoting tissue neovascularization. Little is known about how neovascularization occurs and how new bone extends within vascularized tissue-engineered bone, because no previous studies have used tissue-engineered bone to treat large, poorly vascularized defects. METHODS: In this study, the authors developed a novel vascularized tissue-engineered bone scaffold composed of osteogenic matrix cell sheets wrapped around vascular bundles within ß-tricalcium phosphate ceramics. RESULTS: Four weeks after subcutaneous transplantation in rats, making use of the femoral vascular bundle, vascularized tissue-engineered bone demonstrated more angiogenesis and higher osteogenic potential than the controls. After vascularized tissue-engineered bone implantation, abundant vascularization and new bone formation were observed radially from the vascular bundle, with increased mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase, bone morphogenetic protein-2, osteocalcin, and vascular endothelial growth factor-A. CONCLUSION: This novel method for preparing vascularized tissue-engineered bone scaffolds may promote the regeneration of large bone defects, particularly where vascularization has been compromised.

Effectiveness of Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Sheets in Maintaining Random-Pattern Skin Flaps in an Experimental Animal Model.

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow stromal cells can be applied therapeutically to enhance angiogenesis; however, the use of bone marrow stromal cell suspensions reduces efficiency because of low-level attachment. The authors hypothesized that bone marrow stromal cell sheets would facilitate cell fixation, thus enhancing angiogenesis. The authors investigated flap survival area and enhancement of angiogenic factors in a rat random-pattern skin flap model after application of bone marrow stromal cell sheets. METHODS: Bone marrow stromal cell sheets (prepared from 7-week-old rat femurs) were cultured under four different hypoxic conditions. Sheets with the highest angiogenic potential, determined by an in vitro pilot study, were injected into subcutaneous layers of the rat dorsum (bone marrow stromal cell sheet group). A control group (phosphate-buffered saline only) was included. On day 2 after injection, caudally based random-pattern skin flaps (12 × 3 cm) were elevated. On day 7 after elevation, surviving skin flap areas were measured. Skin samples were harvested from each flap and gene expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Skin flap survival area (71.6 ± 2.3 percent versus 51.5 ± 3.3 percent) and levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor were significantly higher in the bone marrow stromal cell sheet group than in the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Implantation of bone marrow stromal cell sheets increased the survival area of random-pattern skin flaps. Expression of angiogenic factors may have contributed to the increased flap survival.

The regeneration and augmentation of bone with injectable osteogenic cell sheet in a rat critical fracture healing model.

Limitations in the current treatment strategies make cases with compromised bone healing challenging clinical problems. Osteogenic cell sheets (OCSs), fabricated from rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), contain enriched osteoblasts and extracellular matrix. Here, we evaluated whether the minimally invasive percutaneous injection of OCSs without a scaffold could be used as a treatment to increase bone regeneration in a critical fracture healing model. Critical fracture healing model was created in the femora of 60 male Fischer 344 inbred rats using marrow ablation and periosteal removal. The rats were then randomly divided into two groups. Six hours after fracture, one group received an injection of OCSs (OCS group), while the second group was injected with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (control group). Fracture healing was evaluated using radiological, histological, micro-computed tomography (CT) and biomechanical analyses. The radiological and histological evaluations demonstrated enhanced bone regeneration in the OCS group compared with that in the control group. By 12 weeks, the hard callus had been remodelled via recorticalization in the OCS group. By contrast, no fracture union was found in the rats in the control group. Biomechanical testing revealed a significantly higher maximum bending load in the OCS group compared with that in the control group. The results of the present study demonstrate that the injection of entire OCSs can enhance bone regeneration and lead to bony union in a critical fracture healing model. Therefore, this procedure offers a minimally invasive technique to promote hard tissue reconstruction and, in particular, bone repair strategies for cases with compromised bone healing.

Dynamic analysis of the ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel using ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the dynamics of the ulnar nerve during elbow flexion and the relationships between these dynamics and the morphology of the ulnar nerve groove in healthy individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty healthy volunteers (40 elbows) underwent ultrasonographic examination of the ulnar nerve at the elbow. We measured the breadth and depth of the ulnar nerve groove at 90° of elbow flexion and calculated the depth-to-breadth ratio. We recorded the distance from the trochlea of the humerus to the nerve and the short-axis diameter of the nerve at 30°, 60°, 90°, and 120° of elbow flexion. We calculated the medial shift and flattening of the ulnar nerve at each angle relative to 30° of flexion, compared the values among the different angles, and compared the depth-to-breadth ratio with the location, medial shift, and flattening ratio of the ulnar nerve. RESULTS: The medial shift was significantly greater at 120° than at other angles (P < .001). Flattening increased with increasing elbow flexion and was significantly different at 60°, 90°, and 120° (all P < .001). The flattening ratios were significantly correlated with the depth-to-breadth ratio at 120° (r = -0.43, P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: The ulnar nerve moves medially and is flattened with the elbow flexed between 90° and 120°. When the ulnar nerve groove is shallow, high degrees of elbow flexion result in flattening of the ulnar nerve in the groove.

Intra-articular distal radius fractures involving the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ): three dimensional computed tomography-based classification.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze fracture patterns and the magnitude of displacement in the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ), by three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT), for distal radius fractures with intra-articular displacement of the radiocarpal joint. METHODS: We reconstructed 3D images for 72 consecutive patients with displaced intra-articular distal radius fracture on the basis of fine-cut axial CT data. The fracture patterns involving the DRUJ were classified on the basis of the location and direction of fracture lines, and the extent of fracture comminution. We measured the maximum spatial distance of the gap and the step between the fragments in each 3D image, and the magnitudes of displacement between the groups were compared by analysis of variance followed by post-hoc analysis by use of Tukey's test. RESULTS: Sixty wrists had a fracture involving the DRUJ. We classified the 60 wrists into 3 types of fracture pattern. Type 1 was a transverse fracture with minimum displacement. Type 2, in which fracture lines extended into the distal margin of the sigmoid notch, was the most common longitudinal fracture. Type 3 was a fracture with multiple fragments. The step and gap in Type 3 was significantly larger than that in the other types. CONCLUSIONS: Eighty-three percent of intra-articular distal radius fractures had DRUJ involvement, and 28% of the wrists had multiple fragments. For Type 3 fractures with dorsal or proximal comminution displacement was significantly larger than for simple Type 1 and 2 fractures. Surgical intervention for the DRUJ fragment may be beneficial when there is remarkable intra-articular displacement.

Predictors of the postoperative range of finger motion for comminuted periarticular metacarpal and phalangeal fractures treated with a titanium plate.

BACKGROUND: Plate and screw fixation was introduced for complex fractures of the hand. Several risk factors for a poor functional outcome have been identified, but there is a paucity of evidence regarding predictors of finger stiffness in difficult hand fractures. The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to identify independent prognostic factors of the postoperative total active motion (%TAM) in the treatment of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures. METHODS: Seventy-two patients (62 males, 10 females; 37±15 years) with periarticular fractures involving metaphyseal comminution and displacement were evaluated at a minimum of 1 year following surgery. There were 49 phalangeal bone fractures, 30 intra-articular fractures and 20 associated soft-tissue injuries. The locations of plate placement were lateral in 42 patients and dorsal in 30. The mean duration from injury to surgery was 7.6 days (range, 0-40 days). There were eight examined variables related to patient characteristics (age, gender and hand dominance), fracture characteristics (fracture location, joint involvement and associated soft-tissue injury) and surgical variables (location of plate placement and duration from injury to surgery). Univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis were used to identify the degree to which variables affect %TAM at the final follow-up. RESULTS: Univariate analysis indicated moderate correlations of %TAM with fracture location, associated soft-tissue injury and age. Multiple linear regression modelling including fracture location, age and associated soft-tissue injury resulted in formulae that could account for 46.3% of the variability in %TAM: fracture location (ß=-0.388, p<0.001), age (ß=-0.339, p<0.001) and associated soft-tissue injury (ß=-0.296, p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Phalangeal fracture, increasing age and associated soft-tissue injury were important risk factors to identify the postoperative %TAM in the treatment of comminuted periarticular metacarpal or phalangeal fracture with a titanium plate.

Ocular manifestations and prognosis of secondary glaucoma in patients with carotid-cavernous fistula.

PURPOSE: To study the frequency of ocular manifestations and the prognosis of secondary glaucoma in cases of carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF). METHODS: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted to investigate causes, types, ocular symptoms, complications, treatment, and prognosis in subjects with CCF. RESULTS: Among the 43 patients diagnosed with CCF between 1984 and 2000, a total of 13 patients (14 eyes) showed ocular manifestations. CCF was idiopathic in 13 eyes of 12 subjects and resulted from head trauma in 1 eye of 1 subject. Among the ocular symptoms and complications, conjunctival hyperemia was most common, occurring at a rate of 92.9% of the eyes, followed by exophthalmos at 50%, retinal hemorrhaging at 50%, retinal venous dilation at 42.9%, vascular bruits at 28.6%, injection of Schlemm's canal at 21.4%, and external ophthalmoplegia at 21.4%. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) occurred at a rate of 64.3%, with maximum IOP ranging from 22-55 mm Hg. At the time of the final observation, IOP control was favorable in 6 of the 9 eyes showing elevated IOP; 5 of these 9 eyes showed a closed CCF, but none required antiglaucoma treatment, with the exception of 1 eye for which trabeculectomy was performed. IOP control was unfavorable in the remaining 3 eyes, and in 1 of these eyes CCF was not closed. CONCLUSIONS: Secondary glaucoma is a frequently observed ocular manifestation of CCF, and closure of the fistula is the primary condition required for favorable IOP control.