Effect of split posterior tibialis tendon transfer on foot progression angle in children with cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVES: A common orthopedic issue for patients with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) is hindfoot varus deformity. One method of treatment is the split posterior tibialis tendon transfer (SPOTT). There is limited literature on the effect of SPOTT on foot progression angle (FPA) in children with CP who have equinovarus deformities. The objective of our study was to evaluate the change in FPA after SPOTT to determine if this procedure can improve FPA. RESEARCH QUESTION: This study aims to determine what axial changes are generated from a split posterior tibial tendon transfer in children with CP. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all ambulatory children with a diagnosis of CP who underwent SPOTT at our institution. Patients with bony rotational procedures were excluded. Descriptive statistics including mean and standard deviation (SD) were used to characterize continuous variables. Paired t-tests were used to evaluate outcomes, in which a target outcome was defined as a post-operative FPA between 0-10° of external rotation. RESULTS: 44 limbs were included. Demographics were as follows: 26/13 female/male; mean age[SD] (years): 9.8[3.5]; 30 hemiplegic, 9 diplegic, and 1 triplegic. Of the 44 limbs, 18 limbs had a target outcome, 4 had no change, and 22 had a non-target outcome. Of the 22 with an outcome outside of the target, 4 limbs trended away from a target outcome. The overall change in FPA measured was - 10.9 ± 14.7° (p < 0.0001) Age at time of surgery, CP involvement, pre-operative FPA, and GMFCS level were not predictors of outcome (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SPOTT produced a change of 10.9° external rotation in FPA post-operatively and its effects should be considered when planning a SEMLS.

The association between isometric strength and cognitive function in adults with cerebral palsy.

Background: The literature supports quantifying the maximum force/tension generated by one's forearm muscles such as the hand grip strength (HGS) to screen for physical and cognitive frailty in older adults. Thus, we postulate that individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), who are at higher risk for premature aging, could benefit from tools that objectively measure muscle strength as a functional biomarker to detect frailty and cognitive decline. This study assesses the clinical relevancy of the former and quantifies isometric muscle strength to determine its association with cognitive function in adults with CP. Methods: Ambulatory adults with CP were identified from a patient registry and were enrolled into this study. Peak rate of force development (RFD) and maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the quadriceps were measured using a commercial isokinetic machine, while HGS was collected with a clinical dynamometer. Dominant and non-dominant side were identified. Standardized cognitive assessments, including the Wechsler Memory and Adult Intelligence Scales IV, Short Test of Mental Status, and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) were used to evaluate cognitive function. Results: A total of 57 participants (32 females; mean age 24.3 [SD 5.3]; GMFCS levels I-IV) were included in the analysis. Although dominant and non-dominant RFD and HGS measures were associated with cognitive function, non-dominant peak RFD showed the strongest associations with cognitive function. Conclusion: RFD capacity may reflect age-related neural and physical health and could be a better health indicator than HGS in the CP population.

Previous corticosteroid exposure associates with an increased Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia mortality among HIV-negative patients: a global research network with a follow-up multicenter case-control study.

Background: HIV-negative patients have substantial mortality from Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). We lack predictors of HIV-negative PJP-associated mortality. Objective: We aim to characterize the role of prior corticosteroid exposure in PJP-related mortality. Methods: We queried a global research network to identify adult HIV-negative patients with PJP with or without corticosteroid exposure in the preceding year before diagnosis (n = 8,021). We performed a propensity score-matched analysis to adjust baseline patient characteristics and analyzed outcomes. We follow-up the results with a multicenter ten years retrospective case-control cohort of HIV-negative patients tested for PJP by PCP Direct Fluorescent Antigen. We used a Cox proportional hazards model for survival analysis. Results: 1822 HIV-negative propensity-scored matched patients with prior corticosteroid exposure had significantly increased 10 weeks (16% versus 9%, p < 0.0001) and one-year mortality after PJP diagnosis (23% versus 14%, p < 0.0001). (1→3)-ß-D-glucan (197.6 ± 155.8 versus 63 ± 0 pg/ml, p = 0.014), ferritin levels (1227 ± 2486 versus 768 ± 1060 mcg/l, p = 0.047), lymphopenia (1.5 ± 1.5 versus 2.0 ± 1.6 103 cells/µl, p < 0.0001) and hypoxia (SatO2: 86.7% versus 91.6%, p < 0.0001) were higher or worse in those with prior steroid use. Patients who died were more likely to have previously received dexamethasone (35% versus 16%, p < 0.001) or prednisone (49% versus 29%, p < 0.001). Adjusted Cox proportional-hazard model validation showed an independently increased mortality at 10 weeks (HR: 3.7, CI: 1.5-9.2, p = 0.004) and 1 year (HR: 4.5, CI: 2.0-10.4, p < 0.0001) among HIV-negative patients with previous corticosteroid exposure. Conclusion: Preceding corticosteroids in HIV-negative patients with PJP are associated with higher mortality. A higher fungal burden may influence corticosteroid-mediated mortality. Assessment of PJP prophylaxis must become a standard clinical best practice when instituting corticosteroid therapy courses.

Rectus femoris transfers with and without a hamstring lengthening will not change hip kinematics in children with cerebral palsy.

BACKGROUND: A rectus femoris transfer (RFT) surgery with and without a hamstring lengthening (HSL) is used to treat stiff-knee gait in children with cerebral palsy (CP). While current literature has reported that a RFT surgery improves the kinematics at the knee, little is known about the kinematic changes at the hip. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does a RFT surgery change hip joint kinematics in children with CP? METHODS: This retrospective study included children (<18 years old) diagnosed with CP, who underwent a RFT procedure, and who were seen at our institution's accredited clinical motion laboratory. Patients with both pre- and post-operative gait analysis were identified and comparison between those analyses were performed to identify kinematic differences at the hip and knee. A total of 66 legs from 46 children (mean age: 11.1 ± 3.6) met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Overall results revealed that a RFT did not change kinematics at the hip [p > 0.05], however, a RFT did increase the maximum knee flexion during the swing period [Mean Difference Post - Pre: 8.3°, 95% CI: 4.9-11.8, p < 0.0001]. Additionally, it was found that changes in hip extension during the terminal stance phase were significantly different between the combined RFT and HSL compared to solely an RFT. The results of this study also revealed that children whose stiff-knee gait did not improve, tended to have increased hip external rotation during terminal stance and swing and greater hip extension during terminal stance, compared to children whose stiff-knee gait did improve. SIGNIFICANCE: Overall, a RFT with and without a HSL surgery improves hip and knee kinematics in the sagittal plane, however, improvements at the hip were not clinically significant. As a result, a RFT or a combined RFT with HSL should not be used to change hip kinematics in children with CP.

Seasonal variations and risk factors of Streptococcus pyogenes infection: a multicenter research network study.

Background: Streptococcus pyogenes, or Group A Streptococcus (GAS), causes acute pharyngitis and necrotizing fasciitis. Seasonal variations in GAS infections are not robustly characterized. We assessed seasonal variations and risk factors of GAS pharyngitis and ICD-10-diagnosed necrotizing fasciitis. Methods: From the period 2010-2019, we conducted a case-control study using laboratory-confirmed cases of GAS pharyngitis and a descriptive observational study of necrotizing fasciitis using ICD-10 codes. Data were collected from TriNetX, a federated research network. We extracted seasonal (quarterly) incidence rates. We used an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to assess seasonal variations. Demographic characteristics and 1-month outcomes were compared among adults with or without GAS pharyngitis. Results: We identified 224,471 adults with GAS pharyngitis (test-positive) and 546,142 adults without it (test-negative). GAS pharyngitis adults were younger (25.3 versus 30.2 years of age, p < 0.0001), more likely to be Hispanic individuals (10% versus 8%, p < 0.0001) and slightly more likely to be Black or African American individuals (14% versus 13%, p < 0.0001). Propensity score matching found that adults with test-positive cases of GAS pharyngitis had a higher risk of acute rheumatic fever while having no significant differences in risk of intensive care unit admission and mortality compared with test-negative cases. GAS pharyngitis average incidence peaked in the winter while dipping in the summer (0.32 versus 0.18 and 4.07 versus 1.78 per 1000 adults and pediatric patients, respectively). Necrotizing fasciitis diagnoses were highest during summer (0.032 per 1000 adults). There was a significant ARIMA seasonal variation in the time series analysis for adult and pediatric GAS pharyngitis (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.014, respectively). Necrotizing fasciitis diagnosis was not associated with seasonal variation (p = 0.861). Conclusion: Peaks in GAS pharyngitis occur in the winter months. ICD code-based necrotizing fasciitis did not show a quarterly seasonal variation.

Using Motion Analysis in the Evaluation, Treatment & Rehabilitation of Pediatric & Adolescent Knee Injuries: A Review of the Literature.

Three-dimensional motion capture systems may improve evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of knee injuries, because quantitative assessment of the knee improves understanding of biomechanical mechanisms. The benefit of using motion analysis in pediatric sports medicine is that it allows closer and more focused evaluation of sports injuries using kinematics, kinetics, and electromyogram with physical and imaging to determine what is happening dynamically during sports. Future research investigating knee injuries should focus on identifying risk factors, assessing the effectiveness of surgical and nonsurgical interventions, and developing return to sport/rehabilitation protocols. The literature is focused on motion capture in adults with knee injuries.

Postoperative Immobilization After Hip Reconstruction in Cerebral Palsy: No Difference Between Hip Spica and Abduction Pillow.

Purpose: This study aims to compare radiographic outcomes and complication rates of immobilization with an abduction pillow to spica casting for postoperative care after a hip reconstruction with varus derotational proximal femur osteotomy (VDRO) with or without pelvic osteotomy for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: 233 children (1-18 years old) diagnosed with CP that underwent VDRO with or without pelvic osteotomy were identified, of which 188 patients were immobilized with a spica cast and 45 were immobilized with an abduction pillow, based on surgeon preference. 123 (65%) in the Spica group and 21 (47%) in the pillow group had pelvic osteotomies. Demographic data and complication rates were collected. Radiographic parameters, including anatomic medial proximal femoral angle (aMPFA), acetabular index (AI) and migration percentage (MP), were measured for each patient at the completion of surgery, six weeks post-operatively, and one year post-operatively. Results: There was not a statistically significant difference in BMI (p = 0.285), gender distribution (p = 0.984), or median follow-up time (p = 0.314) between groups. Rates of complications were consistent among groups with no differences in instances of delayed unions (p = 0.10), subluxations (p = 0.55), infection (p = 0.71), or non-unions (p = 0.10). There was no statistically significant difference in number of patients with an ideal aMPFA, AI, or MP (p = 0.44, p = 0.19, p = 1.00) at one year post-operatively. Conclusions: Immobilization with an abduction pillow is a safe and effective alternative to hip spica casting following hip reconstruction.

Associations of Circulating Insulin-Growth Factor-1 With Cognitive Functions and Quality of Life Domains in Ambulatory Young Adults With Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study.

Objective: Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) often have impaired cognitive functions. CP also has deteriorations in multiple quality-of-life (QoL) domains. The bio-psycho-social health psychology model posits that biological factor interacts with social and psychological functions. However, the biological determinant of psycho-social and functional outcomes in CP has been scarcely examined. Circulating Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is associated with cognitive deficits in older adults, we thus aimed to examine the associations of circulating IGF-1 with: (1) objectively measured cognitive functions, (2) self-reported cognitive functions, and (3) QoL measures in adults diagnosed with CP. Methods: Seventy-two adults with CP and varying degrees of cognitive functions were recruited from an accredited clinical motion analysis laboratory at a regional Children's Hospital. Circulating IGF-1 was measured using post-fasting serum. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) tests were administered to assess multiple cognitive functions, whereas the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) was used to measure multiple domains of self-reported health, including cognitive complaints and eight QoL domains. Results: Sixty-eight participants had complete data [mean age = 25 (SD = 5.3), female = 52.8%]. Controlling for covariates, circulating IGF-1 was associated with multiple cognitive domains, including positively with declarative memory and executive function and inversely with visual-spatial and motor skills, and processing speed, while no association with subjective memory complaint was detected. Circulating IGF-1 was also inversely associated with four QoL domains, including depressive symptoms, executive function, physical function, and social roles and activities. Conclusions: In CP, circulating IGF-1 might be a useful biological determinant of objective cognitive functions and several quality-of-life domains commonly impaired in CP.

Walking speed and patient-reported outcomes in young adults with cerebral palsy.

AIM: To examine the relationship between quantitative gait measurements and self-reported physical, psychological, cognitive, and social function status in young adults with cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD: Seventy-two adults with CP (range 18-48y; median age 23y [interquartile range 21-27y]; 34 males, 38 females), in Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I to IV, who previously underwent an instrumented gait analysis (IGA) at our center as children were recruited. Participants underwent a repeated IGA. National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS) instruments including the PROMIS-57, Applied Cognition - General Concerns (Short Form), and Applied Cognition - Executive Function (Short Form) were administered. Data derived from current and prior IGA were compared via non-parametric correlation analysis with PROMIS subscores. RESULTS: Subscores for anxiety, depression, sleep, and fatigue did not significantly correlate with any IGA data. Walking speed, adjusted for stature, correlated strongly with multiple subscores: physical function (p<0.001, rs =0.708); participation in social roles (p=0.007, rs =0.319); executive function (p=0.005, rs =0.335). Pain interference correlated with longitudinal change in adjusted walking speed (p=0.032, rs =-0.259). The Applied Cognition - General Concerns (Short Form) correlated with prior absolute walking speed, but not adjusted values. INTERPRETATION: This study underscores the importance of walking speed and its association with a variety of functional domains in adults with CP. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System measures provide useful clinical data in young adults with cerebral palsy. Temporospatial gait parameters have wide-reaching functional influence in this population. Walking speed is strongly correlated with physical, social, and executive function.

Increased plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as a potential biomarker for and compensatory mechanism in mild cognitive impairment: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Previous meta-analyses examining the continuum of Alzheimer's disease (AD) concluded significantly decreased peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in AD. However, across different meta-analyses, there remain inconsistent findings on peripheral BDNF levels in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This issue has been attributed to the highly heterogenous clinical and laboratory factors. Thus, BDNF's level, discriminative accuracy for identifying all-cause MCI and its subtypes, and its associations with other biomarkers and neurocognitive domains, remain largely unknown. METHODS: To address this heterogeneity, we compared a healthy control cohort (n=56, 45 female) to an MCI cohort (n=40, 28 female), to determine whether plasma BDNF, hs-CRP, and DHEA-S can differentiate healthy from MCI individuals, including two MCI subtypes (amnestic [aMCI] and non-amnestic [non-aMCI]). The associations between BDNF with other biomarkers and neurocognitive tests were examined. Adults with cerebral palsy were included as sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, BDNF was significantly higher in all-cause MCI, aMCI, and non-aMCI. Furthermore, BDNF had good (AUC=0.84, 95% CI=0.74 to 0.95, p<0.001) and excellent discriminative accuracies (AUC=0.92, 95% CI=0.84 to 1.00, p<0.001) for all-cause MCI and non-amnestic MCI, respectively. BDNF was significantly and positively associated with plasma hs-CRP (ß=0.26, 95% CI=0.02 to 0.50, p=0.038), despite attenuated association upon controlling for BMI (ß=0.15, 95% CI=-0.08 to 0.38, p=0.186). Multiple inverse associations between BDNF and detailed neurocognitive tests were also detected. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest BDNF is increased as a compensatory mechanism in preclinical dementia, supporting the neurotrophic and partially the inflammatory hypotheses of cognitive impairment.

Commonalities in biomarkers and phenotypes between mild cognitive impairment and cerebral palsy: a pilot exploratory study.

Clinically, individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) experience symptoms of accelerated biological aging. Accumulative deficits in both molecular underpinnings and functions in young adults with CP can lead to premature aging, such as heart disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is an intermediate stage between healthy aging and dementia that normally develops at old age. Owing to their intriguingly parallel yet "inverted" disease trajectories, CP might share similar pathology and phenotypes with MCI, conferring increased risk for developing dementia at a much younger age. Thus, we examined this hypothesis by evaluating these two distinct populations (MCI= 55, CP = 72). A total of nine measures (e.g., blood biomarkers, neurocognition, Framingham Heart Study Score (FHSS) were compared between the groups. Compared to MCI, upon controlling for covariates, delta FHSS, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and systolic blood pressure were significantly lower in CP. Intriguingly, high-sensitivity CRP, several metabolic outcomes, and neurocognitive function were similar between the two groups. This study supports a shared biological underpinning and key phenotypes between CP and MCI. Thus, we proposed a double-hit model for the development of premature aging outcomes in CP through shared biomarkers. Future longitudinal follow-up studies are warranted to examine accelerated biological aging.

Self-reported physical function is associated with walking speed in adults with cerebral palsy.

PURPOSE: To understand the relationship of walking speed to self-reported pain, fatigue, and physical function in adults with CP. METHODS: Design: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Accredited clinical motion analysis laboratory in a regional children's hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 72 ambulatory patients ⩾ 18 years of age, diagnosed with CP, who previously had ⩾ 1 prior instrumented gait analysis at our facility. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PROMIS-57 pain interference/intensity, physical function, and fatigue measures and walking speed. RESULTS: Physical function was significantly lower than able-bodied normal values by 1-2 standard deviations (40.3 ± 8.5). Pain interference (51.4 ± 9.0) and fatigue (50.2 ± 9.2) were not significantly different when compared to able-bodied normal values. Only physical function was statistically correlated with walking speed (p< 0.001), while pain interference (p= 0.39), pain intensity (p= 0.36), and fatigue (p= 0.75) were not. Pain interference, pain intensity, and fatigue were not statistically significant factors in the multiple regression of walking speed. Fatigue could significantly predict physical function, pain interference, and pain scores (p= 0.032, p< 0.001, p< 0.01, respectively), however, fatigue did not directly predict walking speed (p= 0.747). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported physical function correlates with objectively measured walking speed in young adults with CP while patient-reported pain and fatigue did not, contrary to what would be predicted by the literature.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease risk factors in adults with cerebral palsy.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and the association between common metabolic markers and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels in ambulatory adults with cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD: Metabolic markers and GMFCS levels were evaluated in a cross-sectional study of 70 ambulatory adults with CP (34 males, 36 females; mean age 24y 5mo [SD 5y 4mo], range 18y 6mo-48y 8mo) to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and CVD risk factors, and were compared to age-matched, population norms from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) registry. The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) CVD risk estimation was also used to evaluate an individual's risk for CVD. RESULTS: Metabolic syndrome was identified in 17.1% of the cohort, higher than the 10% in the NHANES registry. The FHS CVD 30-year lipid and body mass index (BMI)-based risk factor results showed that 20% to 40% of the cohort was at greater risk of developing CVD (BMI-based: 39.7% 'full' CVD risk factor; lipid-based: 26.5% 'full' CVD risk factor) as compared to the FHS normative population data. There was a positive correlation between GMFCS level, waist circumference (r=0.28, p=0.02), and waist-to-hip ratio (r=0.28, p=0.02). INTERPRETATION: Adults with CP are at higher risk of CVD and metabolic syndrome compared to the general population, which is probably because of impaired mobility.

Pediatric and adolescent injury in skiing.

This review examines risks that accompany child and adolescent participation in downhill skiing. Falls and non-collision events were the most common mechanism of injury, but significant data implicate head injuries, blunt abdominal trauma, and spinal trauma as the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in this population. School-aged children and youth (7-14 years) are more likely to sustain an injury, compared to children (0-6 years) and older teenagers (15-17 years). Knee injuries were the most common injury, reported as 10.3%-47.7% of all lower limb injuries. The literature supports helmet use as protective against injury with a reduced risk of head, neck, or face injury in children under 13 years. Future studies are necessary to evaluate injury and risks in the backcountry given the rapid increase of adolescents traveling outside ski areas. Research examining risk factors and preventive measures in youth skiing is also warranted.