Ultrasonographic evaluation of infant hips in the Pavlik harness compared to body-worn commercial baby carriers.

While many factors contribute to development and subsequent correction of developmental hip dysplasia (DDH) in infants, hip positioning and muscle activity play a significant role. Lower-limb restrictive extension positions, such as with swaddling, are detrimental for hip development, and some baby gear leads to reduced lower limb muscle activity. Yet how baby gear impacts hip position during wear remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare the Graf's alpha angle and femoral head coverage of healthy infants and infants with mild DDH (instability) in the Pavlik harness and baby carriers. We obtained coronal hip ultrasound images of 10 healthy full-term infants (13.5 ± 3.4 weeks, 5F/5M) and three full-term mild DDH infants (8.9 ± 4.0 weeks, 2F/1M) in three conditions: Pavlik harness, wide-base baby carrier, and narrow-base baby carrier. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare Graf's alpha angles and femoral head coverages across the conditions (p < 0.05), with post hoc pairwise tests (p < 0.0167). The Graf's alpha angle in the narrow-base carrier was 6.9° lower than the Pavlik harness, while the wide-base carrier was not different. Femoral head coverage was 10%-12% lower for the narrow-base carrier. The three mild DDH infants exhibited lower Graf's alpha angles and femoral head coverage in all measurements, with the Graf's alpha angle in the narrow-base carrier measuring 49.0°. This research demonstrated that wide-base baby carriers held hips in a position that was not significantly different from the Pavlik harness, meaning that babywearing in a wide-base carrier may have benefits for healthy hip development.

Isolated Acute Lateral Compartment Syndrome in an Adolescent Athlete: A Case Report.

CASE: A 17-year-old adolescent boy presented with anterolateral, right leg pain and numbness of his right foot 2 days after participating in football practice. He denied a traumatic event, and radiographs were negative for fracture. His imaging and physical examination raised suspicion for acute compartment syndrome (ACS). Single-incision fasciotomy with anterior and lateral compartment release was performed. The peroneus longus muscle was detached at the musculotendinous junction. The peroneus longus was then debrided and transferred to the peroneus brevis. CONCLUSION: Atraumatic ACS, although rare, is a diagnostic challenge. Prompt recognition of this atypical presentation is important for proper treatment.

Infant inclined sleep product safety: A model for using biomechanics to explore safe infant product design.

Over 450 adverse incidents have been reported in infant inclined sleep products over the past 17 years, with many infants found dead in both the supine and prone positions. The unique design of inclined sleep products may present unexplored suffocation risks related to how these products impact an infant's ability to move. The purpose of this study was to assess body movement and muscle activity of healthy infants when they lie supine and prone on different inclined sleep products. Fifteen healthy full-term infants (age: 17.7 ±â€¯4.9 weeks) were recruited for this IRB-approved study. Three inclined sleep products with unique features, representative of different sleeper designs, were included. Surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded from infants' cervical paraspinal, abdominal, and lumbar erector spinae muscles for 60 s during supine and prone positioning. Neck and trunk sagittal plane movements were evaluated for each testing condition. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed to compare each inclined sleeper to a flat crib mattress (0° baseline condition). During prone positioning, abdominal muscle activity significantly nearly doubled for all inclined sleep products compared to the flat crib mattress, while erector spinae muscle activity decreased by up to 48%. Trunk movement significantly increased compared to the flat crib mattress during prone lying. During prone lying, inclined sleep products resulted in significantly higher muscle activity of the trunk core muscles (abdominals) and trunk movement, which has the potential to exacerbate fatigue and contribute to suffocation if an infant cannot self-correct to the supine position.

Exploring infant hip position and muscle activity in common baby gear and orthopedic devices.

Infant positioning in daily life may affect hip development. While neonatal animal studies indicate detrimental relationships between inactive lower extremities and hip development and dysplasia, no research has explored infant hip biomechanics experimentally. This study evaluated hip joint position and lower extremity muscle activity of healthy infants in common body positions, baby gear, and orthopedic devices used to treat hip dysplasia (the Pavlik harness and the Rhino cruiserabduction brace). Surface electromyography(EMG) and marker-based motion capture recorded lower extremity muscle activity and kinematics of 22 healthy full-term infants (4.2±1.6 months, 13M/9F) during five conditions: Pavlik harness, Rhino brace, inward-facing soft-structured baby carrier, held in arms facing inwards, and a standard car seat. Mean filtered EMG signal, time when muscles were active, and hip position (angles) were calculated. Compared to the Pavlik harness, infants exhibited similar adductor activity (but lower hamstring and gluteus maximus activity) in the Rhino abduction brace, similar adductor and gluteus maximus activity (but lower quadriceps and hamstring activity) in the baby carrier, similar but highly variable muscle activity in-arms, and significantly lower muscle activity in the car seat. Hip position was similar between the baby carrier and the Pavlik harness. This novel infant biomechanics study illustrates the potential benefits of using inward-facing soft-structured baby carriers for healthy hip development and highlights the potential negative impact of using supine-lying container-type devices such as car seats for prolonged periods of time. Further study is needed to understand the full picture of how body position impacts infant musculoskeletal development.

Do inclined sleeping surfaces impact infants' muscle activity and movement? A safe sleep product design perspective.

The design of inclined sleep products may be associated with an increased risk of suffocation when an infant finds themselves prone in the product. It is important to understand how different inclined sleep surface angles impact infants' muscle activity when considering a safe sleep environment. The purpose of this study was to assess muscle activity of healthy infants when they lie supine and prone on different inclined crib mattress surfaces (0° vs. 10° vs. 20°). Fifteen healthy infants were recruited for this study. Surface EMG was recorded from cervical paraspinal, abdominal, lumbar erector spinae, and triceps muscles for 60 s during supine and prone positioning. Repeated measures ANOVAs and Bonferroni post-hoc adjustments were performed to test the effect of incline angles. Paired t-tests were performed to test the effect of position (supine vs. prone). During prone lying, abdominal muscle activity increased by 33% and 71% for 10° and 20° compared to 0°, while erector spinae and triceps muscle activity decreased for 20° compared to 0°. Lumbar erector spinae and cervical paraspinal muscle activity increased by 185% and 283% for prone compared to supine lying. During prone positioning, the 20° inclined surface resulted in significantly higher muscle activity of the trunk core muscles (abdominals), which may exacerbate fatigue and contribute to suffocation if an infant cannot self-correct to the supine position. Compared to supine positioning, prone lying requires higher musculoskeletal effort to maintain a safe posture to prevent suffocation, and babies likely fatigue faster when lying prone.

Osteogenesis imperfecta: an update on clinical features and therapies.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is an inherited skeletal dysplasia characterized by bone fragility and skeletal deformities. While the majority of cases are associated with pathogenic variants in COL1A1 and COL1A2, the genes encoding type I collagen, up to 25% of cases are associated with other genes that function within the collagen biosynthesis pathway or are involved in osteoblast differentiation and bone mineralization. Clinically, OI is heterogeneous in features and variable in severity. In addition to the skeletal findings, it can affect multiple systems including dental and craniofacial abnormalities, muscle weakness, hearing loss, respiratory and cardiovascular complications. A multi-disciplinary approach to care is recommended to address not only the fractures, reduced mobility, growth and bone pain but also other extra-skeletal manifestations. While bisphosphonates remain the mainstay of treatment in OI, new strategies are being explored, such as sclerostin inhibitory antibodies and TGF beta inhibition, to address not only the low bone mineral density but also the inherent bone fragility. Studies in animal models have expanded the understanding of pathomechanisms of OI and, along with ongoing clinical trials, will allow to develop better therapeutic approaches for these patients.

The Atypical Patient With Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphyses May Be at Increased Risk for a Missed Contralateral Slip.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a commonly encountered hip disorder. The goal of this study was to describe the incidence of missed contra-lateral SCFE as well as to identify risk factors. The authors hypothesized that contralateral slips are more often missed in patients with severe involvement of the treated side. After institutional review board approval was obtained, a retrospective chart review was performed of all pediatric patients who were treated for sequential and bilateral SCFE at a single institution during an 18-year period. Medical records were reviewed for demographic features and attending surgeon. Radiographs were reviewed for skeletal maturity, Klein's line, and severity of the treated slip. All radiographs were reviewed by 3 pediatric orthopedists. Contralateral SCFE was deemed present when consensus was achieved. Comparisons were made with Fisher's exact test, and P<.05 was considered significant. Of the records that were reviewed, 56 patients met the study criteria. Of these, 19 patients had bilateral involvement and 5 missed slips were identified (8.9%). The patients with missed disease tended to be younger (mean age, 10.8 vs 11.4 years), with a lower body mass index. Fellowship-trained pediatric surgeons were more likely to identify bilateral disease compared with orthopedists without pediatric training (P=.0065). A contralateral slip was more likely to be present in patients who had a positive finding for Klein's line (P<.0001). Severity of the treated slip did not increase the likelihood of missing a contralateral slip. Although Klein's line is a useful tool in the diagnosis of SCFE, a false-negative rate of 40% was observed. The authors recommend increased vigilance when an "atypical" patient with SCFE presents with unilateral disease. [Orthopedics. 2020;43(2):e114-e118.].

An Assessment of International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification, Codes Used to Describe Common Pediatric Orthopedic Conditions.

The diagnosis coding system for health care providers that is used in the United States recently converted from the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9), to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). The authors are unaware of any studies specifically evaluating the utility and specificity of ICD-10-CM codes in the pediatric orthopedic literature. The authors chose 20 diagnoses that are commonly seen in general pediatric orthopedic practice. The study had two goals: (1) to evaluate the adequacy of these codes to describe the diagnoses and (2) to offer advice on the most appropriate code to use when the ideal code does not exist. A list of 20 diagnoses that are commonly seen in general pediatric orthopedic practice were chosen by 2 fellowship-trained pediatric orthopedic surgeons. Each author independently evaluated the appropriate ICD-10-CM code for each diagnosis. The authors came to a consensus regarding whether the codes were adequate and agreed on an appropriate alternate code when the ideal one did not exist. One common condition had no code (accessory navicular), necessitating the recommendation of a nonspecific code. Other seemingly dissimilar conditions were described by the same code (acetabular dysplasia/femoral anteversion, Osgood-Schlatter disease/Blount's disease). Numerous codes lacked specificity, and the option of laterality was not uniform. Compared with the ICD-9, the ICD-10-CM allows more diagnostic options for these 20 common pediatric orthopedic conditions. The authors identified several areas for improvement. Involvement of subspecialty societies could guide future endeavors to improve this new coding system. [Orthopedics. 2020;43(2):e87-e90.].

Football-Related Pediatric Extremity Fractures and Dislocations: Size Matters.

Football remains a popular sport in the United States despite sometimes significant injuries, such as fractures and dislocations, occurring. The objective of this study was to evaluate pediatric extremity fractures and dislocations related to football. A retrospective review was conducted at a level 1 pediatric trauma center to identify patients who were treated specifically for American football-related injuries (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, code E007.0). All patients with football-related injuries presenting to the emergency department during a 6-year period (2007-2012) were reviewed for inclusion in the study. Patients with only fractures or dislocations involving the extremities were analyzed. Exclusion criteria included patients older than 18 years, non-football-related sports-related injuries, and patients presenting to non-emergency department health care facilities. Demographic information was collected in addition to type of injury, body mass index, and type of treatment. A total of 193 patients with 96 fractures and 7 dislocations were included. More than two-thirds of all fractures occurred in the lower extremities, with tibia (17.0%) and femoral shaft (14.2%) fractures being the most common. Thirty-five percent of the fractures and dislocations required operative treatment. No statistically significant correlations were identified pertaining to age, race, and timing of the injuries in the season. Regarding body mass index, underweight patients were associated with 3.6 times greater odds of sustaining a fracture when compared with patients who were not underweight (P=.006). Underweight patients may be at a higher risk for fractures or dislocations. Identifying at-risk children may result in improved patient and coach education, potentially leading to better preventive measures and fewer injuries. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(4):216-221.].

Posterior spinal fusion in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a report of six cases.

PURPOSE: There is a paucity of literature describing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) patient. The vast majority of these studies diagnosed EDS clinically. The purpose of this study is to discuss the management and complications of EDS patients with scoliosis treated with PSF at a single institution. METHODS: Clinical and radiographic data are presented describing six patients who had PSF for EDS. The diagnoses were confirmed by a geneticist. RESULTS: All of the patients in the current cohort underwent posterior fusion only, with no anterior approach. Neuromonitoring was also used in the majority. Half of our patients experienced complications. One patient had a hemoperitoneum that was initially treated nonoperatively but, unfortunately, they expired 1 month after discharge from abdominal bleeding. Another patient suffered neuropathic pain attributed to the type of implant used. A third underwent a total of seven procedures beginning at the age of 3 years in a different era of spinal surgery. The mean major curve, percentage correction, and estimated blood loss of the current cohort are similar to previous studies. CONCLUSION: The fragility of the EDS patient population cannot be overlooked. Despite a conservative surgical approach, half of our patients experienced complications. The surgeon choosing to operate on EDS patients must do so with extreme caution.

Limited intraobserver and interobserver reliability for the common measures of hip joint congruency used in dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: A congruent hip frequently is cited in the literature as a prerequisite for performing a reconstructive pelvic osteotomy for hip dysplasia. The designation as congruent is important as incongruent joints generally are regarded as requiring a salvage-type procedure. Several measures of congruency are described in the literature, but it is unclear whether these measures are reliable. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We therefore evaluated the intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities of three measures of hip congruency in patients with mild to severe dysplasia. METHODS: We selected radiographs of 30 skeletally mature patients with symptomatic hip dysplasia who were potential candidates for a periacetabular osteotomy. All radiographs were rated by six reviewers on two occasions. Reviewers were shown a series of AP and von Rosen views of either the symptomatic hip or the contralateral side and asked to rate congruency using two previously published measures - the classifications of Yasunaga et al. and Okano et al. The reviewers also were asked to determine whether the hip was congruent based on their subjective opinion (yes/no). The radiographs were reviewed and measurements were repeated 1 month later. Kappa analysis was performed to determine intraobserver and interrater reliabilities between and among individual raters, respectively. RESULTS: Using the classifications of Yasunaga et al. and Okano et al., we found intraobserver reliability kappa values of 0.43 and 0.37, respectively and interobserver reliability values of 0.18 and 0.25, respectively. The intraobserver reliability of a subjective opinion of yes/no response was 0.74 while the interobserver reliability was 0.21. CONCLUSIONS: When evaluating a spectrum of hip dysplasia, commonly used measures of hip congruency have low intraobserver and interobserver relclassifications of Yasunaga et al. and Okano et al. Interobserver reliability for all three methods was low. New radiographic parameters to consistently identify congruency will be helpful for evaluating the preoperative indications for reconstructive osteotomy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Hip congruency has long been cited as a requirement for a reconstructive pelvic osteotomy, but based on the above findings, there is no clear agreement regarding what comprises a congruent joint. Thus, better criteria are needed to assess preoperative hip congruency to determine the role of congruency in patient outcomes after surgery for hip dysplasia.

Biomechanical comparison of lag screw versus self-drilling screw fixation of oblique metatarsal osteotomy.

BACKGROUND: Several fixation methods for a Weil metatarsal osteotomy have been proposed. Lag screw fixation has been described as the preferred fixation technique. The self-drilling screw has been introduced and can be used for fixation of the Weil osteotomy. The current study compared self-drilling screws with lag screw fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Weil metatarsal osteotomy was performed on the second, third, and fourth metatarsals of five matched pairs of fresh frozen cadaver feet. The feet of each pair were randomly assigned ical to fixation with either a 2.0-mm cortical lag screw or a 2.0-mm self-drilling screw. The second metatarsals were stressed using cantilever bending. The third and fourth metatarsals were stressed under a shear force. Yield load, deformation at yield load, structural stiffness, and energy stored at yield load were recorded. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) noted. However, there was a trend toward greater biomechanical stability with the lag screw. CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in the stability of fixation of the self-drilling screw and lag screw. There was a trend toward the lag screw fixation being more stable. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The clinical significance of this trend is uncertain but suggests there is not a large difference between the two methods of fixation.