Opening Wedge Osteotomy for the Treatment of Pediatric Radial Neck Malunion and Anterior Radiocapitellar Dislocation: A Case Report.

Radial neck fractures are common injuries of the elbow in the pediatric patient. Surgical intervention is recommended for significant angulation and displacement or mechanical blocks to motion. Radial neck malunion is a rare complication and may result in altered joint mechanics and, if severe, joint incongruency. Dislocation of the radial head has yet to be reported in this population after radial neck malunion. Treatment for radial neck malunions with dislocation varies and can include radial head excision or radial neck osteotomy. Outcomes after radial neck osteotomy is limited to case reports and small cases series. We present a case report of pediatric patient with radial neck malunion and anterior radiocapitellar dislocation treated with joint realignment via opening wedge osteotomy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a pediatric case with radial head dislocation secondary to neck malunion and the first described report using this technique.

Wound Complications Following Olecranon Fracture Fixation: Implant and Soft Tissue Considerations.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this multicenter, retrospective, case-control series was to investigate patient- and treatment-specific factors associated with wound breakdown following olecranon fracture fixation.  Methods: We identified patients at our two participating academic centers who were operatively treated for olecranon fractures and those who subsequently underwent a re-operation secondary to postoperative wound breakdown. Demographic and historical information was collected, including BMI and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) scores. The primary outcome measure was the standardized radiographic measurement of plate prominence and soft tissue thickness posterior to the plate tip.  Results: We identified 32 patients who underwent internal fixation and subsequent wound breakdown. This was compared to a cohort of 35 matched controls that did not have wound issues. Cases with wound breakdown were of higher energy, nine being open cases compared to two in the control group (p<0.05). No differences were identified in plate prominence, soft tissue thickness, and plate type.  Conclusions: Wound breakdown following olecranon fracture fixation is more commonly seen in high-energy open injuries. Plate prominence, soft tissue thickness, and patient-specific factors do not correlate with wound breakdown. Further investigation into the factors influencing plate placement and how they may contribute to wound complications is needed.

A Soft-Tissue Landmark to Assess Humeral Component Rotation in Total Elbow Arthroplasty.

HYPOTHESIS: Assessing the rotational alignment of the humeral component during total elbow arthroplasty is dependent upon bony landmarks that can be absent or altered in cases of distal humerus fractures, revision arthroplasty, severe bone loss, or deformity. We hypothesize that the intermuscular septum can be used as a reliable soft-tissue landmark to set the rotation of the humeral component intra-operatively when previously described bony landmarks are not reliable or present. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight unpaired cadaveric human subjects (mean age and standard deviation 63 ± 12 years; 24 males, 24 females) underwent computed tomography (CT) scans. The geometric centers of the trochlea and capitellum were assessed, and the line through these two points was set as the flexion-extension axis (FEA) of the elbow. The intermuscular septum axis (IMSA) was drawn proximal to the olecranon fossa and at least 4 cm proximal to the most distal point of the articular surface, where the posterior humeral cortex was flat. The angles between the FEA and IMSA were calculated and compared using a two-tailed t-test. Regression analysis was used to assess the inter- and intra-observer reliability of the IMSA. RESULTS: The IMSA was externally rotated 10.3° ± 2.8 compared to the FEA (p < 0.001 and confidence interval (CI) of 2.8 with α set to 0.01). The inter- and intra-observer reliability of the IMSA was high, with an R-value of 0.91 and 0.97, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The intermuscular septum can be used as a soft-tissue landmark to set humeral component rotation and is 10.3° externally rotated with respect to the FEA of the ulnohumeral joint.

Avascular Necrosis of an Adolescent Distal Radius: A Literature Review.

A 12-year-old boy was tackled mid-air, resulting in a fall on the outstretched hand without fracture. The patient was treated conservatively but developed sharp pain and stiffness 6 months later. Imaging revealed distal radius avascular necrosis with physeal involvement. Owing to the injury chronicity and location, we treated the patient conservatively with hand therapy. After 1 year of therapy, the patient returned to normal activities without pain and with a resolution of findings on imaging. Avascular necrosis is more frequent in carpal bones (eg, Kienböck disease of the lunate and Preiser disease of the scaphoid). Growth arrest at the distal radius can lead to ulnocarpal impaction, triangular fibrocartilage complex injury, or distal radioulnar joint injury. In this case report, we discuss our treatment rationale and review the literature on pediatric avascular necrosis for hand surgeons.

Lower socioeconomic status is not associated with severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a matched cohort analysis.

PURPOSE: Assessing the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on the severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) on initial presentation to the spinal surgeon remains a challenge. The area deprivation index (ADI) is a validated measure of SES that abstracts multiple domains of disadvantage into a single score. We hypothesized that patients with low SES (high ADI) present to the orthopedic clinic with more advanced curve pathology. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with AIS. Subjects were assigned ADI scores based on Zip codes. Matched cohorts of high and low ADI were generated using propensity scores. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors impacting the magnitude of the curve at presentation. RESULTS: A total of 425 patients with appropriate imaging were included. After matching, the study population was 69.2% female and 92.3% Black. The mean BMI percentile was 61.9. Medicaid covered 57.3% of subjects, and 42.7% had commercial insurance. The mean ADI was 55.5. The mean Cobb angle at presentation was 33.6 degrees. Cobb angle was significantly greater among female patients (36.0 degrees vs 28.0) and among patients with greater BMI percentile (ß = 0.127), but was not significantly associated with ADI, race, or insurance type. ADI was not associated with the rate of surgery. CONCLUSION: ADI is not predictive of curve severity in pediatric patients presenting to the clinic for AIS. Female sex and BMI are independently associated with advanced curvature. Public health workers, primary care providers, and surgeons should remain aware of the complex interactions of socioeconomic factors, BMI and sex when addressing barriers to timely care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III.

Adoption of Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR) Protocol for Lumbar Fusion Decreases In-Hospital Postoperative Opioid Consumption.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort. OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the impact of ESR on in-hospital and 90-day postoperative opioid consumption, length of stay, urinary catheter removal and postoperative ambulation after lumbar fusion for degenerative conditions. METHODS: We evaluated patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery at a single, multi-surgeon center in the transition period prior to (N = 174) and after (N = 116) adoption of ESR, comparing in-hospital and 90-day postoperative opioid consumption. Regression analysis was used to control for confounders. Secondary analysis was preformed to evaluate the association between ESR and length of stay, urinary catheter removal and ambulation after surgery. RESULTS: Mean age study participants was 52.6 years with 62 (47%) females. Demographic characteristics were similar between the Pre-ESR and ESR groups. ESR patients had better 3-month pain scores, ambulated earlier, had urinary catheters removed earlier and decreased in-hospital opioid consumption compared to Pre-ESR patients. There was no difference in 90-day opioid consumption between the 2 groups. Regression analysis showed that ESR was strongly associated with in-hospital opioid consumption, accounting for 30% of the variability in Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME). In-hospital opioid consumption was also associated with preoperative pain scores, number of surgical levels, and insurance type (private vs government). Pre-op pain sores were associated with 90-day opioid consumption. Secondary analysis showed that ESR was associated with a shorter length of stay and earlier ambulation. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed ESR has the potential to improve recovery after lumbar fusion for degenerative conditions with reduced in-hospital opioid consumption and improved postoperative pain scores.

Adoption of enhanced surgical recovery (ESR) protocol for adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery decreases in-hospital and 90-day post-operative opioid consumption.

PURPOSE: Retrospective observational cohort study of primary adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery during the transitional period prior to and after the implementation of Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR) at a single center. We sought to determine if ESR reduces in-hospital and 90-day post-operative opioid consumption for ASD surgery. METHODS: We evaluated patients undergoing primary ASD surgery in the transition period prior to (N = 29) and after (N = 56) adoption of ESR, comparing in-hospital and 90-day post-operative opioid consumption. Regression analysis was used to control for confounders including age, number of surgical levels, surgical approach, staged vs same-day surgery, insurance type and pre-op opioid use. RESULTS: Mean age of the cohort was 53 years with 57 (60%) females. Regression analysis showed that pre-operative opioid use and number of levels fused were associated with higher in-hospital and 90-day post-operative opioid consumption, while use of ESR was associated with lower in-hospital and 90-day post-operative opioid consumption. Secondary analysis showed that patients on ESR ambulated earlier (0.6 days vs 1.1, p = 0.028) and had their urinary catheter removed earlier (2.7 days vs 3.9, p = 0.006) compared to non-ESR patients. CONCLUSIONS: ESR was associated with a significantly decreased in-hospital and 90-day post-operative opioid consumption and earlier mobilization with earlier urinary catheter removal in patients undergoing primary ASD surgery. These results demonstrate ESR's potential to improve outcomes in ASD perioperative care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.