Referral indications and prevalence of sleep abnormalities in children with early onset scoliosis.

This study describes the utility of overnight sleep studies in children with early onset scoliosis (EOS). Children with EOS have diminished respiratory reserve which is associated with abnormal breathing and sleep quality in children. Currently, there are no criteria for referral of these children to evaluate breathing during sleep or data on the use of sleep treatments as part of their supportive care. A review of the 159 patients with EOS who were followed at a single institution from 2003 to 2016 identified 68 who underwent overnight polysomnograms (PSGs). Sixty-five of 68 (96%) had elevated apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and a majority (56%) were prescribed nighttime respiratory support. A majority of young children (< 5 years) with PSG were referred for a history of snoring, apnea, or restless sleep; all 30 had abnormal PSGs. Twenty-seven (90%) had nighttime hypoxemia (nadir oxygen saturation values < 92%). Eighteen (60%) were referred to otolaryngology, of whom 11 (37%) subsequently underwent tonsil and/or adenoid removal. In older children (≥ 5 years), those referred for PSGs had more severe restrictive chest wall disease [lower forced vital capacity (FVC) values] than those who were not sent for PSG. Correlation between FVC and apnea-hypopnea index, however, was not significant. Pre-operative coronal curve magnitude did not strongly correlate with nadir SaO2 or AHI in either age group. These results suggest that sleep studies are underutilized in the management of children with EOS. Inadequate and poor-quality sleep adversely affects growth, behavior, and cognitive function in children. This study suggests that screening for sleep abnormalities should be incorporated into assessment and treatment of more patients with EOS.

The reliability of full-length lower limb radiographic alignment measurements in skeletally immature youth.

PURPOSE: Reliable radiographic measurement techniques are important for investigating limb alignments prior to and following paediatric anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. We investigated the inter- and intraobserver reliability of alignment measurements from lower extremity anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of adolescents having undergone transphyseal ACL reconstruction. METHODS: A total of 15 of 90 patients who had undergone transphyseal ACL reconstruction were randomly selected for alignment measurements of radiographs of operative and nonoperative limbs. Radiographs were de-identified, randomized to three varying sequences and made available in electronic format to three blinded investigators: a junior orthopaedic resident, a senior orthopaedic resident and a paediatric orthopaedic attending. Coronal measurements comprised the mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA), mechanical medial proximal tibial angle (mMPTA) and mechanical axis deviation (MAD), measured from standing teleoroentgenograms of the lower extremities. Tibial slope was measured on lateral knee radiographs of operative limbs. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated for each of the three coronal measures and for tibial slope. RESULTS: Intraobserver reliability was excellent across all measures (ICC > 0.75) except for tibial slope in one investigator's measurements (good or ICC = 0.68 for the operative limbs) and mLDFA in another investigator's measurements (fair or ICC = 0.49 for the operative limbs, and poor ICC = 0.27 for the nonoperative limbs). Interobserver reliability was excellent across all investigators for all measurements for operative and nonoperative limbs. CONCLUSIONS: Radiographic measurements of lower extremity alignment may be reliably measured on teleoroentgenograms in a subset of youth who underwent transphyseal ACL reconstruction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Understanding the spectrum of paediatric mechanical finger and hand trauma seeking acute care.

PURPOSE: Paediatric hand injuries are a frequent reason for acute medical evaluation. Previous studies have reported only fracture rates, surgical injuries or are limited to database diagnosis coding. The average fracture rates and injury distributions across the hand for all mechanical injuries have not been well-described. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of all emergent/urgent care visits over 18 months at a US paediatric tertiary hospital with hand injuries recorded anywhere in the encounter. Patient, injury and encounter details were recorded with additional imaging review, categorized and described. RESULTS: A total of 523 patient visits (0.64% of all encounters) were for mechanical hand trauma. The injury mechanism was 42% crush, 19% jammed, 12% impact, 12% fall on outstretched hand, 7% hyperextension and 8% other/unclear. Crush was responsible for 80% of injuries in patients aged 0 to six years old but only 17% in patients aged 13 to 18 years. Crush resulted in fractures only 26% of the time, while other mechanisms were more likely to fracture (33% to 87%). Border digits were injured more often than others (21% to 23% versus 13% to 17%), and were most commonly fractured in the proximal phalanx (57% to 67% versus 22% to 34% for non-border digits). Providers correctly coded for basic fracture presence in 89.1% of injuries, but 53% of codes were not finger or laterality-specific, and only 15% specified a bony segment demonstrating that International Classification of Diseases-9 coding was nonspecific for injury patterns. CONCLUSION: Patients with paediatric hand injuries frequently utilize emergency care and understanding the basic patterns of injury can guide resource utilization and future studies on optimal treatment algorithms in this setting. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, Prognostic, Case Series.

Patient factors associated with delayed diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip.

PURPOSE: Early detection and intervention for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is important for normal hip development. Previous studies have shown disparities in access to paediatric specialty care among different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. This study aims to identify whether these factors are related to timely referral for infants with DDH. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients seen and treated for DDH between July 2006 and June 2011 at a single institution were reviewed. The patients were divided into early-presenting (seen before six months of age) and late-presenting patients (seen at six months of age or later). RESULTS: A total of 457 patients met the eligibility criteria. There were 378 early and 79 late presentations. Late presentations were significantly more likely to be vertex at birth (85% vs 41%, p < 0.001). Bivariate analysis also demonstrated that late presentations were more likely to be non-white (65% vs 45%, p = 0.004), non-English speaking (20% vs 8%, p = 0.003), from lower income areas ($70 769 vs $61 591, p < 0.001) and hold public insurance (25%, p = 0.001). However, a logistic multiple regression analysis showed that only vertex birth presentation (p = 0.000), absent family history of DDH (p = 0.047) and affected right side (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with late presentation. CONCLUSION: Despite screening algorithms to facilitate early diagnosis of infants with DDH, better research is needed to understand how different demographic and socioeconomic factors play into the delayed access to paediatric orthopaedic care for DDH so that we may ultimately improve rates of early treatment.