Arthrodesis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint for severe hallux valgus in adolescents with cerebral palsy: A retrospective comparison study of three surgical techniques.

Purpose: We compared the outcomes of arthrodesis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint for severe hallux valgus in 31 adolescents with cerebral palsy, using three different methods of fixation: K-wires, non-locking plates, and locking plates. Methods: Clinical outcomes included time to weight-bearing, fusion rates and surgical complications. Radiographic assessment included comparing pre- and post-operative hallux valgus angles, intermetatarsal angles, interphalangeal angles, and lateral metatarsophalangeal angles. Patient-reported outcomes included pre- and post-operative visual analogue scales addressing bunion pain and concerns, difficulties with wearing shoes and braces, and difficulties with foot hygiene. Results: Of the 31 adolescents (16 male), 10 patients had K-wire fixation, 11 had a non-locking dorsal plate, and 10 had fixation with a dorsal locking plate. Mean age at surgery was 16 years (12-18 years) and mean follow-up was 4 years (2.7-6.5 years). Patients with K-wire fixation had delayed weight-bearing and had more complications than those managed by dorsal plating. There were significant improvements in radiographic parameters (except interphalangeal angle) and in patient-reported outcomes, in all groups (p < 0.001). However, radiographic and clinical outcomes were better in the dorsal plating groups compared to the K-wire group. Conclusion: Arthrodesis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint gave good correction of deformity with improvements in symptoms and radiographic parameters in adolescents with cerebral palsy. We recommend dorsal plating that allowed early weight-bearing and had fewer complications with better clinical and radiographic outcomes, than K-wire fixation. Level of evidence: IV: Retrospective case series.

Rigid intramedullary nail fixation of traumatic femoral fractures in the skeletally immature.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of femoral head osteonecrosis, and other complications following rigid intramedullary (IM) nail fixation of traumatic diaphyseal femur fractures through the greater trochanter in the skeletally immature. DESIGN: Retrospective review, case series. SETTING: Level I academic trauma center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty-eight traumatic pediatric diaphyseal femur fractures in 145 patients treated with rigid IM nail fixation from November 1, 2004 to December 31, 2018. INTERVENTION: Rigid intramedullary nail fixation of traumatic diaphyseal femur fractures through a trochanteric start point in the skeletally immature. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: Rate of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. RESULTS: Sixty-five fractures in 64 skeletally immature patients met inclusion criteria. Motor vehicle collisions were implicated in 32 fractures. Of the 65 fractures, 5 were open. All rigid IM nails were anterograde with a trochanteric start point. Mean radiographic follow-up was 27.4 ±â€Š8.1 months. Twenty-two patients experienced postoperative pain and/or hardware irritation, with 24 patients (36.9%) undergoing reoperation for hardware removal. No occurrences of infection, malunion, nonunion, refracture, venous thromboembolism, fat embolism, significant leg length discrepancy, or femoral head osteonecrosis were documented. Two cases of heterotopic ossification were observed, 1 requiring surgical excision, yielding a complication rate of 3.1%. CONCLUSIONS: No cases of femoral head osteonecrosis were observed following treatment of 65 traumatic diaphyseal femur fractures with rigid IM nailing through the greater trochanter with a mean radiographic follow-up of 27 months. Rigid IM nail fixation with a trochanteric start point is both safe and efficacious for management of diaphyseal femur fractures in the skeletally immature.

Group A Streptococcal Septic Hip Arthritis in a Child With Spastic Triplegic Cerebral Palsy.

Reports of septic hip arthritis in children with cerebral palsy are exceedingly rare. This case report describes a 10-year-old boy with spastic triplegic cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Functional Classification System), who presented with fever and irritability. This case highlights the difficulties in diagnosing septic joint arthritis in patients with cerebral palsy who are nonverbal and have limited mobility. A high index of suspicion is necessary in this population when presented with fever and new limitations in mobility.

Symptomatic hallux valgus and dorsal bunion in adolescents with cerebral palsy: clinical and biomechanical factors.

AIM: The prevalence of severely symptomatic deformities of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint in adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) requiring arthrodesis is unknown. Recent literature regarding these deformities is limited. We studied the presentation of severe, symptomatic deformities of the first ray in a large population of children and adolescents with CP and their association with gross motor function, CP subtype, and other musculoskeletal deformities. METHOD: We identified 41 patients with CP and a symptomatic deformity of the first MTP joint, managed by arthrodesis, from a large population based database over a 21-year period. Information recorded included demographics, CP subtype, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), clinical presentation, and radiological features. RESULTS: Adolescents with spastic diplegia, at GMFCS levels II and III, were the most common group to develop symptomatic hallux valgus. In contrast, non-ambulant adolescents, at GMFCS levels IV and V, with dystonia or mixed tone, more commonly had dorsal bunions. INTERPRETATION: The type of first MTP joint deformity in patients with CP may be predicted by the type and distribution of movement disorder, and by GMFCS level. Specific patterns of associated musculoskeletal deformities may contribute to the development of these disorders and may provide a guide to surgical management. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: The prevalence of severe bunions requiring fusion surgery was 2%. The two types of bunion were hallux valgus and dorsal bunion. The type of bunion can be identified on both clinical and radiological grounds. The cerebral palsy subtype is predictive of the type of bunion.

Evaluation of primary caregivers' perceptions on home trampoline use.

Trampolines are widely used by children, but trampoline injuries can be severe and may require hospital care or even surgery. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of an educational intervention on caregivers' perceptions of trampoline use and safety for their children. Primary caregivers were recruited from the orthopedic clinic at the Children's Hospital at our institution in 2015. Caregivers were asked to complete a survey at two time points, initially in clinic and one week post educational intervention. The educational intervention was a pamphlet outlining trampoline safety data. Data analysis occurred in 2016. From the 100 primary caregivers recruited, 39 caregivers owned a trampoline, and 10 had presented to the emergency department with their child for an injury related to trampoline use. After educational intervention, caregivers had higher rating of perceived danger associated with trampolines (6/10 vs. 8/10, p < 0.001). Additionally, a greater number of caregivers were more knowledgeable on the safe age of trampoline use (56% vs. 91%, p < 0.001) and safe number of jumpers (45% vs. 86%, p < 0.001). Finally, there was a 29% increase in the proportion of caregivers who at least agreed that trampolines are dangerous (pre: 44% vs. post: 73%, p < 0.001), however 50% of caregivers would still allow their child to use a trampoline. Overall, the results of this study show that a simple educational intervention can help to increase knowledge around safe trampoline practices and increase awareness of injury. Further, this study can act as initial evidence for future studies to implement this type of intervention long-term.

A-Frame free Vascularized Fibular Graft and Femoral Lengthening for Osteosarcoma Pediatric Patients.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric limb reconstruction after resection of a malignant tumor presents specific challenges. Multiple surgical techniques have been used to treat these patients. This paper describes a staged surgical technique for the reconstruction of large distal femoral defects due to tumor resection in skeletally immature patients. METHODS: Three pediatric patients with osteosarcoma of the distal femur underwent staged reconstruction. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was followed by en bloc tumor resection and immediate reconstruction of the distal femoral defect with a vascularized free fibular autograft utilizing a unique A-frame construct combined with intramedullary nail fixation. The second stage was a planned gradual lengthening of the healed construct, over a custom-made magnetically driven expandable intramedullary nail. RESULTS: All patients achieved bony union and satisfactory length with minimal complications. The patients all returned to full, unlimited physical activities. CONCLUSIONS: The early results confirm that the described technique is a safe and reliable procedure for the reconstruction of large femoral defects in pediatric patients with osteosarcoma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV-therapeutic.

Oral morphine versus ibuprofen administered at home for postoperative orthopedic pain in children: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Oral morphine for postoperative pain after minor pediatric surgery, while increasingly popular, is not supported by evidence. We evaluated whether oral morphine was superior to ibuprofen for at-home management of children's postoperative pain. METHODS: We conducted a randomized superiority trial comparing oral morphine (0.5 mg/kg) with ibuprofen (10 mg/kg) in children 5 to 17 years of age who had undergone minor outpatient orthopedic surgery (June 2013 to September 2016). Participants took up to 8 doses of the intervention drug every 6 hours as needed for pain at home. The primary outcome was pain, according to the Faces Pain Scale - Revised, for the first dose. Secondary outcomes included additional analgesic requirements, adverse effects, unplanned health care visits and pain scores for doses 2 to 8. RESULTS: We analyzed data for 77 participants in each of the morphine and ibuprofen groups. Both interventions decreased pain scores with no difference in efficacy. The median difference in pain score before and after the first dose of medication was 1 (interquartile range 0-1) for both morphine and ibuprofen (p = 0.2). For doses 2 to 8, the median differences in pain score before and after the dose were not significantly different between groups. Significantly more participants taking morphine reported adverse effects (45/65 [69%] v. 26/67 [39%], p < 0.001), most commonly drowsiness (31/65 [48%] v. 15/67 [22%] in the morphine and ibuprofen groups, respectively; p = 0.003). INTERPRETATION: Morphine was not superior to ibuprofen, and both drugs decreased pain with no apparent difference in efficacy. Morphine was associated with significantly more adverse effects, which suggests that ibuprofen is a better first-line option after minor surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT01686802.

Atypical monoarthritis presentation in children with oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (oligoJIA), the most common chronic inflammatory arthritis of childhood, usually involves the knees and ankles. Severe oligoJIA monoarthritis presenting in a joint other than knees and ankles, is rare. FINDINGS: We report four children who presented with severe isolated arthritis of the hip, wrist or elbow and were diagnosed with oligoJIA. All four were girls with a median age of 11.5 years. Those with hip arthritis also met the classification criteria for juvenile-onset spondylarthopathy. Median duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis was 9.5 months. Three children had already cartilage loss or erosive disease at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Children diagnosed with oligoJIA that present with monoarthritis of the hip, wrist and elbow can have aggressive disease. Girls with positive HLA-B27 presenting with isolated hip arthritis could meet the classification criteria for both oligoJIA and juvenile-onset SpA. Early referral to specialized care may improve their diagnosis, treatment and outcome.

The levels of evidence in pediatric orthopaedic journals: where are we now?

BACKGROUND: In recent years, it has become common to publish a level of evidence grading for orthopaedic journal publications. Our primary research question is: is there an improvement in levels of evidence of articles published in pediatric orthopaedic journals over time? In addition, what is the current status of levels of evidence in pediatric orthopaedic journals? METHODS: All articles in Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics-A (JPO-A) and Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics-B (JPO-B) for 2001, 2002, 2007, and 2008 and those in Journal of Children's Orthopaedics (JCO) for 2007 and 2008, were collected by an independent reviewer. Of the 1,039 articles identified, animal, cadaveric and basic science studies, expert opinion and review articles were excluded. Seven hundred fifty remaining articles were blinded and randomized with respect to journal, title, publication date, author, and institution. According to the currently accepted grading system, study type and level of evidence was assigned to each article. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were investigated. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in study type or levels of evidence in articles published before and after 2003. Of articles published during 2007/2008, 3.0% were graded as level I, 5.0% as level II, 24.1% as level III, and 58.0% as level IV. Analysis of the separate journals for all 4 years revealed that JPO-A published 2.6% (13 of 503) level I studies, whereas JPO-B published 4.3% (7 of 163) and JCO published 1.2% (1 of 84). The intraobserver reliability was high for study type (κ, 0.842) and substantial for level of evidence (κ, 0.613). The interobserver reliability for study type and level of evidence was high (κ 0.921 and 0.860, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Since the introduction of levels of evidence to orthopaedic journals in 2003, there has been minimal change in the quality of evidence in pediatric orthopaedic publications. We note a modest increase in level III articles and a corresponding decrease in level IV articles. Articles can be reliably graded by nonepidemiologically trained individuals. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Not applicable.

Levels of evidence at the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America annual meetings.

BACKGROUND: Since 2003, levels of evidence have been used in the orthopaedic literature to inform the reader of the study quality and its relative significance. Our primary research question was to identify if, since their introduction, there has been an improvement in the levels of evidence of the scientific papers presented at Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) meetings. METHODS: The abstract of every paper presented orally at the POSNA annual meeting were identified for the years 2001, 2002 (pre-2003) and 2007, 2008 (post-2003). In all, 364 abstracts were identified by an independent reviewer who then excluded cadaver, animal, and basic science studies. The 307 included abstracts were then independently blinded and randomized. Two nonepidemiologically trained pediatric orthopaedic fellows independently assigned a study type and level of evidence to each abstract based on the primary research question. The first reviewer reanalyzed 50 randomly selected abstracts. Disagreement was resolved by consensus opinion with an epidemiologically trained pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. The interobserver and intraobserver reliability was calculated for the assignment of study type and levels of evidence. Changes in the study types and levels of evidence were analyzed to compare papers presented pre-2003 and post-2003. RESULTS: For study type and levels of evidence the interobserver reliability between the authors showed substantial agreement (kappa 0.755 and 0.647, respectively). The intraobserver reliability also showed substantial agreement (kappa 0.806 and 0.789, respectively). Comparing pre-2003 and post-2003 studies there were no significant differences between the types of study presented. An increase in the number of level III studies was identified. A decrease in level I and level IV studies was identified. CONCLUSIONS: There has been no significant improvement in the scientific quality of studies presented at POSNA Annual Meetings as measured by levels of evidence since their introduction. We have shown substantial agreement between nonepidemiologically trained orthopaedic surgeons when categorizing abstracts using this system. Study types and levels of evidence can be difficult to assign from the current abstract format due to their brevity and structure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Not applicable.