Salvage Treatment Options for Painful Hip Dislocations in Nonambulatory Cerebral Palsy Patients.

Hip dislocation is a common occurrence in nonambulatory patients with cerebral palsy, occurring in up to 70% of patients. However, only 15% to 57% of chronic dislocations progress to become painful. In these patients, several salvage treatment options are available, including proximal femoral resection, subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy, hip arthrodesis, and prosthetic arthroplasty. Of the options, proximal femoral resection, subtrochanteric osteotomy, and prosthetic arthroplasty have been shown to provide reliable pain relief with improved sitting balance, with no evidence of one technique being superior to another. However, each technique has unique aspects to its postoperative care and potential complication profile that requires thorough understanding and communication with parents/caregivers when considering surgical intervention.

A Cost-Effective Technique for Spinal Instrumentation in the Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Surgical treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has evolved over the past decades to the point where instrumented arthrodesis with all pedicle screw and rod constructs is commonplace. Although these constructs provide superb correction and fixation, their financial burden is substantial. Here, we present a more cost-effective technique using a combination of pedicle screws (serving as the construct base), a sagittal precontoured unit rod, and sublaminar wires to provide segmental correction for the surgical treatment of AIS. Retrospective analyses of 42 patients treated with this construct were reviewed with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Correction in both coronal and sagittal planes was assessed radiographically and blood loss, operative time, complications, and cost were reviewed from hospital records. We conclude that this technique provides comparable correction to all pedicle screw constructs with similar blood loss and operative time, but with substantially decreased implant cost. The mean implant cost was $8910.83 ± $184.26.

Management of pediatric type III supracondylar humerus fractures in the United States: results of a national survey of pediatric orthopaedic surgeons.

BACKGROUND: Supracondylar humerus fractures are common injuries in the pediatric population. The most severe, type III injuries, have seen the most debate on treatment regimens. Traditionally, these fractures were treated as surgical emergencies, most often fixed with percutaneous pinning in a cross-pin configuration. The recent literature shows that delayed fixation is comparable to emergent fixation as long as there is no vascular compromise with the injury. METHODS: A short survey was sent to Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) members using an online survey and questionnaire service. The purpose of the survey was to establish an overview of current practices in the United States concerning treatment of type III supracondylar humerus fractures and the influence of the recent literature on the management of these injuries. RESULTS: A total of 309 members, representing a wide range of locations and years in practice, responded to our survey. About 81% preferred to splint type III supracondylar humerus fractures and plan for fixation the following morning, assuming there was no issue necessitating emergent fixation. The preferred method of percutaneous fixation was fairly evenly distributed between cross-pin configuration (30%), 2 lateral pins (33%), and 3 lateral pins (37%). About 56% of those surveyed stated that the recent literature showing comparable outcomes with 2 lateral pins versus a cross-pin configuration had not changed their approaches to management of these fractures concerning the method of fixation. CONCLUSIONS: The trend in management of type III supracondylar humerus fractures in children is progressing toward delayed treatment and lateral pin configuration. The results provide an overview of the current practice of POSNA members concerning management of these fractures. We believe this information is beneficial to both pediatric-trained and nonpediatric-trained orthopaedic surgeons to help guide their decisions when dealing with these injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: This study is a Level V Therapeutic Study reviewing trends in the management of type III supracondylar humerus fractures in children. The previously described experts represent various levels of expertise in their preferred method of fixation.