[Gait Analysis in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis]. / Analýza chuze u pacientu s adolescentní idiopatickou skoliózou.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The study describes changes in gait parameters (temporal-spatial parameters, kinematic parameters represented by the global Gait Deviation Index) of individuals with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) compared to the healthy population. The hypothesis assumed a difference in the observed parameters between the two mentioned groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a retrospective study, the temporal-spatial parameters and Gait Deviation Index (GDI) of a cohort of 45 AIS patients (36 girls and 9 boys with the mean age of 15.2 years, the mean Cobb angle of the thoracic curve of 47.3° and the lumbar curve of 51.8°) were compared to a typically developing population of 12 healthy individuals with no musculoskeletal pathology. The difference of followed-up parameters in patients with AIS compared to normal values was assessed by one-sample Student's T-test at the significance level of p = 0.05. RESULTS: The gait analysis shows significant deviations in the gait stereotype of patients with AIS compared to the healthy population. Statistically significant differences within temporal-spatial parameters were confirmed for cadence, walking speed, step time, stride time for left leg, step length, stride length and step width. The mean GDI of the cohort reached the value of 91.07 that indicates a slight alteration of gait, however, even this change is statistically significant. DISCUSSION: In our cohort of patients with AIS, we identified a significantly reduced walking speed (on average 15.4% compared to normal values. At the same time, a reduction in cadence (by an average of 7.5%) and an increase of the stride time (by an average of 12%) were recorded. Our mean GDI values were 91.07, which is consistent with the results reported in the literature for comparable groups of AIS patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that AIS significantly affects gait stereotype. The differences compared to the group of healthy individuals within temporal-spatial parameters were confirmed for cadence, walking speed, duration and length of step and stride, and step width. The kinematic analysis of gait using the global (GDI) index in patients with AIS demonstrated its slight alteration. A better understanding of the change in movement stereotypes and gait in patients with AIS can bring wider possibilities for individualizing conservative treatment and also can help prevent secondary changes in the locomotor system. KEY WORDS: adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, AIS, gait analysis, Gait Deviation Index, GDI.

[Migration of the Tips of Metal Implants during Treatment of Coxa Vara Adolescentium (Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis)]. / Migrace spicek kovových implantátu v prubehu lécby u coxa vara adolescentium.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This paper aims to detect, through a retrospective study, the migration of the tips of used metal implants (K-wires or a screw) in the direction out from the proximal femoral epiphysis as a part of studied basic radiometric characteristics of the cohort, with no intention of the authors to evaluate the therapy outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS It was a retrospective multicentre study including patients of two orthopaedic clinics and one department of orthopaedics treated in the period 2005-2018. The same treatment procedure was used in all three centres. The "in situ" fixation was indicated in patients, in whom the Southwick angle in anteroposterior and Lauenstein views was not much greater than 30°, whether primarily due to a mild slip or thanks to careful reduction either in acute or acute-on-chronic forms. All X-rays were measured by a single author (M.S.). In AP and Lauenstein view, overlap of the implant tip (K-wire or a screw) above the subcapital growth plate, the height of epiphysis and Southwick angle are measured at the beginning and at the end of treatment. In a smaller group of patients, also the inter-observer error (M.S. and J.P.) was identified. RESULTS K-wire transfixation was used in 43 patients (50 joints), with the mean age of 11.7 years and the mean duration of transfixation of 18.2 months. The slip of the implant tip out of the head, assessed separately for each introduced K-wire and then averaged, was in both views considered statistically significant (in AP view the level of significance was 5% (p-value = 1.393 x 10^(-6) < 0.05) , in Lauenstein view the level of significance was also 5% (p-value = 0.0001652 < 0.05)). The Wilcoxon signed rank test with continuity correction was used. Transfixation by screw alternatively with one K-wire was used in 23 patients (28 joints), with the mean age of 12.4 years and the mean duration of transfixation of 14.4 months. The slip of the screw tip outside the head was assessed as significant (in AP view at the level of significance of 5% (p-value = 9.41 x 10^(-5) < 0.05), in Lauenstein view at the level of significance of 5% (p-value = 0.003557 < 0.05)). The Wilcoxon signed rank test with continuity correction was used. DISCUSSION This paper aims to detect, through a retrospective study, the so-called migration of the tips of used metal implants (K-wires or a screw) outside the femoral head. Smooth and thin implants such as Kirschner wires should not compromise the continuing growth from subcapital growth plate contrary to the AO screw with threads in the femoral head, the screw head rested against the lateral cortical bone and the screw inserted as a compression one. Nonetheless, with some exceptions, the literature confirms the continued growth of the femoral neck even in the case of screws. In general, implants that do not compromise femoral neck growth provide an opportunity to remodel the anterolateral prominence of the femoral metaphysis, especially in younger patients. In agreement with other authors, the data from our study confirmed, even after a short period of time, a certain degree of proximal femoral remodelling expressed by changes in the Southwick angle. CONCLUSIONS Our study confirmed that in the case of "smooth" K-wires as well as cannulated screws the tips of both implants migrate outside the head. The differences were statistically significant. Therefore, the introduction of a conventional cannulated screw cannot be claimed to immediately produce the effect of epiphyseodesis. Yet, smooth implants less compromise the growth of the femoral neck, which is why they have recently been preferred. Key words: coxa vara adolescentium, metal implants, migration.

[Temporary Hemiepiphysiodesis in the Correction of Axial Deformities for Genua Valga: Retrospective Assessment and Comparison of Outcomes Achieved with the Use of Eight-Figure Plates and Blount Staples]. / Temporární hemiepifyzeodéza pri korekci osových deformit pro genua valga: retrospektivní zhodnocení a srovnání výsledku pri pouzití osmickových dlah a Blountových skob.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Axial deformities of the lower limbs of various aetiologies are relatively common orthopaedic diagnoses in paediatric population. Fixed deformity is an indication for correction in order to reduce the pain and to delay the early osteoarthrosis of adjacent joints and pain. Temporary hemiepiphysiodesis is technically a fairly simple method for modulating growth at the level of the growth plate and thus correcting the skeletal axis. MATERIAL AND METHODS 59 patients who underwent axial deformity correction of lower limbs at KDCHOT FN Brno were retrospectively analysed. Group 1 consisted of 21 patients with Blount staples implantation, Group 2 consisted of 38 patients to whom eight-figure plates had been applied. Anthropometric parameters (BMI, age, gender, intermalleolar distance (IMD)), duration of therapy, X-ray parameters (anatomical lateral distal femoral angle (aLDFA), anatomical medial proximal tibial angle (aMPTA)) and complications were recorded. The rate of correction was evaluated as the difference in X-ray parameters before and after surgery with respect to the time interval of the therapy. RESULTS The groups were comparable in terms of anthropometric parameters (BMI (p=0.800), IMD (p=0.334), gender (p=0.87)). The only statistically significant difference was found when comparing the mean age of the groups (p=0.005), with Group 1 (12.7±0.7) containing patients with a higher mean age than Group 2 (11.6±1.5). The groups were also comparable in terms of the average rate of correction over a one-month interval (aLDFA p=0.393; aMPTA p=0.831). The mean correction rate for Group 1 was: aLDFA 0.52±0.20/month, aMPTA 0.12±0.08/month; for Group 2: aLDFA 0.56±0.28/month, aMPTA 0.12±0.20/month. Individual implants differed in the type of complications, but no significant statistical difference in the incidence of complications was found between the analysed groups (p=0.526). DISCUSSION Recently, the system of eight-figure plates has been adopted as a standard method for correction of axial deformities of limbs. Although the benefits of this system are indisputable, when comparing the average monthly correction rate, no significant difference was found between the system of eight-figure plates and Blount staples in our study. Another monitored parameter was the occurrence of complications, which was evaluated fairly strictly. Even in this case, no statistically significant difference was found. We believe that the issue of using eight-figure plates is still open, as evidenced by studies, which often produce different results and conclusions. Therefore, a precise evaluation of the indication for correction, including individual characteristics of patients, is needed. CONCLUSIONS Based on the results, it can be concluded that the use of eight-figure plates in comparison with Blount staples provides neither faster correction of axial deformities nor lesser occurrence of complications. It can therefore be argued that the Blount staples still have their place in the indication of correction of axial deformities. The use of eight-figure plates represents a suitable solution for children of younger age to whom anchoring of the screws of eight-figure plates is a suitable solution in the cartilaginous epiphysis of long bones of younger children. Key words: temporary hemiepiphysiodesis, growth plate, Blount staples, eight-figure plates.

[Simultaneous Bilateral Femoral Osteotomies in Neurogenic Hip Instability: a Feasibility Study]. / Simultánní oboustranné femorální osteotomie u neurogenních kycelních instabilit: studie proveditelnosti.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The study aimed to evaluate the intraoperative and early postoperative response to simultaneous bilateral femoral osteotomy usually accompanied by soft tissue release of hip joints, or open reduction, capsuloplasty, pelvic osteotomy or extraarticular shelf procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS A bilateral surgery was performed in 16 children. Twelve children suffered from (spastic) cerebral palsy and there was one case of paralytic dislocation in a patient with myelomeningocele, while the remaining patients suffered from chromosome I aberrations, Dandy-Walker syndrome and merosin-deficient muscular dystrophy. GMFCS Level IV and V prevailed. The patients with femoral head deformity or severe adduction contracture were removed from the study group. In all cases the LCP Pediatric Hip Plate 3.5 or 5.0 (Synthes) was used for osteosynthesis. The postoperative fixation by a hip spica cast was applied for 6 weeks, after which in most cases SWASH orthosis was used at night. The age of the patient, the hip joint finding, the GMFCS level and the type of procedure were recorded. RESULTS The evaluation took into account the use of general anaesthesia only or a combination of general and epidural anaesthesia, most often through caudal block, duration of surgery, time when blood transfusion was necessary and the volumes of blood needed, duration of stay in the Anaesthesiology and Resuscitation Unit, or Intensive Care Unit. As a response to surgery, the changes in haemoglobin levels in g/l and VAS pain score were studied. In four patients only the operative time exceeded 3 hours. Blood transfusion was necessary in 13 patients, with one blood unit being always sufficient. Two patients were admitted to the Anaesthesiology and Resuscitation Unit, the remaining patients spent 1-3 days after surgery in the ICU. The average length of hospital stay did not exceed a week. The postoperative decrease in haemoglobin levels quickly improved. The pain intensity was regularly recorded postoperatively and on day 3-4 it was evaluated as moderate, with patients responding well to common analgesics (VAS 4-7). DISCUSSION The evaluation of duration of simultaneous bilateral procedure, postoperative recovery based on the need for blood transfusion, changes in blood count and VAS scores indicated that the procedure performed on both hip joints simultaneously does not significantly exceed the reasonable limits in terms of the patient s burden. In literature, we found only a single article on a topic of this sort, the conclusions of which are very similar. CONCLUSIONS The simultaneous bilateral femoral osteotomy can be considered a fairly safe procedure. Key words: hip joint instability, simultaneous femoral osteotomy, cerebral palsy.

[Gait Analysis in Patients with Hip Disorders]. / Pohybová analýza u chorob kycelního kloubu.

Recent studies have shown that the evaluation of both conservative and surgical therapy cannot do without gait analysis. Orthopaedic textbooks, with some exceptions, deal in great detail with a thorough clinical examination of the patient but gait assessment is mentioned only marginally. More attention is paid to gait analysis in rehabilitation medicine. Motion and gait analysis laboratories equipped with optoelectronic cameras and force platforms were first developed for cerebral palsy children. Recently, several studies have been published on the use of these methods in disorders of hip and knee joints or spine diseases. Key words: gait analysis, hip joint.

[Failure of the primary treatment of displaced supracondylar humerus fractures in children]. / Selhání primární lécby dislokované suprakondylické zlomeniny humeru u detí

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study was to retrospectively evaluate the treatment outcomes of displaced supracondylar humerus fractures, including potential complications, in children treated at the Department of Paediatric General Surgery, Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine in Brno between 2000 and 2011. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study comprised 564 children, 321 (57%) boys and 243 (43%) girls, who were allocated to two groups according to the method of primary treatment. The average age at the time of injury was 6.8 years (range, 1 to 16). In group 1, all 499 patients were indicated for primary closed reduction and percutaneous osteosynthesis with crossed K-wires under general anaesthesia. In group 2, all 65 patients underwent closed reduction under general anaesthesia and immobilisation in a high plaster cast. The per cent failure of primary treatment requiring either repeat surgery or a change in treatment strategy was evaluated. The duration of follow-up ranged from 14 to 150 months. RESULTS: Open fractures were recorded in eight (1.4%) patients. Twenty-five (4.4%) children had further injury to the ipsilateral limb. Three (0.5%) patients underwent open reduction because it was not possible to achieve adequate reduction by the closed method. In group 1, percutaneous osteosynthesis was performed using two crossed K-wires in 484, three K-wires in 13 and four K-wires in two patients. Re-displacement of fracture fragments requiring repeat reduction and percutaneous osteosynthesis occurred in 10 (2%) patients. One patient had two re-operations. In group 2, the primary treatment failed in 13 (20%) children who needed repeat reduction and conversion to percutaneous osteosynthesis. The difference in the occurrence of failure between the two groups was significant (p<0.001). Nerve injury was recorded in 92 patients (16.3% of all children and 18% of those treated with percutaneous osteosynthesis). Neurosurgical intervention was necessary for injury to the ulnar nerve in five patients and to the radial nerve in one patient. Three children had vascular injury requiring vascular surgery. Two patients underwent corrective osteotomy of the distal humerus for cubitus varus deformity. Volkmann's contracture as a complication was not recorded. DISCUSSION: Minimally displaced fractures can be treated by closed reduction and plaster cast immobilisation but this method fails in up to 20% of cases. A poor result is related to the extent of dorsal displacement before reduction; on the other hand, degrees of flexion in a plaster cast have no effect. The most frequent technical errors resulting in re-displacement after primary osteosynthesis include incomplete reduction and primary fixation in displacement, or failure of both K-wires to pass through the opposite cortex or to fix both fragments firmly. A K-wire diameter smaller than 1.6 mm may also be a reason for failure. The main problem of the method of two crossed K-wires is a frequent injury to the ulnar nerve. CONCLUSIONS: Supracondylar humerus fracture is, regardless of advancements in therapy, an injury with an uncertain treatment outcome and a high percentage of complications. Since primary osteosynthesis failed in 20% of the patients treated by simple reduction under general anaesthesia and plaster cast immobilisation, for the patients requiring fracture reduction under general anaesthesia, the authors recommend one-stage primary treatment including K-wire transfixation. Re-displacement after primary osteosynthesis was always due to a technical error during the surgical procedure and can, therefore, be avoided by a precise operative technique.

[Accuracy of proximal femur correction achieved with LCP paediatric hip plates]. / Presnost korekce proximálního femuru s fixací LCP detskými kycelními dlahami.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study was to evaluate, in comparison with the pre-operative planning, the accuracy of proximal femur correction achieved with the use of locking compression paediatric hip plates (LCP) in children and adolescents and to assess pre- and post-operative complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A group of 52 patients in whom proximal femoral osteotomy using the LCP was performed on a total of 55 hips between September 2009 and February 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. The following diagnoses were treated: unstable hip in cerebral palsy, 18 operations; Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, 10 operations; coxa vara of aetiology other than coxa vara adolescentium (CVA), eight operations; true CVA, six operations; femoral shortening by the Wagner method, six procedures; proximal femoral derotation osteotomy, four procedures; and post-traumatic pseudoarthrosis of the proximal femur, three operations. RESULTS: Compared with the pre-operative plan, the average deviation of the colodiaphyseal angle was 5.2° (1° to 11°) in 18 unstable hips; 4.7° (1° to 10°) in 10 cases of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease; 4.5° (3° to 6°) in eight hips with coxa vara of aetiology other than CVA; 6.5° (2° to 13°) in six CVA hips; 4.5° (1° to 10°) in six cases of femoral shortening; 3.5° (1° to 5°) in four derotation osteotomies; and 3.7° (0° to 6°) in three corrections of pseudoarthrosis. In one patient, osteosynthesis failed due to screws being pulled out from the proximal fragment; re-osteosynthesis was carried out using a conventional angled blade plate. DISCUSSION: As in other international studies, our results confirmed a high accuracy of proximal femur correction with use of the LCP instrumentation. The reported higher time requirement for this technique seems to be related to the learning curve and, with more frequent use, will probably be comparable to the time needed for application of conventional hip angled plates. CONCLUSIONS: The up-to-date LCP fixation system using the principle of angular stability for correction of the proximal femur in children is a clear advancement and its higher costs are certain to be outweighed by its higher accuracy and thus better results.

[Exactness of correction of proximal femoral deformities using conventional angled blade plates and the cannulated paediatric osteotomy system. Comparison of two methods]. / Porovnání presnosti korekce proximálního femuru klasickými úhlovými dlahami a systémem kanalizovaného pediatricko-ortopedického instrumentária (CAPOS).

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study was to compare the exactness of correction of proximal femoral deformities between the patients treated with AO angled blade plates and those managed by the cannulated paediatric osteotomy system (CAPOS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the period from 1994 to 2003, corrective osteotomy of the proximal femur using the conventional AO angled blade plate (90°, 120°, 130°) was performed on 57 hips in 42 children. In the period 2004-2012, 68 hips in 59 children were treated by the CAPOS method. In each child, the pre- and post-operative X-ray views were compared and a real deviation from the pre-operative plan was determined. A deviation larger than 10° in the frontal plane was recorded as an error. Penetration of the blade into either the posterior or the anterior femoral neck cortex seen on axial views was regarded as an error as well. RESULTS: Corrective osteotomy with AO angled blade plates performed on 57 hips failed in 12 (21.1%) on anteroposterior views and six hips (10.5%) on axial views. Of 68 hips treated by the CAPOS, failure was recorded in four (5.9%) and one (1.5%) on anteroposterior and axial views, respectively. DISCUSSION No information on the CAPOS technique is available in either international or national literature, with the exception of our preliminary report. On the other hand, locking compression plates for paediatric hips, developed later, have been described in several publications. The authors appreciate a higher accuracy of bone correction and higher stability for the whole fixation, which results in earlier mobilisation of the treated extremity. These advantages are also true for CAPOS instrumentation. CONCLUSIONS: The CAPOS can be seen as an intermediate stage of development between conventional angled blade plates and locking compression plates for paediatric hips. However, it should be noted that surgery involving insertion of an angled blade plate takes less time than insertion of a locking compression plate. For this reason, in procedures combining femoral osteotomy with, for instance, triple pelvic osteotomy the use of CAPOS instrumentation is still preferred.

[Femoral lengthening. A critical review of ten-year results]. / Kritické zpracování prodluzování femuru za posledních deset let.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the results of femoral lengthening in the patients treated from 2000 to 2009 in whom complete radiographic data were available and the lengthening procedure involved mainly the use of a Mephisto fixator. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 28 femoral lengthening procedures were carried out in 26 patients,16 girls and 10 boys. The external fixator Mephisto was used in 24 cases; fixators Prospon and Orthofix in one and three cases, respectively. Fifteen patients were treated for congenital short femur, the rest had secondary femoral shortening due to following pathologies: distal femoral epiphysiolysis in five children, proximal femoral osteomyelitis in one child, avascular necrosis of the femoral head in one, diaphyseal femur fracture in one, enchondromatosis of the distal femur with growth plate destruction in one, and contralateral femur overgrowth following a fracture in one child. The average age at the beginning of treatment was 11 (range, 4-16) years. Complications were classified as mild, serious and critical. The results were statistically analysed using several statistical tests. RESULTS: The average parameter values for the group included: total femoral lengthening, 40.2.mm (SD±11.1); osteotomy index (OI), 41 % (SD±9.8); lengthening percentage (LP), 10.9 % (SD±3.8); lengthening index (LI), 14.5 (SD±3.5) days/cm; hea- ling index (HI), 52.6 (SD±20.1) days/cm; and consolidation index (CI), 93.3 (SD±40.0) days/cm. Mild complications were recorded in 11 (39.2 %), and serious and critical in eight patients (28.6 %). Fourteen patients (53.8 %) were free of any complications. Two complications were concurrently found in five patients (17.9 %). There was a statistically significant difference in the LP values related to the number of complications (p=0.019). No significant relationship was recorded on comparison of the HI value with the patient's age at the time of surgery (p=0.836) and patient's gender (p=0.546) (Mann- Whitney test). The relationship of the OI value to the HI value was non-significant (p=0.492), as was the relationship between the osteotomy technique (oscillating or Gigli saw osteotomy) and the occurrence of complications (p=1.000) (Fisher's exact test). Correlation between the LI and HI values was significant (p<0.001). DISCUSSION: The results of healing after lengthening, as assessed by the healing and the consolidation index, were in agreement with other authors' data. The lower number of complications, particularly fractures of bone regenerate, can be explained by the facts that, in our study, the lengthening percentage was lower and that the post-operative care was strictly observed, including dynamic axial loading which stimulates bone consolidation at the lengthened section, with adherence to the proof of three developed cortices. CONCLUSIONS: Our results did not confirm the assumption that slower lengthening will have a favourable effect on the healing index. Key words: femoral lengthening, external fixator, complications.

[A contribution of instrumental gait analysis to the establishment of surgical indications in cerebral palsy]. / Prínos instrumentální pohybové analýzy pro indikaci chirurgické lécby u detské mozkové obrny.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To evaluate our experience with indications for surgery based on instrumental gait analysis in cerebral palsy children, and to compare them with those drawn from the results of clinical examination. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The gait analysis laboratory was built in the Paediatric Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine in Brno in the 2008/09 period with support of the Norwegian funds. It is equipped with eight optical cameras, two auxiliary motion-picture video came- ras, two force platforms and a telemetry system for electromyography. Between June 2009 and March 2010 a total of 297 children with spastic cerebral palsy, 66 with hemiparesis and 231 with diparesis were examined. RESULTS: On the basis of instrumental gait analysis, indications for surgery were established in 19 hemiparetic and 88 diparetic patients, which meant a new indication in 107 children. In 14 children, the results of gait analysis led to abandoning former indications for surgery based on clinical examination only while, in 13 children, they backed up the surgical indications in spite of the negative results of clinical examination. In six children a so-called superclinical decision was made, i.e., the results of repeated clinical examinations over-weighed those of instrumental gait analysis either in favour of or against surgery. DISCUSSION: Based on the gait analysis results, a change in treatment plans was made in 27 out of 297 children (9 %). This is in contrast with the findings of other authors who report a much higher rate of treatment planning changes (52-70 %) In our stu- dy the use of instrumental gait analysis allowed us to decrease the frequency of surgical indications by 4.7 %. Other authors have achieved a higher value, up to 13 %. Unlike other studies, ours did not confirm the effect of gait analysis outcomes on an increase in the number of one-stage multi-level surgical procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Instrumental gait analysis is a great contribution to the diagnosis of movement disorders in children with cerebral palsy.