A Retrospective Comparison of Above- vs Below-the-Knee Cast Treatment for Salter Harris-II Distal Tibia Fractures.

BACKGROUND: Distal tibia fractures are common in the pediatric patient population. Recent reports suggest that patients with closed low-energy distal tibial fractures treated with short leg casts (SLCs) have similar radiographic outcomes with improved functional outcomes compared to those treated with long leg casts (LLCs). However, to date there has not been a study comparing these treatment modalities for Salter-Harris (SH) II distal tibia fractures. The purpose of this study was to compare the radiographic and time to weightbearing outcomes between patients with SH-II tibial ankle fractures treated with an SLC vs an LLC. METHODS: A retrospective review on SH-II distal tibia fractures was performed at a Level I pediatric trauma center from 2013 to 2020. Primary outcomes included final coronal angulation, sagittal angulation, and time to weightbearing. RESULTS: A total of 59 patients with SH-II distal tibia fractures were treated with an SLC (22 patients, median age 11.79 years) or an LLC (37 patients, median age 12.17 years). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 treatment groups for coronal angulation at final follow-up, sagittal angulation at final follow-up, or percentage of patients fully weightbearing at 6 weeks (P > .05). No patients required subsequent remanipulation or operative treatment in either treatment group. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective review with relatively short-term follow-up, SLCs were found to be noninferior to LLCs for treatment of reduced SH-II distal tibia fractures. This casting option may still be considered by surgeons who are nonoperatively managing pediatric distal tibia fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative study.

Patellar Sleeve Fracture With Ossification of the Patellar Tendon.

Patellar sleeve fractures make up greater than 50% of all patellar fractures. They are essentially only seen in the pediatric population because of the thick periosteum and the distal patellar pole apophysis in this group. These fractures can lead to complications if not treated appropriately and in a timely fashion. Complications of missed or untreated patellar sleeve fractures include patella alta, anterior knee pain, and quadriceps atrophy. These can all result in severe limitations in activity. The authors describe a case of a 16-year-old boy who sustained a patellar sleeve fracture 3 years prior to presentation. On presentation, he had patella alta, diminished strength, 5° of extensor lag, and radiographs that revealed bone formation along the patellar tendon. Despite this, he was able to maintain a high level of activity. This case report explores how the patient could have maintained a high level of activity despite having a patellar sleeve fracture. Also, because of the delayed presentation, the patella was ossified and the quadriceps was retracted, which led to a novel approach to reconstructing his distal extensor mechanism. This approach included a V-Y advancement of the quadriceps tendon and patellar tendon reconstruction using the patient's hamstring tendon (semitendinosus). This technique, combined with physical therapy postoperatively, resulted in his return to varsity high school soccer. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this technique has not been reported for this rare condition. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(2):e357-e359.].

Anterior cruciate ligament tear in a 7-year-old athlete.

We present the case study of a 7-year-old boy with an initial partial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. Initially, this patient was treated conservatively due to his age and immature skeletal structure. He returned to competitive sports, but reinjured the knee resulting in a complete ACL tear. The purpose of this paper is to outline the incidence, mechanism of injury, treatment and prevention of ACL injuries in the pediatric population. Evaluation of the injury and treatment options, including complex reconstruction will be presented via a case study approach and review of the literature. The focus of this review for treatment of ACL tear was in those younger than 14 years.

Osteotomies of the foot for cavus deformities in children.

BACKGROUND: The cavovarus foot has been defined as plantar flexion of the first ray. The usual cause is due to a muscle imbalance. The purpose of this study was to report our experience with selective, joint-sparing osteotomies of the foot that address each deformity in the cavovarus foot in a stepwise fashion. Most bony procedures for correction of cavus feet have centered on osteotomies across multiple joints or fusions. METHODS: We report on stepwise osteotomies: (1) closing wedge to the first metatarsal, (2) opening plantar wedge of the medial cuneiform, (3) cuboid closing wedge, (4) and as needed second and third metatarsal osteotomies, calcaneal sliding osteotomies, and plantar fasciotomy and peroneus longus-to-brevis transfer. We measured all feet radiographically and clinically. RESULTS: We studied 20 feet in 13 patients with multiple etiologies. Nearly all feet were graded good to excellent on our outcome scale. Correction in Meary and Hibb angles was observed. There were no significant complications. CONCLUSIONS: By performing a double osteotomy on the first ray (cuneiform and metatarsal), the cavus can be nearly fully corrected. The cuboid osteotomy provides increased mobility of the forefoot. The sliding calcaneal osteotomy should be used to improve any residual hindfoot varus. We recommend transferring the peroneus longus to brevis to balance the paralytic foot. The cavus foot needs to be addressed at the apex, while sparing the midtarsal joints and avoiding fusion. This sequence of osteotomies addresses all of the components of a cavus foot. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study-level IV.

Is the lumbar modifier useful in surgical decision making?: defining two distinct Lenke 1A curve patterns.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical deformity and radiographic features of Lenke 1A and 1B curves to determine if the "A" and "B" lumbar modifiers actually describe 2 distinct curve patterns. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The Lenke classification system attempts to address some of the shortcomings of the King-Moe classification system by providing a more comprehensive, reliable, and treatment-based categorization of all AIS deformities. Although this classification is useful in determining which regions of the spine should be fused, it does not necessarily divide AIS curves into distinct patterns. METHODS: A critical analysis of the clinical deformity, radiographic features, and surgical treatment of AIS patients with Lenke 1A and 1B right thoracic curves was performed. Lenke 1A curves were differentiated according to the L4 coronal plane tilt. Analysis of variance and Pearson chi analysis were used to perform statistical comparisons between the individual curve patterns (P < or = 0.05). RESULTS: Ninety-three patients with preoperative and 2-year postoperative data were included in this analysis (65 Lenke 1A, and 28 Lenke 1B). Thirty-three patients were subdivided as 1A-L (L4 tilted to the left) and 32 patients were subdivided as 1A-R (L4 tilted to the right). The interobserver reliability for determining the direction of L4 tilt was excellent (kappa = 0.94, P < or = 0.001). Patients with 1A-L curves were similar to patients with 1B curves with respect to the L4 tilt and the location of the stable vertebra (most often in the thoracolumbar junction). In contrast, patients with 1A-R curves had a more distal stable vertebra (most often L3 or L4). The surgical treatment also differed between these 2 groups with regards to the lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV). 1A-L and 1B curves were similar with a median LIV of T12, whereas the 1A-R curves had a more distal median LIV of L2 (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Two Lenke 1A curve patterns can be described based on the direction of the L4 tilt. This distinction has ramifications regarding selection of fusion levels and assessing surgical outcomes. The A and B lumbar modifiers do not describe 2 distinct curve types within the Lenke 1 group; however, the tilt direction of L4 does allow subdivision of the Lenke 1A curves into 2 distinguishable patterns (1A-R and 1A-L). The 1A-L curves are similar to 1B curves and different in form and treatment from the 1A-R pattern.