Modified Graner's Technique with\without Vascularized Capitate Lengthening for Kienböck Disease Stage IIIb-A Pilot Study.

Background Intercarpal fusions are used to treat stage IIIb Kienböck disease. They increase force transfer across the radioscaphoid articulation with predisposition to arthritis. Description of Technique This technique is excision of lunate followed by proximal transfer of capitate, with scaphocapitate and triquetrocapitate fusion to increase area of load transfer mimicking wrist hemiarthroplasty. Our purpose is to evaluate mid-term results of this technique. Patients and Methods A prospective case series study was conducted on 11 patients with stage IIIb and IIIc. In seven cases, transfer of the capitate was performed by osteotomizing the capitate just distal to its waist, proximal migration to replace the excised lunate then bone grafting. In four cases, proximal transfer of vascularized pedicled capitate was done. Clinical outcome measures included pain (visual analog scale), grip strength, range of motion, and functional evaluation by modified Mayo wrist score and scoring system of Evans. Radiological outcome measures included healing of fusion mass, progression of the disease, and occurrence of avascular necrosis to the capitate. Results Follow-up period averaged 54 months. Scaphocapitate fusion healing averaged 11 weeks. Union of the lengthened capitate occurred in 10 patients only. There was postoperative improvement in pain scores, grip, Evans, and modified Mayo wrist score. There was postoperative decrease in wrist flexion and extension. One patient showed resorption of the capitate head with progressive radioscaphoid arthritis-necessitated wrist fusion. Conclusion The mid-term results of this technique may be satisfactory due to low incidence of degenerative arthritis in the radioscaphoid joint. However, longer follow-up with recruiting larger number of patients is needed.

Blocking Plate for Volar Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Fracture Dislocation.

PURPOSE: To assess the use of a 2-mm miniplate as a dorsal blocking plate to stabilize the central avulsion fragment in a proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) volar fracture dislocation. METHODS: This was a case series comprising 8 patients with volar fracture dislocation of the PIP joint. The average age of the patients was 36 years. The patients were managed by this technique within an average of 11 days following the injury. The clinical outcome measurements included the assessment of pain and range of motion of the PIP and distal interphalangeal joints. RESULTS: The average follow-up duration was 20 months. The mean visual analog scale pain score was 1.9. The average range of motion of the PIP joint was 82°, whereas the average range of motion of the distal interphalangeal joint was 43°. Reduction of the subluxation was achieved in all cases, with no articular step remaining. CONCLUSIONS: A dorsal blocking plate is a simple technique, associated with a satisfactory outcome, for volar fracture dislocation injuries of the PIP joint. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic V.

Single-stage medial plateau elevation and metaphyseal osteotomies in advanced-stage Blount's disease: a new technique.

PURPOSE: Surgical treatment in advanced-stage infantile Blount's disease with medial plateau (MP) depression is challenging. Several osteotomies and fixation methods have been described with no established benchmark. We conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new single-stage technique for acute medial condyle elevation and metaphyseal osteotomies with internal fixation. METHODS: A prospective case series of 19 consecutive patients (21 knees) with severe infantile Blount's disease underwent a single-stage MP elevation and metaphyseal osteotomies, with internal fixation. The mean age was 10.3 years (8.2 to 13.6) and the mean follow-up was 5.1 years (3.2 to 8.3). The outcome measures included clinical and radiological parameters and patient-reported pediatric outcomes data collection instrument (PODCI) score. RESULTS: The mean PODCI score improved significantly from 50% to 88%. The mean internal tibial torsion improved from -27° to 11°. All cases maintained full knee extension, no limitation in flexion range of movement and no signs of instability or lateral thrust gait. All the radiographic parameters improved significantly; the mean tibiofemoral angle improved from -29° to 7°, the metaphyseal-diaphyseal angle improved from 33.4° to 4.7° and the angle of depressed MP improved from 38.3° to 2.4° (p < 0.001). At the latest follow-up, no cases of deformity recurrence were identified, the final limb-length discrepancy was < 1 cm in all patients. CONCLUSION: Single-stage MP elevation and metaphyseal osteotomies with internal fixation significantly improved the clinical and radiographic parameters and PODCI score in advanced infantile Blount's disease and precluded the use of external immobilization, with no evidence of deformity recurrence. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Thumb metacarpophalangeal joint palmar plate chronic avulsion in children: diagnosis and treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Thumb metacarpophalangeal joint instability can have a considerable functional impairment. Acute injuries are usually overlooked in children due to the high pain threshold and the presence of ligamentous laxity. Chronicity of the injury results in failure of conservative treatment. Literature is poor in defining such injuries. The purpose of our study is to determine the clinical and radiological tools for the diagnosis of metacarpophalangeal joint instability and we propose a simple surgical technique for their management. METHODS: From 2015 till 2019, we present a case series of four patients with chronic post-traumatic thumb metacarpophalangeal joint instability. Patients were assessed for palmar plate avulsion clinically and radiologically using plain X-ray and sonography. Surgical repair through a palmar approach with direct repair of the palmar plate was done in all patients. Patient demographics, complications, and clinical outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 22.5 months. At the latest follow-up the metacarpophalangeal joint was stable in all patients. They were all pain free except one patient suffered from temporary pain at the dorsum of the metacarpal due to prominence of the suture anchor, which disappeared at 1-year follow-up. They had improvement in pinch strength. Full range of motion was obtained and all the patients have returned to full activity without limitations. CONCLUSION: Chronic post-traumatic thumb metacarpophalangeal joint instability results in functional impairment. Clinical suspicion and sonographic assessment can verify the diagnosis. Surgical repair with transosseous sutures or anchors yields satisfactory results in the paediatric age group with the preservation of normal range of motion.

Partial Capitate with/without Hamate Osteotomy in the Treatment of Kienböck's Disease: Influence of the Stage of the Disease on the Midterm Outcome.

Objective Moritomo et al introduced partial capitate osteotomy as a treatment modality for early stages of Kienböck's disease. This technique maintains articular contact between the capitate and the scaphoid. We added hamate-shortening osteotomy in addition to partial capitate shortening in cases of lunate type II. The purpose of this study was to evaluate intermediate-term results of partial capitate shortening, investigate the influence of the stage of the disease on the outcome, and assess the clinical and radiological outcomes of adding hamate osteotomy in cases of type II lunate. Patients and Methods A total of 17 consecutive patients (3 women, 14 men) with early stages of Kienböck's disease were prospectively reviewed using the aforementioned technique. Eight patients were in stage II and nine patients were in stage IIIA according to the Lichtman classification system. Clinical outcome measures included pain visual analog score, grip strength and range of motion as a percentage of the unaffected side, and assessment using the Patient-Rated Hand and Wrist Evaluation (PRHWE) and the modified Wrightington Hospital Wrist Score (MWHWS). Radiological outcome measures included healing of the osteotomy site, Stahl index, radioscaphoid angle, and progression of the disease. Results Follow-up period averaged 72 months. All cases of isolated capitate osteotomy and combined capitate and hamate osteotomies united fully. Clinical results revealed significant improvement in pain, grip strength and extension, and PRHWE and MWHWS values. Wrist flexion did not change postoperatively. Patients with stage II showed better overall results and significant MWHWS improvement. Conclusion At the intermediate term, partial capitate with/without hamate shortening is an effective modality for the treatment of patients with early stage Kienböck's disease. Stage II patients showed better results than stage IIIA patients in terms of pain, flexion, grip, PRHWE, and MWHWS. Adding hamate osteotomy may improve the functional results for type II lunate; however, a larger sample is needed to elicit statistical significance. Level of Evidence This is a Level IV, therapeutic study.

Assessment of psychological disorders in Egyptian children with hearing impairment.

Impairment of hearing is a common birth defect which may be associated with varieties of psychological abnormalities in childhood. Knowledge and research of such issue are much lacking in Egypt; so the aim of the current study was to characterize and assess various psychological co-morbidities which could occur among hearing-impaired children. This prospective study has been conducted on a total of 40 male children, with age range between 7 and 12 years, divided into two groups. Group I included 20 children with different degrees of hearing impairment (HI), and Group II included 20 age-matched, healthy children with normal hearing. The studied children have been recruited from two schools (Al Amal School for the Deaf and Dumb, and Copts School) at Minia City, Minia Governorate, Egypt. Psychometric assessment, electroencephalography (EEG), and audiological evaluation were done for all included children. EEG abnormalities and anxiety scores were significantly higher in patients group compared with controls (p < 0.05); however, intelligence quotient did not differ. The present study revealed that HI is associated with psychological and EEG abnormalities. Early management of these children is expected to improve their quality of life.