Outcomes of Evans Versus Hintermann Calcaneal Lengthening Osteotomy for Flexible Flatfoot.

BACKGROUND: Evans (E) and Hintermann (H) lateral lengthening calcaneal osteotomies (LLCOTs) are commonly used to correct flexible flatfoot deformities. Both methods are well accepted and produce good clinical results. The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative outcomes of both osteotomies. METHODS: We retrospectively examined 53 patients with flatfoot deformities, who received surgery between October 2008 and March 2014. Seventeen E-LLCOT and 36 H-LLCOT procedures were performed during this time period, with a mean follow-up of 67.7 ± 20.6 and 40 ± 12.9 months, respectively. Data were collected using clinical and radiological examination, as well as clinical scores (Foot and Ankle Outcome Score [FAOS], University of California at Los Angeles [UCLA] activity score, numerical rating scale [NRS], and the Short-Form 36-item Health Survey [SF-36]) during regular follow-up. RESULTS: For both groups of patients, the FAOS score, pain-NRS, and SF-36 improved significantly following surgery ( P < .05). The talus-second metatarsal angle, talonavicular coverage, and naviculocuneiform overlap showed significant correction ( P < .05). Postoperatively, radiographic degenerative changes were detected in the calcaneocuboid (CC) and subtalar joint in both groups of patients: 41% and 18% after E-LLCOT compared with 25% and 14% after H-LLCOT, although these changes did not have any clinical relevance ( P < .05). No secondary arthrodesis was necessary. There were no significant differences in the clinical or radiological outcome parameters when compared between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Both surgical techniques resulted in a significant improvement of clinical outcome scores and led to good radiological correction of flatfoot deformities. It appears that the CC joint develops less degenerative changes following the H-LLCOT procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, comparative series.

Muscle strength and knee range of motion after femoral lengthening.

Background and purpose - Femoral lengthening may result in decrease in knee range of motion (ROM) and quadriceps and hamstring muscle weakness. We evaluated preoperative and postoperative knee ROM, hamstring muscle strength, and quadriceps muscle strength in a diverse group of patients undergoing femoral lengthening. We hypothesized that lengthening would not result in a significant change in knee ROM or muscle strength. Patients and methods - This prospective study of 48 patients (mean age 27 (9-60) years) compared ROM and muscle strength before and after femoral lengthening. Patient age, amount of lengthening, percent lengthening, level of osteotomy, fixation time, and method of lengthening were also evaluated regarding knee ROM and strength. The average length of follow-up was 2.9 (2.0-4.7) years. Results - Mean amount of lengthening was 5.2 (2.4-11.0) cm. The difference between preoperative and final knee flexion ROM was 2° for the overall group. Congenital shortening cases lost an average of 5% or 6° of terminal knee flexion, developmental cases lost an average of 3% or 4°, and posttraumatic cases regained all motion. The difference in quadriceps strength at 45° preoperatively and after lengthening was not statistically or clinically significant (2.7 Nm; p = 0.06). Age, amount of lengthening, percent lengthening, osteotomy level, fixation time, and lengthening method had no statistically significant influence on knee ROM or quadriceps strength at final follow-up. Interpretation - Most variables had no effect on ROM or strength, and higher age did not appear to be a limiting factor for femoral lengthening. Patients with congenital causes were most affected in terms of knee flexion.

Repercusión del tratamiento fisioterápico en los tratamientos quirúrgicos de alargamiento óseo. A propósito de un caso / Impact of physiotherapy in the surgical treatment of bone lengthening. A case report

La incidencia de las complicaciones derivadas de los alargamientos óseos cada vez supone menos en la recuperación íntegra de estos pacientes gracias al abordaje multidisciplinar que reciben, siendo la fisioterapia un elemento clave. El objetivo del estudio es conocer los efectos beneficiosos que logra la fisioterapia en procesos de alargamientos óseos en relación con la amplitud articular y al tono muscular, así como en la prevención de complicaciones a propósito de un caso. Nuestra paciente, diagnosticada de dismetría de miembros inferiores, se somete a elongación tibial mediante una distracción progresiva a partir de fijadores externos distractores. El seguimiento realizado valoró la amplitud articular mediante goniometría manual, tono muscular mediante la escala de Daniels, existencia de linfedema y longitud del miembro mediante cinta métrica y el dolor percibido mediante escala visual analógica. Como resultados, destacamos la ganancia completa del rango articular y la prevención del equinismo y linfedema secundario(AU)

The incidence of complications of bone lengthening is increasingly less in the full recovery of these patients thanks to the multidisciplinary approach received, physiotherapy being a key element. This study has aimed to determine the beneficial effects achieved by physiotherapy in bone lengthening procedures in relationship to range of motion and muscle tone and in the prevention of complications based on a case report. Our patient who was diagnosed with lower limb dysmetria underwent tibial lengthening by gradual distraction from distracting external fixator. The monitoring performed evaluated joint range by means of manual goniometry, muscle tone scale by the Daniels scale, existence of lymphedema and limb length by measuring tape and perceived pain by the Visual Analog Scale. Standing out among the results are the full gain of joint range and prevention of equinus and secondary lymphedema(AU)

Non-invasive extendible endoprostheses for limb reconstruction in skeletally-mature patients.

We describe the application of a non-invasive extendible endoprosthetic replacement in skeletally-mature patients undergoing revision for failed joint replacement with resultant limb-length inequality after malignant or non-malignant disease. This prosthesis was developed for tumour surgery in skeletally-immature patients but has now been adapted for use in revision procedures to reconstruct the joint or facilitate an arthrodesis, replace bony defects and allow limb length to be restored gradually in the post-operative period. We record the short-term results in nine patients who have had this procedure after multiple previous reconstructive operations. In six, the initial reconstruction had been performed with either allograft or endoprosthetic replacement for neoplastic disease and in three for non-neoplastic disease. The essential components of the prosthesis are a magnetic disc, a gearbox and a drive screw which allows painless lengthening of the prosthesis using the principle of electromagnetic induction. The mean age of the patients was 37 years (18 to 68) with a mean follow-up of 34 months (12 to 62). They had previously undergone a mean of six (2 to 14) open procedures on the affected limb before revision with the non-invasive extendible endoprosthesis. The mean length gained was 56 mm (19 to 107) requiring a mean of nine (3 to 20) lengthening episodes performed in the outpatient department. There was one case of recurrent infection after revision of a previously infected implant and one fracture of the prosthesis after a fall. No amputations were performed. Planned exchange of the prosthesis was required in three patients after attainment of the maximum lengthening capacity of the implant. There was no failure of the lengthening mechanism. The Mean Musculoskeletal Tumour Society rating score was 22 of 30 available points (18 to 28). The use of a non-invasive extendible endoprosthesis in this manner provided patients with good functional results and restoration of leg-length equality, without the need for multiple open lengthening procedures.

Limb lengthening and deformity correction in children using hexapodal external fixation: preliminary results for 36 cases.

Limb deformities in children can be corrected using different techniques, notably external fixation following the Ilizarov principles. However, correction can be difficult in cases of multiple deformities. In 1994, Charles Taylor developed a new computer-assisted hexapodal external fixator system to treat these pathologies, the Taylor Spatial Frame. The objective of this study was to evaluate the results obtained with this technique in treating lower-limb deformities in children. Thirty-six patients were included in this prospective study, with a mean age of 11.1 years. The etiologies were distributed into six groups: congenital pathologies in 17 cases, fractures in five cases, post-traumatic pathologies in two cases, postinfectious sequelae in three cases, achondroplasia in three cases, and other causes in the last six cases. A total of 67 deformities in the three spatial planes were found in the entire group of patients. The procedure consisted of lengthening, correcting the axis, or both simultaneously. All the patients were managed with the same protocol: placement of an external fixator, AP and lateral X-rays, and planning of the correction using dedicated software. In this group of 36 patients, the fixator was worn for a mean 183 days; when lengthening was performed, a mean 4.3cm was gained with a healing index of 38.2 days/cm. Of the 67 initial deformities, 91% were corrected. The most frequently encountered complications were a superficial infection in 22.2% of the cases; one deep infection was also noted as well as three bone regenerate fractures. Use of this computer-assisted fixation system seems effective in treating complex deformities of the limbs in children, and allows treating several deformities simultaneously.

Osteotomía correctora tras lesiones de la fisis del radio distal en niños: técnica quirúrgica y resultados / Corrective osteotomy following damage of the distal radial physis in children: surgical technique and results

Se presentan dos casos de cierre de la fisis distal del radio en niños que desarrollaron una deformidad grave de la muñeca (acortamiento del radio >2,5 cm). Fueran tratados quirúrgicamente en un solo tiempo mediante osteotomía correctora por vía de abordaje volar, fijación con placa volar de ángulo fijo y aporte de injerto óseo de cresta iliaca. Tras un seguimiento medio de 18 meses, ambos pacientes se encuentran asintomáticos y sin deformidad aparente. Son pocas las descripciones del uso de esta técnica en el tratamiento de las deformidades por epifisiodesis precoz. El uso de sistemas de fijación para el radio con placas de bloqueo de ángulo fijo permite alargar el radio a demanda tras la osteotomía, utilizando el conjunto formado por la placa y clavos de bloqueo distal como espaciador, y así colocar el injerto de cresta iliaca tricortical tallado a demanda del defecto. La liberación de partes blandas, como el periostio dorsal y el tendón del músculo braquiorradial, permite un alargamiento óseo adecuado, en un sólo tiempo quirúrgico (AU)

Two cases of distal radial physis closure in children developing severe wrist deformity (radial shortening > 2.5 cm) are presented. Single-step surgery was carried out in the form of a corrective osteotomy adopting the volar approach, with fixed-angle volar plate fixation and bone grafting from the iliac crest. After an average 18 months of follow-up, both patients are asymptomatic and show no apparent deformity. There have been few descriptions of the use of this technique in the management of deformities related to early epiphysiodesis. The use of fixation systems for the radius, using fixed-angle locking plates, allows radius lengthening adjusted to demand following osteotomy, employing the combination of the plate and distal locking pins as spacer – with custom-sized tricortical iliac crest grafting within the defect. The freeing of soft parts such as the dorsal periosteum and brachioradialis muscle tendon allows adequate bone lengthening in a single surgical step (AU)

Tibial lengthening: technique for speedy lengthening by external fixation and secondary internal fixation.

BACKGROUND: The conventional Ilizarov technique for tibial lengthening is frequently time-consuming, causes suffering, and is associated with many complications. This study takes a retrospective approach to investigate the outcome of applying a slightly speedier procedure using an Ilizarov apparatus and secondary internal fixation. METHODS: Twelve adult patients displaying tibial shortening (median, 4.0 cm; mean, 4.6 cm; range, 3.0-12.0 cm) with various causes were treated with or without tibial osteotomy and stabilized using an Ilizarov lengthening apparatus. Postoperatively, lengthening of 1 to 1.5 mm/day was performed until the desired length was achieved. External fixation was then converted to internal fixation and either pure autogenous bone graft, or a mixture of autogenous and allogenous bone graft was supplemented. Postoperatively, protected weight bearing was advised until bony union was achieved. RESULTS: Eleven patients were followed up for a median of 3.4 years (mean, 4.0 years; range, 2.1-6.7 years) and solid union was achieved in all cases. Median external fixation occurred after 1.8 months (mean, 1.9 months; range, 1.2-4.5 months) and the median time until union after internal fixation was 4.5 months (mean, 4.8 months; range, 4-6 months). Two patients with rigid equinus feet required concomitant Achillis tendon lengthening. No other significant complications were noted. Classification of the results revealed that improvement from an unsatisfactory to a satisfactory outcome was achieved in all patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The described technique shortens the external fixation period and reduces patient suffering. Moreover, a high union rate and a low complication rate are achieved. Subjectively and objectively, patients can achieve satisfactory outcomes. Consequently, the described technique may be considered as an alternative to conventional techniques when indicated.

Hemimelia paraxial peronea. Tratamiento mediante elongación ósea con distractores Orthofix. (Comunicación preliminar) / Peroneal paraxial hemimelia. Distraction bone lengthening by Orthofix external fixator. Preliminary report

Se analizan 9 pacientes portadores de hemimelias de diversos grados algunas con ausencia total de peroné y de los dos últimos rayos del pie y otras con hipoplasia del peroné, sin lesión de los rayos del pie. Se hace análisis clínico y radiológico de la presencia o no de las deformidades previas para establecer medidas prequirúrgicas como son deformidad del talón en valgo con angulación anterior de la tibia; contractura en flexión de la rodilla y equino del tobillo. En base a la edad cronológica y edad ósea se prevé el crecimiento a futuro de las extremidades para identificar si requiere elongaciones subsecuentes. Se identifican zonas de riesgo para la colocación de los clavos así como para el sitio de la osteotomía y en caso de la angulación de la tibia se realiza corrección de ésta durante la colocación del distractor. Se comparan observaciones obtenidas en nuestra clínica de alargamiento óseo de nuestro Servicio de Ortopedia, con las observaciones de otros autores de reportes internacionales

Alargamiento óseo con el fijador del Dr. Espinosa. Experiencia de 5 años en el Instituto Nacional de Pediatría / Bone lenghtening by Espinosa external fixator. Experience of 5 years of National Institute of Pediatrics

Objetivo: Determinar el porcentaje del alargamiento óseo en pacientes con discrepancia de miembros pélvicos, con respecto al miembro contralateral, al terminar el tratamiento con el fijador del Dr. Espinosa. Estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo, longitudinal y observacional. Departamento de Ortopedia Pediátrica del Instituto Nacional de pediatría, del primero de julio de 1995 al 24 de febrero de 1996. Se seleccionaron los expedientes clínicos y radiológicos de los pacientes elongados por discrepancia de miembros inferiores con el fijadro de Epinosa, en el lapso citado, que fueron intervenidos quirúrgicamente en el Instituto. En dichos pacientes se investigó: edad, discrepancia con respecto al miembro contralateral, lapso transcurrido, consolidación obtenida y complicaciones. Doce pacientes cumplieron con los criterios de selección del estudio. Su edad promedio fue de once años y medio, con una desviación estándar (ñ DE) de dos años 7 meses, La discrepancia observada fue de 7.07 (ñ 2.33) cm. Los pacientes estuvieron 9 meses y medio (ñ 2 meses) en tratamiento y se obtuvo el 96.4 por ciento (ñ 4.6) del alargamiento deseado. En 7 casos no hubo complicaciones. Se presentó pie equino en 3 pacientes; en otro caso pseudoartrosis y mala alineación en otro. Los pacientes en los que permaneció más tiempo el fijador, estaban en una percentila menor de talla. Sin embargo, en todos los pacientes se logró una adecuada consolidación

Anormalidades congénitas del fémur / Congenital absence of the radius

Los pacientes con anormalilades congénitas del fémur presentan múltiples problemas que difícilmente son vistos por un cirujano ortopedista en forma individual. En este estudio se analizan el tratamiento de 62 anomalías congénitas del fémur en 60 pacientes, tratados en el Hospital Shriner para Niños Lisiados, de la Ciudad de México, en el periodo comprendido entre enero de 1982 y diciembre de 1991. Para todos los pacientes se utilizó la clasificación de Pappas. Los pacientes de la clase I a la VI se identifican al nacimiento, y todos requieren de tratamiento protésico. Los pacientes de las clases VII a la IX se deben evaluar en forma individual y decidir cuáles son candidatos para igualar la longitud de las extremidades. Independientemente de la clasificación se debe individualizar el tratamiento; esto depende de las malformaciones asociadas en la extremidad pélvica (hemimelia paraxial longitudinal, hipoplasia tibial y/o peronea, etc.)

Femoral lengthening with the Barnes device.

Twenty femoral lengthenings were performed with a staged lengthening technique with the Barnes device. After the plate is attached to the femur, the femur is lengthened 2 cm initially and at two or more subsequent stages. Average length gained was 5.4 cm (range 2.5-8.3 cm), and there were no malunions or nonunions. There were two transient peroneal palsies, but no permanent nerve injuries. There were no pin tract problems, no chronic infections, and no knee subluxations. The complication rate with this technique compares favorably with those of other methods.

Fracturas, falta de unión y alargamientos óseos: tratamiento por FED / Fractures, union defect and bone lengthening: treatment by DEF

Presentación descriptiva de una experiencia que se viene trabajando desde 1977 -más de mil intervenciones- para el tratamiento de fracturas abiertas, pseudoartrosis, alargamientos, transporte óseo, fracturas de cadera, fracturas de pelvis, corrección de deformidades y otros, utilizando variedades de montajes externos. Se complementa con un breve análisis clínico de los resultados en los logros de la reducción, de la inmovilización, del proceso consolidante así como del manejo y evolución de los tejidos blandos. En la técnica operatoria se emplea un (a) `tracto compresor' para cualquiera de las opciones como medio auxiliar transitorio y/o, (b) `conjuntos desechables' con los cuales se conforma el fijador, aparato que porta el paciente hasta el final del tratamiento. Para un área económicamente deprimida, con esta alternativa que denominamos `Fijación Externa Descartable' (FED), hemos solucionado el problema de la disponibilidad de los medios para hacer tratamientos por fijación externa en todo su ámbito, al alcance cotidiano tanto en el pequeño pueblo como en la gran ciudad

Postoperative management during limb lengthening.

The postoperative management of a patient having his or her limb lengthened requires frequent contact and close monitoring by the surgeon. Deformities and contractures cannot be allowed to persist or progress. The patient must be encouraged to bear weight on the lengthening limb, lest the newly formed bone fail to mature and corticalize properly. Pin- or wire-site sepsis should be treated aggressively; osteolysis around an implant suggests that additional transosseous fixation is needed. By following the principles outlined here, a surgeon will have the gratifying experience of elongating a stunted or deformed limb to an amount never before thought possible, and without undue problems or residual complications.

Metaphyseal distraction for lower limb lengthening and correction of axial deformities.

Metaphyseal distraction with the Orthofix apparatus was performed on 10 patients (five femora and five tibiae). A retrospective review is presented. The follow-up time was 10-38 months. A satisfactory correction of leg length and axial deformity was achieved in all cases. There was no need for plating or bone grafting. All patients showed solid bony fusion at follow-up. Pin tract infections in seven patients resolved under antibiotic treatment. Problems of pin loosening and mechanical weakness of the distraction device are discussed.

Distraction osteogenesis of a congenital amputation at the elbow.

A case is described demonstrating the effectiveness of distraction osteogenesis for the lengthening of a short below elbow congenital amputation. To our knowledge this technique has not been previously used in a patient with a congenital amputation. The surgical technique of corticotomy and postoperative lengthening is detailed. The result converted the level of patient performance from elbow disarticulation to functional below elbow status.

Lower limb lengthening by a modified Wagner technique.

A series of 50 patients who underwent femoral and tibial lengthenings using the Wagner apparatus is reviewed. Satisfactory gains in leg length with an acceptably low complication rate were achieved. Both substitution of cortical osteotomy for complete osteotomy and delaying of distraction increased callus formation. The particular problems of lengthening the congenital short femur and tibia are discussed.