Hip contractures were associated with low gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy.

AIM: The aim was to identify the prevalence of hip contractures and their association with gross motor function and pain in the lower extremities among Danish children with cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was based on data collected during regular clinical examinations in 2018-2019 and registered in the National Danish Clinical Quality Database of children with CP. The study population was 688 children (59% boys) aged five to 12 years across all Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels. Any associations between hip contracture and gross motor function and pain were investigated with logistic regression analysis and presented as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: The prevalence of hip contracture was 22% across all five GMFCS levels, and the incidence varied across the five Danish regions. The odds ratios for hip contracture were significantly higher at GMFCS level IV (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.10-3.62) and V (OR 5.49, 95% CI 3.33-9.07) compared with level I. Hip contractures were not significantly associated with pain in the lower extremities (OR 1.43, 95% CI 0.95-2.15). CONCLUSION: Hip contractures were frequent and associated with low gross motor function, but not lower extremity pain, in children with CP.

Sustained hip flexion contracture after femoral lengthening in patients with achondroplasia.

BACKGROUND: Hip flexion contracture often occurs after femoral lengthening in patients with achondroplasia, but few studies have investigated its development in these patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze sustained hip flexion contracture in achondroplasia patients who underwent femoral lengthening and to identify contributing factors. METHODS: This study included 34 patients with achondroplasia who underwent femoral lengthening (mean age at operation, 11.1 years). Sustained hip flexion was defined as flexion contracture lasting > 6 months postoperatively despite physiotherapy. Demographic data, spinopelvic parameters (pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, sacral slope, lumbar lordosis, and sagittal vertical axis), and quantitative assessments of femoral lengthening were investigated. The associations among these factors and the development of sustained hip flexion contracture were assessed. RESULTS: Sustained hip flexion contracture developed in 13 (38%) of 34 achondroplasia patients after femoral lengthening. Eight (62%) of these 13 patients concomitantly exhibited limitation of knee flexion. Excessive femoral lengthening (odds ratio [OR], 1.450; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.064 to 1.975; p = 0.019) and forward sagittal vertical axis tilt (OR, 1.062; 95% CI, 1.001 to 1.127; p = 0.047) contributed to sustained hip flexion contracture. CONCLUSIONS: Sustained hip flexion contracture frequently occurs after femoral lengthening in achondroplasia patients. Both excessive femoral lengthening and preoperative forward SVA tilt may contribute to the development of sustained hip flexion contracture in these patients.

Oblicuidad pélvica o contractura congénita en abducción de la cadera: una entidad poco conocida / Congenital pelvic obliquity or congenital hip’s abduction contracture: a little known entity

La oblicuidad pélvica congénita es una patología frecuente en el lactante y poco conocida por los pediatras. Se presentan cuatro casos de oblicuidad pélvica simple en lactantes mujeres. Se describen los hallazgos clínicos y radiológicos en el momento del diagnóstico, la actitud terapéutica y la evolución de cada uno de ellos. Los pediatras de Atención Primaria debemos estar atentos a los antecedentes, signos acompañantes y al diagnóstico de esta entidad, así como tener formación en la exploración de la cadera para detectar clínicamente una inestabilidad, preferentemente en la cadera aducta (opuesta a la contracturada). Es importante la interrelación entre Pediatría, Radiología Infantil, Traumatología Infantil y Rehabilitación (AU)

Congenital pelvic obliquity is frequent, although pediatricians are not used to diagnose it. We report four female infants with simple pelvic obliquity. We describe clinical and radiologic findings, their treatment and outcome. Primary care pediatricians must be alert looking for pelvic obliquity in infants. We need to improve our abilities in hip exploration, to detect instability in the adduct hip (in the opposite of the contractured hip). Is very important to work together: pediatricians, radiologist, orthopedist and rehabilitation physician (AU)

Actualización de la profilaxis tromboembólica en fractura de cadera / Update on thromboembolic prophylaxis in hip fracture

La fractura de cadera en el anciano constituye un problema sanitario de primera magnitud, con una incidencia en crecimiento exponencial. La cirugía de estas fracturas, a pesar de los avances de los últimos años en cuanto a las técnicas quirúrgicas y anestésicas, a la generalización de la profilaxis tromboembólica y a unos mejores cuidados médicos, continúa siendo un procedimiento de alto riesgo en cuanto a morbilidad y mortalidad (AU)

Hip fractures in the elderly is a health problem of first magnitude, with an incidence which is increasing exponentially. The surgery of these fractures, despite progress in recent years in terms of surgical and anesthetic techniques, the widespread use of thromboprophylaxis and better medical cares, remains a high risk procedure in terms of morbidity and mortality (AU)

Joint contracture following prolonged stay in the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged immobility during a critical illness may predispose patients to the development of joint contracture. We sought to document the incidence of, the risk factors for and the reversibility of joint contractures among patients who stayed in a tertiary intensive care unit (ICU) for 2 weeks or longer. METHODS: We conducted a chart review to collect data on the presence of and risk factors for joint contractures in the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles among patients admitted to the ICU between January 2003 and March 2005. RESULTS: At the time of transfer out of the ICU, at least 1 joint contracture was recorded in 61 (39%) of 155 patients; 52 (34%) of the patients had joint contractures of an extent documented to impair function. Time spent in the ICU was a significant risk factor for contracture: a stay of 8 weeks or longer was associated with a significantly greater risk of any joint contracture than a stay of 2 to 3 weeks (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 7.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-38.9; p = 0.02). Among the variables tested, only the use of steroids conferred a protective effect against joint contractures (adjusted OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14-0.83; p = 0.02). At the time of discharge to home, which occurred a median of 6.6 weeks after transfer out of intensive care, 50 (34%) of the 147 patients not lost to follow-up still had 1 or more joint contractures, and 34 (23%) of the patients had at least 1 functionally significant joint contracture. INTERPRETATION: Following a prolonged stay in the ICU, a functionally significant contracture of a major joint occurred in more than one-third of patients, and most of these contractures persisted until the time of discharge to home.

Coronary artery bypass grafting in cerebral palsy with severe contractures of extremities.

We report on a 76-year-old man suffering from cerebral palsy who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. Limitation of available bypass grafts and the approach of intra-aortic balloon pump insertion are of great concern because of his specific posture resulting from multiple articular contractures. We describe our planning to survive coronary surgery in this specific situation.

Windswept hip deformity in children with cerebral palsy.

Windswept hip deformity describes an abduction and external rotation position of one hip with the opposite hip in adduction and internal rotation. Windswept hip deformity may occur in association with hip dislocation and scoliosis. We analysed the prevalence of this deformity in a total population of children with cerebral palsy, and the impact of hip prevention and early treatment of contractures on the prevalence and severity of windswept hip deformity. The frequency of windswept hip deformity was 12% in the control group and 7% in the study group, comprising children in the hip prevention programme. The children with this deformity in the study group had a lower frequency of scoliosis and none had hip dislocation. It thus seems that the hip prevention programme results in a decrease in the number of children with windswept hip deformity, and a decrease in the severity of the deformity.

[A study on the prevalence and risk factors of muscular fibrotic contracture in Jia-Dong Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan].

In order to examine the prevalence and risk factors of muscular fibrotic contracture (MFC) among school children in Jia-Dong Township, Pingtung County, a prevalence survey combined case-control study was carried out from January to April, 1988. All the school children aged from 6 to 19 years old were first screened at schools and then referred to the Provincial Pingtung Hospital for confirmatory diagnosis based on the non-invasion criteria. A total of 83 MFC cases were identified including 79 gluteal fibrotic contracture (GFC) patients, 3 deltoid fibrotic contracture (DFC) patients, and 1 affected both GFC and DFC. The prevalence was significantly higher in males (17.3 per 1,000) than in females (10.5 per 1,000). The prevalence was found to increase with age after 6 years of age, peaked at the age group of 13-15 years, and decline thereafter. Most MFC cases clustered in both Wen-Fon and Yuan-Wen villages locate in the southern coast of Taiwan Island. Among 83 MFC patients, 65 were further interviewed to obtain information on the risk factors of MFC. A total of 65 healthy classmates one-to-one matched with MFC cases on aged, sex, and living villages were selected as the control group which was also interviewed. The case-control study showed a positive association between the frequency of injection and the MFC in a dose-response relationship. The injection site also correlated with the development of the GFC and DFC. It was reasoned that the injection might be the most important risk factor of MFC. Follow-up study of 65 operated MFC cases indicated a high percentage (89.2%) of hyperscar formation in the incision region.

Unreduced anterior dislocation of the hip in a child.

A case of unreduced anterior hip dislocation from trauma is reported, and the literature is reviewed. This is the fourth such case reported in a child.

External rotation contracture of the extended hip. A common phenomenon of infancy obscuring femoral neck anteversion and the most frequent cause of out-toeing gait in children.

External rotation contracture of the extended hip is common in young infants, decreasing progressively with growth so that it appears to be present in less than 5 per cent of the children over age 18 months. Persistence of the external rotation contracture was the main cause of toeing-out gait in this study. Femoral neck anteversion, as a cause of internal rotation posturing of the limb, does not become clinically recognizable until complete resolution of the external rotation contracture of the hip has occurred, that is, usually after 18 months of age. Femoral neck retroversion was not present clinically in any of the patients examined, and so appears to be quite rare. Approximately 80 per cent of children under 18 months of age who toe-in have internal tibiofibular torsion; most of these also have significant talar neck adductus! Approximately 70 per cent of children over age 2 years who toe-in have excess femoral neck anteversion as the cause. Approximately 75 per cent of the children with metatarsus adductus deformity have coexistent internal tibial torsion and talar neck adductus; only 25 per cent of children with internal tibial torsion have coexistent metatarsus adductus deformity. Physiologic genu varum usually occurs prior to 2 years of age and physiologic genus valgum usually occurs after 2 years of age.