Indication for Achilles Tenotomy in Congenital Clubfoot: Effectiveness of Using the Tibio-Plantar Fascia Angle as a Radiographic Parameter.

Congenital clubfoot is one of the most common deformities in children, and currently, the Ponseti method is used worldwide because of its favorable short-term results. With the Ponseti method, the indication for Achilles tenotomy is traditionally based on only physical examination findings; however, some surgeons have also utilized plain radiographs. Because using physical examinations to determine the degree of hindfoot dorsiflexion for the indication of tenotomy can lead to underestimation. We developed and utilized the effectiveness of the tibio-plantar fascia angle (Ti-P angle) in the lateral maximum dorsiflexion view in determining the need for Achilles tenotomy. A retrospective analysis of consecutive 26 patients with congenital idiopathic clubfeet (37 feet) was performed. Whether Achilles tenotomy was indicated was determined based on physical examination for a former period (Group P). For the latter period, whether tenotomy was indicated was determined by referencing radiographs (Group X). No significant differences were found in any of the background factors or severity between Group P and Group X. Cases with larger tibiocalcaneal and Ti-P angles were more likely to require Achilles tenotomy or additional soft tissue release. An angle of more than 72° of the Ti-P angle demonstrated adequate specificity for the indication of Achilles tenotomy. The radiographic lateral tibio-plantar fascia angle is useful for deciding whether a tenotomy needs to be performed.

Prevalence of posterior elbow problems in Japanese high school baseball players.

BACKGROUND: Various posterior elbow problems cause posterior elbow pain among baseball players. We aimed to determine the prevalence and diagnoses associated with posterior elbow problems and post-treatment recovery time for returning to sports in Japanese high school baseball players when treated in the off-season. METHODS: A total of 576 Japanese high school baseball players who participated in baseball skill training camp during the off-season were enrolled in the study. The elbow of each player's throwing arm was assessed by use of a questionnaire and physical examination. Players with abnormal results were advised to visit the hospital. Players who visited the hospital were initially treated conservatively and underwent surgery if necessary. Retrospectively, players with positive physical examination results associated with posterior elbow pain, defined as olecranon tenderness and/or a positive elbow extension impingement test, were selected. Information about their position, elbow pain, physical examination results, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery time before returning to playing sports was assessed. RESULTS: Olecranon tenderness and/or positive elbow extension impingement test results were found in 76 players (13.2%). Of these, 33 agreed to visit the hospital for further diagnostic imaging and 25 players (75.8%) were diagnosed with posteromedial elbow impingement. By the next spring, 87.9% of players returned to sport, and 100% of players returned to sport before the next summer. The average recovery period was 77 ± 47 days. CONCLUSION: Physical examinations related to posterior elbow injuries were positive in 13.2% of high school baseball players. The most common diagnosis for posterior elbow pain was posteromedial elbow impingement. All players returned to competitive sports activity levels within 77 ± 47 days.

Deep learning-based osteochondritis dissecans detection in ultrasound images with humeral capitellum localization.

PURPOSE: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the humeral capitellum is a common cause of elbow disorders, particularly among young throwing athletes. Conservative treatment is the preferred treatment for managing OCD, and early intervention significantly influences the possibility of complete disease resolution. The purpose of this study is to develop a deep learning-based classification model in ultrasound images for computer-aided diagnosis. METHODS: This paper proposes a deep learning-based OCD classification method in ultrasound images. The proposed method first detects the humeral capitellum detection using YOLO and then estimates the OCD probability of the detected region probability using VGG16. We hypothesis that the performance will be improved by eliminating unnecessary regions. To validate the performance of the proposed method, it was applied to 158 subjects (OCD: 67, Normal: 91) using five-fold-cross-validation. RESULTS: The study demonstrated that the humeral capitellum detection achieved a mean average precision (mAP) of over 0.95, while OCD probability estimation achieved an average accuracy of 0.890, precision of 0.888, recall of 0.927, F1 score of 0.894, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.962. On the other hand, when the classification model was constructed for the entire image, accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and AUC were 0.806, 0.806, 0.932, 0.843, and 0.928, respectively. The findings suggest the high-performance potential of the proposed model for OCD classification in ultrasonic images. CONCLUSION: This paper introduces a deep learning-based OCD classification method. The experimental results emphasize the effectiveness of focusing on the humeral capitellum for OCD classification in ultrasound images. Future work should involve evaluating the effectiveness of employing the proposed method by physicians during medical check-ups for OCD.

Deep Learning-Based Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Humeral Capitellum Using Ultrasound Images.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography is used to diagnose osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the humerus; however, its reliability depends on the technical proficiency of the examiner. Recently, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) using deep learning has been applied in the field of medical science, and high diagnostic accuracy has been reported. We aimed to develop a deep learning-based CAD system for OCD detection on ultrasound images and to evaluate the accuracy of OCD detection using the CAD system. METHODS: The CAD process comprises 2 steps: humeral capitellum detection using an object-detection algorithm and OCD classification using an image classification network. Four-directional ultrasound images of the elbow of the throwing arm of 196 baseball players (mean age, 11.2 years), including 104 players with normal findings and 92 with OCD, were used for training and validation. An external dataset of 20 baseball players (10 with normal findings and 10 with OCD) was used to evaluate the accuracy of the CAD system. A confusion matrix and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the system. RESULTS: Clinical evaluation using the external dataset resulted in high AUCs in all 4 directions: 0.969 for the anterior long axis, 0.966 for the anterior short axis, 0.996 for the posterior long axis, and 0.993 for the posterior short axis. The accuracy of OCD detection thus exceeded 0.9 in all 4 directions. CONCLUSIONS: We propose a deep learning-based CAD system to detect OCD lesions on ultrasound images. The CAD system achieved high accuracy in all 4 directions of the elbow. This CAD system with a deep learning model may be useful for OCD screening during medical checkups to reduce the probability of missing an OCD lesion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Hybrid Fixation for Paediatric Femoral Supracondylar Fracture during Circular External Fixation of the Lower Limb.

AIM: To describe the novel hybrid fixation technique for paediatric femoral supracondylar fracture during circular external fixation of the lower limb. BACKGROUND: The Ilizarov external fixator is commonly used for various orthopaedic conditions. Difficulties associated with external fixation have previously been described. A fall while using a circular external fixator can cause ipsilateral fracture. Such fractures are ideally treated conservatively, but it is difficult to fix the frame itself. No study has reported the treatment of paediatric femoral supracondylar fracture during circular external fixation. Herein, we describe a novel hybrid fixation technique that was successfully used to treat paediatric femoral supracondylar fracture in three paediatric patients with circular external fixators. TECHNIQUE: The fracture was manually manipulated and reduced by slight hyperextension of the lower extremity under general anaesthesia. After confirmation of good reduction, a stockinette, a cast padding, and a thin core cast were applied to the ipsilateral thigh. The hinge parts were attached to the medial and lateral sides of the proximal ring. The rods were connected to the medial and lateral hinges, and the half ring was connected to the ventral side of the proximal end. Under fluoroscopic confirmation, the thin core cast of the thigh and rods were connected by cast rolled in a figure-of-eight manner. The hinges were locked with the knee joint slightly flexed. CONCLUSION: The minimally invasive hybrid fixation technique enables conservative treatment of paediatric femoral supracondylar fracture during circular external fixation of the lower limb with no complications, and early exercise and recovery. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This novel hybrid fixation technique will be an effective method for paediatric femoral supracondylar fracture in patients with a circular external fixator. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Oka Y, Kim W-C, Yoshida T, et al. Hybrid Fixation for Paediatric Femoral Supracondylar Fracture during Circular External Fixation of the Lower Limb. Strategies Trauma Limb Reconstr 2020;15(3):179-183.

Valgus Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis in Patient with Hypopituitarism.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a common disease of adolescent and the epiphysis is positioned more posteromedially in relation to the femoral neck shaft with varus SCFE; however, posterolateral displacement of the capital epiphysis, valgus SCFE, occurs less frequently. We report a case of valgus SCFE in a 17-year-old boy with hypopituitarism. After falling down, he experienced difficulty in walking. The radiographs were inconclusive; however three-dimensional computed tomography images showed lateral displacement of the epiphysis on the right femoral head. Valgus SCFE was diagnosed. The patient underwent in situ pinning of both sides. In situ pinning on the left side was performed as a prophylactic pinning because of endocrine abnormalities. At the 1-year follow-up, he could walk without any difficulty and there were no signs of pain. The epiphysis is commonly positioned more posteromedially in relation to the femoral neck shaft with most SCFE, but, in this case, the epiphysis slipped laterally. Differential diagnosis included femoral neck fracture (Delbet-Colonna type 1); however, this was less likely due to the absence of other clinical signs. Therefore, we diagnosed the patient as SCFE. When children complain of leg pain and limp, valgus SCFE that may not be visualized on anteroposterior radiographs needs to be considered.

Assessment of lateral subluxation in Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: a time-sequential study of magnetic resonance imaging and plain radiography.

Lateral subluxation of the femoral head is one of the poor prognostic factors of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the cause of lateral subluxation of the femoral head on the basis of the changes over time on MRI. Twenty-four patients with unilateral Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease were analyzed retrospectively. Lateral subluxation was measured as the tear drop distance on radiographs. We focused on joint fluid, medial articular cartilage thickening, and abnormal lesion on MRI. Lateral subluxation continued significantly in patients with poor results. Among the MRI findings, the presence of an abnormal lesion was associated significantly with the continuous lateral subluxation.

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Humeral Capitellum Among Adolescent Baseball Players.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and clinical characteristics of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the humeral capitellum among adolescent baseball players are unknown. PURPOSE: To determine the OCD prevalence in adolescent competitive baseball players and to investigate the clinical characteristics of these patients. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional and case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A total of 2433 baseball players (mean age, 14.5 ± 1.5 years) belonging to junior high school and high school baseball clubs were enrolled. Players completed a questionnaire, and the elbow of each player's throwing arm was assessed by ultrasonography. Participants with abnormal results on ultrasonography were further examined through radiographic study. The OCD lesions were classified into stages based on radiographic results, and demographic data were compared between players with and without OCD lesions. RESULTS: Osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral capitellum was found in 82 (3.4%) elbows by ultrasonography. Players with an OCD lesion began playing baseball at an earlier age (P = .016), had a longer duration of competitive play (P = .0013), and had experienced more present (P = .0025) and past (P < .0001) elbow pain compared with players without a lesion. There were no differences between the 2 groups in the position played (P = .26). Sixty-eight patients underwent further radiographic examination for OCD (radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging). Of these players, 10 (14.7%) were classified as having stage I OCD (radiolucent stage); 26 (38.2%), stage II (fragmentation stage); 9 (13.2%), stage III (loose body stage); 9 (13.2%), stage IV (residual stage); and 14 (23.5%), stage V (postoperative stage). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of OCD of the humeral capitellum, including latent cases, was 3.4% among adolescent baseball players. Players with OCD lesions began playing baseball at earlier ages, had played for longer periods, and had experienced more elbow pain. The player's current baseball position may not be related to the existence of OCD lesions in adolescents.

Use of a rugby helmet brace for postoperative treatment of muscular torticollis.

Prior to 1992, our postoperative management for congenital muscular torticollis consisted of either plaster cast immobilization or no immobilization, depending on the patient's age and the degree of contracture. However, some patients required further surgery and developed complications. In 1992, we produced rugby helmet braces for postoperative management. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical results of the previous postoperative management with the results achieved using rugby helmet braces. Twenty-five children aged younger than 6 years underwent caudal partial resection of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Twelve children aged 6 years and older underwent cranial tenotomy. These 37 patients were divided into 2 groups: no immobilization or plaster immobilization (group A; n=19) and rugby helmet braces (group B; n=18). Canale's method was used for evaluation of clinical results. In group A, the results were good in 12 patients, fair in 4, and poor in 3, whereas all 18 patients in group B had good results. Two patients in group A required further surgery, and complications were observed in 5 patients. In group B, alopecia areata was observed in 1 patient.The rugby helmet brace is easy to put on and remove, providing good retention and allowing for physiotherapy. It provides a useful method of postoperative management for congenital muscular torticollis.

Thrombocytopenia due to cytomegalovirus infection in an immunocompetent adult.

A healthy 33-year-old man presented with a short history of viral infection and recent petechiae. Examination of the blood showed a profound thrombocytopenia. He was diagnosed as having cytomegalovirus infection by serological examination. A high level of platelet-associated immunoglobulins was demonstrated suggesting an immune basis for the thrombocytopenia and we, therefore, treated the patient with bolus methylprednisolone and gamma-globulin, resulting in prompt recovery. Recognition for CMV-induced thrombocytopenia is important for early diagnosis.