Bone disorders in children and adolescents with chronic HCV infection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although several studies have demonstrated a higher incidence of bone disorders in HCV-infected adults, the bone turnover alterations occurring in children and adolescents with chronic hepatitis C has not been thoroughly focused yet. We performed a study on a cohort of 30 HCV infected caucasian children and adolescents to assess the prevalence of osteodystrophy and evaluate a possible prophylactic and therapeutic approach. METHODS: Data regarding biochemical markers of bone metabolism were collected. Moreover, results of ultra-sonographic bone densitometry yearly performed were evaluated in comparison with data obtained from more than 500 healthy children and adolescents. RESULTS: Osteocalcin and telopeptide of the collagen molecule type-1, CTX, appeared higher than normal in 8/30 and in 7/30 cases respectively; the 25OH vitamin D values were normal in 25/28 cases. By densitometry osteoporosis was detected in 2 patients and osteopenia in other 5. After stratification of cases by age groups, the incidence of osteopenia/osteoporosis appeared higher among children than among adolescents. Osteocalcin levels tended to be higher in cases where hepatic fibrosis were not detected. CONCLUSIONS: The higher number of cases of osteopenia/osteoporosis in children than in adolescents is worthy of note, although not statistically significant. Ultrasound densitometry confirmed its important early diagnostic role in asymptomatic HCV infected children; moreover, also the increase in serum levels of osteocalcin may be considered as early marker of osteodystrophy of complementary value. Larger studies will be needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of antiviral and supportive care in these patients.

Revision of 120 tibial infected non-unions with bone and soft tissue loss treated with epidermato-fascial osteoplasty according to Umiarov.

Treatment of tibial infected non-unions with bone and soft tissue loss has to solve three problems: infection, lack of bone continuity and lack of skin coverage. The aims of treatment are infection healing, bone consolidation with preservation of limb length and soft tissue reconstruction. The most important stage in the planning is an accurate débridement. Soft tissue reconstruction can be achieved using plastic surgery, and bone reconstruction is accomplished with bone grafts or induced membrane technique, but these methods may present disadvantages and risks. Epidermato-fascial osteoplasty is a modified procedure of compression-distraction osteosynthesis that was first described by Umiarov in 1982. This procedure offers the advantages of exactly classifying the phases of simultaneous bone and soft tissue regeneration, and of eliminating large tissue losses without previous closure of soft tissues or use of grafts, because the transported fragment takes fascia and skin along during the transport and closes the edges of the soft tissue gap until the epidermic and fascial reconstruction is complete. A total of 120 patients underwent this kind of surgery between 1986 and 2010 and were followed up for 2-26 years. Average age was 34 years (range 21-57 years). Cultures were positive for Staphylococcus in all cases, and for Pseudomonas in 27 cases. Adequate antibiotic therapy was administered in collaboration with the Infectious Diseases Specialist. Tibial bone resection was from 6 to 18cm (average 9.5cm). The Ilizarov apparatus was used with the oblique wire technique for bone transport in all patients. No intraoperative complications were observed. One patient died 40 days after the operation because of pulmonary embolism. The duration of treatment for the remaining 119 patients was 7-18 months. In all cases, infection eradication, healing of regenerate bone, consolidation at the docking site (with the aid of an autoplastic bone graft in only 11 patients), and epidermic and fascial reconstruction were observed, and functional results were very good. These techniques are particularly demanding for the patient and for the surgical team, but our results demonstrate that they can provide excellent outcomes in the management of difficult cases of infected non-unions.

Evaluation of bone density in infancy and adolescence. Review of medical literature and personal experience.

The evolution of medical and surgical therapies allows the increased survival rate of a growing number of children affected by rare pathologies. In this light osteoporotic disease is also of orthopaedic interest as it is sometimes the outward manifestation of serious pathologies (i.e. osteogenesis imperfecta). Sometimes, even in infancy and adolescence, osteoporosis is associated with complications due to fractures; in other cases it seems to have no immediate consequence. Nevertheless it must be considered as a fracture risk factor in adulthood as it negatively affects the achievement of peak bone mass. The evaluation of variations in bone mass that take place during growth is thus of particular importance in order to guarantee a level of bone health suitable for the next phase. These remarks compose the premise of a study on bone resistance carried out on a study population of between 6 and 18 years of age in the city of Pavia. To determine the resistance of the bone an ultrasound device was employed (Omnisense™ , Sunlight Medical Ltd, Tel Aviv, Israel) in two skeletal sites, distal radius and midshaft of tibia. The analysis of our results and a review of the relevant literature indicate that the median values of normality, against which we compare the measurements of the patients under examination, depend not only on age, sex, skeletal sites, race, and even ethnic group. The introduction of this new parameter, to be kept in mind when interpreting the results, invites us to be very prudent in determining the diagnostic threshold values in paediatric age. As with anthropometric data (weight, height, cranial circumference) it is possible to suggest an interpretation of the patient's SOS values comparing them with the 'centile curves' typical to the region the child belongs to. Of course, further studies are required to understand what are the variables involved and to determine the extension of the geographical area to be examined to obtain suitable reference curves.