This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and prognosis of patients with spinal metastasis as the initial manifestation of malignancy (SM-IMM). We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of 338 patients who underwent surgical treatment for metastatic spinal disease. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups. The SM-IMM group included patients with no history of malignancy whose site of primary malignancy was diagnosed after the identification of spinal metastasis. The other group included patients with a history of treatment for primary malignancy who then developed spinal metastasis (SM-DTM). The incidence of SM-IMM by site of primary malignancy was calculated. The difference between prognoses after surgical treatment for SM-IMM and SM-DTM was established.Aims
Patients and Methods
Children treated for osteosarcoma around the knee often have
a substantial leg-length discrepancy at skeletal maturity. The aim
of this study was to investigate the results of staged skeletal
reconstruction after a leg lengthening procedure using an external
fixator in these patients. We reviewed 11 patients who underwent staged reconstruction with
either an arthroplasty (n = 6) or an arthrodesis (n = 5). A control
group of 11 patients who had undergone wide excision and concurrent
reconstruction with an arthroplasty were matched for gender, location,
and size of tumour. We investigated the change in leg-length discrepancy,
function as assessed by the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Scale
(MSTS) score and complications.Aims
Patients and Methods
Our aim was to investigate the predictive factors for the development
of a rebound phenomenon after temporary hemiepiphysiodesis in children
with genu valgum. We studied 37 limbs with idiopathic genu valgum who were treated
with hemiepiphyseal stapling, and with more than six months remaining
growth at removal of the staples. All children were followed until
skeletal maturity or for more than two years after removal of the
staples.Aims
Patients and Methods
The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of
sarcopenia and to examine its impact on patients with degenerative
lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS). This case-control study included two groups: one group consisting
of patients with DLSS and a second group of control subjects without
low back or neck pain and related leg pain. Five control cases were
randomly selected and matched by age and gender (n = 77 cases and
n = 385 controls) for each DLSS case. Appendicular muscle mass,
hand-grip strength, sit-to-stand test, timed up and go (TUG) test,
and clinical outcomes, including the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
scores and the EuroQol EQ-5D were compared between the two groups.Aims
Patients and Methods
A small proportion of children with Gartland
type III supracondylar humeral fracture (SCHF) experience troubling limited
or delayed recovery after operative treatment. We hypothesised that
the fracture level relative to the isthmus of the humerus would
affect the outcome. We retrospectively reviewed 230 children who underwent closed
reduction and percutaneous pinning (CRPP) for their Gartland type
III SCHFs between March 2003 and December 2012. There were 144 boys
and 86 girls, with the mean age of six years (1.1 to 15.2). The
clinico-radiological characteristics and surgical outcomes (recovery
of the elbow range of movement, post-operative angulation, and the
final Flynn grade) were recorded. Multivariate analysis was employed
to identify prognostic factors that influenced outcome, including
fracture level. Multivariate analysis revealed that a fracture below
the humeral isthmus was significantly associated with poor prognosis
in terms of the range of elbow movement (p <
0.001), angulation
(p = 0.001) and Flynn grade (p = 0.003). Age over ten years was also
a poor prognostic factor for recovery of the range of elbow movement (p
= 0.027). This is the first study demonstrating a subclassification system
of Gartland III fractures with prognostic significance. This will
guide surgeons in peri-operative planning and counselling as well
as directing future research aimed at improving outcomes. Cite this article:
We analysed retrospectively the risk factors
leading to femoral overgrowth after flexible intramedullary nailing
in 43 children (mean age 7.1 years (3.6 to 12.0)) with fractures
of the shaft of the femur. We reviewed their demographic data, mechanism
of injury, associated injuries, the type and location of the fractures,
the nail–canal diameter (NCD) ratios and femoral overgrowth at a
mean follow-up of 40.7 months (25.2 to 92.7). At that time, the
children were divided into two groups, those with femoral overgrowth
of <
1 cm (Group 1), and those with overgrowth of ≥ 1 cm (Group
2). The mean femoral overgrowth of all patients was 0.6 cm at final
follow-up. Overgrowth of ≥ 1 cm was noted in 11 children (25.6%).
The NCD ratio was significantly lower in Group 2 than in Group 1,
with an odds ratio of 30.0 (p = 0.003). We believe that a low NCD ratio is an indicator of an unstable
configuration with flexible intramedullary nailing, and have identified
an association between a low NCD ratio and femoral overgrowth resulting
in leg-length discrepancy after flexible intramedullary nailing
in paediatric femoral shaft fractures. Cite this article:
We examined the differences in post-operative
functional disability and patient satisfaction between 56 patients who
underwent a lumbar fusion at three or more levels for degenerative
disease (group I) and 69 patients, matched by age and gender, who
had undergone a one or two level fusion (group II). Their mean age
was 66 years (49 to 84) and the mean follow-up was 43 months (24
to 65). The mean pre-operative Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual
analogue scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, and the mean post-operative
VAS were similar in both groups (p >
0.05), but post-operatively
the improvement in ODI was significantly less in group I (40.6%)
than in group II (49.5%) (p <
0.001). Of the ten ODI items, patients
in group I showed significant problems with lifting, sitting, standing,
and travelling (p <
0.05). The most significant differences in
the post-operative ODI were observed between patients who had undergone
fusion at four or more levels and those who had undergone fusion
at less than four levels (p = 0.005). The proportion of patients
who were satisfied with their operations was similar in groups I
and II (72.7% and 77.0%, respectively) (p = 0.668). The mean number
of fused levels was associated with the post-operative ODI (r =
0.266, p = 0.003), but not with the post-operative VAS or satisfaction
grade (p >
0.05). Post-operative functional disability was more
severe in those with a long-level lumbar fusion, particularly at
four or more levels, but patient satisfaction remained similar for
those with both long- and short-level fusions.
We reviewed the results of a selective à la carte soft-tissue release operation for recurrent or residual deformity after initial conservative treatment for idiopathic clubfoot by the Ponseti method. Recurrent or residual deformity occurred in 13 (19 feet) of 33 patients (48 feet; 40%). The mean age at surgery was 2.3 years (1.3 to 4) and the mean follow-up was 3.6 years (2 to 5.3). The mean Pirani score had improved from 2.8 to 1.1 points, and the clinical and radiological results were satisfactory in all patients. However, six of the 13 patients (9 of 19 feet) had required further surgery in the form of tibial derotation osteotomy, split anterior tibialis tendon transfer, split posterior tibialis transfer or a combination of these for recurrent deformity. We concluded that selective soft-tissue release can provide satisfactory early results after failure of initial treatment of clubfoot by the Ponseti method, but long-term follow-up to skeletal maturity will be necessary.
We studied 11 patients with checkrein deformities of the hallux who underwent surgical treatment. Six had lengthening of the flexor hallucis longus tendon by Z-plasty in the midfoot, and five underwent release of adhesions and lengthening of the tendon by Z-plasty at the musculotendinous junction at the fracture site. All six patients who underwent Z-plasty at the midfoot showed complete correction of the deformity without recurrence. Of the five who had release of adhesions and Z-plasty of the tendon at the fracture site, two showed partial and one showed complete recurrence.
