Aims

Children with spinal dysraphism can develop various musculoskeletal deformities, necessitating a range of orthopaedic interventions, causing significant morbidity, and making considerable demands on resources. This systematic review aimed to identify what outcome measures have been reported in the literature for children with spinal dysraphism who undergo orthopaedic interventions involving the lower limbs.

Aims

The aim of this study was to utilize a national paediatric inpatient database to determine whether obesity influences the operative management and inpatient outcomes of paediatric limb fractures.

Aims

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of closed isolated fractures of the femoral shaft in children, and to compare the treatment and length of stay (LOS) between major trauma centres (MTCs) and trauma units (TUs) in England.

This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the relationship between developmental dysplasia of the hip and mode of delivery in 571 consecutive breech infants using a modified Graf’s static morphological method to grade the severity of dysplasia.

In this group, 262 infants were born by planned Caesarian section, 223 by emergency section and 86 vaginally. Taking all grades of hip dysplasia into account (Graf types II, III and IV), there was no statistical difference in the incidence of dysplasia between the groups (elective section 8.4%, emergency section 8.1% and vaginal delivery 7.0%). However, when cases with Graf type II dysplasia, which may represent physiological immaturity, were excluded, the rate of type III and IV hips, which we consider to be clinically relevant, increased in the vaginally delivered group (4.7%) compared with the elective section group (1.1%), with a relative risk of approximately 1:4 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 15.91). No difference was observed between the emergency and elective section groups, or between the emergency section and vaginally delivered groups.

This study supports previous published work, with the added value that the diagnoses were all confirmed by ultrasound.

Septicaemia resulting from meningococcal infection is a devastating illness affecting children. Those who survive can develop late orthopaedic sequelae from growth plate arrests, with resultant complex deformities. Our aim in this study was to review the case histories of a series of patients with late orthopaedic sequelae, all treated by the senior author (CFB). We also describe a treatment strategy to address the multiple deformities that may occur in these patients.

Between 1997 and 2009, ten patients (seven girls and three boys) were treated for late orthopaedic sequelae following meningococcal septicaemia. All had involvement of the lower limbs, and one also had involvement of the upper limbs. Each patient had a median of three operations (one to nine). Methods of treatment included a combination of angular deformity correction, limb lengthening and epiphysiodesis. All patients were skeletally mature at the final follow-up. One patient with bilateral below-knee amputations had satisfactory correction of her right amputation stump deformity, and has complete ablation of both her proximal tibial growth plates. In eight patients length discrepancy in the lower limb was corrected to within 1 cm, with normalisation of the mechanical axis of the lower limb.

Meningococcal septicaemia can lead to late orthopaedic sequelae due to growth plate arrests. Central growth plate arrests lead to limb-length discrepancy and the need for lengthening procedures, and peripheral growth plate arrests lead to angular deformities requiring corrective osteotomies and ablation of the damaged physis. In addition, limb amputations may be necessary and there may be altered growth of the stump requiring further surgery. Long-term follow-up of these patients is essential to recognise and treat any recurrence of deformity.

We reviewed the long-term radiological outcome, complications and revision operations in 19 children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and hip dysplasia who underwent combined peri-iliac osteotomy and femoral varus derotation osteotomy. They had a mean age of 7.5 years (1.6 to 10.9) and comprised 22 hip dislocations and subluxations. We also studied the outcome for the contralateral hip. At a mean follow-up of 11.7 years (10 to 15.1) the Melbourne cerebral palsy (CP) hip classification was grade 2 in 16 hips, grade 3 in five, and grade 5 in one. There were five complications seen in four hips (21%, four patients), including one dislocation, one subluxation, one coxa vara with adduction deformity, one subtrochanteric fracture and one infection. A recurrent soft-tissue contracture occurred in five hips and ten required revision surgery.

In pre-adolescent children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy good long-term outcomes can be achieved after reconstruction of the hip; regular follow-up is required.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:259–65.

A delay in the diagnosis of paediatric acute and subacute haematogenous osteomyelitis can lead to potentially devastating morbidity. There are no definitive guidelines for diagnosis, and recommendations in the literature are generally based on expert opinions, case series and cohort studies.

All articles in the English literature on paediatric osteomyelitis were searched using MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library and reference lists. A total of 1854 papers were identified, 132 of which were examined in detail. All aspects of osteomyelitis were investigated in order to formulate recommendations.

On admission 40% of children are afebrile. The tibia and femur are the most commonly affected long bones. Clinical examination, blood and radiological tests are only reliable for diagnosis in combination. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common organism detected, but isolation of Kingella kingae is increasing. Antibiotic treatment is usually sufficient to eradicate the infection, with a short course intravenously and early conversion to oral treatment. Surgery is indicated only in specific situations.

Most studies were retrospective and there is a need for large, multicentre, randomised, controlled trials to define protocols for diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, evidence-based algorithms are suggested for accurate and early diagnosis and effective treatment.

Between 1990 and 2001, 24 children aged between 15 months and 11 years presented with late orthopaedic sequelae after meningococcal septicaemia. The median time to presentation was 32 months (12 to 119) after the acute phase of the disease. The reasons for referral included angular deformity, limb-length discrepancy, joint contracture and problems with prosthetic fitting. Angular deformity with or without limb-length discrepancy was the most common presentation. Partial growth arrest was the cause of the angular deformity. Multiple growth-plate involvement occurred in 14 children. The lower limbs were affected much more often than the upper. Twenty-three children underwent operations for realignment of the mechanical axis and limb-length equalisation. In 15 patients with angular deformity around the knee the deformity recurred. As a result we recommend performing a realignment procedure with epiphysiodesis of the remaining growth plate when correcting angular deformities.

The aetiology of congenital club foot is unclear. Although studies on populations, families and twins suggest a genetic component, the mode of inheritance does not comply with distinctive patterns.

The Odense-based Danish Twin Registry contains data on all 73 000 twin pairs born in Denmark over the last 130 years. In 2002 all 46 418 twins born between 1931 and 1982 received a 17-page questionnaire, one question of which was ‘Were you born with club foot?’ A total of 94 twins answered ‘Yes’, giving an overall self-reported prevalence of congenital club foot of 0.0027 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.0022 to 0.0034). We identified 55 complete twin pairs, representing 12 monozygotic, 22 dizygotic same sex (DZ_ss), 18 dizygotic other sex (DZ_os) and three unclassified. Two monozygotic and 2 DZ_ss pairs were concordant. The pairwise concordance was 0.17 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.48) for monozygotic, 0.09 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.32) for DZ_ss and 0.05 (95% CI 0.006 to 0.18) for all dizygotic (DZ_tot) twins.

We have found evidence of a genetic component in congenital club foot, although non-genetic factors must play a predominant role.

The management of chronic osteomyelitis requires the excision of necrotic and infected material followed by the prolonged administration of antibiotics. Sequestrectomy may be required before an involucrum has formed, resulting in a longitudinal bone defect. This can be difficult to fill. Vascularised grafts are complicated by a high rate of recurrent infection and thrombosis.

We have managed defects of long bones in children after sequestrectomy by the use of non-vascularised fibular grafts harvested subperiosteally and held by an intramedullary Kirschner wire. Eight children underwent this procedure. In six the tibia was involved and in one each the humerus and radius. One patient was lost to follow-up. Six grafts united at both ends within 12 weeks. The seventh developed an infected nonunion distally which united after further debridement. One patient required a further sequestrectomy which did not compromise union.

We have found this to be a straightforward technique with reliable results and were able to salvage the limb in all the seven patients who were reviewed.

We reviewed retrospectively 45 patients (46 procedures) with bladder exstrophy treated by bilateral oblique pelvic osteotomy in conjunction with genitourinary repair.

The operative technique and post-operative management with or without external fixation are described. A total of 21 patients attended a special follow-up clinic and 24 were interviewed by telephone. The mean follow-up time was 57 months (24 to 108).

Of the 45 patients, 42 reported no pain or functional disability, although six had a waddling gait and two had marked external rotation of the hip. Complications included three cases of infection and loosening of the external fixator requiring early removal with no deleterious effect. Mid-line closure failed in one neonate managed in plaster. This patient underwent a successful revision procedure several months later using repeat osteotomies and external fixation.

The percentage pubic approximation was measured on anteroposterior radiographs pre-operatively, post-operatively and at final follow-up. The mean approximation was 37% (12% to 76%). It varied markedly with age and was better when external fixation was used. The wide range reflects the inability of the anterior segment to develop naturally in spite of close approximation at operation.

We conclude that bilateral oblique pelvic osteotomy with or without external fixation is useful in the management of difficult primary closure in bladder exstrophy, failed primary closure and secondary reconstruction.