We investigated 185 adolescents under the age of 19 years with spondylolysis. All but five were active in sport. The pars defect was classified into early, progressive and terminal stages. Of the 346 pars defects in 185 patients, 39.6% were early, 29.5% progressive and 30.9% in the terminal stages. Conservative management produced healing in 73.0% of the early, 38.5% of the progressive and none of the terminal defects. These results suggest that spondylolysis is caused by repetitive microtrauma during growth and can be successfully treated conservatively if treatment is started in the early stage. There was elongation of the pars interarticularis as the pars defect progressed, and this is likely to be a consequence of the defect rather than a contributing cause.
We report the results of 23 soft-tissue release procedures in 15 patients who had juvenile chronic arthritis. The operation, which includes hamstring tenotomies and posterior capsulotomy, is a safe and effective way of eliminating contracture, relieving pain and improving function.
In juvenile chronic arthritis the hips are commonly affected and this becomes the most important reason for losing independence and mobility: the joint develops a painful flexion contracture with marked loss of movement. Soft-tissue release operations consisting of psoas and adductor tenotomies have proved a safe and effective method of relieving pain and improving function. We report 89 such operations in 52 patients. More extensive soft-tissue release operations or synovectomy of the hips offer no advantage and recovery is often more painful and prolonged.
The case illustrated substantiates the explanation of the rare epiphysial separation of the head of the radius with 90 degrees backward tilting referred to above as Group 2. It suggests also that the initial fall on the hand may loosen the capital epiphysis. The undesirability of reducing dislocations of the elbow merely by pulling on the hand of the injured limb is emphasised. The dislocation should be reduced by gentle traction accompanied by pressure with the thumbs on the front of the displaced olecranon.
1. Two patients are reported with progressive fibrosis of the vastus intermedius muscle causing limitation of flexion of the knee. The first patient, a girl of ten years who was one of binovular twins, noticed difficulty in walking at the age of five, the disability increasing with age. The other girl, aged three, was one of uniovular twins and displayed the abnormality as soon as she started walking. 2. The nature of the condition remains obscure. 3. Surgery is effective, and simple division of the affected muscle segment is recommended. A good range of passive flexion is obtained at once; the active range can be obtained thereafter by physiotherapy. Because this requires the patient's cooperation it is suggested that the best age for surgery is about five or six years.
We reviewed 36 consecutive patients with Monteggia fracture-dislocations of the forearm; 28 had been treated within 24 hours and 8 had been referred a week or more after the initial injury with persisting or recurrent dislocation of the proximal radio-ulnar joint after treatment elsewhere. We treated 15 of the 16 complete fractures and 3 of the 11 incomplete fractures of the ulna by operative fixation. All the early fractures and six of the eight late referrals had good or excellent results. The two poor results were in patients with malalignment and dislocation of the radial head persisting for at least two weeks before definitive treatment. A good outcome after a Monteggia injury in a child requires early diagnosis and prompt, stable, anatomical reduction of the ulnar fracture. In our experience, selective operative fixation of unstable fractures provides reliable reduction and causes few complications.
Two cases of post-traumatic avascular necrosis of the head of the femur without evident dislocation of the head or fracture of the head or neck are recorded.
1. Transient synovitis is an acute, and at times exudative, condition of the synovial membrane. 2. There is no particular association with injury or with upper respiratory infection. 3. The course is short and benign with complete resolution. The occasional hip with chronic or recurrent symptoms can be distinguished from Legg-Perthes' disease by the shorter history, normal radiographs and the complete resolution. 4. There is no evidence that transient synovitis leads to avascular changes in the femoral head.
The August 2024 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup. 360. looks at: Antibiotic prophylaxis and infection rates in paediatric supracondylar humerus fractures; Clinical consensus recommendations for the non-surgical treatment of
The October 2023 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup. 360. looks at: Outcomes of open reduction in
The December 2022 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup. 360. looks at: Immobilization of torus fractures of the wrist in
