Aims

The hypothesis of this study was that bone peg fixation in the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus would show satisfactory clinical and radiological results, without complications.

Cardiac disease in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has previously been studied but not in patients with a kyphosis or in those who have undergone an operation to correct it.

The aim of this study was to measure the post-operative changes in cardiac function of patients with an AS kyphosis after pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO).

The original cohort consisted of 39 patients (33 men, six women). Of these, four patients (two men, two women) were lost to follow-up leaving 35 patients (31 men, four women) to study. The mean age of the remaining patients was 37.4 years (22.3 to 47.8) and their mean duration of AS was 17.0 years (4.6 to 26.4). Echocardiographic measurements, resting heart rate (RHR), physical function score (PFS), and full-length standing spinal radiographs were obtained before surgery and at the two-year follow-up.

The mean pre-operative RHR was 80.2 bpm (60.6 to 112.3) which dropped to a mean of 73.7 bpm (60.7 to 90.6) at the two-year follow-up (p = 0.0000). Of 15 patients with normal ventricular function pre-operatively, two developed mild left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) at the two-year follow-up. Of 20 patients with mild LVDD pre-operatively only five had this post-operatively. Overall, 15 patients had normal LV diastolic function before their operation and 28 patients had normal LV function at the two-year follow-up.

The clinical improvement was 15 out of 20 (75.0%): cardiac function in patients with AS whose kyphosis was treated by PSO was significantly improved.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1405–10.

This study evaluates factors related to myelopathic symptoms in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). A total of 87 patients with OPLL were included. Of these, 53 (Group I) had no symptoms or presented with neck pain and radiculopathy and 34 (Group II) had myelopathic symptoms. Gender, age, and history of trauma were evaluated in the two groups. The range of movement of the cervical spine was measured using plain radiographs. The number of involved segments, type of OPLL, and maximal compression ratio were analysed using CT and signal change in the spinal cord was evaluated using MRI.

The patients’ age was found to be significant (p = 0.001). No difference was found between gender and the range of movement in the two groups. The maximum compression of the spinal canal showed a difference (p = 0.03). The signal change of the spinal cord was different between the two groups. In patients with OPLL of the cervical spine, myelopathic symptoms are not related to the range of movement or the number of involved segments.

We evaluated the efficacy of anterior fusion alone compared with combined anterior and posterior fusion for the treatment of degenerative cervical kyphosis. Anterior fusion alone was undertaken in 15 patients (group A) and combined anterior and posterior fusion was carried out in a further 15 (group B). The degree and maintenance of the angle of correction, the incidence of graft subsidence, degeneration at adjacent levels and the rate of fusion were assessed radiologically and clinically and the rate of complications recorded. The mean angle of correction in group B was significantly higher than in group A (p = 0.0009). The mean visual analogue scale and the neck disability index in group B was better than in group A (p = 0.043, 0.0006). The mean operation time and the blood loss in B were greater than in group A (p < 0.0001, 0.037). Pseudarthrosis, subsidence of the cage, and problems related to the hardware were more prevalent in group A than in group B (p = 0.034, 0.025, 0.013).

Although the combined procedure resulted in a longer operating time and greater blood loss than with anterior fusion alone, our results suggest that for the treatment of degenerative cervical kyphosis the combined approach leads to better maintenance of sagittal alignment, a higher rate of fusion, a lower incidence of complications and a better clinical outcome.

We have investigated whether early anatomical open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) reduces the incidence of complications of fracture of the femoral neck in children, including avascular necrosis, compared with closed reduction and internal fixation (CRIF). We retrospectively reviewed 27 such fractures (15 type-II and 12 type-III displaced fractures) in children younger than 16 years of age seen in our hospital between February 1989 and March 2007. We divided the patients into three groups according to the quality of the reduction (anatomical, acceptable, and unacceptable) and the clinical results into two groups (satisfactory and unsatisfactory). Of the 15 fractures treated by ORIF, 14 (93.3%) had anatomical reduction and reduction was acceptable in one. Of the 12 treated by CRIF, three (25.0%) had anatomical reduction, eight had acceptable reduction (66.7%), and one (8.3%) unacceptable reduction. Of the 15 fractures treated by ORIF, 14 (93.3%) had a good result and one a fair result. Of the 12 treated by CRIF, seven (58.3%) had a good result, two (16.7%) a fair result and three (25.0%) a poor result. There were seven complications in five patients.

ORIF gives better reduction with fewer complications, including avascular necrosis, than does CRIF in fractures of the femoral neck in children.