We undertook a retrospective comparative study
of all patients with an unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis presenting
to a single centre between 1998 and 2011. There were 45 patients
(46 hips; mean age 12.6 years; 9 to 14); 16 hips underwent intracapsular
cuneiform osteotomy and 30 underwent pinning Pinning Non-emergency intracapsular osteotomy may have a protective effect
on the epiphyseal vasculature and should be undertaken with a delay
of at least two weeks. The place of emergency pinning Cite this article:
Transepiphyseal separation of the neck of the femur following grand mal seizures is described in two children with cerebral palsy. Closed reduction and percutaneous fixation was followed by a period in a hip spica. Although the incidence of avascular necrosis of the femoral head is high following such injury, this has not occurred in these patients at a follow-up of 18 months.
We report our initial experience of using the Ponseti method for the treatment of congenital idiopathic club foot. Between November 2002 and November 2004 we treated 100 feet in 66 children by this method. The standard protocol described by Ponseti was used except that, when necessary, percutaneous tenotomy of tendo Achillis were performed under general anaesthesia in the operating theatre and not under local anaesthesia in the out-patient department. The Pirani score was used for assessment and the mean follow-up time was 18 months (6 to 30). The results were also assessed in terms of the number of casts applied, the need for tenotomy of tendo Achillis and recurrence of the deformity. Tenotomy was required in 85 of the 100 feet. There was a failure to respond to the initial regimen in four feet which then required extensive soft-tissue release. Of the 96 feet which responded to initial casting, 31 (32%) had a recurrence, 16 of which were successfully treated by repeat casting and/or tenotomy and/or transfer of the tendon of tibialis anterior. The remaining 15 required extensive soft-tissue release. Poor compliance with the foot-abduction orthoses (Denis Browne splint) was thought to be the main cause of failure in these patients.
Distal tibial physeal fractures are the second most common growth plate injury and the most common cause of growth arrest and deformity. This study assesses the accuracy of pre-operative planning for placement of the screws in these fractures using either standard radiographs or CT scans. We studied 62 consecutive physeal fractures over a period of four years. An outline of a single cut of the CT scan was used for each patient. An ideal position for the screw was determined as being perpendicular to and at the midpoint of the fracture. The difference in entry point and direction of the screw between the ideal and the observers’ assessments were compared using the paired Student’s We would, therefore, recommend that CT scans are routinely used in the pre-operative assessment and treatment of distal tibial physeal fractures.