Cervical spondylolysis is a rare defect of unknown etiology. Five cases of cervical spondylolysis as well as two cases of fractures of the pedicles of C2 in infants are presented. Comparison of the cases suggests that a fracture at birth or in infancy may be the cause of some cases of cervical spondylolysis.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Degloving injuries in children.

Degloving injuries are uncommon but serious and are being encountered with increasing frequency in children. A 5-year review of experience with degloving injuries on the Orthopaedic Service at the Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada) Children's Hospital revealed 16 patients who had sustained this trauma in association with fractures. Twelve of these children had typical anatomical degloving. However, six patients had an associated concealed degloving or so-called "physiological degloving," with disruption of the underlying skin vasculature but no actual disruption of the skin surface. The most common causes of degloving injuries were being run over by a motor vehicle and farm machinery accidents. The diagnosis and proper management of the degloved extremity, especially when accompanied by underlying fracture, are essential in children if morbidity and limb loss are to be minimized.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Semitendinosus tenodesis for repair of recurrent dislocation of the patella in children.

Recurrent dislocation of the patella is more common in girls than in boys. Although several predisposing factors may exist, patellar dislocation is most commonly associated with familial ligamentous laxity. Many surgical repairs have been described to stabilize the patella. We have found the semitendinosus transfer to the patella to result in a predictable, stable patellofemoral joint without risk of injury to the proximal tibial physis. Between January 1990 and December 1997, 29 children have been treated at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario with a semitendinosus transfer for recurrent dislocation of the patella. Seven children were excluded from the study because of insufficient follow-up; consequently this series consisted of 22 children. Four children underwent bilateral repairs, hence 26 knees that have been operated on with this procedure were included in this study. There were three boys and 19 girls, with an average age at surgery of 14 years and 4 months, ranging from 8 years and 11 months to 17 years and 10 months. The average length of follow-up was 3 years and 2 months, ranging between 2 years and 7 years and 4 months. All children had experienced greater than three episodes of recurrent dislocation of the patella. Pain consistent with patellofemoral syndrome or chondromalacia was present in 17 of 26 knees. On clinical examination, 10 knees exhibited marked ligamentous laxity. There were nine positive patellar apprehension tests, and eight patellae were hypermobile. All children were treated with a semitendinosus transfer to the patella with concomitant tightening of the medial retinaculum and a lateral retinacular release. On long-term follow-up, 23 of the 26 knees (88%) were asymptomatic, and the child had returned to regular activities. Each child completed the Lysholm and the subjective component of the Zarins-Rowe questionnaire to determine the subjective results of the repair procedure. Three children complained of patellofemoral symptoms. One child experienced recurrence of the patellar dislocation, and one child developed medical patellar subluxation.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Isolated fractures of the tibia with intact fibula in children: a review of 95 patients.

Isolated tibial fractures with an intact fibula are the most common tibial fracture pattern in children. When displaced, this fracture can be difficult to reduce and retain in the position because of the splinting of the intact fibula. A 4-year review of 95 children with fracture of the tibia with an intact fibula was performed at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Eighty-one percent of the fractures were caused by an indirect rotational twisting force. Seventy-three percent of fractures were localized at the distal third of the tibial shaft. Varus angulation deformity occurred most commonly when the fracture line started distally on the anteromedial side of the tibia and progressed in an oblique or spiral manner to the proximal posterolateral aspect of the tibia. This was postulated to be caused by the posterior flexor muscle forces being more concentrated medially, whereas laterally, the intact fibula acts like a splint, thus producing a bending moment resulting in varus angulation. Close follow-up and monitoring of the isolated tibial fractures with weekly radiographs for the first 3 weeks is recommended.

Accidents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Anterior cruciate ligament tears in children: an analysis of operative versus nonoperative treatment.

A 12-year retrospective analysis of 42 children with arthroscopically confirmed anterior cruciate ligament disruption was undertaken to determine (a) the subjective efficacy of treatment, (b) the clinical and biomechanical results of operative and nonoperative management, and (c) the most appropriate long-term outcome measurements. Patients were followed up for a mean of 5.3 years from the time of initial treatment and were between the ages of 5 and 17 years (mean, 14.4) at the time of treatment. The children were treated nonoperatively by primary ligament repair or by intraarticular anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. In the child, a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament was best managed by intraarticular surgical reconstruction. This was confirmed by clinical examination (p < 0.01), by a composite knee score involving a clinical examination and patient questionnaire (p < 0.0005), and by testing with the KT-1000 arthrometer. No significant differences in outcome could be attributed to the patient age or the maturity of the growth plates. In the active child, anterior cruciate reconstruction for complete tears resulted in a more stable and functional knee.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Infantile hemangiopericytoma of the musculoskeletal system: case report and literature review.

Infantile hemangiopericytoma is an uncommon cause of a soft-tissue mass in the neonatal period. Only 86 of these tumors have been reported in the literature. Thirty of these were located in the extremities. This review presents a case of infantile hemangiopericytoma localized to the knee in an 8-month-old infant. Current literature suggests that the majority of these lesions are benign, and surgical excision is curative. Recurrence and metastatic disease rarely occur. Because 30-50% of infantile hemangiopericytomas occur in the extremities, orthopaedic surgeons should be aware of and familiar with this tumor.

Extremities↗