The literature on the treatment of clubfeet is that of unvarying success, it is often as brilliant as an advertising sheet... Yet in practice there is no lack of half-cured or relapsed cases... sufficient evidence that the methods of cure are not universally understood
Despite considerable research into the aetiology and management of Perthes' Disease, patients late with symptoms related to serious femoral head deformity. The process of progressive deformity is discussed and the clinical signs which recognize it identified. The clinical signs of the established condition are shortening, loss of abduction proceeding to a flexion/adduction contracture with unstable movement and hinge abduction on the dynamic arthrogram. Treatment must result in stable movement as the child stand and walks. This is achieved by a valgus/extension upper femoral osteotomy. The advantage of this procedure is that it relieves pain, improves leg length, restores the normal abductor lever and in consequence improves the limp, which is one of the patient's chief complaints. The results in the long term are discussed.
Bone and limb growth velocity ratios were studied in patients undergoing lengthening for unilateral congenital shortening of the lower limb. In 15 patients before lengthening, the length ratio (LR) between the normal and short sides remained constant with age. Consequently, the growth velocity ratio (GVR) between the normal and short sides also remained constant and equal to the LR. In 20 children, no significant change in GVR was observed after lengthening was carried out at a mean age of 9.6 years. Our results suggest that final limb length remains reasonably predictable and that an acceptable discrepancy can be expected, especially following lengthening after age 9 years.
We studied the behavior of hips in congenital hip dislocation. Two types were identified: those that developed normally after closed reduction and those that required an osteotomy. Children with hips that required an osteotomy were older at presentation and at follow-up had worse subluxation, with shallower acetabula. In this group, the younger the age at which reduction was achieved, the less the residual subluxation of the hip at follow-up. The age at which the late osteotomy was performed did not appear to affect the residual hip subluxation or the acetabular development. We could not find any radiologic parameter that would predict the need for an osteotomy.
The authors report a series of 10 patients (4 male, 6 female) with end-stage hip degeneration who underwent unilateral hip arthrodesis at an average age of 19 years (range 14–35). Surgery was performed with the patient in the supine position through a Watson-Jones approach and fixation was stabilized with the AO Dynamic Hip Screw (DHS). After surgery, patients were mobilized in a short hip spica. Stable fixation with the DHS could not be achieved at surgery in one patient. Bony union was achieved in seven of the nine patients (78%) with a DHS after an average of 17 weeks (range 9–34). In one patient a painful nonunion developed; it was converted to a total hip arthroplasty 23 months later. Another patient obtained a painless pseudarthrosis, for which no further surgery is planned. The DHS provides a satisfactory means of stabilizing a hip arthrodesis when combined with a hip spica. This method of arthrodesis does not violate the origin or insertion of the abductor mechanism, thereby facilitating future conversion to total hip arthroplasty.
The initial direction of displacement on slipped capital femoral epiphysis is generally accepted to be posterior as a consequence of retroversion of the femoral neck. We report the case of a 15-year-old boy with slipped capital femoral epiphysis in the medial direction, confirmed by three-dimensional computerized imaging. This was associated with an elongated neck without retroversion of the femoral neck. We suggest a correlation between elongated femoral neck with increased offset of the hip and the medial direction of slip. This case also underlines the need for precise definition of deformity prior to undertaking surgical treatment.
Summary: We studied the behavior of hips in congenital hip dislocation. Two types were identified: those that developed normally after closed reduction and those that required an osteotomy. Children with hips that required an osteotomy were older at presentation and at follow-up had worse subluxation, with shallower acetabula. In this group, the younger the age at which reduction was achieved, the less the residual subluxation of the hip at follow-up. The age at which the late osteotomy was performed did not appear to affect the residual hip subluxation or the acetabular development. We could not find any radiologic parameter that would predict the need for an osteotomy.
Pipeline embolization devices (PEDs) are increasingly used in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms. Yet, major ischemic or hemorrhagic complications after PED treatment associated with antiplatelet regimens are not well-established.
Objective
To investigate the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic complications associated with common antiplatelet regimens following PED treatment, and to examine whether platelet function testing (PFT) is associated with a lower risk of these complications.
Methods
We searched Medline, Embase, and Cochrane from 2009 to 2017. Twenty-nine studies were included that had reported a uniform antiplatelet regimen protocol and had provided data on major ischemic and hemorrhagic complications following PED treatment. Random-effect meta-analysis was used to pool overall ischemic and hemorrhagic event rates across studies. The rate of these complications with respect to the antithrombotic regimen and PFT was assessed by χ2 proportional tests.
Results
Overall, 2002 patients (age 55.9 years, 76% female) were included. A low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) regimen before and after PED treatment was associated with a higher rate of late ischemic complications than with high-dose ASA therapy (2.62 (95% CI 1.46 to 4.69) and 2.56 (1.41 to 4.64), respectively). Duration of post-procedure clopidogrel therapy <6 months was associated with greater rates of ischemic complications (1.56, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.20) than a clopidogrel regimen of ≥6 months. Performing PFT before PED treatment was not associated with the risk of ischemic complications (1.27, 95% CI 0.77 to 2.10).
Conclusion
High-dose ASA therapy and clopidogrel treatment for at least 6 months were associated with a reduced incidence of ischemic events, without affecting the risk of hemorrhagic events.
Temporary vascular occlusion of the femoral head in 6-week-old rabbits was produced by a closed means in a hip spica; the hips were maintained for 24 h in the position of flexion, abduction and internal rotation. All animals developed necrosis of the capital femoral epiphysis, best seen histologically at 2 weeks, and this subsequently recovered. Despite marked histological changes only one hip developed radiographic changes.