Alexander Broom

Continuing Delay in the Diagnosis of Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the time from symptom onset to diagnosis of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) has improved over a recent decade compared with reports of previous decades. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective review of 481 patients admitted with a diagnosis of SCFE at three large pediatric hospitals between January 2003 and December 2012. RESULTS The average time from symptom onset to diagnosis of SCFE was 17 weeks (range, 0-to 169). There were no significant differences in time from symptom onset to diagnosis across 2-year intervals of the 10-year study period (P = .94). The time from evaluation by first provider to diagnosis was significantly shorter for patients evaluated at an orthopedic clinic (mean, 0 weeks; range, 0-0 weeks) compared with patients evaluated by a primary care provider (mean, 4 weeks; range, 0-52 weeks; r = 0.24; P = .003) or at an emergency department (mean, 6 weeks, range, 0-104 weeks; r = 0.36; P = .008). Fifty-two patients (10.8%) developed a second SCFE after treatment of the first affected side. The time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis for the second episode of SCFE was significantly shorter (r = 0.19; P < .001), with mean interval of 11 weeks (range, 0-104 weeks) from symptom onset to diagnosis. There were significantly more cases of mildly severe SCFE, as defined by the Wilson classification scheme, in second episodes of SCFE compared with first episodes of SCFE (OR, 4.44; P = .001). CONCLUSION Despite reports documenting a lag in time to the diagnosis of SCFE more than a decade ago, there has been no improvement in the speed of diagnosis. Decreases in both the time to diagnosis and the severity of findings for the second episode of SCFE suggest that the education of at-risk children and their families (or providers) may be of benefit in decreasing this delay.

Removal of Infected Posterior Spinal Implants: Be Prepared to Transfuse

STUDY DESIGN Single-center retrospective review of spinal deformity patients undergoing removal of infected posterior spinal fusion implants over a 10-year period. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the intraoperative blood loss and perioperative complications of implant removal in posterior spinal fusions. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA To our knowledge, no studies examine blood loss or complications associated with removal of infected spinal implants in spinal deformity. METHODS A retrospective review of 28 consecutive cases of infected posterior spinal fusion implant removal from 2003 to 2012 was performed. Exclusion criteria were patients with ≤6 levels of instrumentation, a partial removal of implants or a bleeding disorder. RESULTS The average estimated blood loss was 465 mL (range 100-1,505 mL). Average estimated blood volume was 3,814 mL (range 1,840-9,264 mL). The average percentage of estimated blood loss was 14.2% (range 1.9%-43.5%). On postoperative labs obtained at the conclusion of the procedure, there was an average loss in hematocrit of 6.6 from preoperative values. Seventy-one percent of patients (20/28) received a blood transfusion; 39% (11/28) of these received a transfusion intraoperatively and 54% (15/28) received a transfusion postoperatively. Forty-six percent of patients (13/28) experienced an associated medical complication in the postoperative period. Among these 13, there were 16 total complications, with the most common being seizures (4/16), pneumonia (2/16), and sepsis (2/16). Average hospital stay was 14 days (range 4-52). CONCLUSION Seventy-one percent of patients undergoing removal of infected spinal implants received a blood transfusion. We recommend having blood products available when removing posterior spinal instrumentation >6 levels. Patients and families should be counseled on the high risk of complications and expected hospital stay in these cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.

Do Age and Weight Bearing Films Affect Lateral Joint Space and Fibular Height Measurements in Patients with Discoid Lateral Meniscus

Objectives: Several radiographic parameters have been associated with discoid lateral meniscus. We sought to determine the effect of age and weight bearing (WB) on radiographic parameters associated with lateral discoid menisci in pediatric patients. Methods: Radiographs of patients with arthroscopically confirmed lateral discoid meniscus were compared to age, side, sex matched individuals with confirmed normal menisci. The radiographs were measured by a pediatric orthopaedic sports medicine attending and two orthopaedic residents for the following parameters: lateral joint space width (LJSW), fibular head height (FHH), width of the distal femur (WDF), tibial spine height (TSH), cupping of the lateral tibial plateau (CLTP), and obliquity of the lateral tibial plateau (OLTP). The results of this review focus on FHH and LJSW only. Results: 68 knees with discoid lateral menisci with a mean age of 11.6 ± 3.3 (15 WB films) were compared to 67 control knees with a mean age of 11.9 ± 3.2 (15 WB films). Results indicated that there were significant differences between the discoid and control groups when comparing LJSW (8.7 ± 2.2 mm discoid compared to 7.6 ± 2.1 mm control p=0.002) and FHH (13.5 ± 4.5 mm discoid compared to 18.6 ± 3.9 mm control p<0.001). Inter-rater reliability was satisfactory for LJSW and FHH (ICC 0.635 and 0.759 respectively). WB films were noted to have better inter-rater reliability compared to NWB films for LJSW (ICC 0.729 vs 0.514 respectively) but reduced inter-rater reliability for FHH (ICC 0.625 vs 0.868 respectively). Subgroup analysis based on age was also done comparing patients under 10 years old, patients between 10-14 years old, and patients over 14 years old. The FHH measurement was significantly decreased (indicative of a high fibular head) in the discoid group in all age groups. However, LJSW was only noted to be significantly different in patients over the age of 14. Conclusion: Increased lateral joint space width and a high fibular head were associated with discoid lateral menisci and also showed satisfactory inter-rater reliability. Weightbearing films showed better inter-rater reliability for LJSW but decreased reliability for FHH. Higher fibular height was consistently seen across age groups but increased LJSW was only significantly different in the over 14 years old group. Fibular height might be a better radiographic parameter for discoid lateral meniscus evaluation across all age groups while lateral joint space may be better in older adolescent patients.