Ian Torode

Paediatric Orthopaedics : A system of decision-making

This multiauthored textbook presents an important new amalgamation of children’s orthopaedic concepts originating from different parts of the world and reflecting the variety of practice in global children’s orthopaedics. The authors have developed an important, systematic look at children’s orthopaedic disease with each of the very experienced children’s orthopaedic surgeon authors having written their own chapters. No junior colleague chapters here! Three of the 4 authors represent non-North American centers (Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom). The world is flat, as they say, and this is indeed a global text that encompasses Indian, Australian, British, and North American thinking and application of children’s orthopaedic concepts. One of the unique strengths of this treatise is its sectional approach to pediatric orthopaedics with sections entitled Deformity, Dislocation, Deficiencies, Discrepancies (limb lengthening), Decreased Joint Mobility, Paralysis, Physeal Problems, and Infection. This represents classical orthoapedic teaching from across the Atlantic where approach is more global in terms of describing the problem and developing a surgical solution to the problem, even though the causes of the problem (specific ICD-9 diagnosis) may be varied. Another aspect of this book, which is unconventional is the outline of treatment in a tabulated form with sequential specific indications and treatment guidelines rather than algorithms. Most of the decision making in these different conditions has been developed by the authors based on common sense knowledge and simple radiographic techniques that are available and easily accessible in most parts of the world. Decision making that requires extensive advanced imaging is generally avoided, which provides an important message for the healthcare industry. This textbook represents an interesting approach to children’s orthopaedics which is traditional and systematic, yet highly intellectual, with a greater emphasis on understanding what physical problems the child has before developing a treatment plan. This brings up the question of who will find this book most useful. I wish we could say that the text will be ideal for the average orthopaedic resident in North America, but unfortunately the approach may seem a bit theoretical to them. I wish this were not the case, however the pace of North American orthopaedic education, with a rather superficial exposure to a huge variety of subspecialty topics, may make this ‘‘anatomic-deformity, clarificationof-diagnosis, appropriate-selectionof-treatment’’ concept too ‘‘distant’’ for the typical North American orthopaedic resident. In contrast, the text is perfect for pediatric orthopaedists, particularly those who are building a new practice and ideal for fellows who have left the fold of general orthopaedic surgery and are now developing an intellectual and practical basis for their subspecialty training and subsequent practice. This book will also lay a global children’s orthopaedics background for the many academic consultants who now travel for clinical practice or to lecture and conduct symposiums throughout the world. This new text represents a marked improvement in the intellectual focus of children’s orthopaedic publishing. The authors must be commended for the immense amount of work required to create the book, particularly as junior colleagues were not used as coauthors. Thoughtful children’s orthopaedists throughout the world will find this book a ‘‘must have’’ and general orthopaedists will also benefit by its logical approach.

Congenital vertical talus

The author provides a description of the deformity congenital vertical talus, including characteristics and contributing factors. Also outlined are the incidence, cause, and pathogenesis; radiographic features; anatomy; and treatment of the condition. The author includes results and discussion of surgical treatment.