Indranil Kushare

Discoid Meniscus: Diagnosis and Management

Discoid lateral meniscus is a common abnormal meniscal variant in children. Detailed history and physical examination combined with an MRI of the knee predictably diagnose a discoid meniscus. The clinical presentation varies from being asymptomatic to snapping, locking, and causing severe pain and swelling of the knee. Because of the pathologic anatomy and instability, discoid menisci are more prone to tearing. Treatment options for symptomatic patients vary based on the type of anomaly, the age of the patient, stability, and the presence or absence of a tear. Improvements in arthroscopic equipment and technique have resulted in good to excellent short-term outcomes for saucerization and repair.

Unicameral bone cysts: General characteristics and management controversies

Unicameral bone cysts are benign bone lesions that are often asymptomatic and commonly develop in the proximal humerus and femur of skeletally immature patients. The etiology of these lesions remains unknown. Most patients present with a pathologic fracture, but these cysts can be discovered incidentally, as well. Radiographically, a unicameral bone cyst appears as a radiolucent lesion with cortical thinning and is centrally located within the metaphysis. Although diagnosis is frequently straightforward, management remains controversial. Because the results of various management methods are heterogeneous, no single method has emerged as the standard of care. New minimally invasive techniques involve cyst decompression with bone grafting and instrumentation. These techniques have yielded promising results, with low rates of complications and recurrence reported; however, prospective clinical trials are needed to compare these techniques with current evidence-based treatments.

Chest wall osteochondroma in children: a case series of surgical management.

Background: Chest wall osteochondroma is a rare tumor in children. Even though the potential for malignant transformation or serious intrathoracic complications is low, it has led some centers to advocate surgical management of these bony tumors. We present our experience of the surgical management of costal osteochondromata. Methods: Between January 1, 2006 and November 1, 2012 we saw 854 patients with solitary or multiple exostoses in our clinics. By reviewing our billing lists we found 7 children who had surgical management of chest wall osteochondromata. The indications for surgery were pain (3 patients), excision for confirmation of diagnosis (2 patients), recurrent pneumothorax (1 patient), and malignancy (1 patient). Results: All patients made a good postoperative recovery with a median hospital stay of 1.8 days (range, 0 to 4 d). There was no recurrence of exostosis on follow-up (range, 8 mo to 2.6 y). One patient required surgery for excision of another chest wall osteochondroma at an adjacent location. No patient reported scar-related pain symptoms. No malignant transformation or intrathoracic complications occurred. We found ribs as the first site of presentation of multiple hereditary exostoses in 2 young patients. Conclusions: Surgical management of thoracic osteochondroma, with excision for painful, symptomatic, malignant lesions or lesions adjudged to be at risk of intrathoracic complications, yields good outcomes in terms of symptom control, establishing histologic diagnosis, and prevention of thoracic complications. Level of Evidence: Level IV—case series.

Traumatic, Posterior Pediatric Hip Dislocations With Associated Posterior Labrum Osteochondral Avulsion: Recognizing the Acetabular "Fleck" Sign.

Background: Traumatic dislocation of the hip is uncommon in the pediatric population. Concentric reduction is usually achieved by closed means. Open reduction may be needed if there is femoral head fracture, incarcerated fragment, or incomplete reduction due to soft tissue entrapment. We present a series of 10 patients who sustained a posterior hip dislocation or subluxation with associated osteochondral avulsion of the posterior labrum. During surgery they were noted to have a labral injury pattern not previously recognized. Such treatment was dictated by postreduction advanced imaging, which revealed a consistent acetabular “fleck” sign indicative of this labral injury, which has not been previously described in literature. Methods: We performed a retrospective case review of patients with traumatic posterior hip dislocation/subluxation, treated operatively for a suspected associated labral tear and fractures. Results: Ten patients (2 girls and 8 boys) were identified. Average age was 12.7 years. Eight patients had postreduction computed tomography scans, which revealed a posterior acetabular wall “fleck” sign, suggestive of osteochondral injury. The small bony fragment was consistently displaced at least 2 to 3 mm in all patients with majority of the posterior wall remaining intact. Closed reduction was felt to be congruent in 7 of the 10 patients. All patients were treated operatively for exploration and stabilization of the suspected posterior labrum pathology and associated injuries using a surgical hip dislocation. A consistent pattern of labral pathology was seen in all patients, with disruption of the posterior labrum from the superior 12 o’clock attachment to detachment at the inferior 6 o’clock location. Reattachment of the osteochondral labral avulsion was performed with suture anchors along the posterior rim, and the associated femoral head fractures were also addressed with internal fixation. Two patients had inadequate follow-up and were excluded, the average follow-up for the remaining 8 patients was 9.8 months (range, 6 to 26 mo). There were no findings of avascular necrosis in any of the 8 patients. Conclusions: Posterior hip dislocation in children may produce an acetabular “fleck” sign on advanced imaging, which in a stable, concentrically reduced hip has been treated without surgery in the past. Acetabular fleck sign may represent a near-complete avulsion of the posterior labrum as seen in our series. We recommend a high suspicion for this type of labral pathology and surgical repair when acetabular “fleck” sign is identified with hip subluxation or dislocation. Traumatic, posterior hip dislocations in young patients may be associated with significant labral pathology. Acetabular “fleck” sign on advanced imaging may predict such pathology. Level of Evidence: IV, retrospective study.

Pinless halo in the pediatric population: indications and complications.

Background: The use of the conventional halo is accompanied by the possibility of serious complications, especially in the pediatric population. Complications could include penetration of pin into the skull, pin loosening, pin tract infection, cranial nerve palsies, and vest-related pressure sores. The noninvasive “pinless” halo was introduced in an attempt to mitigate these problems while retaining the effectiveness of the conventional halo. The purpose of this study is to determine the indications and complications related to pinless halo application. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 61 patients, whose treatment included the use of a pinless halo device, presenting to our institution between 2004 and 2012. Results: There were 35 male and 26 female patients with an average age of 6.04 years. Indications of pinless halo application included postoperative immobilization for congenital muscular torticollis in 38 cases, conservative management of atlantoaxial rotatory subluxation in 11 cases, postoperative immobilization following cervical fusion in 10 cases, and immobilization for occipital condyle fracture in 2 cases. The average duration of the pinless halo application was 32.68 days. Thirteen patients had complications, among which major complications were seen in 2 patients, each of whom developed a pressure sore; one on the scalp and the other on the chest. Both the pressure sores responded to local treatment; however, 1 resulted in permanent alopecia. Conclusions: The use of the noninvasive pinless halo was found to be safe with few complications in our study. The complications were infrequent and patients were compliant to treatment, indicating that this modality is patient-friendly. Effectiveness of this treatment in comparison with invasive halos and other cervical orthoses was not determined and is a limitation of this study. Level of Evidence: Level IV-Case series.

Acute, unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis with associated congenital coxa vara.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis in patients younger than 10 years is rare and is often associated with some identifiable metabolic or endocrinologic abnormality. We present a case of a 5-year-old girl with an acute, unstable, severe slipped capital femoral epiphysis associated with congenital coxa vara and its surgical management. This association has not been described in previous literature. Surgical treatment is proposed and described.

Bilateral C6 spondylolysis with spondylolisthesis in 3 adolescent siblings.

Background: Cervical spondylolysis with spondylolisthesis is a rare condition in the pediatric population. The nature of this condition and clinical presentation are important to provide appropriate management. Methods: This is a case report of 3 adolescent siblings who had C6 cervical spondylolysis with spondylolisthesis. Results: Two cases were diagnosed insidiously with absence of neurological deficits and no instability on imaging and were treated conservatively. One case had a traumatic presentation associated with instability on imaging and was managed with cervical fusion and instrumentation. All 3 patients were doing well on a follow-up of >2 years. Conclusions: These cases suggest that cervical spondylolysis could be familial. The treatment was offered based on clinical presentation and presence of instability on radiographic studies. Level of Evidence: Level IV.

Spontaneous Hemarthrosis of the Knee - Late Complication of Flexible Femur Nailing: A Case Report

We present a case report of acute spontaneous knee hemarthosis due to erosion of the nail through the knee joint capsule in a boy, seven months following retrograde flexible nailing for fractured femur. Careful positioning of the location of the insertion site of flexible nails and proper nail tip management are important to avoid this rare late complication.

Incidence of Hip Dysplasia Associated With Bladder Exstrophy.

Background: Exstrophy of the bladder is a rare congenital defect seen in 2.15 children out of every 100,000 live births, with the most severe variant, cloacal exstrophy (CE), only occurring in 1 in 200,000. Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) describes a spectrum of disease ranging from mild hip instability to frank dislocation. Underlying malformations, such as myelomeningocele and arthrogryposis, are often associated with the most severe variant of hip dysplasia, teratologic hip dislocation. The varying degrees of severity in DDH have been encountered in classic bladder exstrophy (CBE) patients, but the exact incidence is unknown. We sought to determine the incidence of DDH in CBE and CE patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all children with CBE or CE presenting to a single pediatric center between 1994 and 2014. Each chart was reviewed for correct diagnosis of CBE or CE, patient age and demographics, associated medical conditions, pertinent surgeries performed, and the age at operation. Patient imaging was reviewed to determine whether bilateral hip imaging was available. Results: In a 20-year retrospective review, we identified 66 patients who were diagnosed with either CBE or CE and had available hip imaging (38 males and 28 females). Of these, 11 patients were found to have radiographic evidence of DDH, for an incidence of 16.7% (11/66). Five of these patients had CE, whereas 6 presented with CBE. The first radiographic evidence of DDH was noted at a mean age of 5.75 years (range, birth to 22 y). Conclusions: We advocate the use of routine hip screening ultrasound in all infants born with either CBE or CE. Early identification of DDH in these patients may allow additional treatment options to coincide with frequently used osteotomy and orthopaedic interventions. Level of Evidence: Level III—retrospective study.

Early onset scoliosis: diagnosis and treatment

There are few areas within the field of pediatric orthopaedics that have had more profound advancements in the past 15 years than the care of children with early onset scoliosis. Although the number of underlying diagnoses and associated comorbidities are numerous, there are several essential underlying principles: comprehensive initial evaluation, close and ongoing communication with caregivers, exhausting the nonoperative methods before moving to surgery, diligent informed consent, preparing the family for potential complications and unplanned surgery, and a thoughtful approach to the end of lengthening or expansion, with final fusion surgery in most cases. This review aims to present the state-of-the-art in the care of early onset scoliosis, including evaluation, operative decision-making, and management of complications. Although the care is complex, and problems are common, many children successfully treated would not have survived into adulthood without the modern methods available to manage their severe spinal and chest wall deformities. Advances on the horizon, including new imaging modalities, the possibility of nonoperative lengthening, and increasingly sophisticated final fusion procedures, offer even more hope for the next generation of children with early onset scoliosis.