Kathleen A. McHale

Measurement of lumbar lordosis. Evaluation of intraobserver, interobserver, and technique variability

Study Design Sixty radiographs were measured on two separate occasions by three physicians using four different techniques to evaluate the reliability and reproducibility of the measurement of lumbar lordosis. Objective To evaluate clinical methods of measuring lumbar lordosis, determining intraobserver and interobserver reliability. Summary of Background Data Several different methods are used to measure lumbar lordosis. The reliability and reproducibility of these has not been well studied. Methods Sixty lateral full spine radiographs were obtained, labeled, and the lumbar lordosis measured independently by three practitioners who routinely perform these measurements. Four measurement techniques were used. These included measurements from the inferior endplate of T12 to the superior endplate of S1; the superior endplate of L1 to the superior endplate of S1; the inferior endplate of T12 to the inferior endplate of L5; and the superior endplate of L1 to the inferior endplate of L5. The measurements then were repeated after relabeling. Results Intraobserver reliability coefficients ranged from 0.83 to 0.92, indicating excellent reproducibility. Ninety‐two percent of repeat measures were within 10°. High overall and pairwise agreement among the three observers also was present; the interobserver reliability coefficients ranged from 0.81 to 0.92. Conclusions The measurement of lumbar lordosis is reproducible and reliable if the technique is specified and one accepts 10° as acceptable variation. Factors that affect the reproducibility of measurement include end vertebra selection (especially with transitional segments) and vertebral endplate architecture.

Occult intraspinal anomalies in congenital scoliosis.

Thirty consecutive patients with congenital spinal deformity underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the incidence of occult intraspinal anomaly. These congenital spinal deformities included 29 cases of congenital scoliosis and one case of congenital kyphosis. Physical examination findings and plain radiographs were reviewed in an attempt to correlate these findings with subsequent intraspinal pathology. Nine patients had intraspinal anomalies identified on MRI consisting of five with tethered cord, four with syringomyelia, three with lipoma, and one with diastematomyelia. One patient required surgery for diastematomyelia; another underwent release of his tethered cord. Only one patient, with diastematomyelia associated with a syrinx and bifocal tethering, had his anomaly suggested by physical examination and plain radiographs. Two other patients had findings on plain radiographs previously associated with high prevalence of occult intraspinal anomalies; one patient with congenital kyphosis had a tethered cord, and one patient with a unilateral hemivertebrae associated with a contralateral bar had a tethered cord. Two of nine patients with occult intraspinal anomalies required surgery for their anomaly. In patients with a congenital spinal deformity, we found nine (30%) of 30 to have an associated anomaly within the spinal canal. Only three of these nine had plain radiographs and physical examination findings suggestive of their subsequent MRI findings. Given the poor correlation between findings on physical examination, plain radiographs, and subsequent occult intraspinal anomalies on MRI, we believe that MRI is helpful in evaluating patients with congenital spinal anomalies.

Limb-sparing surgery for high-grade malignant tumors of the proximal tibia. Surgical technique and a method of extensor mechanism reconstruction.

A surgical technique designed for safe and easy access to the popliteal vessels, resection of a large segment of the tibia and knee joint, and a method of patellar/extensor mechanism reconstruction and soft-tissue coverage that utilizes a transferred medial gastrocnemius muscle is reported. Eleven patients have been treated with this technique, including seven patients with a minimum follow-up evaluation of two years (average, 49.5 months; range, 24.6-84.4 months). There were five males and two females, with an average age of 28.7 years. The histologic diagnoses were osteosarcoma, four patients; malignant fibrous histiocytoma, one patient; chondrosarcoma, one patient; and poorly differentiated sarcoma, one patient. The surgical stages were Stage IIA, one patient, and IIB, six patients. Six intraarticular resections and one extraarticular resection were performed; all were classified as wide excisions. Four prosthetic replacements and three arthrodeses were performed. Pathological specimens showed meniscal and patellar tendon involvement in two patients and pericapsular tibiofibular joint involvement in six patients. Local complications were transient peroneal nerve palsy in four patients and superficial skin slough in one patient. All resections obtained negative margins, and there was no local recurrence or metastatic disease. Functional results (Musculoskeletal Tumor Society System classification) were excellent in one patient, good in four, fair in one, and poor in one. Limb-sparing surgery for high-grade tumors of the proximal tibia is recommended for carefully selected patients.

Evaluation of orthopaedic injuries in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Summary: Orthopaedic injuries constitute a majority of the combat casualties in recent U.S. military conflicts. Orthopaedic injuries sustained in Operation Enduring Freedom from December 2001 to January 2003 that were treated in forward-deployed military medical facilities and evacuated to a U.S. army medical center were reviewed. The spectrum of injuries included open fractures, amputations, neurovascular, and soft-tissue injuries. Forty-four patients (85%) received treatment beyond local wound care prior to arrival at a military medical center. Debridement and irrigation was the most commonly performed procedure due to the contaminated nature of these combat injuries. There were no infections among patients with open fractures, and no patients with external fixators had pin tract infections. None of the open fracture patients underwent primary internal fixation or primary wound closure. The average time from injury to wound coverage of the open fracture wounds was 12 days. Two amputations were infected and were treated with revision and delayed wound closure. There were no primary amputations done at our institution due to infection or ischemia. All arterial injuries underwent urgent revascularization in a field hospital. None of the arterial repairs required revision after evacuation to a medical center. Operation Enduring Freedom has been an excellent example of how early and aggressive intervention in a forward-deployed area has a significant effect on rehabilitative and reconstructive efforts at a rear echelon tertiary care center.

The effect of low intensity pulsed ultrasound applied to rabbit tibiae during the consolidation phase of distraction osteogenesis

The purpose of this study was to determine if low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPU) accelerated the maturation of regenerate bone when applied after distraction in a rabbit model. A mid‐tibial osteotomy was performed in 26 New Zealand white rabbits and an external fixator applied anteromedially. After a seven day latency period, the tibiae were distracted 0.5 mm every 12 h for 10 days. Thirteen of the rabbits received LIPU for 20 min/day (treatment group) and 13 received sham LIPU (control group) from day 17 until sacrifice on day 37. Radiographs were taken weekly after distraction and the total and mineralized areas of the callus were measured. After sacrifice, dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, torsional testing to failure, and histomorphometry were performed. Ultrasound‐treated tibiae were a mean of 68.8 ± 3.8% as stiff as and 68.2 ± 6.0% as strong as the contralateral tibiae. Control tibiae were 78.7 ± 7.0% as stiff as and 70.2 ± 7.9% as strong as the contralateral tibiae. The differences in stiffness and strength were not significant (p = 0.39 and 0.81, respectively) with the number of the animals tested in the study. The treatment group was 91.6% as dense as the contralateral side and the control group was 88.5% as dense as the contralateral side (p = 0.84). Radiographs revealed a significantly larger callus in the LIPU‐treated tibiae at 1, 2 and 3 weeks after distraction compared to control tibiae (p < 0.01, 0.008 and 0.05, respectively). Histomorphometry revealed significantly less fibrous tissue in the LIPU‐treated tibiae (p < 0.05) and a strong trend towards more bone in the LIPU‐treated tibiae compared to controls (p = 0.06). LIPU was found to increase the size of the distraction callus and it might alter the composition of regenerate bone but it did not have a positive effect on the mechanical properties or density of regenerate bone when applied during the consolidation phase of distraction osteogenesis. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society.

Treatment of the chronically dislocated hip in adolescents with cerebral palsy with femoral head resection and subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy.

Femoral head resection with valgus subtrochanteric osteotomy was performed on six hips in five nonambulatory adolescent patients with painful, chronically dislocated hips due to spastic paralysis. This procedure was successful because it led to pain relief, ease of perineal care, and facility of seating. Complications, such as proximal migration of the remaining femur, recurrence of adduction deformity, hip stiffness, and excessive heterotopic bone formation, common to other procedures used for this condition, have not occurred.

Role of the Peroneal Tendons in the Production of the Deformed Foot with Posterior Tibial Tendon Deficiency

Ten patients were identified with traumatic, complete common peroneal nerve palsy, with no previous foot or ankle surgery or trauma distal to the knee, who had undergone anterior transfer of the posterior tibial tendon to the midfoot. Six of these patients had a transfer to the midfoot and four had a Bridle procedure with tenodesis of half of the posterior tibial tendon to the peroneus longus tendon. Average follow-up was 74.9 months (range, 18–351 months). All patients] feet were compared assessing residual muscle strength, the longitudinal arch, and motion at the ankle, subtalar, and Choparts joint. Weightbearing lateral X-rays and Harris mat studies were done on both feet. In no case was any valgus hindfoot deformity associated with posterior tibial tendon rupture found. It seems that the pathologic condition associated with a posterior tibial tendon deficient foot will not manifest itself if peroneus brevis function is absent.

Associations between orthopaedic findings, ambulation and health-related quality of life in children with myelomeningocele

PurposeModern principles for treatment of patients with myelomeningocele include early closure of the neural tube defect, neurosurgical treatment of hydrocephalus and treatment aimed at minimizing contractures and joint dislocations. The aim is to achieve a better survival rate and a better quality of life (QOL). Better ambulatory function is thought to improve the management of activities of daily living. This study focused on evaluating which factors might affect ambulation, function and health-related QOL in children with myelomeningocele.MethodsThirty-eight patients with neurological deficit from myelomeningocele were examined in an unbiased follow-up. This included a physical examination using validated methods for ambulatory function and neuromuscular status, chart reviews and evaluation of radiographs in terms of hip dislocation and spine deformity. The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) was used to measure mobility, self-care and social function, and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-PF50) was used to measure QOL.ResultsMuscle function class, quadriceps strength, spasticity in hip and/or knee joint muscles and hip flexion contracture as well as the ambulatory level all affected functional mobility as well as self-care/PEDI. Patients with hip dislocation, spinal deformity or those who were mentally retarded also had significantly worse functional mobility. Besides being affected by the severity of the neurological lesion, self-care/PEDI was significantly impaired by hip flexion contracture and absence of functional ambulation. General health-related QOL was significantly lower in this patient group than for US norms. Nonambulatory and mentally retarded patients had a significantly lower physical function of their QOL (CHQ).ConclusionsThe severity of the disease, i.e. reduced muscle strength and occurrence of spasticity around hip/knee, affected ambulation, functional mobility and self-care. Acquired deformities (hip dislocation and spine deformity) affected functional ambulation only. Patients with reduced functional mobility and self-care experienced lower physical QOL. Children with myelomeningocele had significantly reduced QOL compared to healthy individuals.

Bridle Transfer for Paresis of the Anterior and Lateral Compartment Musculature

In the Riordan (bridle) transfer, the posterior tibialis muscle as motor is routed through the interosseous membrane and anastomosed into a “bridle” formed by the distal tibialis anterior and peroneus longus muscles. In theory, the bridle provides inversion/eversion balance even if the transfer effects only tenodesis. However, the procedure has been criticized because its insertion is not into bone. This review analyzes the use of bridle transfer in flaccid paresis involving musculature innervated by the peroneal nerve. Surgery was performed 1 to 3 years after injury for patients with traumatic etiology. Ten patients are reviewed at 61 months’ mean follow-up. Eight patients had traumatic peroneal nerve loss. Two had neuromuscular etiology. Evaluation included review of records, telephone interviews, and physical examinations. Data on functional status included walking barefoot, running, need for bracing, return to duty, and patient satisfaction. Physical examination recorded ankle position and motions, gait findings, and results of static electromyograms. All patients were able to walk barefoot, but 6 of 10 had a mild to moderate limp. Five patients returned to running initially; only two were able to keep running. Nine patients were brace-free initially (polio sequela required bracing initially), and four others returned to bracing. Of these, two experienced an acute “tearing” and dorsiflexion loss, one sustained a prolonged gradual loss of dorsiflexion, and one sustained a contralateral cerebrovascular accident. Only three of seven patients returned to active duty, and one is on jump status. All patients were satisfied with their initial result. Only two patients had no detectable swing phase problems (both returned to active duty). Five patients had peroneal nerve exploration with repair or neurolysis; two of them sustained complete transections. Postoperative electromyograms showed insignificant, if any, nerve return. The Riordan transfer works well for neuromuscular flaccid paresis and in patients with peroneal nerve injuries with low demands. It may stretch out over time to the point of acute failure in patients with high demands. Concurrent peroneal nerve exploration and repair did not seem to be beneficial in this small study.

Incidence of foot and ankle injuries in West Point cadets with pes planus compared to the general cadet population

Background: The relationship between pes planus and injuries of the lower extremity is controversial. However, few studies have used standardized means of evaluating and defining pes planus, and none have had a controlled patient population. The objective of this study was to evaluate an ideal population of physically active individuals to establish a potential correlation between pes planus, as defined by a standardized method, and injuries to the lower extremity. Methods: A standardized technique for evaluating arch height, based on a midfoot ratio established by Harris mat print calculations, was used to assess a consecutive series of 512 newly entered West Point cadets. Pes planus was defined as more than 2 standard deviations above the mean midfoot ratio of the population. After 46 months, a retrospective chart review was done to identify lower extremity injuries sustained in this group of young healthy patients. The results of the footprint analysis were correlated with the medical record findings. Results: Thirty-three cadets were found to have pes planus; 13 had only left foot involvement, 15 had right foot only involvement, and five had bilateral pes planus. There were no cavus feet. Statistically significant relationships were seen between the degree of pes planus and total number of injuries sustained (p = 0.007), the overall size of the foot and total number of injuries (p = 0.041), left flat feet and left midfoot injuries (p = 0.028), left pes planus and right midfoot injuries (p = 0.008), left pes planus and left knee injuries (p = 0.038), and right pes planus and right knee injuries (p = 0.027). Women had smaller feet (p = 0.000), smaller midfoot ratios (right, p = 0.013; left p = 0.003), yet they had an increased number of injuries (Pearsons coefficient −0.119; p = 0.007). Conclusions: The current study found significant relationships between pes planus and number of injuries sustained over a 4-year period at West Point. While women were found to have smaller feet and lesser degrees of pes planus, they sustained more injuries than men.