Stephan G. Pill

Heterotopic ossification following traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.

&NA; Heterotopic ossification associated with neurologic injury, or neurogenic heterotopic ossification, tends to form at major synovial joints surrounded by spastic muscles. It is commonly associated with traumatic brain or spinal cord injury and with other causes of upper motor neuron lesions. Heterotopic ossification can result in a variety of complications, including nerve impingement, joint ankylosis, complex regional pain syndrome, osteoporosis, and softtissue infection. The associated decline in range of motion may greatly limit activities of daily living, such as positioning and transferring and maintenance of hygiene, thereby adversely affecting quality of life. Management of heterotopic ossification is aimed at limiting its progression and maximizing function of the affected joint. Nonsurgical treatment is appropriate for early heterotopic ossification; however, surgical excision should be considered in cases of joint ankylosis or significantly decreased range of motion before complications arise. Patient selection, timing of excision, and postoperative prophylaxis are important components of proper management.

Role of magnetic resonance imaging and clinical criteria in predicting successful nonoperative treatment of osteochondritis dissecans in children.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers promise as a noninvasive method to determine the potential of an osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesion to heal without surgical intervention. The purpose of this study was to compare the value of MRI, plain radiographs, and clinical findings in predicting the success of nonoperative treatment of juvenile OCD lesions. Twenty-seven lesions in 24 patients (mean age 12.2 y) with OCD of the distal femur diagnosed based on MRI were identified. A radiologist or orthopaedist, blinded to the clinical status of the patients, correlated the MRIs with patient outcome. MRIs were assessed for lesion size, location, and four criteria evaluating signal intensity changes and articular surface defects to determine lesion stability. Older, more skeletally mature patients with at least one sign of instability on MRI were most likely to have nonoperative treatment fail. Nonoperative treatment failed most often in patients with large lesions in weightbearing areas, as seen on lateral radiographs. However, location based on anteroposterior radiographs was not statistically significant for predicting treatment outcome. Although no single factor was uniformly predictive of successful nonoperative treatment, younger, skeletally immature patients with no MRI criteria of instability were most amenable to nonoperative treatment.

Orthopaedics in the Developing World: Present and Future Concerns

Half of the worlds population lack access to adequate primary health care, and two thirds lack access to orthopaedic care. Globally, the need for health care outstrips the available resources. This problem is compounded in the developing world by a lack of trained medical personnel, a lack of medical facilities, and, in many regions, an inability to access existing facilities. There is little specific epidemiologic data about the exact burden of musculoskeletal disease in these countries, but most agree that it is reasonable to assume that it will increase. In the least developed and developing nations, problems with access are related to fundamental issues such as infrastructure, physical facilities, equipment, and trained personnel. There are a number of ways in which the orthopaedic community can become involved in ameliorating the burden. Education is the most effective method of providing a sustainable solution. The objective of educational organizations should be to train local health‐care workers at all levels in their own environment to provide sustainable and appropriate care so that the programs become self‐sufficient and ensure a continued supply of competent medical personnel.

A technique of occipitocervical arthrodesis in children using autologous rib grafts.

Study Design. Description of an operative technique with an illustrative case report. Objectives. The technique is presented to provide an alternative to iliac crest graft procedures for achieving occipitocervical fusion in children. This technique is particularly useful in children with instability after extensive decompression or laminectomy and in children with a large protuberant occiput. Summary of Background Data. The majority of techniques previously described for occipitocervical fusion in children rely on corticocancellous iliac crest autograft. Results generally have been promising; however, it can be difficult to harvest enough graft to span large defects after extensive decompression or to contour an iliac crest graft to a protuberant occiput. Structural rib autograft is superior in terms of availability and its unique and modifiable contour. Theoretical benefits of rib graft include superior strength and lower donor site morbidity. Methods. The surgical technique is described. A case of a 2-year-old boy with Down’s syndrome and myelopathy secondary to cervical instability is reviewed. Results. The patient underwent occipitocervical arthrodesis using the technique described. The child made a full neurologic recovery, and at the 2-years follow-up evaluation, the graft had incorporated and the spine was stable. Conclusion. A technique of occipitocervical arthrodesis in children is described using autologous rib graft. This procedure was designed to span large defects or to deal with a large protuberant occiput; however, it is also useful for less demanding cases and may offer several advantages compared with procedures relying on iliac crest graft.

Bony Adaptation of the Proximal Humerus and Glenoid Correlate Within the Throwing Shoulder of Professional Baseball Pitchers

Background: Elite throwing athletes have increased proximal humeral retrotorsion (HRT) and glenoid retroversion (GRV) in their throwing shoulders compared with their nonthrowing shoulders. These adaptive morphologic changes are thought to be independently protective against shoulder injury; however, their relationship to each other is poorly understood. Purpose: To determine if an association exists between HRT and GRV within the same shoulders of professional pitchers. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: The HRT and GRV measurements were determined using published techniques in asymptomatic bilateral shoulders of 32 professional pitchers (mean age, 23 years). Three measurements for each variable were averaged, and the reliability of the techniques was verified. The relationship between HRT and GRV within the same shoulders was determined with Pearson correlation coefficients. Paired t tests were used to compare HRT and GRV between the throwing and nonthrowing shoulder. Simple ratios were calculated between HRT and GRV. Results: Humeral retrotorsion and GRV were both significantly greater on the throwing side compared with the nonthrowing side (HRT: throwing = 9.0° ± 11.4° and nonthrowing = 22.1° ± 10.7°, P < .001; GRV: throwing = 8.6° ± 6.0° and nonthrowing = 4.9° ± 4.8°, P = .001). Within the same shoulders, there was a statistically significant positive association between HRT and GRV on the throwing side (r = 0.43, P = .016) but not on the nonthrowing side (r = −0.13, P = .50). The HRT:GRV ratio was 2.3:1 for throwing shoulders and 7:1 for nonthrowing shoulders. Conclusion: The concurrent increases in dominant shoulder HRT and GRV were observed as a 2:1 “thrower’s ratio.” As this relationship was not observed on the nondominant shoulder, it suggests that bony adaptation of the proximal humerus and glenoid are coupled during skeletal development in the throwing shoulder. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Radiation Therapy for Preventing Recurrence of Neurogenic Heterotopic Ossification

Radiation therapy is commonly used to prevent heterotopic ossification, and the dose-dependent effects of this treatment have been well documented in patients after total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, the efficacy and dose requirement of radiation therapy to prevent heterotopic ossification of nonsurgical origin have not been studied. The purpose of this retrospective case-control study was to determine the effects of prophylactic radiation therapy on severe heterotopic ossification recurrence, postoperative range of motion (ROM), and wound healing in patients with heterotopic ossification secondary to neurologic deficits. Selection was not blinded, and higher risk patients were generally assigned to the treatment group. Standard doses of radiation therapy did not adequately lower recurrence rates; in fact, there was a higher incidence of heterotopic ossification formation necessitating revision in the treatment group (15.0%) compared to the control group (5.1%). Moreover, patients who received radiation therapy were not more successful at maintaining intraoperative ROM over time. There was a similar incidence of delayed wound healing between groups (12.8% in the control group and 12.5% in the treatment group), and no other negative side effects or complications were observed. These results suggest that the 700 cGy dose of radiation therapy typically used for the prophylaxis of heterotopic ossification associated with THA does not effectively prevent the recurrence of neurogenic heterotopic ossification in high-risk patients. Further studies are needed to determine whether higher doses of radiation therapy will provide more effective prophylaxis for heterotopic ossification.

The use of postoperative subcutaneous closed suction drainage after posterior spinal fusion in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis.

Background The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the impact of closed suction drainage on transfusion requirements, frequency of dressing changes, and wound healing following posterior spinal fusion in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. Methods Thirty patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: drain or no drain. Although the group with drains received more postoperative autologous blood transfusions than the group with no drains (0.88 vs 0.5 unit), the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.2131). In the undrained group, 58% of the patients had moderate to completely saturated dressings on the second postoperative day compared with only 17% of patients in the drained group. Three of 12 patients in the undrained group demonstrated a wound complication rate compared with no complications in the drained group. Conclusion In conclusion, subcutaneous closed suction drainage can improve immediate postoperative wound care without significantly increasing blood loss and transfusion requirements for patients undergoing surgery for idiopathic scoliosis.

The mandibular angle as a landmark for identification of cervical spinal level.

Study Design. Retrospective radiographic review. Objective. To determine the utility of the mandibular angle as a landmark for identification of cervical spinal level. Summary of Background Data. Improper localization of the skin incision during anterior cervical spine surgery may lead to increased technical difficulty of the surgery. Although the use of traditional palpable anterior neck landmarks (hyoid bone, cricoid cartilage, thyroid cartilage, and carotid tubercle) help identify appropriate spinal levels, their reliability has not been validated in actual surgeries. We hypothesize that the angle of the mandible (AM) is a consistently palpable landmark, and that the mandible can be used to accurately template the distance to subaxial cervical levels using preoperative radiographs. Methods. As a pilot study, we prospectively evaluated 30 consecutive patients who underwent anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion to assess the interobserver accuracy of palpating the mandibular angle, hyoid, carotid tubercle, and thyroid and cricoid cartilages. In a second set of 26 consecutive patients undergoing anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion, we then retrospectively reviewed standing preoperative lateral plain radiographs of the cervical spine, in addition to supine lateral cervical spine radiographs taken at the time of surgery, to assess: (1) the position of the AM relative to the corresponding cervical spinal level, and (2) whether or not the position of the AM relative to the subaxial cervical levels is different on preoperative standing films and intraoperative supine films. In these same 26 patients, we also measured the vertical distance between the AM and the location of each subaxial intervertebral disc space. These measurements were repeated for the hyoid bone as a control for each patient. Results. The interobserver accuracy was 100% between observers for identifying the AM, hyoid bone, thyroid cartilage, and cricothyroid membrane, and 93% for carotid tubercle. The frequency with which anterior neck landmarks were palpable by the surgeon and assisting senior residents was as follows: AM (100%), hyoid bone (83%), thyroid cartilage and cricothyroid membrane (93%), and carotid tubercle (Surgeon: 63%, Resident: 57%, P = 0.79). There was 100% correlation between the position of the mandibular angle in the preoperative standing lateral radiograph and the intraoperative supine lateral radiograph, compared with 65% with the hyoid bone. The distances between the AM or hyoid to each disc space did not vary significantly between preoperative and intraoperative radiographs (P > 0.05). Conclusion. The mandibular angle was shown to be the most consistently palpable landmark. Further, the distance from the mandible, measured on preoperative plain lateral cervical spine radiographs, is an accurate template to determine cervical spine levels during anterior cervical spine surgery.

Accuracy of obtaining optimal base plate declination in reverse shoulder arthroplasty

BACKGROUND Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty has shown promising early and midterm results; however, complication rates remain a concern. Glenoid loosening and notching, for example, can be deleterious to the long-term success. A 15° inferior inclination angle has been shown to offer the most uniform compressive forces across the base plate and the least micromotion at the base plate-glenoid interface. The inferior inclination angle may also avoid scapular notching. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of obtaining 15° of inferior inclination of the base plate. METHODS The radiographs of 138 reverse total shoulder patients were included. Overall, glenoid inclination and change in inclination from preoperative radiographs were measured using a previously described standardized method. Measurements were obtained by 2 orthopedic surgeons, who repeated all measurements 3 weeks apart. The final angle and change in inclination were averaged. RESULTS Seventy-two patients had pre- and postoperative radiographs of sufficient quality to accurately measure inclination. Average pre- and postoperative inclination measured -4.8° (-27.2° to 28.1°) and -13.3° (-22.8° to 43.6°), respectively. The average change in inclination was -8.5° (-53.7(o) to 34.6(o)). No scapular notching was observed, which may relate to the lateralized center of rotation of the implant used in this study. DISCUSSION Overall, the average decrease in inclination was very close to the intended target value using the standard guide. However, patients with preoperative superior glenoid erosion from advanced rotator cuff tear arthropathy appeared to be consistently tilted superiorly, suggesting the standard guide may be inadequate in these patients.

Acute Exercise-Induced Compartment Syndrome in the Anterior Leg: A Case Report

Compartment syndrome is one of the few orthopaedic emergencies, and it appears in different forms. Acute compartment syndrome of the anterior tibial compartment is a known complication after trauma or surgery of the lower leg. It is a progressive, painful condition with disastrous complications if not recognized and treated early. Chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the lower leg is also well documented. This form is characterized by episodes of pain brought on by activity that resolve with rest. Although rare, acute exercise-induced compartment syndrome has also been previously reported in the literature. This condition can be easily misdiagnosed because of its unusual cause, and it has been described as occasionally developing from the chronic form. We describe a case of acute exercise-induced compartment syndrome in the anterior leg of an athlete.