Ahmed Thabet-Hagag

The purpose of this study was to determine if short-term outcomes differed for pediatric patients with suspected musculoskeletal infection with or without a preoperative MRI. This was a multicenter, retrospective review of patients aged 0–16 years who presented with atraumatic extremity pain, underwent irrigation and debridement (I&D), and received at least one preoperative or postoperative MRI over a 10-year period. Primary outcomes were time to OR, total I&Ds, readmission rate, time from OR to discharge, and total number of MRIs. Secondary outcomes entailed the rate at which concurrent osteomyelitis was identified in patients with septic arthritis and the extent of the resulting surgical debridement. Of the 104 patients, 72.1% had a preoperative MRI. Patients with a preoperative MRI were significantly less likely to have surgery on the day of admission. No difference was found between groups regarding total I&Ds, readmission rate, time from OR to discharge, and total number of MRIs. Of the 57 patients diagnosed with septic arthritis, those with a preoperative MRI were significantly more likely to have concurrent osteomyelitis identified and to undergo bony debridement in addition to arthrotomy of the joint. In conclusion, patient outcomes are not adversely affected by obtaining a preoperative MRI despite the delay in time to OR. Although preoperative MRI can be beneficial in ruling out other pathologies and identifying the extent of concurrent osteomyelitis, the decision to obtain a preoperative MRI and timing of surgery should be left to the discretion of the treating surgeon.

Introduction: The US Department of Homeland Security has reported increases in encounters and apprehensions at the US Southwest border for the past several years. The purposes of this study were to assess the demographics, patterns of injuries, and surgical interventions, associated with falls from height along the US-Mexico border. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at a Level I trauma center from January 2016 through December 2021 of all patients who fell from height crossing the US-Mexico border and presented with injuries requiring admission. Results: A total of 448 patients were admitted with a median age of 30 years (interquartile range [IQR] 16, range 6 to 65). Monthly frequency of admissions increased markedly with a median of 18.5 (IQR 5.3) in 2021. Patients presented with limited health data, and comorbidities were identified in 111 patients (24.7%). Median height fallen was 5.5 m (18 ft). Patients sustaining a fall from ≥ 5.5 m were markedly more likely to have an Injury Severity Score (ISS) of > 15. Median length of stay was 9 days (IQR 11). There were a total of 1,066 injuries with 723 extremity and pelvic; 236 spine; and 107 head or neck, face, thorax, or abdominal injuries. Median ISS was 9.0 (IQR 7, range 1 to 75, 33% > 15). Tibial plafond fracture and spine injury were markedly associated with longer lengths of stay and ISS > 15. All injuries resulted in 635 separate surgical events and 930 procedures. Clinical follow-up occurred in 55 patients (12.2%), with median duration of 28 days (range 6 days to 8 months). Discussion: Injuries associated with border crossings and falls from height were serious and increased in frequency. As the US policy on border security evolves, surgeons in these regions should be prepared to handle the associated injuries and sequelae. Prevention of these serious and debilitating injuries should be undertaken to decrease the burden of disease.

Case: Three male patients, 8-, 13-, and 18-year-old, all developed posttraumatic cubitus varus elbow deformity after distal humerus supracondylar fractures. Each underwent a distal humerus osteotomy with application of a hexapod external fixator to gradually correct the deformity. Conclusion: In patients with cubitus varus malunion, the stability of the hexapod external fixation, percutaneous nature of the osteotomy, and availability of running a residual computer-assisted program provides a consistent technique for deformity correction.

Prostate adenocarcinoma metastasizes to bone and forms fragile blastic lesions, which can present as dense obstacles intraoperatively. There are limited reports on the challenges surgeons face when operating through these lesions. A 60-year-old male with a pathologic subtrochanteric femur fracture in the presence of blastic lesions was successfully treated with intramedullary (IM) fixation. Pathologic fractures from blastic bone lesions are expected to increase in prevalence as survivability improves for metastatic prostate cancer. Orthopedic surgeons, when performing IM fixation for these fractures, should be prepared to utilize accessory equipment and should adopt creative techniques for reduction and fixation.

Background: Obstetrical brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) is a relatively common stretch injury of the brachial plexus sustained during delivery. Tendon transfers are commonly performed to improve shoulder function among patients with OBPP. Although several techniques for the surgical management of OBPP exist, it is unclear whether tendon transfers to the rotator cuff vs. posterior humerus yield different outcomes. Methods: A systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar up to January 1, 2021, was performed. Relevant publications were classified by surgical technique of tendon transfers to the rotator cuff or posterior humerus. The standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to compare preoperative and postoperative aggregate Mallet scores as well as abduction and external rotation scores using the Mallet scale. A p value of <0.01 was considered significant. Results: Data from 26 studies and 951 patients (46.2% male patients) with a mean age of 68.9 ± 29.3 months were included. Eight hundred three patients underwent tendon transfer to the rotator cuff and 148 to the posterior humerus. The average postoperative follow-up period was 45.2 ± 21.7 months. The pooled cohort had an overall improvement in postoperative aggregate Mallet scores (SMD = 5.53, p < 0.001), abduction scores (SMD = 1.79, p < 0.001), and external rotation scores (SMD = 1.99, p < 0.001). Tendon transfer to the rotator cuff had a greater postoperative improvement in abduction (SMD = 1.90, p < 0.001) than transfer to the posterior humerus (SMD = 1.32, p < 0.001) while both techniques yielded similar improvements in external rotation (rotator cuff SMD = 2.01, p < 0.001, posterior humerus SMD = 1.98, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This is the first systematic review comparing outcomes for tendon transfers to the rotator cuff vs. the posterior humerus for improving shoulder function in patients with OBPP. Overall, tendon transfers are an effective treatment for improving shoulder function. Transfer of the latissimus dorsi and teres major to the rotator cuff compared with transfer to the posterior humerus results in greater improvement in abduction while both techniques have similar results in improving external rotation. Level of Evidence: Level I Systematic review of Level I and Level II studies

The PRECICE® intramedullary rod (NuVasive, San Diego, CA) utilizes multiple telescopic components to magnetically drive limb lengthening. These devices are routinely explanted after desired growth correction is met. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first description of an osteotomy assisted extraction of a disassociated tibial magnetic lengthening rod. A 17-year-old girl with fibular hemimelia and resolved left tibial length discrepancy after successful surgical lengthening underwent a complex implant removal approximately seven years after regenerate consolidation. During implant removal, the telescopic portion of the rod remained lodged in the tibial medullary canal and a subsequent unroofing osteotomy of the tibia was performed. Tibial limb length discrepancies are oftentimes corrected with complex implants comprised of multiple fragile components that are routinely explanted. During the unfortunate event of a telescopic intramedullary rod dissociation, an unroofing osteotomy can be successfully performed to removal all implant components.

Patella fracture outcomes are positive overall; however, in some cases, traditional fixation methods result in complications, including loss of fixation and irritable hardware requiring removal. We present a technique of plate fixation that we believe has the potential to improve stability and is less offensive in more comminuted fracture patterns. Improved stability should allow unfettered advancement of rehabilitation without concern for loss of fixation. Lower profile fixation offers a potential for diminishing the presence of irritating hardware requiring removal. We present our technique for using plate fixation to augment more complex patella fracture patterns.

Introduction: The objectives for this study were to identify whether diagnostic or procedural errors more commonly resulted in lawsuit, as well as to elucidate how specific variables affected mean indemnity. Methods: Systematic review of English-language articles in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases (through 2020) using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate measures of proportions and differences in mean indemnity. Results: The estimated probability of lawsuits related to orthopedic trauma in overall studies was 23.3%. There were no significant rate differences between main causes of claims (diagnostic vs procedural errors) and areas of injury (upper vs lower). There was no significant difference of mean indemnity between the probabilities of trauma-related claims, diagnostic error, and procedural error. Conclusion: Non-trauma cases were more likely to result in lawsuit than trauma cases. Procedural errors accounted for most malpractice claims. The average indemnity increased according to the higher diagnostic errors, while the indemnity was lower with a relatively higher proportion of procedural errors. The most common cause of litigation varied between studies; however, among the most cited reasons were missed diagnosis/error in diagnosis, improper/substandard surgical performance, and, though not specifically studied in this analysis, errors of informed consent. Level of Evidence: Economic and Decision Analyses Level VI

Arthroereisis is a surgical procedure primarily used to treat flexible pes planus (flatfoot) in pediatric and young adult patients. The principal goal of subtalar arthroereisis is to relieve pain and restore function. This is primarily done by restoring the medial foot arch without fusing the subtalar joint and without requiring a long recovery period needed after osteotomies. Although the procedure can be performed in isolation to treat flexible flatfoot, it can also be performed as an ancillary in the treatment of tarsal coalition, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, and accessory navicular syndrome. Various implants and multiple surgical techniques exist for arthroereisis, such as the sinus tarsi implant and calcaneo-stop. The type of device and the surgical approach to proceed with are based on the surgeon’s discretion rather than an evidence-based protocol. Multiple complications can arise from subtalar arthroereisis, most commonly sinus tarsi pain. Currently, there is a dearth of quality clinical data and evidence on the long-term outcomes and complications of arthroereisis. This lack of literature for a commonly performed procedure validates the need for future studies to better guide a standard protocol, reach consensus on well-defined indications and contraindications, provide expected complications, and improve the practice of evidence-based medicine.