Pediatric extremity fractures

This case report describes the intricate aspects of managing pediatric lower limb trauma. A 7-year-old patient had a severe compound fracture and significant soft tissue damage in the left lower limb, classified as Gustilo Grade IIIC. This necessitated the use of scoring systems such as the Mangled Extremity Severity Score and limb salvage index to assess the likelihood of limb preservation. Despite these high amputation risk indicators, a multidisciplinary approach has led to limb salvage surgery with internal fixation...

IMPORTANCE: Racial bias may affect occult injury testing decisions for children with concern for abuse. OBJECTIVES: To determine the association of race on occult injury testing decisions at children's hospitals. DESIGN: In this retrospective study, we measured disparities in: (1) the proportion of visits for which indicated diagnostic imaging studies for child abuse were obtained; (2) the proportion of positive tests. SETTING: The Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) administrative database encompassing 49 tertiary children's hospitals during 2017-2019...

BACKGROUND: Implants are routinely removed in pediatric patients. Fracture through the prior implant site is a common worry after implant removal. Early post-implant removal radiographs are routinely used to evaluate the prior implant removal sites and to assess when a patient may return to normal activities. To our knowledge, the value of early, routine postoperative radiographs after elective implant removal in pediatric patients has not been studied. METHODS: A retrospective patient cohort of pediatric patients who had implant removal from an extremity from 2017 to 2019 was used in this study...

INTRODUCTION: Median nerve injuries occur in approximately 3% of pediatric elbow fracture dislocations. These rare injuries can be difficult to diagnose, and the results are poor in delay cases. Surgical timing is one of the most important prognostic factors. We aimed to present three patients with median nerve palsy who were referred to our clinic late, and according to these cases, we emphasized the expected time frame for exploration based on our anatomical cadaver study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2008 and 2010, three patients were referred to our clinic because of median nerve paralysis after a treated elbow dislocation...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to characterize the incidence, injury characteristics, and outcomes of patients presented to four trauma facilities located in the upper Midwest with tractor-related agricultural injuries. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of the facility level trauma registries of four trauma centers located in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2021. We characterized the incidence, severity and outcomes of traumatic tractor-related agricultural injuries for pediatric and adult patients...

Cast application is a critical portion of pediatric orthopaedic surgery training and is being performed by a growing number of non-orthopaedic clinicians including primary care physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs). Given the tremendous remodeling potential of pediatric fractures, correct cast placement often serves as the definitive treatment in this age population as long as alignment is maintained. Proper cast application technique is typically taught through direct supervision from more senior clinicians, with little literature and few resources available for providers to review during the learning process...

RATIONALE: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) with posterior ring apophysis fracture (PRAF) is rather rare in children, and in all age-stratified LDH patients, the incidence of RAF was 5.3% to 7.5%. Interestingly, the incidence of LDH with RAF in children (15%-32%) is several times higher than in adults, the mis-diagnosis of which may lead to delayed treatment. PATIENT CONCERNS: Here, we report a 15-year-old schoolboy who suffered from sudden low back pain and radiating pain in both lower limbs after sport activities...

We describe a 15-year-old boy who presented with low back pain due to vertebral compression fractures, growth deceleration, excessive weight gain, rounded facies, dorsocervical fat pad, and hypertension. He was diagnosed as having Cushing syndrome (CS) due to primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease resulting in excess cortisol produced by the adrenal glands, leading to disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The most common cause of CS is exogenous glucocorticoids, with endogenous causes being extremely rare, often leading to delay in diagnosis or misdiagnosis...

BACKGROUND: Upper extremity injuries account for 36.5% of presentations to the emergency department in the United States. This study seeks to determine current rates of upper extremity injuries that present to the emergency department and the injury characteristics of patients requiring admission. METHODS: National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried for a 10-year period for upper extremity injuries. Further analysis was done to evaluate specific patient demographics, injury characteristics, and mechanisms of injury of those patients who were admitted to the hospital...

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric proximal humerus fractures (PHFx) are uncommon and makeup ~2% of all pediatric fractures. Traditionally, most cases are treated nonoperatively with closed reduction (CR) or immobilization with no reduction (INR) with excellent outcomes. Indications for CR without fixation remain unclear as immobilization in the position of reduction (shoulder abduction and external rotation) is not practical. We aim to determine the need for CR among adolescents with displaced PHFx treated nonoperatively...

PURPOSE: Following medial epicondyle fractures, a subset of pediatric patients has persistent limitations in elbow motion. This study soughted to understand the patient characteristics of this group and to assess the effectiveness of intensive therapy and ulnar nerve transposition in improving elbow range of motion and patient-reported outcomes. METHODS: A cohort of 31 pediatric patients with stiffness after elbow trauma was narrowed to 8 pediatric patients (7 female) ranging in age from 9 to 14 years, who were diagnosed with medial epicondyle fractures and underwent intensive therapy and ulnar nerve transposition with or without elbow joint release...

Joseph Lister's (1827-1912) use of carbolic acid to prevent wound infection in open fractures of the extremities (1865) provided a basic science rationale for the practice of surgery. His series of 11 patients included 4 children, aged 7 to 13. Children, today known to better survive a given injury when compared with adults, may have biased his results in favor of survival, and led him to conclude that his method of carbolic-soaked dressing changes prevented fatal wound sepsis. His success with antisepsis may have been less a testament to his application of germ theory to surgery than to the physiological resilience of his young patients...

Phalangeal fractures are extremely common in the pediatric and adolescent populations. The incidence of phalangeal fractures peaks in children ages 10 to 14 years, corresponding to the age in which children begin contact sports. Younger children are more likely to experience crush injuries, whereas older children often sustain phalangeal fractures during sports. The physis is particularly susceptible to fracture because of the biomechanically weak nature of the physis compared with the surrounding ligaments and bone...

INTRODUCTION: Hoffa fractures are challenging coronally-oriented articular injuries of the femoral condyle. These fractures are rare in adults and extremely rare in the skeletally immature, with few cases reported in literature. To prevent mal- or non-union, Hoffa fractures require prompt surgical stabilisation with anatomic reduction and internal fixation. CASE REPORT: We discuss the case of a lateral distal femoral condyle cartilaginous Hoffa fracture in a ten-year-old male patient...

BACKGROUND Unicameral bone cysts (UBCs) are benign tumor-like lesions that are the most common cause of pathological proximal femur fracture in children. This study aimed to present the outcomes of acute, unstable, pathological proximal femur fractures secondary to UBCs in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed data on 12 patients with a mean age of 9.3 years (7-12 years) who were initially treated with decompression and grafting, followed by stabilization using a 120° fixed-angle low-contact locking pediatric plate (LCLPP)...

Distal humeral metaphyseal-diaphyseal fractures are rare and inherently unstable injuries. Non-operative treatments can make it hard to maintain reduction. Open or closed reduction with percutaneous K-wire fixation may be the preferred treatment option for these fracture types. This case report describes successfully managing a rare distal humerus metaphyseal-diaphyseal junctional (MDJ) fracture in a four-year-old child using intramedullary Steinmann wire fixation. A four-year-old male child applied to the emergency service with a swollen elbow...

Background The literature points towards the fact that paediatric elbow fractures happen more frequently and have greater variability when contrasted with adults. Between 65%-75% of pediatric fractures involve the upper extremity, and supracondylar humerus is the most common of them all. To know the exact site of injury and to estimate the degree of reduction after manipulation, the modified Baumann's angle, the Baumann's angle, the Humero-condylar angle, the Anterior humeral line, and the Radio-capitellar line are the parameters most commonly used...

Stress fractures are a common and significant source of pain and burden that can require long periods of rest from physical activity to allow adequate healing. Specifically in athletes or those with physically demanding occupations, the prolonged period of rest and the potential for requiring surgical intervention in the case of poor or delayed healing can have devastating impacts on these individuals' careers and socioeconomic well-being. In this population, successful healing, in addition to a quicker healing time and a sooner return to activity, are important outcomes when faced with treating stress fractures...

This study presents a case series and systematic review of pediatric patients who sustained long bone fractures following dog bites. A systematic review of the studies on "pediatric fracture dog bite" based on a search of PubMed and OVID Medline databases was performed by adhering to PRISMA guidelines. Articles in English describing pediatric long bone fractures due to dog bites were included. Studies not differentiating pediatric from adult patients and not describing long bone fractures due to dog bites were excluded...

Animal bites can cause severely contaminated open fractures, especially in the hand, wrist, and lower extremities, requiring expert orthopedic care. This case report emphasizes the unique issues posed by such injuries, particularly in low-income areas with limited access to comprehensive medical services. Pediatric examples, such as open tibiofibular fractures caused by animal encounters, highlight the significance of individualized treatment techniques. Crocodile bites, though infrequent, present an extreme peril and potential fatality...