Flat foot due to rupture of the tibialis posterior tendon has not previously been described in children. We present three young patients who developed unilateral pes planus after old undiagnosed lacerations of the tendon. Transfer of the flexor hallucis longus to the distal stump of the tibialis posterior tendon achieved good results in all three cases.

Child↗

PubMed1993

Victims of our climate.

In order to test the hypothesis that the volume of paediatric orthopaedic trauma is related to the weather, we analysed all children with fractures admitted to our unit over a 3-year period and correlated this information with local meteorological data. The average number of children admitted per month with fractures showed a strong positive correlation with mean monthly sunshine hours (Pearson correlation coefficient 0.91) and a weak negative correlation with mean monthly rainfall (-0.24). The summer peak in the incidence of fractures persisted when the effect of school holidays was eliminated. Fractures involving the radius accounted for 48.7 per cent of all fracture admissions and correlation with sunshine hours was highest in this group. Almost two-thirds of all fracture admissions were male and these had a slightly higher mean age (8.2 years) than females (7.6 years). This data has implications for bed management and staffing levels in a paediatric orthopaedic unit.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Peroneus longus tendon sling in revision surgery for congenital vertical talus: a new surgical technique.

When faced with revision surgery for recurrent congenital vertical talus deformity, the tibialis anterior tendon may be deficient or absent as a result of the initial procedure. This tendon cannot then be used as a dynamic sling to dorsiflex the talar neck. We present two cases in which the peroneus longus tendon was transferred dorsally into the talar neck as an alternative to an absent tibialis anterior tendon. Excellent corrections were achieved and maintained. The use of this tendon has not been described previously in surgery for this condition.

Child↗

PubMed1989

Keeping volunteers in EMS* (*emergency medical services).

The EMS system is widely dependent on the use of volunteers. This report of a study of EMS in Genesee County, Michigan, covers the volunteers' point of view on their attraction to the field and job satisfaction as well as the agency's response to recruitment and retention issues.

Data Collection↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Distal forearm fractures in children: the role of hand dominance.

A survey of 426 children with unilateral distal forearm fractures was performed to examine the role of hand dominance. Results showed a significant preponderance of fractures occurring in the non-dominant arm (p < .01). This finding has implications for possible preventive strategies in these common injuries.

Child↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Participation in sports after total knee replacement.

Return to regular sports activity was evaluated in a retrospective review of 160 patients who had undergone total knee replacement surgery by a single surgeon (208 knee replacements). Mean age of the patients was 68 years (range, 27 to 87) at surgery and 73 years (range, 33 to 91) at review at a mean follow-up of 5 years (range, 3 to 7). Seventy-nine patients regularly participated in sports, at least once per week, before surgery, and 51 patients regularly participated in sports after surgery. Only eight patients took up sports after surgery who were not regularly involved in sports in the year before surgery. Patients were more likely to return to low-impact activities such as bowls (29 of 32, or 91%) than to high-impact activities such as tennis (6 of 30, or 20% returned). Forty-three of 56 patients (77%) who had participated in regular exercise in the year before surgery returned to sports. Eighty patients did not participate in sports before surgery and 54 of these had coexisting disease that prevented sports. None of these patients returned to sports.

Adult↗