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Biomedical subjects

E Forlin

Publications and source records attributed to E Forlin.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Congenital kyphosis.

Congenital kyphosis is a rare spinal deformity, and many physicians are unfamiliar with its proper treatment. Following a case report, this article presents a brief synopsis of the literature. We present the case history of a 45-year-old woman with a congenital kyphosis of 140 degrees who has been followed at our institution for 39 years. No treatment was ever prescribed, affording the unique opportunity to study the natural history of this entity in a particular patient.

Child↗

Prognostic factors in congenital dislocation of the hip treated with closed reduction. The importance of arthrographic evaluation.

We reviewed the clinical records, arthrograms, and roentgenograms of sixty-one children who had seventy-two congenitally dislocated hips in an effort to identify factors that can be used to predict the outcome of treatment. Only patients who had been followed clinically and roentgenographically for a minimum of two years after the initial closed reduction were included in the study. The mean age at the time of closed reduction was thirteen months (range, three to forty-one months). The mean age at the time of the most recent follow-up was six years (range, two to fifteen years). The mean duration of follow-up after the initial closed reduction was five years (range, two to thirteen years). There was no statistical difference between the good, fair, and poor-result groups with regard to sex, the age at the initial reduction, the traction station, the side of involvement, the initial acetabular index, the initial grade of displacement, the effect of adductor tenotomy, and several of the arthrographic measurements. The medialization ratio (the percentage of the horizontal radius of the cartilaginous femoral head that lay medial to the Perkins line), measured at the time of the reduction, was significantly different (p < 0.04) between the hips for which the result was good or fair and those for which the result was poor. The medialization ratio averaged 75 per cent in the hips for which the result was good, 66 per cent in those for which the result was fair, and 57 per cent in those for which the result was poor. Limbus shapes 5 through 8 were associated with avascular necrosis (p < 0.05) and a poor result (p < 0.03).

Acetabulum↗

Understanding the os odontoideum.

Five cases of os odontoideum and associated instability of C1-2 involving patients who underwent a posterior spinal fusion are reviewed, along with the literature. Four of the patients had Down's syndrome, and two of them were symptomatic at the time of presentation. In the two asymptomatic patients, the os odontoideum was an incidental finding on routine roentgenographic survey. The fifth patient presented with trauma and neck pain. The operation was successful in all of the patients with Down's syndrome but one, who had preoperative signs of myelopathy. Patients known to have an os odontoideum must be followed closely; if there is instability, posterior spinal fusion is recommended to avoid the risk of neurologic compromise. An understanding of the pathoanatomy of this condition is essential to recognize and properly treat these patients.

Adolescent↗

Epiphyseometaphyseal cupping of the distal femur with knee-flexion contracture.

An 11-year-old child with a history of receiving megadoses of vitamin A as an infant, and a 4-year-old child with a history of fulminant staphylococcal septicemia with multiple joint involvement presented with recalcitrant knee-flexion contractures. Roentgenography revealed epiphyseometaphyseal cupping (ie, epiphyseal invagination) of the distal femur. Osteotomy resulted in only temporary correction. Our experience suggests that in the skeletally immature child, skin traction, physical therapy, splinting, and, in some instances, two-pin tibial traction should be the treatments of choice.

Bone Diseases↗

Transepiphyseal fractures of the neck of the femur in very young children.

Five severely displaced transepiphyseal fractures of the neck of the femur in five very young children were treated nonoperatively with a spica cast. Four of these fractures healed in varus, but two with an open proximal femoral physis corrected with growth. One fracture had an 18-month delay in diagnosis and treatment, but subsequently healed after a valgus osteotomy of the proximal femur and bone grafting. There was no case of avascular necrosis. We recommend initial nonoperative treatment with hip spica cast immobilization for this type of fracture in the very young child. If correction of residual coxa vara or limb length discrepancy is indicated, it may be done later.

Casts, Surgical↗

Partial epiphysiodesis to address genu varum or genu valgum.

Two groups of children with excessive genu valgum or genu varum were treated with a partial epiphysiodesis. In group I (16 extremities) a predictive chart was used to determine the appropriate bone age to perform the partial epiphysiodesis, and in group II (15 extremities) the age for the procedure was estimated. The partial epiphysiodesis was performed by either an open or a percutaneous technique. In group I the correction of the genu valgum and genu varum followed the predicted course, whereas group II resulted in a 9.1 degree error. Genu valgum and genu varum in children with adequate remaining growth can be corrected using a predictive growth chart to determine the appropriate bone age for the procedure.

Adolescent↗

Results of the Kalamchi modification of salter osteotomy in the treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip.

The results of the Kalamchi osteotomy for acetabular dysplasia or subluxation secondary to developmental dysplasia of the hip are reported. In 16 hips, the modified innominate osteotomy was the sole procedure, whereas 10 hips had a concomitant shelf procedure and four hips had a concomitant femoral varus osteotomy. Using a modification of Severin's classification for radiographic evaluation, 97% of hips were classified as excellent (class I and II). Using McKay's criteria for clinical results, 93% of hips were classified as excellent or good. The advantages of this procedure are avoidance of limb lengthening, better stability of the osteotomy, no need for graft, and theoretically a decrease in pressure across the femoral head.

Child↗

Complications associated with fracture of the neck of the femur in children.

We reviewed 16 children with 16 displaced fractures of the femoral neck associated with complications. One was a transepiphyseal fracture, 12 were transcervical fractures, and three were basocervical fractures. The mean age at time of fracture was 11 years 7 months (range, 4 years 6 months to 16 years), and the mean length of follow-up after fracture was 6 years 11 months (range, 2-24 years). Complications in this series were avascular necrosis (AVN) (14 patients), nonunion (seven patients), premature physeal closure (15 patients), chondrolysis (seven patients), and coxa vara (two patients). Avascular necrosis, nonunion, and chondrolysis were associated with a poor outcome. Coxa vara or premature physeal closure alone was not responsible for a poor result.

Adolescent↗

Triple osteotomy of the innominate bone in treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip.

Ten children (11 hips) who underwent triple innominate osteotomy between the ages of 11 and 16 years for treatment of symptomatic acetabular dysplasia and who had > 10 years of follow-up since operation were reviewed to determine if satisfactory results reported in an earlier review were maintained. The mean length of follow-up was 12 years (range 10-16 years). All hips were examined roentgenographically, and functional assessment was made with the Iowa hip scoring system. Ten of the 11 hips improved roentgenographically and eight improved functionally after operation. One hip required replacement arthroplasty 16 years after triple innominate osteotomy.

Adolescent↗

The natural history of Klippel-Feil syndrome: clinical, roentgenographic, and magnetic resonance imaging findings at adulthood.

Twenty-two patients (15 women and seven men) with Klippel-Feil syndrome were reviewed at an average age of 35 years (range, 26-57 years). The average age at diagnosis was 9 years (range, birth-32 years). All patients had a clinical neurologic and orthopaedic examination. Ten patients (45%) had abnormal findings on clinical examination, and 15 patients (68%) had at least one complaint that could be related to the syndrome. The roentgenograms were unremarkable in all patients, except for the typical findings of congenital fusion; no vertebral subluxation or stenosis was noted in any patient. The magnetic resonance images revealed degenerative changes in the disks of 100% of the patients, evidenced by a low-intensity signal on the T2-weighted images. Nineteen patients (86%) had abnormal findings on the magnetic resonance imaging scans, including disk protrusion (16 patients), osteophytes (four patients), syringomyelia (four patients), and narrowing at the level of the craniovertebral junction (six patients). Our results confirm the well-held belief that the Klippel-Feil syndrome can cause problems in adult life.

Adult↗