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Biomedical subjects

H T Harcke

Publications and source records attributed to H T Harcke.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Infant shoulder sonography: technique, anatomy, and pathology.

BACKGROUND: In the infant, shoulder injury due to birth trauma and infection in joint and bone may be difficult to detect radiographically. Shoulder ultrasound provides a dynamic, noninvasive method of evaluation. OBJECTIVE: To develop a technique to evaluate the infant shoulder and to successfully demonstrate pathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a multiplanar, dynamic technique, 24 normal and 12 symptomatic infants (age range, 3 days to 9 months) were examined (49 shoulders). RESULTS: Sonographic findings were normal in 41 shoulders and abnormal in 8 shoulders. Abnormalities included subluxation, fracture, abnormal cartilage, soft-tissue mass, and inflammatory collections, including effusion. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound can be used successfully to evaluate the infant shoulder for instability, fracture, and infection.

Birth Injuries↗
PubMed2001

Experimental epiphysiodesis: magnetic resonance imaging evaluation with histopathologic correlation.

We performed an experimental epiphysiodesis on the tibia in 16 immature New Zealand white rabbits. The purpose was to study the process of trauma-induced growth plate closure. The animals were killed at weekly intervals over 8 weeks. We correlated the histological findings with serial magnetic resonance images. The undamaged, central part of the growth plate became histologically abnormal within 1 week. Mature bone bridge formation in the area of the epiphysiodesis was seen after 3 to 4 weeks. The study suggests that growth arrest starts before the bone bridge formation. Factors regulating cartilage growth may also play a role.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Growth disturbance of the sternum and pectus deformities: imaging studies and clinical correlation.

BACKGROUND: Radiologic reports of "normal" chest are not uncommon when there clearly are irregularities of sternal ossification and maturation. Analysis of imaging studies of sternal deformities for growth disturbances is not common in the literature and is addressed in this manuscript. OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of sternal growth on development of pectus deformities and correlate imaging studies with clinical aspects of different types of these deformities. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred forty-one children and adolescents with pectus deformities were evaluated. Sternal growth was estimated through the development of radiographic indices that were available for 57 patients with pectus deformities and for 71 controls. Magnetic resonance imaging of the sternum was performed in two patients to correlate with radiographic information. RESULTS: Radiographic indices of the sternum suggested growth disturbances in three basic types of pectus carinatum deformities: superior, inferior and lateral, and in the localized type of pectus excavatum. CONCLUSION: Sternal growth seems to have an important influence on the development of carinatum superior; partial influence on carinatum inferior, carinatum lateral, and excavatum localized; and no influence on excavatum wide pectus deformities. The endochondral growth of the sternum and costal arches is an important concept that aids in the interpretation of imaging studies and the orthopedic approach to management of these deformities in children and adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Pediatric hip sonography. Diagnosis and differential diagnosis.

As with any sonographic study, the accuracy of the examination is related to the skill and experience of the examiner. In this review of pediatric hip sonography, we have reviewed pitfalls and differential diagnoses for the infant suspected of DDH and for the older child presenting with a painful hip. The learning process for DDH evaluation is prolonged and more difficult than learning to assess the hip for effusion.

Child↗
PubMed1999

Ultrasonography and developmental dysplasia of the infant hip.

Hip sonography has been developed, refined, and critiqued for over 18 years. It is now widely accepted as a highly sensitive and useful technique for both the diagnosis and management of developmental dysplasia of the infant hip. Controversy continues surrounding the issue of when and how often hip sonography should be performed. Currently, clinical screening of newborns is the standard of care in the United States, with sonography employed selectively based on clinical findings. Universal ultrasound screening has been used in some countries and is under consideration by many investigators, using a variety of algorithms. This review will focus on recent reports dealing with issues of screening for developmental dysplasia of the infant hip and also will highlight techniques suggested for use in the treatment of development dysplasia of the infant hip.

Hip Dislocation, Congenital↗
PubMed1999

Cost-effective imaging approach to the nonbilious vomiting infant.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a cost- and time-effective algorithm for differentiating hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) from other medical causes of emesis in infants referred from community-based pediatricians and family practitioners to the imaging department of a tertiary children's care facility. METHODS: Eighty-nine vomiting infants (22 females, 67 males) between the ages of 11 and 120 days (mean, 43.5 days) had received nothing by mouth for at least 1 hour before the study. Each child was assessed for duration of vomiting, status of body weight, time and volume of last ingestion, and time of last emesis. A #8 French (Sherwood Medical, St Louis, MO) nasogastric feeding tube was placed in the child's stomach. The contents were aspirated and measured to determine likelihood of HPS. An aspirated volume >/=5 mL implicated gastric outlet obstruction, and ultrasonography (US) was performed. If this study was positive for HPS, the patient was referred for surgery. If US was negative, an upper gastrointestinal series (UGI) was performed. An aspirated stomach contents volume <5 mL suggested a medical cause for the emesis, and UGI was performed. Pediatric surgeons with no knowledge of the volume results palpated the abdomens of 73 of 89 infants (82%). RESULTS: Twenty-three of 89 patients (25%) had HPS. The aspirate criteria for HPS had a sensitivity of 91%, a specificity of 88%, and an accuracy of 89%. Of the false-positive studies (total = 8), six were related to recent significant ingestion (within 2 hours of the study), and two were attributable to antral dysmotility. The surgeons palpated the mass in 10 of 19 patients (53%). Sensitivity and specificity were 53% and 93%, respectively. Only 6 of 89 infants (7%) required both US and UGI to determine the etiology of the nonbilious vomiting. By performing the UGI in 66 patients, it was also found that 14% had slow gastric emptying and 79% had gastroesophageal reflux. Eighty-one percent of the gastroesophageal reflux was significant. CONCLUSION: The volumetric method of determining the proper imaging study is cost- and time-effective in the evaluation of the nonbilious vomiting infant for pyloric stenosis. If US was performed initially in all patients referred for imaging, two studies would have been performed in 68 of 89 patients (76%) to define the etiology of the emesis. Because we used the volumetric method, 62 fewer imaging studies were performed, representing a savings of $4464 and 30 hours of physician time. If children are given nothing by mouth for 3 to 4 hours before gastric aspiration, the specificity of the volumetric method improves to 94%, and the accuracy improves to 96%.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1999

Injury to the growth plate after Pemberton osteotomy.

The Pemberton osteotomy involves cutting directly into the iliopubic and ilioischial limbs of the triradiate cartilage of the acetabulum. Complete closure of the triradiate cartilage after this osteotomy has been described in case reports. The present experimental study was performed to determine whether physeal osseous bars formed after Pemberton osteotomy. Eight Pemberton osteotomies were performed in six piglets. The animals were killed, and the acetabula were studied with use of radiography, computed tomography, and histological analysis for evidence of physeal injury. Plain anteroposterior radiographs of the pelvis did not clearly demonstrate the formation of osseous bars. However, Bucholz radiographs, made with the acetabulum placed directly on the cassette, showed osseous bars in three of the four specimens that were studied in this manner. Histological sections of the eight specimens of triradiate cartilage demonstrated five osseous bars in the iliopubic limb and four in the ilioischial limb. In two specimens, there was disruption of the cartilage without osseous bridging. Only two of the eight specimens had normal histological findings in both the iliopubic and the ilioischial limb of the triradiate cartilage.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Lateral femoral scan: an alternative method for assessing bone mineral density in children with cerebral palsy.

BACKGROUND: Children with cerebral palsy (CP), often nonambulatory and/or on anticonvulsants, are at increased risk for fractures. Bone mineral density (BMD) measured by the conventional techniques of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) often cannot be reliably or easily measured in these patients. OBJECTIVE: To find an alternative site to whole body, spine and hip that can be conveniently used to measure BMD in CP patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Having observed that CP patients prefer to lie on their sides, we explored measuring BMD at the distal femur in the lateral projection. A total of 92 scans were performed without sedation in 34 children and adolescents with CP, aged 4-19 years. Four femoral shaft subregions were created: two trabecular and two cortical. RESULTS: The coefficients of variation (CV %) were generally higher for opposite-side comparisons (n = 12 patients) than for same-side comparisons (n = 16 patients). For intra- and interobserver analyses, CV % were higher for cortical regions than for trabecular regions. Overall, the CV % were similar to those for hip and spine. CONCLUSION: This peripheral site in the femur should be considered as an alternative for patients with CP when whole-body, hip and spine DXA are not practical.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1998

Computed tomography for femoral and tibial torsion in children with clubfoot.

Forty-seven children with 70 clubfeet had computed tomography studies performed to determine the degree of femoral, tibial, and total limb torsion in both lower limbs. The total limb torsion angle (angle between the axis of the femoral neck and the axis of the ankle), which describes the relationship between femoral and tibial torsion, was used to evaluate the whole rotational deformity of the lower limb. The children were between the ages of 2 and 10 years (mean, 5 years) at the time of the computed tomography study. The mean femoral torsion was 25 degrees in the limbs with a clubfoot and 23 degrees in the contralateral limbs of patients with a unilateral clubfoot. The mean tibial torsion was 25 degrees in the limbs with a clubfoot and 24 degrees in the contralateral limb of patients with a unilateral clubfoot. The authors observed decreases of anterior femoral torsion corresponding to increases in age, consistent with the observations made by other authors of studies of children without clubfoot. External tibial torsion increased with age, with similar values in limbs with and without clubfoot. Ten limbs (nine with clubfoot, one without clubfoot) had femoral torsion greater than the means plus one standard deviation and 12 limbs (eight with clubfoot, four without clubfoot) had tibial torsion less than the means minus one standard deviation. The authors found four limbs (all with clubfoot) in three patients with lower than the mean minus one standard deviation of the total limb torsion angle (intoeing). Overall, there was no appreciable difference in the amount of femoral or tibial torsion in limbs with and without a clubfoot.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1998

Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease in girls. A comparison of the results with those seen in boys.

We reviewed the records and roentgenograms of all patients with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease who had been seen at our institution between 1940 and 1996. One hundred and five girls (122 hips) and 470 boys (531 hips) were identified. Thus, 18 per cent of the 575 patients in the present series were girls. Seventeen (16 per cent) of the girls and sixty-one (13 per cent) of the boys had bilateral involvement. Although more girls than boys had severe involvement of the femoral head and the lateral pillar, we could not detect a significant difference between the two groups with respect to the distribution of the involvement of the hips according to the system of Catterall or the lateral pillar classification (p > 0.05, beta = 0.99). Serial roentgenograms that showed all four stages of the disease according to the system of Waldenström were available for fifty-two hips in girls and 184 hips in boys. A review of these roentgenograms revealed that the average ages of the girls at the stages of necrosis, fragmentation, reossification, and remodeling were 6.8, 7.3, 7.9, and 9.5 years, respectively, whereas the average ages of the boys were 6.8, 7.3, 7.9, and 9.9 years, respectively. Girls, however, had closure of the affected proximal femoral physis at an average age of 12.9 years, whereas boys had closure at an average age of 15.8 years. Therefore, girls had a shorter potential period for remodeling of the femoral head (average, 3.4 years) compared with boys (average, 5.9 years). Sixty-four girls (seventy-eight hips) and 363 boys (416 hips) had reached skeletal maturity by the time of the latest follow-up and were evaluated according to the system of Stulberg et al.; we could not detect a significant difference between boys and girls with respect to the distribution of the hips according to this system (p > 0.05, beta = 0.99). Although the numbers were too small for statistical analysis, our findings suggest that boys and girls who have the same Catterall or lateral pillar classification at the time of the initial evaluation can be expected to have similar outcomes according to the classification system of Stulberg et al.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Bone scintigraphy in the detection of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis.

UNLABELLED: In this study, we describe the importance of the whole-body bone scan in diagnosing the multifocality of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) and in distinguishing it from unifocal acute hematogenous osteomyelitis. MATERIALS: The medical records and two-phase, whole-body bone scans of 14 patients (mean age 10.5 yr) with the diagnosis of CRMO, were retrospectively reviewed. The diagnosis of CRMO was based on bone biopsy in 9 patients and clinical course/laboratory findings in 5. Bone scans were evaluated for geographic and anatomic locations of their lesions. Correlative radiographs of areas of abnormal uptake were performed to assess the radiographic appearance of the lesions. RESULTS: The presentation of the disease was localized to one painful, tender and swollen periarticular site 86% of the time. The number of lesions detected by bone scan varied from 1-18 (mean 6). Most lesions were metaphyseal, proximal or distal tibial lesions. Purely sclerotic or mixed (sclerosis and lysis) lesions were found on radiographs. Bilateral lesions were seen in 64% of patients. Biopsies were negative for organisms in all patients and exhibited subacute or chronic histologic changes in most instances. Complications of chronic hyperemia included marked overgrowth (5), diffuse demineralization (1), angular deformity (1) and length discrepancy (1). CONCLUSION: The identification of the multifocal configuration of the disease process by two-phase (soft-tissue and delayed) whole-body bone scintigraphy results in appropriate diagnosis and therapy of CRMO. Additional sites for possible bone biopsy become apparent for exclusion of other diagnoses. Supportive (nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory medication) instead of antimicrobial therapy can be initiated with significant cost savings.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1998

The role of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in aiding the diagnosis of pediatric osteogenesis imperfecta.

The role of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in the evaluation of the pediatric patient with multiple fractures has not been well established. We retrospectively examined the medical records of 45 patients who had presented to our institution with multiple fractures of unknown cause, who were not known to have osteogenesis imperfecta, and who had obtained DEXA as part of their evaluation. Of these, 26 patients had sufficient clinical data for inclusion in this study. Patients underwent DEXA of the anteroposterior spine and whole body. A z score was calculated to normalize the DEXA values for age. The diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta was correlated with the outcome of each DEXA scan to assess the validity of DEXA as a diagnostic tool. The DEXA of the anteroposterior spine had the highest sensitivity at 91.7%, while DEXA of the whole body had the highest specificity at 100.0%. Decreased bone mineral density may be associated with osteogenesis imperfecta, and DEXA is helpful in detecting low bone mineral density that may be missed on plain radiographs of children with milder forms of osteogenesis imperfecta.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1997

Ultrasonography of nondevelopmental dysplasia of the hips.

We examined 45 infants with nondevelopmental dysplasia of the hip (non-DDH), including congenital deficiency of the femur (CDF) (20 infants), neuromuscular syndrome (five infants), skeletal dysplasia (15 infants), and infection (five infants), and present the sonographic findings. Dysmorphic proximal femora, coxa vara, and abnormal echogenicity of the soft tissue and cartilage are features which differentiate patients with non-DDH from those with typical DDH.

Female↗
PubMed1997

Imaging techniques in childhood arthritis.

Technological advances in imaging have given physicians caring for children with arthritis a greater opportunity to detect abnormalities early in the course of a disease and better methods for monitoring chronic changes. Indications for using radiography, bone densitometry, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, CT scanning, and MR imaging are discussed in this article. In this era of managed care, the practicing clinician is urged more than ever to consult with the radiologist in selecting the study or sequence of studies to be used in particular case. In this way, evaluation can be limited to the most effective strategy from both the clinical and cost perspectives.

Adolescent↗