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Biomedical subjects

M Letts

Publications and source records attributed to M Letts.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The orthopaedic manifestations of the Langer-Giedion syndrome.

Less than 50 cases of Langer-Giedion syndrome (also known as trichorhinophalangeal syndrome with exostoses) have been reported in the English literature since its first description in 1974. Affected individuals have been described as having a bulbous nose, micrognathia, short stature, multiple cartilaginous exostoses, and large, protruding ears. We recently treated a 5-year-old, mentally retarded boy with Langer-Giedion syndrome for symptomatic multiple exostoses involving his proximal tibia and distal femur. This paper will highlight the musculoskeletal abnormalities found in this child and compare them to those of 43 patients reported in the world literature. The comparison reveals a very distinctive pattern of exostosis, demonstrating a primary altered growth pattern in the lower extremities and deformity secondary to marked ligamentous laxity. Orthopaedic surgeons are frequently the first consultants to see these children for their obvious osteochondromata. They must consider the diagnosis of Langer-Giedion syndrome to facilitate the treatment of its other manifestations.

Child↗
PubMed1992

Aneurysmal bone cyst of the upper thoracic spine. An operative approach through a manubrial sternotomy.

Surgical access to T-1 and T-2 vertebral bodies through standard cervical approaches may be difficult and extensive in patients with short necks or high sterna. Adequate exposure of this area can be achieved in children, using a partial manubrial sternotomy and retraction of the manubrial halves. This procedure was successfully performed in a 14-year-old girl whose T-1 vertebra had been completely replaced by a large aneurysmal bone cyst that had produced major paraparesis. A two-stage anteroposterior excision and spinal fusion resulted in complete restoration of neurologic function, eradication of the cyst, and stabilization of the cervicothoracic spine. The limited manubrial split approach to lesions in the T-1 and T-2 vertebrae is recommended.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Hereditary onycho-osteodysplasia (nail-patella syndrome). A three-generation familial study.

Hereditary onycho-osteodysplasia or nail-patella syndrome is an uncommon familial musculoskeletal condition that is primarily seen initially in orthopaedic clinics. This three-generation familial review identifies three affected family members, one of whom demonstrated spondylolisthesis, a condition not previously associated with nail-patella syndrome. All affected family members demonstrated the typical radial nail dysplasias, hypoplastic patellae, iliac horns, and posterior dislocation of the radial heads. Overgrowth of the medial femoral condyles caused valgus deformities of the knees that necessitated orthotic treatment in the youngest affected family member. Although this syndrome has classic common musculoskeletal anomalies, the lumbar spine should also be carefully examined for the presence of spondylolysis and for signs of potential spondylolisthetic development.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The modified Chopart's amputation.

A modified Chopart's amputation has been designed to overcome the complications of the traditional Chopart's amputation of plantar flexion and skin breakdown over the anterior talus and calcaneus. The modifications are: (1) contouring of the talus and calcaneus; (2) transfer of the anterior and posterior tibialis tendons and the extensor communis and hallucis to the neck of the talus and sustentaculum tali; (3) anterior advancement of the plantar flap; and (4) lengthening of the tendo Achillis. This procedure has been performed in a prospective manner on eight feet in six children. An average 3.5-year follow-up term has not revealed any complications. The modified Chopart's procedure appears to be a functional, useful amputation for children requiring foot ablation secondary to congenital malformations.

Amputation, Surgical↗
PubMed1990

Occipitocervical arthrodesis in children.

A technique for occipitocervical arthrodesis was used in seven patients whose ages ranged from three to thirteen years. The indication for the arthrodesis was occipitocervical instability secondary to various forms of dysplasia. There were no non-unions, and internal fixation was used in only one patient. Six patients were immobilized postoperatively with halo fixation. There was only slight limitation of cervical motion after fusion; we believe that the limitation was due to increased motion in the vertebral segments caudad to the level of fusion. Six patients had full flexion, and only three patients had decreased rotation. We found that, in young patients, occipitocervical arthrodesis by means of the described procedure was both safe and effective.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Computerized ultrasonic digitization in the measurement of spinal curvature.

A major concern in school screening programs as well as in the clinical assessment of spinal curvature has been the frequent radiation exposure required to ascertain curve progression. Various techniques have been developed to identify scoliosis such as the Moire and ISIS techniques, but these are very sophisticated and expensive. The authors have developed a simple procedure of identifying and documenting spinal curvature during the performance of the Adams forward bend test, using an ultrasonic sound probe, four sound receivers, and a micro-computer. The probe is run along the spinous processes emitting an ultrasonic sound, which is picked up by four receivers mounted at the corners of a rectangle above the patient. The signal is fed into a micro-computer and the spinal curvature is plotted out. The magnitude of the curve is calculated by the computer, and the actual curve plus the magnitude is printed in hard copy to be placed in the chart. The reproducibility error and intermeasurer error has been less than 5%. A series of 30 patients with varying magnitudes of scoliosis from 15 degrees to 73 degrees were examined. The results of the ultrasonic digitization were compared with standard scoliosis radiographs of the patient taken the same week. The average curvature measured from the radiographs was 38 degrees, and from the ultrasonic digitization technique, 30 degrees: The forward bend position contributed to smaller curvature measurement, and measurement in the standing position was thought to be a better technique. Ultrasonic digitization as a method of curve measurement is most accurate in curves over 30 degrees.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗
PubMed1988

A biomechanical analysis of halo fixation in children.

The use of prolonged halo stabilisation in a child is increasingly indicated for trauma and congenital instability of the cervical spine, but complications of pin fixation in this age group are frequent. We have analysed four aspects of the mechanics of the halo pin: the forces applied by each of six surgeons was shown to vary widely, penetration of the inner table occurred relatively easily, friction at the pin-halo interface influenced forces, and the skull thickness measured by CT scan varied from 1.1 mm to 4.3 mm in children under six years of age. We recommend CT scanning of the skull before elective halo application in young children to ascertain the safest pin sites.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

The "floating knee" in children.

The term "floating knee" describes the flail joint resulting from fractures of the shaft or adjacent metaphyseal region of the ipsilateral femur and tibia; we have reviewed 15 children with this combined injury seen at the Winnipeg Children's Hospital. All had been involved in motor vehicle accidents, eight having been struck while cycling; the biomechanics of such an injury have also been studied. Treatment is difficult and the regimes varied. Results were poor when both fractures were treated nonoperatively and we recommend that at least one of the fractures should be rigidly fixed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Metastatic osteosarcoma and multiple lung resection. A case report.

The existence of pulmonary metastases in patients presenting with osteosarcoma is known to indicate a poor prognosis. Lung resection of solitary lesions is now a standard treatment approach, but with limited successful long-term results. We report the progress of a 16-year-old girl with osteosarcoma of the proximal tibia who underwent 11 lung resections for pulmonary metastases over a two-year period, and who has since then been free of disease for seven years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Monteggia fracture-dislocations in children.

Thirty-three Monteggia fracture-dislocations occurring in patients aged 2 to 15 years were reviewed. A follow-up of 2 to 7 years in 25 patients revealed that 88% had good to excellent results and 12% had results which were fair or poor. Closed reduction was successful in 24 of 28 cases and appeared to be very effective. Open reduction was required only for older children or when treatment was begun late. A mild hyperextension deformity at the elbow noted on follow-up of patients with anterior dislocation of the radial head seemed to support the theory that the injury is caused by hyperextension. A new classification of Monteggia fracture-dislocations in children is proposed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fracture of the pars interarticularis in adolescent athletes: a clinical-biomechanical analysis.

Stress fracture of the pars interarticularis is an increasing cause of disability in highly competitive adolescent athletes. We have documented this lesion in 14 adolescent athletes engaged in repetitive training and competition exercises involving flexion/extension of the lumbar spine. An in vivo spinal muscle torque study in 11 normal adolescent girls also revealed mean torque values of 22.6 Nm for left lateral flexion and 27.4 Nm for hyperextension. The most common sports resulting in this lesion were gymnastics and hockey. In four patients the lesion was bilateral, and in 10 it was unilateral. Five of the unilateral lesions went on to heal with immobilization in a thoracolumbar spinal orthoses; however, none of the four bilateral lesions or the remaining five unilateral lesions healed in spite of 3 months of immobilization.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Gait kinematics in below-knee child amputees: a force plate analysis.

A complete gait analysis was performed on six children with below-knee amputations to determine the kinematics and kinetics of amputee gait in children. A relatively new method of analysis--the inverse dynamic relationship--was used to determine the joint moments in the sagittal plane of the joints in the intact limb and the remaining portion of the amputated limb. The joint moments in the sagittal plane of the intact limb in the child amputee were found to be normal or below normal during level walking. From this study, it was concluded that providing a child amputee has a good prosthetic fit, there will be no increased forces across the joints of the intact or amputated limb and consequently no predisposition to premature degenerative arthritis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The prevention of recurrent fractures of the lower extremities in severe osteogenesis imperfecta using vacuum pants: a preliminary report in four patients.

Severe osteogenesis imperfecta results in frequent fracturing of lower extremity bones when the child assumes upright weightbearing. To prevent such breakage and to provide simple, comfortable standing, a special "vacuum pant" orthosis was designed and assessed in four patients. Not only has this enabled the family to help their children stand up safely and comfortably, but the frequency of fracturing has diminished. Bone densitometry studies of the tibia revealed an increase in both the mineral content (0.39 to 0.70 g/cm) and the bone density (0.44 g/cm2) above that expected for growth alone in one patient. The "vacuum pant" orthosis is a useful addition to the treatment program of the severe osteogenesis imperfecta child.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hematocolpos as a cause of back pain in premenarchal adolescents.

Persistent low back pain in children demands thorough investigation. An unusual cause of such discomfort is hematocolpos secondary to imperforate hymen in premenarchal girls. Experience with four patients whose initial primary symptom was low back pain has been documented. All had large pelvic masses with greater than 400 ml of old blood being drained at hymenotomy in all patients. Irritation of the sacral plexus or nerve roots is postulated as a mechanism for the referred back pain. Hematocolpos should be included in the differential diagnosis of prepubertal girls who have low back pain.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Soft Boston orthosis in management of neuromuscular scoliosis: a preliminary report.

Collapsing neuromuscular spinal curvature is extremely difficult to manage with standard rigid orthoses owing to skin breakdown and patient intolerance. Experience with a new, more malleable type of spinal brace (the "soft Boston orthosis") has been very rewarding in 55 children with neuromuscular scoliosis with an average curvature of 42 degrees. Patient tolerance was improved in 38%, patient handling was facilitated in 68%, and postural positioning was enhanced in 79%. Although improvement in the scoliosis averaged only 15 degrees, the major advantage of this orthosis was a marked improvement in sitting stability in 80% of patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Long-term effects of neonatal bone and joint infection on adjacent growth plates.

Review of children with physeal damage from neonatal infection other than the hip at Winnipeg Children's Hospital showed that six patients had residual growth interference from adjacent infection in the bone or joint. Several of the infections involved multiple joints, with growth plate arrest occurring in the distal femoral growth plate in four, in the proximal humerus in four, in the proximal femur in two, in the distal radius in one, and in the distal humerus in one. Although the initial infection was frequently believed to be successfully treated in the neonate, the clinical effect of these infections on the growth plate was not fully appreciated in five of the infants until the children reached a mean age of 9 years. Because growth abnormalities in physeal bars may not be clinically evident for several years after the initial infection has been treated, we recommend that children with bone and joint infections occurring in the first month of life be followed to skeletal maturity, observing the adjacent physis for late tethering.

Arthritis, Infectious↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spinal cord concussion in pediatric athletes.

Children with a narrowed canal secondary to spinal stenosis or congenital malformation may be predisposed to spinal cord concussion when the canal is further narrowed in hyperflexion or hyperextension. Review of the medical records of the Winnipeg and Ottawa Children's Hospitals disclosed 12 children who had been treated for transient sensory or motor loss after a spinal injury. Measurements of the spinal canal were compared with standard normal measurements, and the spinal canal width was expressed as a percentage of the vertebral width (the Torg ratio). This study shows that narrowing of the spinal canal is an inconsistent predisposing factor to spinal cord concussion in children. A poor correlation between the Torg ratio and comparison with a series of normal control canal widths was noted.

Adolescent↗