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Perry L Schoenecker

Publications and source records attributed to Perry L Schoenecker.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

A comparison of monolateral and circular external fixation of unstable diaphyseal tibial fractures in children.

Forty-six tibial fractures in 44 children, which were treated by external fixation at our institution between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1999, were retrospectively identified. Twenty-nine fractures were treated with monolateral fixation and 16 were treated with circular fixation. The average age of the patients was 11 years 8 months (range 3 years 11 months-17 years 7 months). External fixators were left in place for a mean of 13.7 weeks (range 9-33 weeks). Eleven significant complications occurred. Loss of reduction necessitating return to the operating room occurred in four patients (13%) and malunion occurred in an additional patient with monolateral fixators. Four of these patients had comminuted fracture patterns. All of the patients with loss of reduction were 12 years of age or older. No patient with a circular fixator developed mal-alignment. Final alignment in 45 of the 46 fractures was acceptable. External fixation is a safe and effective method of treating unstable diaphyseal tibia fractures in children. Patients over the age of 12 years, particularly with comminuted fracture patterns may be more effectively treated with circular external fixation or, if treated with monolateral fixation, require close observation.

Adolescent↗

Reduction of a dislocation of the hip due to developmental dysplasia. Implications for the need for future surgery.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports on the treatment of a dislocation of the hip due to developmental dysplasia have documented conflicting data on the importance of the ossific nucleus in the development of postreduction ischemic necrosis. Delaying reduction until the ossific nucleus is present bypasses the time-period of maximal osseous remodeling of the hip, thereby possibly increasing the need for future operations. We hypothesized that hips with an ossific nucleus are more likely to have subsequent reconstructive procedures. METHODS: A retrospective review of the medical records at two tertiary-care children's hospitals was completed to identify all patients who had had reduction of a dislocation of the hip due to developmental dysplasia, performed between 1979 and 1993, when they were less than two years old. Patients were excluded if the medical records or radiographs were inadequate, the duration of follow-up was less than three years after the final reduction, a previous reduction had been performed at an outside facility, or the patient had a neuromuscular disease or a teratologic dislocation. We identified 124 patients (153 hips) who satisfied the criteria for inclusion. The average age at the time of the reduction was eleven months, and the average duration of follow-up was 7.2 years. RESULTS: Overall, fourteen of the sixty-three hips without an ossific nucleus had a reconstructive procedure: thirteen had a varus rotational osteotomy of the proximal part of the femur and one had a combined pelvic and varus rotational femoral osteotomy. Forty of the ninety hips with an ossific nucleus had a reconstructive procedure: twenty-seven had a varus rotational osteotomy, eight had a pelvic osteotomy, and five had a combined pelvic and varus rotational osteotomy (p < 0.05). In addition, secondary reconstructive procedures were performed in 17% (ten) of the fifty-nine patients who were less than six months old and in 35% (thirty-three) of the ninety-four patients who were at least six months old, which was a greater than twofold increase. The effect of age was further emphasized at the other age cutoff points. CONCLUSION: Delaying the reduction of a dislocated hip until the appearance of the ossific nucleus more than doubles the need for future surgery to make the hip as anatomically normal as possible. Despite finding a slight increase in the rate of ischemic necrosis after reduction of the hips without an ossific nucleus, we advocate early reduction of a dislocation of a hip due to developmental dysplasia to optimize the development of the hip with the minimum number of operations

Adolescent↗

Proximal femoral radiographic changes after lateral transtrochanteric intramedullary nail placement in children.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports have described osteonecrosis of the femoral head after intramedullary nailing of the femur through the piriformis fossa in children. Other reports have raised concerns about the development of femoral neck narrowing and valgus deformity of the proximal part of the femur after intramedullary nailing through the tip of the greater trochanter. We evaluated the radiographic changes in the proximal part of the femur following intramedullary nailing through the lateral trochanteric area at a minimum of two years postoperatively in twenty-five affected extremities. The mean age of the patients at the time of the index procedure was ten years and six months. METHODS: A retrospective radiographic review was performed to look for proximal femoral changes. Specifically, the radiographs were examined for evidence of osteonecrosis. The articulotrochanteric distance, femoral neck diameter, and neck-shaft angle were measured on the initial and final radiographs. RESULTS: No patient had evidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The articulotrochanteric distance decreased by a mean of 0.4 mm, the femoral neck diameter increased by a mean of 4.9 mm, and the neck-shaft angle decreased by a mean of 1.4 degrees. Compared with a group of seventeen patients with adequate initial and final radiographs of the contralateral side, the final mean articulotrochanteric distance was 4.5 mm less on the involved side than on the uninvolved side, the mean femoral neck diameter was 0.7 mm less on the involved side than on the uninvolved side, and the mean neck-shaft angle was 3.2 degrees less on the involved side than on the uninvolved side. No patient had development of clinically important femoral neck narrowing or valgus deformity. Statistically, the likelihood that these data represent a group with a mean 3-mm increase in the articulotrochanteric distance is <1%. The likelihood that these data represent a group with a mean 3.2-mm decrease in the ultimate femoral neck diameter is <1%. The likelihood that these data represent a group with a mean 5 degrees increase in the neck-shaft angle is <1%. CONCLUSIONS: Lateral transtrochanteric intramedullary nailing in children who are nine years of age or older does not produce clinically important femoral neck valgus deformity or narrowing, and we did not observe osteonecrosis of the femoral head after this procedure.

Adolescent↗

Surgical correction of the snapping iliopsoas tendon in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: There have been very few reports regarding symptomatic snapping of the iliopsoas tendon, and none of those reports have dealt exclusively with an adolescent population. We report our experience with the surgical treatment of this entity in a group of patients who had an average age of fifteen years. METHODS: Nine adolescent patients (eleven hips) underwent fractional lengthening of the iliopsoas tendon at the musculotendinous junction because of persistent painful snapping of the hip. A modified iliofemoral approach to the iliopsoas tendon was used. The diagnosis in all cases was made on the basis of the history and a physical examination. Plain radiographs were made for all patients to rule out an osseous intra-articular loose body. Follow-up consisted of personal interviews and physical examinations performed at least two years postoperatively. RESULTS: Preoperatively, all patients had audible snapping with pain localized to the anterior part of the groin. The average duration of symptoms was 2.3 years. Prior to the onset of symptoms, all but one of the patients had been involved in competitive athletic activities. Postoperatively, all patients were able to return to the preoperative level of activity without subjective weakness. The average duration of postoperative follow-up was four years. Hip-flexion strength was noted to be nearly equal to that on the contralateral side. All patients reported that they would have the operation again under similar circumstances. One patient had recurrent snapping but stated that it was less frequent and less painful than the preoperative snapping. Two patients had transient sensory loss in the anterolateral aspect of the thigh. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that fractional lengthening of the iliopsoas tendon at the musculotendinous junction is an effective and safe approach for adolescent patients with persistent symptomatic snapping of the iliopsoas tendon that is unresponsive to conservative measures.

Adolescent↗

Femoral lengthening over a humeral intramedullary nail in preadolescent children.

BACKGROUND: Femoral lengthening over an intramedullary nail has been described in adults. A technique of femoral lengthening over a humeral intramedullary nail in children is described, and the results and complications are presented. METHODS: Nine preadolescent patients (average age, nine years and ten months) with femoral length discrepancy were treated with femoral lengthening over a humeral intramedullary nail. After nail insertion, a monolateral external fixator was placed with half-pins either anterior or posterior to the intramedullary nail, and lengthening was performed through a proximal osteotomy. RESULTS: The femora were lengthened a mean of 6.1 cm (range, 5.0 to 8.0 cm), 19.5% (range, 15.9% to 26.2%) of the preoperative femoral length. Patients had a mean lengthening index of 12.2 days/cm of length (range, 9.5 to 16.9 days/cm of length). Five complications including osteomyelitis, failure of the distal interlocking site, and femoral fracture at the distal end of the nail occurred in four patients; four of the complications led to surgical intervention. No case of proximal femoral valgus secondary to nailing through the greater trochanter had developed by the time of final follow-up. All patients were followed for a minimum of two years postoperatively, with a mean of 128 weeks (range, 111 to 161 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: The technique is effective but has a high rate of complications, including osteomyelitis, which developed in two of the nine patients. No avascular necrosis or proximal femoral valgus was noted.

Bone Lengthening↗

Complications and outcomes of open pediatric forearm fractures.

Few reports have documented the complications and outcomes of open pediatric forearm fractures. The authors completed of all patients (1987-1999) with open forearm fractures. Sixty-five patients with 65 injured extremities were identified, with an average age of 10.3 years. Fifty-two open fractures were grade I, 12 were grade II, and 1 was grade IIIA. Implants stabilized 40 extremities (62%), which improved alignment but not outcome. Forearms initially stabilized with implants did not undergo additional realignment procedures (0%), compared with 18.5% of forearms without stabilization. Eleven patients (16.9%) experienced complications. Overall, 47 (72%) were classified as having excellent results, 11 (17%) as good, and 7 (11%) as fair. Open pediatric forearm fractures have a high percentage of excellent and good outcomes. Early, thorough surgical débridement produces a low frequency of deep infections, and bony stabilization can be a safe technique, permitting more anatomic alignment and preventing the need for reoperation due to malalignment.

Adolescent↗

Bleeding complications following percutaneous tendoachilles tenotomy in the treatment of clubfoot deformity.

Ponseti demonstrated correction of most clubfeet in infants using proper manipulative techniques followed by application of well-molded long-leg plaster casts and a percutaneous tendoachilles tenotomy to correct residual equinus contracture. Medical complications occurring as a result of this technique have not to our knowledge been reported. The authors retrospectively reviewed 134 consecutive infants with 219 idiopathic clubfeet treated with the Ponseti method. A percutaneous tendoachilles tenotomy was performed on 200 clubfeet (91%) at a mean age of 16 weeks (range, 6-77 weeks) when less than 10 degress of ankle dorsiflexion was present after casting. A total of 4 patients had serious bleeding complications following the percutaneous tendoachillis tenotomy--3 due to presumed injury to the peroneal artery and 1 due to injury to the lesser saphenous vein. The authors detail the technique of performing a percutaneous tendoachilles tenotomy and offer guidelines that may help others avoid this same complication.

Achilles Tendon↗

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis in down syndrome.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) and Down syndrome are both uncommon in the population at large, and rarely are both conditions present in a single individual. Institutional records were searched for both Down syndrome and SCFE. At least 2 years of follow-up was required. Eight patients were identified. At presentation four patients could not walk due to pain and four could walk. Six of eight hips presented with grade III SCFE. Four hips were treated with internal fixation in situ and four were manipulatively reduced in the operating room at the time of fixation with percutaneous screws or pins. Three hips healed uneventfully. Five hips developed aseptic necrosis (three partial, two whole head). This small retrospective study suggests an extremely high rate of complications in adolescents with Down syndrome and SCFE.

Adolescent↗

Flexor digitorum accessorius longus muscle is associated with familial idiopathic clubfoot.

The etiology of idiopathic and familial clubfoot remains elusive. The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence of the flexor digitorum accessorius longus muscle in a large series of children treated with an extensive soft tissue release for idiopathic clubfoot deformity and compare those patients with and without this anomalous muscle in terms of various demographic data, including a positive family history of clubfoot. A retrospective review was conducted to identify infants treated with an extensive soft tissue release for idiopathic clubfoot deformity at the authors' institutions between 1980 and 2000. Patient characteristics and family demographic data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis modeling the probability of having the anomalous flexor muscle. A flexor digitorum accessorius longus muscle was identified in 55 (6.6%) of the 835 patients at the time of surgical correction of the clubfoot deformity. It was present in 4.5% of patients without a family history (33/741) and 23.4% of patients with a family history (22/94) (P < 0.0001). Children with first-degree relatives with clubfoot are 6.6 times more likely to have the anomalous flexor muscle than children without first-degree relatives with clubfoot (odds ratio 6.6; 95% confidence interval 3.63-11.84; P < 0.0001).

Clubfoot↗

Diaphyseal derotational osteotomy with intramedullary fixation for correction of excessive femoral anteversion in children.

Nearly all children with femoral anteversion spontaneously remodel by age 8. Femoral derotational osteotomies are performed in older children with persistent excessive femoral anteversion when children or adolescents are limited in activities of daily living or sports. Procedures for correction of the anteversion vary, and no one procedure has been shown to be superior. Since 1997 the authors have corrected idiopathic excessive femoral anteversion thorough a diaphyseal osteotomy with fixation using a rigid intramedullary pediatric femoral nail. The purpose of this study was to describe the technique and results of this new technique. A retrospective study was conducted of all femoral derotational osteotomies performed with a pediatric femoral nail in 13 consecutive patients and 21 affected limbs. All patients complained preoperatively of frequent tripping during sports and activities of daily living. The mean preoperative rotation included internal rotation of 77 degrees and external rotation of 15 degrees. Standing AP radiographs of all patients were obtained at final follow-up. All patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically at a minimum of 1 year after surgery. All patients noted improvement in the ability to participate in activities without tripping. No patient limped at final follow-up. No intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. Healing of the osteotomy was present at a mean of 6 weeks. All osteotomies healed in anatomic alignment. Mean final hip rotation included internal rotation of 40 degrees and external rotation of 57 degrees. No patient had substantial changes of valgus or femoral neck narrowing at final follow-up. Femoral derotational osteotomy with fixation using a small-diameter rigid intramedullary nail placed through the lateral aspect of the greater trochanter is a safe, accurate, and effective method of correcting excessive femoral anteversion in symptomatic children.

Adolescent↗

Causes of false-negative ultrasound scans in the diagnosis of septic arthritis of the hip in children.

Ultrasound scans of the hip were carried out in 132 children with hip pain during an 18-month period to evaluate the hip for the presence of an effusion. Seventy-three of these patients were followed up long enough to ascertain the presence or absence of septic arthritis. The remaining 59 patients were discharged with diagnoses other than septic arthritis but could not be located to confirm the ultimate accuracy of the diagnosis. Four patients were initially determined to have no effusion but subsequently were diagnosed with septic arthritis (false-negative rate of 5%). Two of these patients had inadequate initial ultrasound examinations. Two children had ultrasound examinations that even on retrospective review did not reveal an effusion. Both of these children had had symptoms for <24 hours, and one had a contralateral hip effusion. The authors recommend using the negative results of an ultrasound scan as evidence of the absence of septic arthritis in children with caution when symptoms have been present for <24 hours or when bilateral disease exists.

Adolescent↗

Early reduction, arthrotomy, and cannulated screw fixation in unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis treatment.

Sixteen consecutive cases of unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis treated with urgent reduction and pinning during a 7-year period are presented. In 2 of the 16 patients, avascular necrosis of the femoral head developed. Ten of the 16 patients were treated within 24 hours after the onset of acute symptoms by reduction, arthrotomy, and cannulated screw fixation of the hip using two screws. In none of these patients did avascular necrosis of the femoral head develop. Two patients required hardware removal for persistent pain, and one required a revision pinning after a nondisplaced femoral neck fracture. Chondrolysis did not develop in any patient, and no hip progressed after fixation. At last follow-up (mean 27 months after surgery), two patients walked with a moderate limp. Three reported persistent mild pain in the affected hip. Early reduction of unstable hips with arthrotomy and pinning using two cannulated screws to minimize the risk of avascular necrosis is recommended.

Adolescent↗

Treatment of rigid hypertrophic posttraumatic pseudarthrosis of the tibia in children using distraction osteogenesis.

Posttraumatic tibial pseudarthrosis is a relatively uncommon complication of tibia fractures in children. Although reported as a successful method of treating tibial nonunions in adults, distraction osteogenesis through a nonunion site via ring external fixation has not been described in children. The authors report three consecutive cases of distraction through an angulated, shortened, hypertrophic, posttraumatic nonunion to achieve successful union and concurrent correction of deformity. Distraction was carried out using a ring fixator with computer-guided correction. Union was achieved in each of the three patients with complete correction of deformity and length. Lengthening of 8 to 31 mm was achieved. The length of time in the external fixator ranged from 7 to 27 weeks. Pin tract infections developed in all patients; they were treated successfully using oral antibiotics. No deep infections or other significant complications developed. Each patient was followed up for at least 1 year.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Combined midfoot osteotomy for severe forefoot adductus.

A one-stage procedure combining a closing wedge osteotomy of the cuboid with an opening wedge of the medial cuneiform was used for the treatment of severe forefoot adductus. Results were reviewed in 33 patients (50 feet) followed-up for at least 2 years postoperatively. Clinical and radiographic improvement in forefoot position was achieved in 90% of cases. The mean calcaneo-second metatarsal angle improved from 37 degrees preoperatively to 18 degrees at final follow-up. The mean talo-first metatarsal angle improved from 15 degrees preoperatively to 3 degrees at final follow-up. The medial to lateral column ratio demonstrated 33% improvement after surgical treatment. Two feet were unimproved because of graft migration. Patients younger than age 5 years without a well-defined medial cuneiform ossific nucleus had a high rate of medial graft extrusion with loss of correction. This procedure should be reserved for patients aged 5 years or older. Ten patients followed-up for more than 6 years had no deterioration in results. This procedure provides effective, safe, predictable, and lasting correction of forefoot adductus.

Adolescent↗

Septic arthritis of the hip in infancy: long-term follow-up.

At a mean 15-year follow-up, the authors evaluated five hips in five patients who had complete destruction of the femoral head and neck from septic arthritis when they were 3 months old. All patients were treated with a trochanteric arthroplasty in combination with a proximal femoral varus osteotomy at a mean age of 30 months in an attempt to salvage a femoral-pelvic articulation. Results suggest this treatment can provide a stable, painless, and functional hip, with an improved gait and less leg-length discrepancy than predicted if no reconstructive effort were attempted.

Arthritis, Infectious↗

Severely displaced proximal humeral epiphyseal fractures.

The purpose of this study was to document the late outcome of a group of patients with Neer grade III/IV proximal humeral physeal fractures who were treated with reduction of the fracture and maintenance of reduction until fracture consolidation. A total of 28 patients treated between 1984 and 1999 at a large children's hospital were included in this study. Nineteen of the 28 patients were 15 years or older (range 5-16 y). All patients were treated in the operating room with closed reduction followed by immobilization (n = 3), closed reduction and pin fixation (n = 20), open reduction and screw fixation (n = 3), or open reduction and pin fixation (n = 2). Postoperatively, all had Neer grade I or II displacement, which was maintained until fracture union. No operative or postoperative complications occurred. At an average follow-up of 4 years, all patients had near-normal glenohumeral motion and excellent strength and uniformly reported regaining full preinjury functional use of the involved extremity. Achieving and maintaining reduction in Neer grade III/IV proximal humeral epiphyseal fractures can be safely performed and results in excellent long-term shoulder function. This is of particular significance in the older adolescent who has minimal remodeling potential.

Adolescent↗

Complications of titanium elastic nails for pediatric femoral shaft fractures.

Limited data exist about complications of titanium elastic nails (TNs) for femur fracture management in pediatric patients. Thirty-nine patients with 43 femoral shaft fractures were identified whose average age was 6.0 years. There were 21 complications (1 intraoperative, 20 postoperative) in 43 femur fractures (49%). There were two major postoperative complications: one septic arthritis after nail removal and one hypertrophic nonunion. Minor postoperative complications were pain at the nails in 13 extremities, nail erosion through the skin in 4, and one delayed union. There was an association between the prominence of TNs and nail pain or skin erosion. Fracture angulation and outcome were associated with the patient's weight and size of the nails implanted. Technical pitfalls exist with this implant and can be minimized by leaving less than 2.5 cm of nail out of the femur and by using the largest nail sizes possible.

Analysis of Variance↗