Pediatric medial epicondyle fractures with intra-articular elbow incarceration

BackgroundIntra-articular incarceration of the epicondylar fragment occurs in 5–18 % of all cases of medial epicondyle fracture. It requires stable fixation to allow early motion, since elbow stiffness is the most common complication following medial epicondyle fracture. In this retrospective study, we report the clinical and functional outcomes and the complications that occurred following open reduction and screw fixation of medial epicondyle fractures with intra-articular fragment incarceration.MethodsThirteen children who had a fracture of the medial epicondyle with incarceration of the fragment in the elbow joint (type III) were surgically treated in our university hospital between 1998 and 2012. There were eight male and five female patients. The mean age at the time of injury was 13 years (range 9–16). Operative treatment consisted of open reduction and internal fixation with one or two 4.0-mm cannulated screws under fluoroscopic control.ResultsAll of the patients were clinically reviewed at an average follow-up of 29 months. The overall range of motion limitation was about 5° for flexion–extension and 2° for pronation–supination. The score was excellent in all patients (mean 96.3). Complications occurred in four (31 %) children: two cases of symptomatic screw head prominence, irritation with partial lesion of the distal triceps myotendinous junction in one patient, and median nerve entrapment syndrome in one patient.ConclusionsIn conclusion, open reduction and screw fixation yielded excellent clinical and functional outcomes for the treatment of medial epicondyle fractures with intra-articular fragment incarceration. However, particular attention is should be paid when treating these potentially serious injuries in order to minimize the risk of possible complications.

Level of evidence

Therapeutic IV.     

Urgent Redo-Laparotomies: Patterns and Outcome—A Single Centre Experience

A proportion of the operations performed in a surgical gastroenterology department are unplanned repeat laparotomies for complications of the original procedure. We examined why, in our department, these ‘redo’ laparotomies were performed and what was their outcome. We retrospectively analyzed 6530 patients operated between September 1996 - December 2010, of these 257 redo laparotomies were performed in 193(2.5 %) patients. There were 138 males and 55 females who had a mean age of 42 years (range 7–68 years). Eighty one (42 %) of the index surgeries were elective and 112 (58 %) performed in the emergency situation. Pancreas was the commonest organ for the index operation {50 (25.9 %)}, followed by the colon and rectum {45 (23.3 %)} and the small bowel {36 (18.7 %)}. Postoperative bleeding was the most common cause for re-exploration 66 (34.2 %) followed by an abscess or fluid collection that required surgical drainage 57 (29.6 %). The mortality rate after redo laparotomies was 33.2 % with sepsis and multi-organ failure being the commonest cause of death. Urgent redo-laparotomies that are performed following complicated abdominal operations have a high mortality rate. Postoperative bleeding, intrabdominal abscess and peritonitis are the commonest cause for redo-laparotomy. Multiple redolaparotomies and associated co-morbid conditions are significant predictors of mortality.     

Evaluation of the Patient-Specific Functional Scale in hand fractures and dislocations

Background

Generic upper extremity disability questionnaires utilize standardized items. The Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) allows the patient to identify specific self-reported items. This study evaluated the validity of the PSFS to assess outcome in patients with hand fractures or dislocations.

Methods

Adults with hand fractures or dislocations, who completed hand therapy between January 2012 and January 2013, were eligible for inclusion. At the initial and final assessment, each patient was asked to complete the PSFS. Each patient identified three items that were difficult or they were unable to perform, and the degree of difficulty was ranked from 0 to 10 (able to perform at pre-injury level). We excluded patients with an incomplete PSFS. Statistical analyses evaluated the relationships between the PSFS and the independent variables.

Results

There were 63 patients (37 men, 26 women); 21 of the 63 patients underwent surgery for fracture fixation. The mean duration of hand therapy treatment was 2.2 ± 1.4 months. The mean PSFS scores were as follows: initial 3.2 ± 2.2; final 8.1 ± 2.2. There was a significant improvement in PSFS scores from initial to final assessment (p < 0.001) and a moderate correlation (r = 0.3, p = 0.02). There was no statistical difference in PSFS scores between men and women or surgery and no surgery.

Conclusions

In these patients with hand fractures or dislocations, the PSFS indicated significant improvement in function. Using items identified by the patient, the PSFS provides a valuable perspective of outcome and may be used in conjunction with generic disease-specific questionnaire for assessment of the upper extremity.     

Glans meatus proportion in hypospadias versus normal: Does marking reference points impact outcome?

ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to assess anatomical landmarks with reference to urethral meatus and glans in hypospadias and compare the findings with those of healthy individuals, and to assess whether marking reference points helps in improving outcome.Methods1. Patients who underwent repair for hypospadias had reference points marked. Vertical meatal length, ventral glans closure and glans meatus proportion were derived, and the values compared with those obtained from healthy boys. 2. The outcomes of TIP repair after marking reference points (Group I) were compared with those of a similar group without skin markings (Group II).Results1. There was significant difference in the age distribution of hypospadiac patients and healthy individuals, reflected in the meatal length and ventral glans closure. However, there was no significant difference in glans meatus proportion. 2. The fistula rate was 2/35 (5.7%) in group I compared with 5/47 (10.5%) in group II. The meatal stenosis was 2/35 (5.7%) in group I and 4/47 (8.5%) in group II.Conclusion1. Anatomical landmarks in hypospadias are similar to those found in healthy individuals. 2. Marking reference points prior to incision helps to reduce the rate of meatal stenosis and fistula.     

改良Ravitch结合Nuss术治疗小儿鸡胸

目的：探讨改良Ravitch结合Nuss术治疗小儿鸡胸的手术方法及疗效。方法2008年1月至2013年1月我们采取手术治疗鸡胸10例,男8例,女2例,对称型7例,非对称型3例;年龄最小5岁,最大16岁,均行改良Ravitch结合Nuss术。结果对称型和非对称型鸡胸患儿术后胸廓外观均满意。2例术后出现皮下气肿,2例气胸,均自行吸收。1例术后3个月钢板固定片处感染,需再次手术拔除固定片。6例已经拔除钢板,随访12～26个月,平均（20．6±2．5）个月,均无胸廓变形。结论改良Ravitch和Nuss术均是较成熟和易于掌握的手术方法,两者结合矫正小儿鸡胸,矫形效果更佳。     

高压氧综合治疗小儿外伤后气性坏疽67例效果分析

目的 探讨小儿外伤后气性坏疽的早期诊断及高压氧（hyperbaric oxygen,HBO）综合治疗方案的疗效.方法 选择外伤后气性坏疽患儿67例,经急诊手术治疗后即采用高压氧治疗,每日两次,7次疗法,压力0.8～0.25 MPa,并配合抗炎、每日换药及对症处理.结果 67例患儿经HBO治疗后,复查梭状芽胞杆菌1日转阴率96.92％,2日转阴率100％.13例未行再次截肢,54例肢体保存,未发生继发、交叉感染和扩散.伤口痊愈,治愈率100％.结论 小儿外伤后气性坏疽早期症状、体症不典型,临床医师应提高警惕,抓住最佳时机,及早诊疗.合理、有效的高压氧抢救性治疗方案,配合手术、抗炎、换药等综合治疗,能最大限度缩小组织坏死范围,预防并发症的发生,有效保存肢体,降低截肢率,提高生存率及治愈率.     

Oral Candida carriage in smokers and tobacco users: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

ObjectiveTo synthesize evidence from observational studies that evaluated the association between smoking and smokeless tobacco with oral Candida carriage.MethodsFollowing the PRISMA guidelines, we searched through PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus without restrictions until April 2020 for studies that assessed this association. Following study retrieval and selection, relevant data were extracted, and the risk of bias was assessed by two independent authors using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A fixed-effect meta-analysis was performed due to insignificant heterogeneity between studies.ResultsWe identified 14 studies that were eligible for inclusion in this review. The pooled odds ratio (OR; six studies) for Candida carriage among smokers and non-smokers was 2.15 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47, 3.14; I² = 8%; P < 0.0001). The OR (five studies) for Candida carriage among smokeless tobacco users and non-users was 1.77 (95% CI: 1.29, 2.44; I² = 46%; P = 0.0004).ConclusionOur findings suggest a significant relationship between smoking/smokeless tobacco users and oral Candida carriage. However, observational studies cannot clarify whether the observed epidemiologic association is a causal effect or the result of some unmeasured confounding variables. Therefore, continued efforts to measure the association between smoking and oral Candida carriage are required.     

Outcome of direct restorations placed within the general dental services in England and Wales (Part 1): variation by type of restoration and re-intervention

AIM: It is the aim of this paper to consider the dental factors associated with the need for re-intervention on a restoration, such as the tooth position, size of cavity, and restoration material. METHODS: Patients whose data were included in this study were those whose birthdays were included within a set of randomly selected dates, one of which was chosen in each possible year of birth. The restoration records consisted of all those records containing directly placed restorations which related to courses of treatment of patients 18 years or older with last date on the claim form after 31st December 1990, and with date of acceptance after September 1990 and before January 2002. For each tooth treated with a direct restoration the subsequent history of intervention on that tooth was consulted, and the next date of intervention, if any could be found in the extended data set, was obtained. Thus a data set was created of direct restorations with their dates of placement and their dates, if any, of re-intervention. RESULTS: Data for over 80,000 different adult patients were analyzed, of whom 46% were male and 54% female. A total of 503,965 tooth restoration occasions were obtained from the data over a period of eleven years. Single surface amalgam restorations were found to have the longest survival --58% at 10 years, and glass ionomer the shortest 38% at 10 years. Factors which were found to reduce restoration outcome included involvement of the incisal angle in composite restorations--this resulted in a reduction in median survival of around two years--and the placement of pins in a restoration. The presence of a root filling was also found to reduce the survival of restorations in the crown of the root filled tooth. CONCLUSIONS: Small amalgam restorations have longer survival times before re-intervention than large amalgam restorations such as MOD. Composite and glass ionomer restorations perform less well than amalgam restorations. Pin placement and root filling reduce the survival time of restorations.