Battered baby with multiple epiphyseal separations: case report and review of literature

Multiple epiphyseal separation in battered baby syndrome is a rare occurrence. We report epiphyseal separations of proximal tibia and distal humerus along with femoral shaft fracture in a child of two and half years of age. In the course of clinical, laboratory, and radiological examinations, the child was diagnosed to be a case of battered baby syndrome. The child was treated and isolated from the mother, who was the culprit for battering the child. We believe, in any epiphyseal injury below 3 years of age, particularly when the distal humerus physis is involved, diagnosis of child abuse should be considered as an etiology.     

Fishtail deformity following fracture of the distal humerus in children: historical review, case presentations, discussion of etiology, and thoughts on treatment

Fishtail deformity is an uncommon complication of distal humeral fractures in children. This article reports four cases accompanied by premature closure of a portion of the distal humeral physis with resultant deformity, length retardation, decreased elbow motion, and functional impairment. The ages of the patients at time of injury ranged from 4 years 2 months to 6 years 1 month (average 5 years 4 months). The average length of follow-up was 9 years 9 months (range, 3 years 5 months to 18 years 10 months). The cause of the arrest is multifactorial and may be due to a gap in reduction of an intracondylar fracture, avascular necrosis of the epiphysis, or central premature physeal arrest (bar formation) without a fracture gap or avascular necrosis. If identified in a young child, surgical closure of the medial and lateral portion of the physis may prevent the deformity from progressing and would not cause significant additional humeral length discrepancy.     

Numeral component revision of totalelbow arthroplasty with numeral bone deficiency

Elbow arthroplasty is often effective in decreasing pain and restoring elbow function for individuals with a painfulelbow from rheumatoid arthritis, severe osteoarthritis, tumors, and comminuted intra-articular fractures. Because the surgical procedure has now been performed on many patients, revision of the prosthesis is sometimes required. If there is loss of distal humeral bone, revision surgery becomes more of a challenge because fixation of the prosthesis may be compromised, arm length may not be restored, and risk of neurologic injury is greater. In this article, we address these issues and report our technique of humeral component revision of total elbow arthroplasty with massive allograft bone and a long-stem prosthesis.     

肱骨远端全骨骺分离误诊原因探讨

目的 提高对儿童肱骨远端全骨骺分离的认识，减少误诊。方法 对我院1985—2001年收治的22例肱骨远端全骨骺分离误诊患儿，切开复位内固定治疗13例，闭合复位外固定治疗7例，尺骨鹰嘴牵引2例。结果 随访1—16年，14例外观和功能恢复满意，5例有不同程度的肘内翻畸形(3例已行截骨矫形)，3例肱骨远端明显畸形，关节活动明显受限。结论 此病误诊率较高，仔细分清幼儿及儿童肱骨小头骨化中心和挠骨的关系是正确诊断的关键。     

结合关节造影、单人闭合复位治疗儿童肱骨远端全骨骺分离骨折的疗效观察

目的探讨关节造影下单人闭合复位治疗儿童肱骨远端全骨骺分离骨折的手术技巧及疗效。 方法回顾性分析2017年1月至2020年1月期间中山市中医院收治的43例肱骨远端全骨骺分离骨折患儿的临床病历资料，其中男32例、女11例；年龄1.5 ~ 4.2个月，平均2.8个月。伸直尺偏型37例，伸直桡偏型6例；高处坠落伤18例，运动中摔伤25例。受伤至手术时间为12 ~ 34 h，平均20.5 h。均可采用关节造影、单人操作完成闭合复位，助手经皮克氏针内固定术，术后石膏托外固定。术后3、6、9个月时采用Flynn肘关节临床功能评分标准评定疗效。 结果本组手术时间（32.8±10.6）min，术中透视次数（10.5±3.2）次。平均住院时间4 d（3 ~ 7 d）。43例均获得随访，平均随访时间18.4个月（9 ~ 36个月）。术后3 ~ 4周，X线片显示骨折临床愈合后，拆除石膏并拔除克氏针。按照Flynn肘关节临床功能评分标准评定疗效：术后3个月优良率为81.4％（35/43），术后6个月优良率为88.3％（38/43），术后9个月优良率为88.3％（38/43）。术后患儿均未出现骨筋膜室综合征、血管神经损伤、皮肤坏死、钉道感染等并发症。 结论术中肘关节造影可清晰地显示肱骨远端软骨，指导单人闭合复位微创治疗肱骨远端全骨骺分离骨折，直观判断复位后效果，指导经皮穿入克氏针，取得满意的治疗效果，本方法操作相对简单，易于掌握，疗效确切，有利于肘关节功能早期恢复，值得推广。     

Pediatric floating elbow.

SUMMARY: A retrospective review of 16 patients with floating elbow injuries over a 9-year period at a tertiary care children's hospital confirms that these injuries are associated with substantial swelling and the potential to develop compartment syndrome, particularly when circumferential cast immobilization is used. Among 10 patients in whom the forearm was treated with closed reduction and plaster immobilization, a compartment syndrome developed in 2, and 4 patients had incipient compartment syndrome that responded to splitting of the cast; 3 of these subsequently required remanipulation of the distal radius. One patient with compartment syndrome had Volkmann ischemic contracture. Six patients underwent stabilization of both the distal humeral and forearm fractures with percutaneously inserted Kirschner wires, thereby allowing postreduction immobilization in a split cast. None of these patients had problems with excessive swelling or compartment syndrome. Percutaneous Kirschner wire fixation of both the humeral and forearm fractures in pediatric floating elbow injuries allows noncircumferential immobilization, thereby reducing the risk of compartment syndrome.     

Battered child syndrome simulating myositis

The battered child syndrome is not an unusual problem to be encountered in a clinical orthopedic practice. The manifestations in abused children may be varied and many, necessitating that orthopedists be familiar with the ways in which affected children present to reduce the unfortunate consequences that occur when abuse is not initially recognized. Our purpose in reporting the case of an abused child is to attract the attention of the orthopedic surgeon, who may be the initial physician to see a battered child, to an unusual presentation of this syndrome which simulated myositis. The association of myositis with battered child syndrome has not been previously encountered in the orthopedic literature.     

Traitement orthopédique du coude flottant chez l’enfant : à propos d’un cas

The floating elbow in the child is rare and serious. The authors report a traumatic case of floating elbow without vascular and nervous lesions associated in a 6-year-old child. We treated these both fractures of the distal forearm and the supracondylar humeral by respectively cast plaster and a collar and cuff with an anatomical reduction. The radiological and clinical results were excellent with the 29 months follow-up.     

桡骨远端骨折合并同侧肘关节损伤的手术治疗体会

目的探讨桡骨远端骨折合并同侧肘关节周围骨折或脱位的治疗方法,提高临床治疗效果。 方法回顾性分析本院自2012年1月至2016年10月收治的桡骨远端骨折合并同侧肘关节脱位或骨折病例22例。22例桡骨远端骨折中13例伴尺骨茎突骨折,3例伴尺骨远端骨折,2例伴舟状骨骨折。22例肘关节周围损伤中5例为尺桡骨近端骨折,3例为肱骨远端骨折,14例发生肘关节后脱位。 结果所有患者均获得随访,术后平均随访时间为13.6个月（11~26个月）,所有骨折均愈合,未发生感染。Cooney腕关节评分平均为92.5分（55~100分）,其中优13例、良7例、中1例、差1例。Mayo肘关节功能评分平均为87.5分（50~100分）,其中优10例、良8例、中3例,差1例。其中1例就诊时已出现骨筋膜室综合征,尺神经、正中神经、桡神经均损伤,肌肉部分坏死切除,功能恢复较差。 结论桡骨远端骨折合并同侧肘关节损伤多为高能量损伤,早期积极而恰当的处理能为患者二次手术提供良好的条件,结合积极的康复锻炼,能取得良好的治疗效果。     

Iatrogenic axillary artery injury from humeral neck fracture repair. A rare and unusual event in which and aggressive strategy was mandatory to save a child limb

Humeral neck fracture is rarely associated with injury of the nearby axillary artery and in the English literature only 29 such cases have been reported. An injury of the distal axillary artery secondary to reduction and fixation of a humeral neck fracture is a very rare and unusual complication, to the best of our knowledge has never been reported in literature. In this paper we report the case of entrapment of the distal axillary artery in the humerus rhyme fracture in a 9-year-old child who suffered a nighttime car-accident with her father. At admission, the child presented a left humeral neck fracture with no other lesions and no neurologic problems in her limb; peripheral pulses present in her left hand at palpation. After closed reduction and pinning of the fracture with 2 K-wires, the left upper limb became ischemic and pulseless and the child was transferred at our Institution for diagnosis and treatment. In this paper we discuss the treatment to be adopted in this very unusual situation.     

Use of a hinged external fixator for elbow instability after severe distal humeral fracture

The authors report the case of a forty-year-old man who developed acute elbow instability after fixation of an open, comminuted distal humeral fracture. Treatment with a hinged, external elbow fixator was successful in reestablishing elbow stability and a functional range of elbow motion. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the use of this device for acute elbow instability after distal humeral fracture fixation has not been previously reported.     

Ipsilateral simultaneous fracture of the trochlea involving the lateral end clavicle and distal end radius: a rare combination and a unique mechanism of injury

Isolated trochlea fracture in adults is a rare surgical entity as compared to its capitellar counterpart.It has been only mentioned sporadically in the literature as case reports.Fracture of the trochlea is accompanied by other elbow injuries like elbow dislocation,capitellum fracture,ulnar fracture and extraarticular condylar fracture.Here we report a unique case of isolated displaced trochlea fracture associated with fractures of the lateral end clavicle and the distal end radius.We propose a unique mechanism for this rare combination of injuries：typical triad of injury,i.e.fracture of the distal end radius with trochlea and fracture of the lateral end of the clavicle.Nonoperative treatment is recommended for undisplaced humeral trochlea fractures;but for displaced ones,anatomical reduction and internal fixation are essential to maintain the congruous trochleacoronoid articulation and hence to maintain the intrinsic stability of the elbow.     

Distal humeral epiphyseal separation

Distal humeral epiphyseal separation is an uncommon injury that is often misdiagnosed upon initial presentation. To make a timely, correct diagnosis, the treating physician must have a thorough understanding of basic anatomical relationships and an awareness of the existence of this injury. This is a case of a child who sustained a separation of the distal humeral epiphysis, as well as multiple other bony injuries, secondary to child abuse.     

改良肱骨后入路治疗肱骨中下段骨折

目的:总结应用改良肱骨后入路治疗肱骨中下段骨折的临床结果。方法:2006年1月至2010年12月,对26例肱骨中下段骨折患者应用改良肱骨后入路行内固定治疗,男17例,女9例;年龄24~50岁,平均(37.1±1.5)岁。肱骨骨折后至手术时间8 h~6 d,平均(3.3±0.6)d。肘关节功能按Morrey和Bryan提出的评定标准评定疗效。结果:术后未发生与手术相关的并发症,无神经损伤与伤口感染。术后随访22~48个月,平均(30.1±1.6)个月。肱骨骨折全部愈合。Morrey-Bryan肘关节功评定结果,优19例,平均(94.6±1.8)分;良7例,平均(86.5±1.2)分。结论:改良肱骨后入路避免了对肱三头肌的损伤,改善了术后肱三头肌的功能,很适用于肱骨中下段骨折的治疗。     

Results of the treatment of the distal femoral epiphysiolysis]

INTRODUCTION: Distal femoral epiphysiolysis (DFE) is rare. In most of the cases it occures as an open epiphysiolysis. In the past DFE had often resulted in a tissue necrosis and required an amputation. Among complications limb shortening due to premature epiphyseal closure and deviation of the limb axis are evidenced. AIM: This study was conduced in order to evaluate the results of the treatment of DFE. MATERIAL: Eight children suffering from DFE who had undergone a treatment between 1990 and 2005 were reviewed. The mean age at the time of injury was 15.3 years. All cases of epiphysiolysis have been classified as Salter-Harris type II. The treatment consisted of reduction and 6 weeks immobilisation in 3 cases. Reduction followed by K-wire stabilization and immobilisation was applied in all other cases. METHODS: The follow-up evaluation covered a clinical and roentgenographic examination. The angular deformmity of tibia was measured in saggital and frontal plane in comparison to intact side. The range of motion and stability of both knee joints were recorded as well. The comparative X-ray pictures of the femur and knee joint were taken in A-P and lateral positions. RESULTS: The study revealed a premature closure of the injured distal femoral epiphysis in four children. There was a limb shortening of over 2 cm in 3 cases and over 3cm in one case. CONCLUSION: The distal femoral epiphysiolysis is a rare type of injury. It often leads to leg length discrepancy.     

Rotational radioulnar dissociation: a case report and review of the literature

We report a rare case of radioulnar dissociation in an 11-year-old boy associated with fracture of the medial humeral epicondyle. Open reduction and Kirschner wire fixation was performed for the epicondylar fracture. The radial head was reduced closed, and the distal radioulnar joint reduced spontaneously. The mechanism of this unusual injury appears to be hyperpronation of the forearm and valgus stress to the elbow.     

Distal humeral fractures treated with noncustom total elbow replacement

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to review the cases of patients with a distal humeral fracture that was treated with a noncustom total elbow arthroplasty. We hypothesized that, on the basis of the functional and clinical outcome, total elbow replacement is a reliable option for the treatment of elderly patients with a severe, comminuted fracture of the distal part of the humerus. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed forty-nine acute distal humeral fractures in forty-eight patients who were treated with total elbow arthroplasty as the primary option. The average age of the patients was sixty-seven years. Forty-three fractures were followed for at least two years. According to the AO classification, five fractures were type A, five were type B, and thirty-three were type C. The average age of the forty-three patients was sixty-nine years and the average duration of follow-up was seven years. Fourteen patients died during the review period. Postoperative clinical function was assessed with use of the Mayo elbow performance score, and anteroposterior and lateral radiographs made at follow-up examinations were reviewed. RESULTS: At the latest follow-up examination, the average flexion arc was 24 degrees (range, 0 degrees to 75 degrees ) to 131 degrees (range, 100 degrees to 150 degrees ) and the Mayo elbow performance score averaged 93 of a possible 100 points. Heterotopic ossification was present to some extent in seven elbows, with radiographic abutment noted in two. Thirty-two (65%) of the forty-nine elbows had neither a complication nor any further surgery from the time of the index arthroplasty to the most recent follow-up evaluation. Fourteen elbows (29%) had a single complication, and most of them did not require further surgery. Ten additional procedures, including five revision arthroplasties, were required in nine elbows; five were related to soft tissue and five were related to the implant or bone. CONCLUSIONS: Complex distal humeral fractures should be assessed primarily for the reliability with which they can be reconstructed with osteosynthesis. When osteosynthesis is not considered to be feasible, especially in patients who are physiologically older and place lower demands on the joint, total elbow arthroplasty can be considered. This retrospective review supports a recommendation for total elbow arthroplasty for the treatment of an acute distal humeral fracture when strict inclusion criteria are observed.     

Anterior Physeal Separation of Distal Humerus: Report of a Rare Case with Review of Literature

BackgroundDistal humeral physeal separation is a rare injury and often missed during the initial presentation. They are usually associated with birth trauma or child abuse. These fractures are often misdiagnosed as infection or dislocation.Case ReportWe report a rare variant of distal humeral physeal separation with anterior displacement of the distal humeral epiphysis which was managed by open reduction and internal fixation.ConclusionPosteromedial displacement of the distal humeral epiphysis is the most common type. Anterior displacement is rare with very few cases described in literature. A high index of suspicion along with appropriate imaging is necessary to confirm the diagnosis.     

外侧微型钢板及克氏针辅助固定治疗儿童肱骨远端骨干-干骺端交界性骨折

目的:探讨外侧微型钢板及克氏针辅助固定治疗儿童肱骨远端骨干-干骺端交界性骨折的手术方法及临床疗效。方法:回顾性分析自2015年1月至2018年12月收治的21例肱骨远端骨干-干骺端交界性骨折患儿,男12例,女9例;年龄2～10岁,平均4.5岁;受伤至手术时间6 h～7 d。影像学资料显示骨折线位于肱骨远端骨干-干骺端交界区域,斜形骨折10例,横形骨折8例,粉碎骨折3例。手术方式均采用切开复位外侧微型钢板及克氏针辅助内固定,采用改良Flynn肘关节评分标准进行临床疗效评价。结果:21例患儿均得到随访,时间8～24个月,平均13个月,愈合时间为6～8周,平均7.2周,术后均未出现骨折再移位、肘内翻畸形及尺神经损伤等并发症。按照改良Flynn肘关节评分标准进行评价,优19例,良2例。结论:儿童肱骨远端骨干-干骺端交界性骨折与肱骨髁上骨折治疗方法不同,采用切开复位外侧微型钢板及克氏针辅助固定治疗具有稳定性强、功能良好、并发症少的优点值得临床推广。     

肘后路结合多种固定治疗肱骨远端冠状面骨折

目的探讨肘后路结合多种固定在肱骨远端冠状面骨折中的临床应用。 方法自2005年1月至2018年1月，本科共收治18例肱骨远端冠状面骨折患者，其中女15例、男3例，平均年龄50岁。摔倒10例，机动车交通事故4例，运动损伤1例，高处掉落3例。手术均顺利完成，采用肘后侧入路切开复位内固定，术中使用多种内固定方式固定骨折端。术后药物抗炎、止痛、预防固化性肌炎，携带肘关节支具保护6周，循序康复锻炼。 结果手术时间60~100 min，平均75 min。术后切口均I期愈合，均获骨性愈合，愈合平均时间6个月。本组患者上肢功能评分表（disability of arm shoulder and hand，DASH）评分20分。无骨不连和神经损伤病例，有2例创伤性关节炎（1例Broberg-Morrey1级，另1例Broberg-Morrey 2级，均行保守治疗），1例异位骨化（Brooker 1级，无症状）。 结论肘后路结合多种固定治疗肱骨远端冠状面骨折的方法，具有骨折显露充分、固定牢固、安全有效、易处理合并损伤等优点，临床疗效好。