Perthes disease: a survey of management amongst members of the British Society for Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery (BSCOS)

The treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease remains controversial. The aim of this survey was to ascertain the current management strategies of this condition amongst UK paediatric orthopaedic surgeons, with particular regard to containment procedures in the fragmentation phase. Questionnaires were distributed at the January 2006 meeting of the British Society for Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery (BSCOS) and was posted to all absent members. The results showed a great deal of variability not only in the treatment of Perthes disease, but also in the decision-making processes. Consideration must now be given to a carefully constructed national multi-centre prospective randomised controlled study into the optimum management of this disease     

Tumor-Like Meniscal Cyst

A 50-year-old woman presented with a 5-year history of mild pain in her right knee, which had increased over the last 2 years. A palpable mass over the anterolateral aspect of the knee was obvious and the last 3 months she was experiencing locking episodes with consequent knee effusion. The differential diagnosis was driven between meniscal cyst, pigmented villonodular synovitis, synovial sarcoma, synovial chondromatosis, and aneurysm. After a diagnostic arthroscopy, the lesion was excised by a limited lateral arthrotomy. The pathologic findings revealed a synovial cyst. Intra-articular synovial cysts are uncommon, nonsymptomatic, and mostly incidental findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and arthroscopy. This lateral meniscus synovial cyst (2.5 × 2.5 cm) was enlarged within the intracondylar notch and produced disabling knee symptoms. The peculiarity of this lesion was the tumor-like appearance: its large size, the progress of symptoms, and the multilobulated, nonhomogenous signal on the MRI scan. One year postoperatively, the patient is asymptomatic and the MRI obtained at 6 months revealed no remnant of the fully excised cyst.     

The role of α2-adrenoceptors of the medullary lateral reticular nucleus in spinal antinociception in rats

We attempted to find out the role of α₂-adrenoceptors of the medullary lateral reticular nucleus (LRN) in antinociception in rats. Spinal antinociception was evaluated using the tail-flick test, and supraspinal antinociception using the hotplate test. Antinociceptive effects were determined following local electric stimulation of the LRN, and following microinjections of medetomidine (an α₂-adrenoceptor agonist; 1–10 μg), atipamezole (an α₂-adrenoceptor antagonist; 20 μg) or lidocaine (4%) into the LRN. The experiments were performed using intact and spinalized Hannover-Wistar rats with a unilateral chronic guide cannula. Electric stimulation of the LRN as well as of the periaqueductal gray produced a significant spinal antinociceptive effect in intact rats. Medetomidine (1–10 μg), when microinjected into the LRN, produced no significant antinociceptive effect in the tail-flick test in intact rats. However, following spinalization, medetomidine in the LRN (10 μg) produced a significant atipamezole-reversible antinociceptive effect in the tail-flick test in the hot-plate test, medetomidine (10 μg) in the LRN produced a significant atipamezole-reversible increase of the paw-lick latency in intact rats. Microinjection of atipamezole (20 μg) or lidocaine alone into the LRN produced no significant effects in the tail-flick test. The results are in line with the previous evidence indicating brat the LRN and the adjacent ventrolateral medulla is involved in descending inhibition of spinal nocifensive responses. However, α₂-adrenoceptors in the LRN do not mediate spinal antinociception but, on the contrary, their activation counteracts antinociception at the spinal cord level. The spinal aninociceptive effect of supraspinally administered medetomidine in spinalized rats can be explained by a spread of the drug (e.g., via circulation) which then directly activates α₂-adrenoceptors at the spinal cord level.     

Arthroscopic all-inside repair techniques of lateral meniscus anterior horn tear: a technical note

Although the conventional outside-in technique is especially useful for repairing tears in the anterior portion of the meniscus, it has a disadvantage of making an additional 1–2 cm sized skin incision and tying knots subcutaneously over the capsule. Therefore we devised two all-inside repair techniques of lateral meniscus anterior horn tear according to the site of meniscal tear, meniscosynovial junction or red–red zone. Because these techniques are modified methods of the outside-in meniscal repair using a spinal needle, they are as simple as conventional outside-in technique. In addition they have advantages of vertical mattress suture, which is an important characteristic of the all-inside repair, and no additional incision. We recommend these techniques as an alternative method for repairing an anterior horn tear of the lateral meniscus.     

侧脑室引流术治疗脑室出血医院感染分析

目的 分析治疗脑室出血侧脑室引流术后感染发生率，探讨预防感染的方法及措施。方法 根据留管时间将患者分为甲、乙两组，按单侧引流及双侧引流分为A、B组，术后观察插管部位的感染发生情况，同时定期做血培养监测。结果 甲、乙组之间，经统计学处理P＜0．01，差异有高度显著性，A、B两组比较，P＞0．05，差异无显著性。结论 留管1～2周时间是安全的，超过2周，感染率上升，双侧引流术后感染率高于单侧引流者，此外，患者的全身状况及免疫力也与感染率明显相关。     

开放手术观察腰椎间盘突出症溶核失败45例分析

目的 通过开放手术观察分析椎间盘髓核化学溶解术治疗腰椎间盘突出症失败原因。方法 收集溶核失败的腰椎间盘突出症45例行开放手术治疗。结果 术中见45例硬膜外脂肪完全消失，43例髓核未见溶解，2例髓核溶解呈糊状但未被吸收，21例伴有侧隐窝狭窄，15例突出物与神经根粘连，20例黄韧带增厚，2例椎管骨性狭窄，14例突出物钙化。结论 腰椎间盘突出症病变间隙合并有侧隐窝狭窄、神经根粘连、椎管狭窄、突出物钙化等，不是溶核治疗的适应证。     

螺旋CT对正常成人下腰椎侧隐窝的研究

目的:研究正常人下腰椎侧隐窝的形态和测量方法,探讨对侧隐窝狭窄的诊断?方法:采用尸体标本解剖与螺旋CT多层面容积重建和表面遮掩显示相结合方法对侧隐窝进行观察,选择椎体上1/4横断面作为研究平面,测量120例下腰椎双侧侧隐窝矢状径?椎管正中矢状径,计算椎管正中矢状径与双侧侧隐窝矢状径的比值,分析其相互关系?结果:下腰椎侧隐窝分三型:三角型?三叶草型和牛角型;正常成人双侧侧隐窝矢状径不对称,右侧略大于左侧(P<0.05),椎管正中矢状径与双侧侧隐窝矢状径的比率相对恒定(P>0.05),正中/右侧=3.93,正中/左侧=4.03?结论:椎体上1/4横断面为侧隐窝入口平面,利用矢状径比值的方法来判断侧隐窝狭窄具有科学性?     

侧脑室脑膜瘤的诊断及显微手术治疗

目的 探讨侧脑室内脑膜瘤诊断特点及显微手术方法.方法 MRI和/或CT确诊并行显微手术切除侧脑室脑膜瘤24例,其中2例内窥镜辅助切除.肿瘤位于左侧三角区13例,右侧三角区7例,右侧体部1例,横跨双侧三角区1例,左侧颞角2例.顶枕入路15例,颞中回入路7例,经胼胝体后部入路2例.结果 24例影像学诊断与术后病理相符合,均给予全切.完整切除5例,分块切除19例.18例获得随访,完全正常10例,3例复发再次手术全切,癫痫2例,同向性偏盲3例.结论 CT和MRI是诊断侧脑室脑膜瘤的最可靠的手段,显微手术是目前侧脑室脑膜瘤的首选治疗方法.     

Correction of webbed-neck deformity in Turner's syndrome

Summary A case of Turner's syndrome with the typical marked webbing of the neck is presented. A posterior approach is preferred for correction of this webbed neck deformity. A butterfly shaped portion of excess skin is excised and the margins of the defect mobilised as four flaps. The flaps are sutured with a very short midline vertical component, resulting in an almost X-shaped scar. The first procedure resulted in only a partial correction of the deformity and an excess of hypertrophic scar tissue. This was treated with a repeat of the procedure but the midline wounds was repaired with mulitple small Z-plasties. The final appearance of the neck was satisfactory in the lateral profile, but there was still some excess tissue posteriorly.     

The lateral chest X-ray: Is it necessary for emergency department patients?

To determine the utility of the lateral view of the chest in emergency department patients, records of all patients who had had 2-view chest x-rays ordered in the emergency department were reviewed retrospectively. A study radiologist recorded a reading of the posteroanterior (PA) radiograph alone. The lateral radiograph was then provided, along with the PA view, and a second reading was recorded. A comparison was then made between the first and second readings.A total of 417 sets of x-rays were included. The PA view alone successfully diagnosed or suspected 92% of pulmonary nodules, 95% of effusions, 97% of cases of emphysema, 98% of pneumonias, and 100% of cases of cardiomegaly, pulmonary edema, interstitial pulmonary disease, and atelectasis.In the emergency department patient population, lateral views of the chest have minimal diagnostic yield and therefore may be used selectively to safely decrease the amount of breast radiation exposure to young women.