Cellular and Molecular Foundation for Fracture Healing in Children

Abstract Dealing with pediatric fracture patients requires a funded knowledge of complications and remodeling capability of the youth skeleton to find the accurate therapy decision and to avoid unnecessary invasive procedures. Due to the different mechanical environment, fractures in children occur at specific fracture-vulnerable areas. One of those is the growth plate, which on one hand gives rise to the unique ability of correcting angular deformities by specifically increasing the growth rate in definite regions, and on the other hand leads to complications like growth arrest or angular deformity. The pediatric diaphysis presents the exclusive greenstick fracture, only seen in the growing skeleton, which occurs because of the different composition of the pediatric bone. To understand these very specific features of the youth skeleton, the molecular and cellular basis should be taken into consideration. Therefore, this review will present the common characteristics of skeletal development and fracture healing. An insight into the mechanotransduction as part of the remodeling and self-correcting ability of pediatric bone is given to span the bridge between clinical treatment options and scientific background.     

Significance of beaten copper appearance on skull radiographs in children with isolated sagittal synostosis

Aims and Objectives The significance of beaten copper appearance (BCA) on skull radiographs in children following surgery for isolated sagittal craniosynostosis has not been studied. This study was designed to look for any correlation between BCA and symptoms suggestive of intracranial hypertension in this group of patients. Materials and Methods Forty-eight consecutive children, who were operated for isolated sagittal synostosis from1987 to 2000 and had postoperative skull radiographs, were included. Patients were divided into: (a) BCA group (n = 20), consisting of children who had beaten copper appearance on skull radiographs at last follow up, and (b) Non-BCA group (n = 28), consisting of children who did not have this finding. Records were reviewed to look for symptoms suggestive of intracranial hypertension, such as headache, head banging, and irritability. Results Median age at surgery was 4.8 months for BCA group and 4 months for the non-BCA group. Follow up ranged from 4 to 156 months with a mean of 36.2 months. Total of 28.6% (n = 6) of the children with follow up radiographs done at ≤18 months of age had BCA. The incidence of BCA increased to 83.3% in children with skull radiographs performed after 48 months of age. In 18 (90%) children, the BCA was ‘diffuse’ with 5 (25%) children having the maximum possible score of 8. In the BCA group, 45% (n = 9) had symptoms compared to 10.7% (n = 3) in the control group (p = 0.0068). Conclusions This study suggests a significant number of children with BCA on radiographs develop symptoms suggestive of raised ICP following surgical treatment in infancy and prolonged follow up may be warranted in this group of patients.     

对儿童X线体检中减少照射剂量的探讨

目的:探讨儿童在X线体检中减少照射剂量的方法。方法:应用东芝500mA遥控X线机、FJ-427型热释光剂量仪等设备,对100名3~5岁儿童体检时,随机分成两个对照组、每组50名,分别接受胸透或平片检查,对检查测得数据均进行统计学处理。结果:胸透时胸部接受的照射剂量是平片的22倍多,其它部位接受的X线散射剂量平均值之比亦在20~30倍之间。结论:在儿童X线体检中应采用常规胸片替代胸透,可以有效地降低其辐射危害。     

腹腔镜手术治疗小儿卵巢肿瘤26例

目的探讨腹腔镜手术治疗小儿卵巢肿瘤的效果及安全性。方法2000年1月~2005年3月,我们对26例小儿卵巢肿瘤行腹腔镜手术。气管插管全麻或静脉复合麻醉,行卵巢肿瘤剥除术或一侧附件切除术。对直径<5 cm的肿瘤,在肿瘤的外侧缘线形电凝囊肿包膜;直径>5 cm的肿瘤,在其中部或距基底部3 cm处环形电凝囊肿包膜,钝性分离肿瘤与囊壁,完整剥出肿瘤,残余囊壁创面彻底电凝止血,不缝合。卵巢冠囊肿切除。影响术野的大卵巢囊肿,先穿刺吸净囊液,帽状电凝卵巢囊肿包膜一周,再剥出肿瘤。结果所有患儿卵巢肿瘤手术都在腹腔镜下完成,肿瘤剥除术24例,一侧附件切除2例。手术时间(50±20)m in,术中出血量(30±10)m l,术后住院2~4 d,无手术并发症,无伤口感染。24例随访1年,未见复发。结论腹腔镜手术治疗小儿卵巢肿瘤是一种安全、有效的手术方法。     

小儿疳证源流考

疳作为一个病名，最早见于隋《诸病源候论》。首先将疳证作为儿科专有疾病者，为宋初《太平圣惠方》。本病分类最全面，收集方剂最丰富当推宋《幼幼新书》。南宋出版的《小儿卫生总微论方》首次将疳证归类为五疳。本草文献中对本病贡献最大的为明《本草纲目》。清《温病条辨》首次将本病治法作全面总结。１９９４年国家中医药管理局颁布的《中医病证诊断疗效标准》首次以法规的形式将本病作了统一规范     

小儿阑尾切除术1472例分析

目的 分析l472例小儿阑尾切除术的疗效，探讨小儿阑尾炎的诊治方法。方法 我院1982.8—2002．12行小儿阑尾切除术l472例。其中男l163例，女309例，男：女=3．76：l；平均年龄5．7岁(8天至14岁)，6～14岁973例(66．10％)。急诊手术1164例(79。08％)，择期手术308例(20．92％)，脓肿引流4例(0．27％)，阑尾切除1468例(99．73％)，其中296例(20．1l％)是在先天性巨结肠根治术或Meckel憩室切除术等手术中一并行阑尾切除的。结果 急性阑尾炎阑尾切除术后伤口感染83例(7．4％)，粘连性肠梗阻1l例(0．75％)，阑尾残端瘘3例(0．20％)，腹内脓肿3例(0.20％)，死亡l例(0.07％)。结论 小儿急性阑尾炎误诊率及手术前后并发症率高，小儿阑尾炎应早期诊断及尽早手术治疗。     

Atrial septal defect repair through limited lateral thoracotomy in children

Objective We have developed a surgical method for atrial septal defect repair through a limited right lateral thoracotomy in which the incision line begins 2 cm caudal from the lower angle of the scapula and ends at the midaxial line, thereby improving patient satisfaction with the cosmetic results of treatment. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 28 patients who underwent isolated atrial septal defect repair through a limited right lateral thoracotomy between January 2002 and August 2004. The mean age and mean body weight at the time of the operation were 85.8 months (range 9–236 months) and 23.0 kg (range 8.0–56.0 kg), respectively. All repaired defects were the ostium secundum type. Results There was no operative or late mortality and no late morbidity after a mean follow-up of 26 months (range 12–41 months). Echocardiography showed no residual shunt in any of the patients. The mean length of the skin incision was 7.8 cm (range 5.0–11.0 cm), and almost all the patients had satisfactory cosmetic results. Conclusion The atrial septal defect repair through a limited right lateral thoracotomy in pediatric patients showed satisfactory surgical results and excellent cosmetic results.     

Tics moderate treatment outcome with sertraline but not cognitive-behavior therapy in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: The presence of a comorbid tic disorder may predict a poorer outcome in the acute treatment of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHODS: Using data from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded Pediatric OCD Treatment Study (POTS) that compared cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), medical management with sertraline (SER), and the combination of CBT and SER (COMB), to pill placebo (PBO) in children and adolescents with OCD, we asked whether the presence of a comorbid tic disorder influenced symptom reduction on the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Fifteen percent (17 of 112) of patients exhibited a comorbid tic disorder. In patients without tics, results replicated previously published intent-to-treat outcomes: COMB > CBT > SER > PBO. In patients with a comorbid tic disorder, SER did not differ from PBO, while COMB remained superior to CBT and CBT remained superior to PBO. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to CBT outcomes, which are not differentially impacted, tic disorders appear to adversely impact the outcome of medication management of pediatric OCD. Children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and a comorbid tic disorder should begin treatment with cognitive-behavior therapy alone or the combination of cognitive-behavior therapy plus a serotonin reuptake inhibitor.     

Staged surgical repair of functional single ventricle in infants with unobstructed pulmonary blood flow

Objective: The infant with a functional single ventricle (SV) and unobstructed pulmonary blood flow (UPBF) requires early protection of the pulmonary vascular bed to ensure suitability for a subsequent Fontan procedure. Systemic obstruction by aortic arch obstruction, subaortic stenosis, or combination of both, has been widely recognized as an important risk factor for poor outcome in children with SV–UPBF who are palliated with pulmonary artery banding (PAB). We reviewed our experience with primary PAB in the subset of patients with SV–UPBF to identify risk factors for subsequent palliative procedures and Fontan completion. Methods: Between January 1990 and May 2004, 80 patients (median age, 14 days) with functional SV and UPBF underwent PAB as their primary palliative procedure. Thirty-five neonates had concomitant aortic coarctation or interrupted aortic arch repair (44%). A Damus–Kaye–Stansel procedure was subsequently performed in 19 patients, and subaortic resection or ventricular septal defect or bulboventricular foramen enlargement was performed in five. Results: There were 4 operative deaths, and 15 late deaths. The actuarial overall survival is 84% at 1 year, 76% at 5 and 15 years. Follow-up is complete in all but six children at a mean interval of 4.9±3.7 years (range, 2 months–15 years). Thirty-seven patients (49%; 37 of 76) have undergone the hemi-Fontan procedure (with three hospital deaths) and 40 patients (53%; 40 of 76; 12 children without previous hemi-Fontan) have undergone the completion Fontan procedure without mortality or Fontan takedown. Conclusion: In infants with single ventricle physiology with or without systemic outflow obstruction and unobstructed pulmonary blood flow, a strategy of pulmonary artery banding carries acceptable operative and mid-term mortality in a high-risk group of patients. Pulmonary artery banding does not compromise performance of subsequent Damus–Kaye–Stansel procedure or completion Fontan palliation.     

Perceived adherence to prescribed treatment in juvenile idiopathic arthritis over a one‐year period

Objective

To document perceived adherence to treatment (taking medications and performing exercises) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) over a 1‐year period and to identify related factors.

Methods

We surveyed parents of patients with JIA at the Montreal Children's Hospital and British Columbia's Children's Hospital in Vancouver. Parents were asked to respond to a series of questionnaires every 3 months over a 12‐month period. Perceived adherence was evaluated on a 100‐mm visual analog scale (VAS) in the Parent Adherence Report Questionnaire (PARQ). Parental coping, distress, child function, disease severity and duration, perceived helpfulness of treatment, problems encountered, and sociodemographic data were also assessed.

Results

The mean age of our sample of 175 children was 10.2 years; mean age at diagnosis was 6.1 years and mean disease duration was 4.1 years. Perceived adherence to medications was consistently high, with average adherence at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months being 86.1, 91.7, 90.4, 92.0, and 88.8, respectively, on the PARQ VAS. Perceived adherence to exercise was lower but remained steady, with corresponding means of 54.5, 64.1, 61.2, 63.0, and 54.3, respectively. Using generalized estimating equation analysis, factors associated with higher perceived adherence to medications included perceived helpfulness of medications and lower disease severity; those associated with higher perceived adherence to exercise were younger age of the child, child involvement in responsibility for treatment, and higher perceived helpfulness of the treatment.

Conclusion

Belief in helpfulness of treatment is associated with higher parental perceived adherence to treatment.