Surgery or Conservative Treatment of Forearm in Patients Diagnosed with Pediatric Floating Elbow? Retrospective Analysis of 60 Consecutive Cases

BackgroundThe coexistence of supracondylar humerus fracture and forearm fracture is a rare trauma (3–13%) and it is called floating elbow. The aim of this study is to clinically compare the treatment outcomes of the patients diagnosed with floating elbow who underwent surgical treatment and who were followed up forearm with immobilization with splint.Materials and MethodsWhen scanned retrospectively, 60 patients who were treated with the diagnosis of floating elbow due to traumatic causes and followed up for at least 1 year were included in our study. Surgical treatment was performed on 42 patients for forearm fracture. Eighteen patients followed up with immobilization with a long arm splint. The results were evaluated according to the criteria modified by Templeton and Graham, in comparison with the patient’s intact side.ResultsIn the patients whose forearms were followed up conservatively, the mean age was 5.67 ± 2.25 years, and the mean follow-up period was 62.17 ± 45.91 months. In the patients who underwent surgery for the forearm, the mean age was 8.79 ± 2.01 years, and the mean follow-up was 47.14 ± 34.25 months. Eighteen patients whose forearms followed up conservatively, 12 had excellent and good clinical results and 6 had poor and moderate clinical results. Excellent and good clinical results in 27 patients who underwent surgical treatment for their forearms, moderate and poor clinical results obtained in 15 of them. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.357).ConclusionsIn conclusion, satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes can be obtained with immobilization of the forearm fracture with splint, if acceptable reduction can be provided for the forearm following fixation of the supracondylar humerus fracture with the K-wire for treatment of floating elbow injury.     

尺桡骨旋转截骨治疗大龄分娩性臂丛神经损伤前臂旋前挛缩畸形

目的 评价尺桡骨旋转截骨术治疗分娩性臂丛神经损伤(产瘫)肘挛缩后遗症的价值.方法 2007年8月至2009年10月,对13例产瘫肘后遗症前臂旋前挛缩并发桡骨小头脱位的患儿,行前臂尺桡骨旋前截骨手术.术后以旋前位置角度的改善作为前臂功能的评价标准.结果 术后随访时间为6～16个月,平均8个月.术后前臂均处于旋前30.位,功能及外观获得改善.结论 尺桡骨旋转截骨矫形手术在产瘫肘挛缩后遗症的治疗中具有一定的应用价值.     

桡骨头骨折合并下尺桡关节脱位损伤误诊误治2例报告

目的：分析桡骨头骨折合并下尺桡关节脱位(Essex-Lopresti损伤)误诊误治的原因并探讨合理治疗方法。方法：2008年至2009年治疗2例桡骨头骨折合并下尺桡关节脱位患者,均为男性,年龄分别为56岁、66岁。摔倒致肘部肿胀压痛、前臂旋转受限明显。X线示桡骨小头粉碎性骨折,Mason Ⅲ型1例、Ⅳ型1例。均行桡骨小头切除术,术后常规石膏固定对症处理。结果：2例均出现前臂旋转功能受限明显伴肘关节、下尺桡关节疼痛。X线示下尺桡关节分离明显,桡骨近端移位。结论：Essex-Lopresti损伤早期诊断治疗很重要。在不能有效修复重建骨间膜时,重建桡骨长度的同时对下尺桡关节复位固定是治疗的有效方法。     

Reliability of forearm medial-anterior surface dimensional changes at different isometric hand grip forces

Indirect techniques of predicting hand grip force are fundamental to develop hand control systems for assistive devices. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of 3D position of forearm surface at different isometric hand grip forces. Three-dimensional motion analysis was used to measure displacement of 24 discrete and standardized surface markers placed on forearm in 20 healthy participants. The relative displacements were measured for isometric grip forces at 0%, 5%, 20% 50% and 80% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for relative radial displacement (RRD) of each marker was calculated. Averaged single measure ICC of 24 markers at five grip forces was 0.61; while the highest averaged single measure ICC (0.80) for all markers was achieved at 80% of MVC and the lowest (0.47) at 0% of MVC. The average measure ICC for each grip force across the 24 markers also increased with grip force from 0.80 at 0% of MVC to the maximum of 0.95 at 80% of MVC. In conclusion, RRD showed moderate and high ICCs for single and average measures respectively. Overall, this study suggests that the reliable dimensional changes of 3D positions of forearm surface might be considered as an indirect and non-invasive method to predict hand grip force in future.     

A new way to treat forearm post-traumatic non-union in young patients with intramedullary nailing and platelet-rich plasma

Introduction

Non-union rate in forearm fractures is generally less than 2% when a proper technique is used; this rate increases when ulnar lesions are involved.

Patients and methods

We present a case series of seven young patients whose average age was 14 years (range 11–19 years) at the time of surgery and who presented with a forearm post-traumatic non-union that was previously treated in different ways (three isolated ulnar non-union, two isolated radial non-union and two combined). Average follow-up was 34 months (range 9–72 months).Surgical treatment began with the removal of the previous synthesis and with curettage of the non-union area. The Acumed ulnar rod, Acumed radial rod and Thalon elastic nail (all of them are unreamed and locked nails) together with autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) obtained with the Biomet System (concentration of 158.2 × 10⁴ platelets/μL) were chosen to treat the patients.X-rays and clinical controls were conducted every 30 days until recovery.

Results

All patients recovered: average recovery was 23 weeks from operation (range 16–36 weeks) and nails were removed 3 months after complete healing. Six patients had excellent results and one patient had a good result (Patient 2, forearm pronosupination 60–0–40 degrees).

Discussion

The purpose of the case series was to establish a better way of treatment and to find a technique that could avoid the use of bone grafts, because obtaining autologous bone requires a further surgical procedure that can be really invasive depending on the amount of bone needed.

Conclusion

All patients in the study showed complete recovery, with excellent clinical outcomes. Although there were only seven patients in this case series, and there is a need to analyse more patients, this study showed that the use of a specific locking nail system can provide proper stability to ulnar or radial atrophic non-union despite rotational forces, and when combined with autologous growth factors (PRP) is sufficient to promote bone healing in young patients without the necessity to take autologous bone grafts.     

前臂贵要静脉转位与桡动脉吻合术在血液透析中的应用研究

目的探讨贵要静脉转位后与桡动脉吻合建立血管通路的手术方法及临床使用效果。方法分析我科前臂贵要静脉转位与桡动脉吻合后建立血管通路的17例患者的手术成功率、并发症的发生及使用情况等。结果17例患者手术成功,手术成功率100%。仅有1例患者出现少许渗血,均无心衰、窃血等并发症发生。术后2个月内瘘成熟率100%,术后开始使用时间(8.6±1.7)周,已使用(17.4±3.5)月,血流量均在(238.7±25.2)mL/min。结论贵要静脉转位与桡动脉吻合的动静脉内瘘术成功率高、安全性好,为前臂标准内瘘无法建立患者提供安全有效的肾脏替代治疗途径,值得临床进一步推广。     

Intraneural angioleiomyoma of the median nerve presenting as a forearm mass: A case report

Angioleiomyoma is a solitary form of leiomyoma which is typically encountered in the subcutis. They are mostly seen in lower extremities, and the upper extremity is the second most common location for these lesions. There are only a few reports about the presence of an angioleiomyoma within a peripheral nerve in the upper extremity. Here we report a 56-year-old male patient who was referred to our clinic after an attempt was made for removal of a forearm mass at another institution. The lesion was encased within the median nerve and there was an unusual hypervascularity around the tumor with numerous vessels entering the lesion. Removal of the tumor without apparent damage to nerve fascicles was possible. Histopathological examination of the excision material revealed an intraneural angioleiomyoma. Following surgery, the patient was free of any functional deficits and no evidence of recurrence was observed at one year follow-up. There is no data regarding recurrence in intraneural lesions due to the lack of a large series. It would not be wrong to recommend spare grossly uninvolved fascicles if the nerve in question is not expendable.