Thoracic sequelae after surgical closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants

Thirty-six children (median chronological age 6 years 1 month) who had undergone surgical closure of a patent ductus arteriosus through a left posterolateral thoracotomy in the neonatal period (median gestational age 32 weeks) were investigated prospectively with respect to anatomical and functional changes of the chest. At follow-up examination, residual or recurrent patent ductus arteriosus was not observed. Three patients had chronic bronchial obstruction. Two patients showed pathological musculoskeletal thoracic sequelae that did not require any treatment at the time of follow-up; persistence of immediate postoperative left phrenic palsy (n = 1) and thoracic scoliosis (n = 1). Twenty of the 27 patients in whom chest X-ray was performed had minor radiological skeletal anomalies in the form of rib deformation or fusion related to the thoracotomy, lesions which have a potential to induce thoracic scoliosis. Left shoulder elevation at chest X-ray and isolated left arm dysfunction at clinical examination were not observed. Despite the low incidence of scoliosis and the absence of left arm dysfunction observed at mid-term follow-up in our series, the incidence of minor rib deformations with a potential to induce severe anomalies such as scoliosis should motivate late follow-up examination at adolescence to definitively assess the prevalence of thoracic sequelae after surgical closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants

Adolescent scar contracture scoliosis caused by back scalding during the infantile period

The study design was a retrospective study in adolescent scar contracture scoliosis caused by back scalding during the infantile period. The objective of the study was to investigate the pathogenesis, clinical manifestation and treatment of adolescent scar contracture scoliosis caused by back scalding during the infantile period. This condition seldom occurs and is not reported in current English literature. One patient was first treated with skin expansion, back scar excision and skin flap transfer, followed by anterior correction with TSRH instrumentation. Two patients were first treated with back scar excision and anterior spinal release. One patient was treated with posterior correction with TSRH instrumentation, and thoracoplasty was performed after 50 days in halo-wheelchair traction. The other patient was treated with posterior correction with TSRH instrumentation. No management of scalding was performed on the fourth patient. Anterior release and posterior correction were performed at an interval of 3 weeks. The deformities of four patients were well corrected. Trunk balance was restored and the pelvis leveled. The skin incision wounds healed well. Minor loss of correction was recorded during the last follow-up. Severe scar contracture caused by back scalding during the infantile period could lead to adolescent scoliosis. Its pathogenesis and clinical manifestation are different from the typical adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The treatment of this kind of scoliosis should be individualized

Impaction allograft with cement for the revision of the femoral component. A minimum 39-month follow-up study with the use of the Exeter stem in Asian hips

We report the results of impaction bone grafting of the femoral side in revision total hip arthroplasty in Asian hips (South Korean patients) in which the surgery was performed with the use of the Exeter stem. The minimum follow-up was 39 months (mean, 48.4; range, 39–66). There was subsidence of the cement-graft interface (<1 mm) in three hips (5%), of the stem-cement interface (<1 mm) in 12 hips (21%) and of the stem-cement interface (1–2 mm) in 14 hips (25%). Five hips (9%) developed intraoperative femoral fracture and two hips (4%) femoral perforation in revision. The complications of femoral fracture and subsidence did not have an adverse effect on the final clinical outcomes. The impaction of fresh-frozen allograft and use of a cemented, polished, tapered stem (Exeter stem) were also successful with good clinical and radiographic outcomes in our study of Asian hips (South Korean patients). However, we used smaller stems than the usual ones used for Western patients because of the smaller femur sizes