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Five adult patients, with posttraumatic cubitus varus deformity underwent corrective surgery by the Ilizarov method of distraction osteogenesis. A standard technique was applied in all patients. The average follow-up was 28 (range, 24–38) months. Preoperative carrying angle ranged from 12° to 22° of varus (average 16.6°) and postoperative carrying angle ranged from 10° to 14° of valgus (average, 11.6°) equalized to the contralateral side. The outcome was rated as excellent in all patients. No complication was observed, except a grade-2 pin-tract infection in two patients. Rigid fixation, early rehabilitation, precise correction, satisfactory cosmetic scars and functionally excellent results can be obtained with this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Arthroscopic operations performed in the pediatric age group constitute less than 5% of all arthroscopies. Diagnostic accuracy is reported to be lower than the procedures in adult patients. The incidence of pathologies also varies in the literature. We aimed at assessing the diagnostic accuracy of arthroscopy and review the incidence of pathologies in pre-adolescent patients. Materials and methods: In the period April 1990–January 2002, 50 pre-adolescent patients underwent knee arthroscopy after clinical and radiological assessment. Average age was 10.24 (1–13) with a male-to-female ratio of 34:16. Results: Discoid lateral meniscus was found to be the most common pathology encountered in 17 cases followed by infection and synovitis in 8 cases each. Diagnostic accuracy of arthroscopy correlated with preoperative clinical and radiologic evaluation was 90%. Arthroscopy findings were negative in two cases. Two cases of plica syndrome and one case of chondral injury were mistaken for medial meniscal tear. Final diagnosis was familial Mediterranean fever in one case of synovitis and knee fusion was performed at follow-up due to progressive degenerative changes. No other patient required reoperation. Conclusion: Arthroscopy is a safe procedure with minor morbidity allowing treatment of various intraarticular knee disorders. Diagnostic accuracy of the procedure may increase with careful preoperative work-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]