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Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common focal neuropathy that results from pressure on a nerve. The goal of this study was to assess carpal tunnel syndrome and its associated factors such as occupation, sex, and accompanying complications in a teaching general hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated 362 patients with the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome admitted in the orthopedic ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran during 2000-2010. Results: The difference in the mean age of men and women was statistically significant (P

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal" mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0 mso-tstyle-colband-size:0 mso-style-noshow:yes mso-style-priority:99 mso-style-qformat:yes mso-style-parent:"" mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt mso-para-margin:0cm mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt mso-pagination:widow-orphan font-size:11.0pt font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif" mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman" mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin mso-bidi-font-family:Arial mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi} Background: One of the difficulties in acetabulum surgery is appropriate exposure of the site of surgery. Trochanteric flip osteotomy is one of the surgical methods for superoposterior and posterior acetabulum exposure. However, due to possible complications some surgeons prefer to avoid this procedure. This study was undertaken to determine the outcome of surgical treatment of acetabular fracture using trochanteric flip osteotomy. Methods : In this prospective cohort study, 14 patients with acetabular fracture who had been admitted in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran, during 2003-2006 underwent trochanteric flip osteotomy. The patients were followed for at least one year post-surgically. Demographics, radiologic findings, intensity of pain using visual analogue scale (VAS), Harris hip score (HHS), force of hip abductors and complications were noted. Data analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 13.Results : The mean HHS was 82.5 (55-95). Heterotopic ossification was observed in three patients. There were no cases of postoperative infection or non::::union::::. Only two patients showed displacement of osteotomized fragments. Reduction was anatomic in 10 patients. In one patient, the force of hip abductors was three-fifth. The mean hip pain was 3.4 based on VAS. There were no cases of femoral head osteonecrosis. With respect to HHS, the final hip status was excellent and good in four and six patients, respectively. Three patients had fair and only one patient had poor condition.Conclusion: It seems that trochanteric flip osteotomy has much fewer complications in comparison to other methods justifying its use in such cases.

Background: Syndactyly is the most common congenital malformation of the hand, with an incidence of 1 in 2000-2500 live births. In this study we evaluated the surgical outcomes and complications of patients with syndactyly.Methods : The surgical outcomes and complications of 42 patients, 27 male and 15, female, undergoing surgery for syndactyly were evaluated. The study took place in Imam Khomeini Hospital, in Tehran, Iran during 1996 to 2011. Having had the inclusion criteria, the patients were assessed for function, cosmetic outcome, sensation and occurrence of complications. The patients were followed-up for at least 3 years.Results : The mean age of patients was 4.4 years. There was a positive familial history for the disease in 8 patients. 71.4%, 90.4% and 73.8% of the participants had good results regarding cosmetic outcome, sensation and function, respectively.Conclusion: The overall results of surgery for syndactyly in this study were interpreted as good in 78.5%, moderate in 12.5% and fair in 8.4% of the patients. This study confirmed better surgical outcomes in patients older than 18 months.

"nBackground: Radioactive synoviorthesis by injection of safe radioisotopes into the joints affected to chronic arthritis is accounted as a novel method to treat haemophilic arthropathy. The main goal of this therapy would be decrease in frequency of hemarthrosis and consumption of coagulation factors. In this study we assessed the effect of radioactive synoviorthesis on the frequency of hemarthrosis, factor consumption and other related parameters. "n "nMethods: In an interventional study in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran, after meeting of inclusion criteria and taking written consent, colloid 32p radiosynovectomy was performed for 56 joints with haemophilic arthropathy. After local anesthesia of injection site, one mci of 32P for large joints (knee) and 0.5 mci for small joints (ankle and elbow) was injected, respectively. Half of these doses were considered for children (age

"n Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1":*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Background: Shoulder hemiarthroplasty is one of the established methods for management of proximal humerus fractures particularly in the types with more displacement so that fixation is not possible. Successful treatment is a challenge for shoulder surgeons especially in elderly patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the functional results and prognostic factors on shoulder hemiarthroplasty."n"nMethods: Thirty nine patients operated by one shoulder surgeon in Imam Khomeini and Shariati Hospital in Tehran, Iran, from October 2005 to February 2009 were included in this study and followed postoperatively for at least one year. Mean (±SD) age was 49.7±14.3 years. Functional results were measured by constant score and pain was scored using visual analogue score. The relationship between factors such as age, injury to surgery interval, radiographic parameters and functional results were assessed."n"nResults: Mean (±SD) constant score was 61.9±20.2. The age and injury to surgery interval showed a reverse correlation with constant score (p

"n Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Background: Nerve entrapment neuropathies are relatively frequent in the upper limb. Significant costs related to resultant disability and treatment, and also simultaneous occurrence of some of these syndromes can result in alteration in the treatment approach. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of these syndromes, the rate of concurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome as the most prevalent syndrome with others, related risk factors, and accordance of clinical and electrophysiological findings."n"nMethods: In a retrospective study, data of the 170 affected patients to these syndromes operated during a period of 10 years in a referral center were searched using recorded documents. Information about patient's gender, age, occupation and associated co-morbidities, clinical and surgical findings and their accordance to the EMG-NCV findings, and also concurrence of these syndromes were assessed."n"nResults: Patients' range of age was 10-91 year (mean: 48.09 year) and 74.5% of them were female. In this study carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndrome were the most frequent (81.7% and 15.8% respectively). In 23.5% of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, electrophysiological findings were negative but there was no false positive result. Concurrent carpal tunnel syndrome with other syndromes were found in three cases of cubital tunnel syndrome, two cases of thoracic outlet syndrome and one case of Guyon's canal syndrome."n"nConclusion: Constellation of symptoms, physical examination and electrophysiologic-al findings altogether should be considered for correct diagnosis of nerve entrapment syndromes in the upper extremity. Simultaneous entrapment in the other regions of the same nerve or other nerves in the same extremity is a probable condition

Background: Posterolateral rotatory instability is one of the most complex problems in ligamentous injuries of the knee. It represents a challenging diagnostic and therapeutic problem for the orthopaedic surgeon. We present the results of biceps tenodesis in chronic posterolateral rotatory instabilily of the knee.Methods: In this case series we included all of the patients with positive reverse pivot shift test and prone external rotation test at least 3 weeks after their trauma. We excluded the patients with varus malalignment of the knee and concomitant anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Biceps tenodesis (Clancy method) was performed. We did not reconstruct posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) if its insufficiency was diagnosed in addition to posterolateral rotatory instability. Knee scoring scale of Lysholm was used during and after follow ups. The results were statistically compared using Wilcoxon signed rank test (WSRT), paired samples t-test and friedman test. Data analysis was done using SPSS (version 11.5) and Stata (version 8) computer softwares.Results: Our series consists of 13 patients (12 male and one female). 31% of the patients had isolated posterolateral injury and 69% of the patients had combined posterolateral and PCL injuries. The patients were between 17 to 45 years old (mean 30.25 years). Follow up was between 4 to 44 months (mean: 31 months). At the end of follow up 85% of patients had negative reverse pivot shift test. Prone external rotation test at 30° of knee flexion was negative in 92% of patients. In 92% of patients giving way was negative and in 77% of patients pain was decreased. Before operation the average Knee scoring scale of Lysholm was 73 and at the end of the follow up it increased to 85 (p value

Background: Ulnar club hand (ulnar deficiency) is a rare congenital disorder of the upper extremity. In the Flatt series among 2758 congenital disorders of upper extremity only 28 cases of ulnar deficiency were reported. Due to its rarity and variations in presentation current data in the management of the deformity is very limited. Here we present our experience and results in comparing management of ulnar deficiency.Methods: We include all of the ulnar club hand patients (five boys and one girl with seven involved extremities) from 1993 to 2006. After recognizing the type of deformity the classic management approach was performed that was splinting in corrective position until six months of age and then anlage resection. Syndactyly release was done in appropriate age according to involved rays, other operations for restoration of apposition was done after 18 months of age. Two of our patients were neglected, the first one was a 12 years old boy without any ulnar deviation but with syndactyly of the remaining rays and the other was a 32 years old male with severe ulnar deviation and partial syndactyly who is a skillful worker. We determined the effect of anlage resection on ulnar deviation of the wrist and restoration of opposition and syndactyly release on function of the limb.Results: In short term follow up, anlage resection was effective in prevention and correction of ulnar deviation, however the deformity was partially recurred later. Surprisingly, the function of the limb was not significantly affected with the extent of the deformity. On the other hand, the operations used for opposition of the thumb like first metacarpal rotational osteotomies and tendon transfers for powerful opposition, were more effective in the hand and also limb function compared with anlage resection alone. Conclusions: Due to our observation of the neglected cases, the most important factor in the function of the hand is the function of the thumb, thus we believe that restoration of opposition and syndactyly release may be more effective than anlage resection on limb function in Ulnar Club Hand patients

Background: People vary greatly in their response to painful stimuli, from those with a low pain threshold to those with indifference to pain. However, insensitivity to pain is a rare disorder, characterized by the lack of usual subjective and objective responses to noxious stimuli. Patients who have congenital indifference to pain sustain painless injuries beginning in infancy, but have sensory responses that are otherwise normal on examination. Perception of passive movement, joint position, and vibration is normal in these patients, as are tactile thresholds and light touch perception. Case report: A twelve-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital for a painless deformity, degeneration in both knees and a neglected femoral neck fracture that was inappropriately painless. Further examination revealed normal sensory responses, perception of passive movement, joint position, vibration tactile thresholds and light touch perception. Spinal cord and brain MRI were normal as was the electromyography and nerve conduction velocity (EMG/NCV) examination. There was no positive family history for this disorder. Conclusion: The deficits present in the different pain insensitivity syndromes provide insight into the complex anatomical and physiological nature of pain perception. Reports on pain asymbolia, in which pain is perceived but does not cause suffering, and related cortical conditions illustrate that there can be losses that independently involve either the sensory-discriminative component or the affective-motivational component of pain perception, thus highlighting their different anatomical localization. The paucity of experience with this entity and the resultant diagnostic problems, the severity of the associated disabling arthropathy and underscore the importance of this case report of indifference to pain.

Abstract Spinal cord injury is a well-known predisposing factor for development of heterotopic ossification around the joints especially hip and elbow. Heterotopic ossification about the knee is usually located medially, laterally or anteriorly; besides, the knee is generally fixed in flexion. There are only a few reports of heterotopic bone formation at the posterior aspect of the knee (popliteal space) and fixation of both knees in extension; so, there is little experience in operative management of such a problem. Here, we present a 39-years old paraplegic man who was referred to us five years after trauma with a request of above knee amputation due to sever impairment of his life style and adaptive capacity for daily living because of difficulties in using wheelchair. The principle reason for the impairment was fixed full extension of both knees as the result of bilateral large heterotopic ossification masses in popliteal fossae. The bony masses were surgically resected with acceptable outcome. The anatomic position of the ossified masses as well as ankylosis of both knees in full extension, and the acceptable functional outcome of surgery which was done after a long period of five years following injury makes this case unique.

Purpose: Using iliac crest autograft has been considered as gold standard for gap filling in medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOW-HTO) but is associated with donor site morbidity and pain. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of the use of iliac crest autograft versus allograft from the same anatomic site in terms of union and recurrence., Methods: Forty-six patients with genovarum with or without medial compartment osteoarthritis were enrolled based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria and were randomly assigned into two groups. MOW-HTO was done using iliac crest allograft (23 patients) or autograft (23 patients) as void filler. Follow-up visits were done monthly for the first 3 months and then every 3 months until 1 year and then at 5th and 8th postoperative year. The clinical assessment of union, anatomical indices of proximal tibia, complications and WOMAC score were assessed for both groups., Results: The amount of correction (degrees), recurrence, complication rates, time to get symptom-free, radiologic union and knee scores was similar in both groups. The symptom-free time was 6.1 (SD = 0.9) weeks in autograft group versus 6.2 (SD = 0.8) weeks in allograft group (p = 0.73, 95% CI  - 0.4 to 0.6). The time to radiologic union had a between-group difference of 0.3 weeks (p = 0.58, 95% CI  - 1.6 to 0.9). There was one case of surgical site infection in graft harvest site. No nonunion or delayed union was encountered in either group. Fifty-two percent of the autograft patients reported more intense postoperative pain in iliac graft harvest site than tibial osteotomy site., Conclusions: According to our results, iliac crest allograft can be safely used in MOW-HTO with comparable efficacy and safety to iliac crest autograft., Clinical Trial Registry: The clinical trial was approved by clinicaltrial.gov with identifier NCT00595712., (© 2020. European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, Arthroscopy (ESSKA).)

Background: Despite the fact that the total therapeutic expenditure of haemophilia is paid by the national health system in Iran, a limited number of research has been performed to evaluate the economic burden of haemophilia. It is even more important when considering the fact that "prophylaxis" has never been used as the main treatment protocol in haemophiliacs in the country, causing high arthropathy rates. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cost drivers in the treatment of haemophilia A and B patients in Iran., Methods: The national registry database of Ministry of Health (MoH) was queried to identify total number of individuals characteristics diagnosed with Factor VIII and IX deficiency. The service package defined by the department for special diseases was used as the reference for the type and frequency of health care utilization in haemophiliacs in Iran. The direct medical costs including prescription, medical intervention, inpatient, outpatient and diagnostics services and arthroplasty were considered. The prices were extracted from Iranian medical tariff book 2014-15. Medication cost was obtained from the Iranian Food and Drug Organization., Results: Among 8,337 patients registered with bleeding disorders, 3,948 and 848 were identified with haemophilia A and B respectively, of whom 856 (18%) patients had inhibitor at any time in the past. In the two groups, 2,328 (59%) and 452 (53%) patients suffered from severe, 686 (17%) and 186 (22%) from moderate and 902 (23%) and 185 (22%) from mild type of haemophilia. The average annual health care cost for every patient was USD 15,130, mostly allocated to medication USD 10,180 (67%), followed by therapeutic services USD 4,775 (32%) while diagnostic services stood third USD 177 (1%)., Conclusions: There is an urgent need for developing clinical practice guidelines for treatment protocols, procedures and supportive care in haemophilia management in Iran., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Radioactive synoviorthesis was carried out by an injection of radioactive materials into the joint that has been known as a successful alternative treatment to invasive surgical synovectomy. This study was designed to evaluate short-term and long-term results and complications of radioactive synovectomy of hemophilic arthropathy using radioactive phosphorus., Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 40 patients with hemophilic arthropathy. After obtaining clotting factors, the intra-articular injections of radioactive phosphorus were done. Thirteen patients were evaluated during 36 months (short-term follow-up) and 27 patients were followed up for more than 36 months (long-term follow-up). Patients were evaluated for hemarthrosis, factor consumption per month, joint range of motion (ROM) and clinical and radiological involvement grade., Results: The patients mean age was 22.9 ± 6.6 and there were 38 men and 2 women. Consumption of clotting factors was significantly reduced in the short-term follow-up of patients (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the long-term follow-up (p > 0.05). ROM decreased significantly in the long-term follow-up (p < 0.05). Radiologic evaluation showed significantly increased involvement in their joints (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Using radioactive synoviorthesis led in decreased consumption of clotting factors and the hemarthrosis incidence in short term but it did not have significant impact on clinical situation (ROM) and radiological findings of hemophilic patients in long-term follow-up., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Total ankle replacement (TAR) and ankle fusion (AF) are the 2 major operative options for treatment of advanced ankle arthropathy; there is, however, no large epidemiologic study comparing nationwide trends of these 2 procedures. The current study used a nationwide database to compare epidemiologic profiles of TAR and AF., Methods: Data collected for the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2000 to 2010 were reviewed. Procedures were identified by searching for ICD-9-CM codes 81.11 (AF) and 81.56 (TAR). Patients' demographics and comorbidities, geographic distribution, and cost of procedures were compared., Results: The NIS analysis identified 2666 TAR and 16 419 AF cases which was extrapolated to 13 145 TAR and 80 426 AF nationwide. Spearman's ρ showed an increase in the number of AF per year while the number of TAR cases remained relatively flat per year until 2006, after which there was a steady increase in the number of TAR performed. Patients receiving a TAR tended to be older, female, and white. Patients who underwent AF were more likely to be obese or diabetic than TAR patients. Both TAR and AF were performed more frequently in private urban hospitals through 2007. However, in 2010, the number of TAR procedures was greater in academic centers compared to private urban hospitals., Conclusions: Despite recent increases in the number of TAR implanted, AF was still performed more than 6 times more frequently for advanced ankle arthropathy. A trend was demonstrated toward an increasing number of TAR being implanted in academic centers, and in patients with more underlying comorbidities than was previously seen., Level of Evidence: Level II, prognostic study.

Background: Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is a condition that causes reversible ischemia and lower extremity pain during exercise. To date there are few large studies examining the characteristics of patients with CECS. This study aimed to present these characteristics by examining the largest published series of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of the disorder., Methods: An IRB-approved, retrospective review was undertaken of patients with a suspected diagnosis of CECS undergoing pre- and postexercise compartment pressure testing between 2000 and 2012. Patients were evaluated for gender, age, duration of symptoms, pain level, specific compartments involved, compartment pressure measurements, and participation and type of athletics., Results: Two-hundred twenty-six patients (393 legs) underwent compartment pressure testing. A diagnosis of CECS was made in 153 (67.7%) patients and 250 (63.6%) legs with elevated compartment measurements; average age of the patients was 24 years (range, 13-69 years). Female patients accounted for 92 (60.1%) of those with elevated pressures. Anterior and lateral compartment pressures were elevated most frequently, with 200 (42.5%) and 167 (35.5%) compartments, respectively. One hundred forty-one (92.2%) patients reported participation in sports, with running being the most common individual sport and soccer being the most common team sport. Duration of pain prior to diagnosis averaged 28 months., Conclusion: Although there is ample literature pertaining to the diagnostic criteria and treatment algorithm of the condition, few papers have described the type of patient most likely to develop CECS. This is the largest study to date to evaluate the type of patient likely to present with chronic exertional compartment syndrome., Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective review.

Purpose: Previous studies claim that caudal administration of ketamine causes effective analgesia. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness of ketamine after caudal or intravascular administration in pediatric patients that underwent orthopedic surgery to distinguish between local and systemic analgesia., Methods: After the induction of general anesthesia, 36 patients, aged 18 months to 10 years, assigned to undergo orthopedic surgery, received a caudal injection of bupivacaine and were randomly blinded into two groups: one group received 1 mg/kg S(+)-ketamine as the caudal group and the other group received 1 mg/kg S(+)-ketamine as the intravascular group. Postsurgical measurements included the effectiveness of postsurgical analgesia, which was assessed by using the observational pain scale (OPS), duration of analgesia, sedation score, and hemodynamic and respiratory monitoring., Results: The mean time to first analgesia was clearly longer in the caudal ketamine group (13.35 h) than in the intravenous ketamine (9.93 h) group (P < 0.01). During the 24-h observation time, fewer children asked for additional analgesic drugs in the caudal group (8 of 18, 44.4 %) than in the intravenous group (12 of 18, 66.6 %; P = 0.01). The times to first micturation and spontaneous leg movements and the incidence of nausea and vomiting were similar in the two groups. The OPS and sedation scores after operation showed no obvious differences between the groups at any time., Conclusion: Although caudal ketamine provides good postsurgical analgesia due to its potential neurotoxicity and only small clinical differences with intravenous ketamine, the administration of intravenous ketamine might be a reasonable option to potentially extend the postsurgical analgesic effect of the caudal administration of local anesthetics in children undergoing Salter osteotomy.

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare premature ageing disorder that is characterized by accelerated degenerative changes of the cutaneous, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Mean age at diagnosis is 2.9 years and generally leading to death at approximately 13 years of age due to myocardial infarction or stroke. Orthopedic manifestations of HGPS are multiple and shoulder dislocation is a rare skeletal trauma in progeria syndrome. Our patient had simultaneous shoulder and hip dislocation associated with a low energy trauma. This subject has not been reported. Treatment accomplished as close reduction under general anesthesia and immobilization.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rapidly progressive infection and is a necrosis of the fascia and surrounding tissues. Despite recent advances in its management, outcomes have not improved and mortality rate is still high. Between September 2007 and August 2009, we prospectively studied twenty-four histopathologically proven necrotizing fasciitis patients to assess the prognostic factors that indicate the outcome. Mortality rate was 20.8%. Twelve patients (50%) improved, while seven patients (29.2%) were complicated by limb loss. Mortality rates related to upper and lower limb involvement were similar (20% vs. 22.2%). The rates of gangrene and amputation in patients with diabetes mellitus were significantly higher than other comorbidities. Patients with gram-positive infections had significantly lower rates of amputation (15.4% vs. 54.5%, P = 0.04). Mean band cell count and serum potassium level were significantly higher in the nonsurvivors same as leukocyte count in the patients with gangrene, while serum sodium level was significantly lower in nonsurvivors. We conclude that hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, and increased band cells in the peripheral blood of patients may be useful parameters in distinguishing life-threatening necrotizing fasciitis; hence, we recommended lower threshold to amputation during surgery for this group of patients.

Purpose: Supraclavicular brachial plexus block is considered to be one of the most effective anesthetic procedures for upper extremity surgeries. Its major drawback is placement of the needle, with inaccurate placement, especially in children, being a risk factor for pneumothorax and vascular puncture and failure of the procedure. Ultrasound-guided needle placement may reduce the risk of complications and increase the accuracy of the block, particularly in pediatric patients. Little has been published on the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block in children based on practical experience, and there has been no published report on its usage in younger children (<6 years old)., Methods: Seventeen patients between the ages of 6 months and 6 years were randomly selected to test the efficacy of ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block in younger children. The ultrasound probe was used for proper placement of the needle. After confirmation of the needle location using a nerve locator, the anesthetic agent was injected. The procedure time, establishment time, duration of analgesia, any complications related to the procedure, and surgeon's satisfaction were recorded and assessed., Results: The length of the procedure was 10.35 ± 1.22 min, establishment time was 89.59 + 18 s, and the duration of the analgesia was between 6 and 16 h (mean 9.76 ± 2.57 h). The recovery time was 24.4 + 6.5 min (range 15-37 min), and the duration of surgeries was 61.3 ± 25.9 min (range 15-110 min). Not one procedure failed, and there was not one complication related to the procedure. The surgeon's satisfaction during surgery was good or excellent., Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate the efficacy and safety of the ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block for orthopedic upper extremity surgeries in patients less than 6 years of age.

Purpose: Supraclavicular brachial plexus block is considered as one of the most effective anesthetic methods for upper extremity surgeries. Its major drawback, especially in children, is the risk of pneumothorax, vascular puncture, and failure of the procedure due to inaccurate placement of the needle. Ultrasound-guided needle placement may reduce the risk of complications and increase the accuracy of block, particularly in pediatric patients. There are few published experiences about the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block in children and to our knowledge, it seems that there is no published report about its usage in younger children (less than 6 years of age)., Methods: In order to consider the efficacy of ultrasound in younger children, 17 patients aged between 6 months and 6 years were randomly selected. The ultrasound probe was used for proper placement of the needle. After confirmation of the needle location using a nerve locator, the anesthetic agent was injected. The procedure time, establishment time, duration of analgesia, any complications related to the procedure, and the surgeon's satisfaction were recorded and analyzed., Results: The procedure time was 10.35 ± 1.22 min, the establishment time was 89.59 ± 18 s, and the duration of analgesia was between 6 and 16 h (mean 9.76 ± 2.57 h). The recovery time was 24.4 ± 6.5 min (range 15-37 min) and the duration of surgeries was 61.3 ± 25.9 min (range 15-110 min). There was no failure of the procedure. Also, there were no complications related to the procedure and the surgeon's satisfaction during surgery was good or excellent., Conclusions: This study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of the ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block for orthopedic upper extremity surgeries in patients younger than 6 years of age.

Background: When using botulinum toxin for the management of lateral epicondylitis, injection at a fixed distance from an anatomic landmark could result in inadequate paralysis of the intended muscle. We assessed the effectiveness of injection of botulinum toxin using precise anatomic measurement in individual patients., Methods: In this randomized placebo-controlled trial, 48 patients with chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis were randomly assigned to receive a single injection of either botulinum toxin (60 units) or placebo (normal saline). The site of injection was chosen as a distance one-third the length of the forearm from the tip of the lateral epicondyle on the course of the posterior interosseus nerve. The primary outcome measure was intensity of pain at rest, measured with the use of a 100-mm visual analogue scale, at baseline and at 4, 8 and 16 weeks after injection., Results: Compared with the placebo group, the group given botulinum toxin had significant reductions in pain at rest during follow-up (decrease at 4 weeks 14.1 mm, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.8-22.3; at 8 weeks 11.5 mm, 95% CI 2.0-21.0; at 16 weeks 12.6 mm, 95% CI 7.7-17.8; p = 0.01). As for the secondary outcomes, the intensity of pain during maximum pinch decreased in the botulinum toxin group; there was no difference in pain during maximum grip or in grip strength between the two groups. All but one of the patients in the intervention group experienced weakness in the extension of the third and fourth fingers at week 4 that resolved by week 16. No serious adverse events were reported., Interpretation: The use of precise anatomic measurement to guide injection of botulinum toxin significantly reduced pain at rest in patients with chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis. However, the transient extensor lag makes this method inappropriate for patients whose job requires finger extension.

Angular deformities of the lower limbs are common during childhood. In most cases this represents a variation in the normal growth pattern and is an entirely benign condition. Presence of symmetrical deformities and absence of symptoms, joint stiffness, systemic disorders or syndromes indicates a benign condition with excellent long-term outcome. In contrast, deformities which are asymmetrical and associated with pain, joint stiffness, systemic disorders or syndromes may indicate a serious underlying cause and require treatment.Little is known about the relationship between sport participation and body adaptations during growth. Intense soccer participation increases the degree of genu varum in males from the age of 16. Since, according to some investigations, genu varum predisposes individuals to more injuries, efforts to reduce the development of genu varum in soccer players are warranted. In this article major topics of angular deformities of the knees in pediatric population are practically reviewed.