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Background: Congenital dislocation of the knee (CDK) may be idiopathic or associated with another condition, such as Larsen syndrome or arthrogryposis. Surgical reduction of type-3 dislocation may require quadricepsplasty (QP) or femoral diaphyseal shortening (FS). Because it is unknown which treatment is more effective, we evaluated long-term outcomes using patient-reported questionnaires and gait analysis, comparing results by surgery type and underlying diagnosis., Methods: Twelve patients (mean age, 19 mo) were treated surgically for CDK from 1985 to 2015 and studied 9 to 30 years postoperatively. Three participants had idiopathic CDK, 5 had Larsen syndrome, and 4 had arthrogryposis. Eleven knees underwent QP and 7 underwent FS. Participants were evaluated in our movement science laboratory and completed patient-reported outcome questionnaires. Data were compared with healthy, age-matched control values at the same visit., Results: Surgically treated knees had less flexion during swing ( P <0.01), less overall motion ( P <0.01), greater coronal instability ( P <0.04), and slower gait ( P <0.01) compared with controls. QP knees had more instability in midstance ( P =0.03) and less flexion during gait compared with FS knees, less sagittal power generation than controls ( P <0.01), and trended toward lower scores on Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome and Lysholm Knee Questionnaires than FS patients did. The idiopathic group had the gait most similar to that of controls, followed by the Larsen syndrome group and then the arthrogryposis group. The idiopathic group also had a better UCLA Activity Score ( P =0.03) than the arthrogryposis group did., Conclusions: Surgical treatment of type-3 CDK will not likely restore normal knee function, suggesting teratologic joint abnormality. In this small series, FS produced better gait mechanics and patient-reported outcomes compared with QP. Not surprisingly, patients with idiopathic CDK had better outcomes than those with a syndromic diagnosis, likely related to having only a single joint affected., Level of Evidence: Level III., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Few studies evaluate long-term function of patients with Blount disease. We sought to document patient radiographic and functional status 20 to 30 years after sugical treatment for infantile or adolescent Blount disease., Methods: We reviewed the medical records and radiographs of patients operated at our institution for Blount disease between 1985 and 1995. Over a 4-year period, we recruited subjects for an IRB-approved call-back study., Results: One hundred five patients were eligible for the call-back study. Thirty-one (30%) had a criminal record, 18 of sufficient gravity to preclude invitation to return. Of the remaining 87, 40 (46%) could not be contacted. Of 47 with valid contact information, 10 (21%) were reported as deceased (although this could not be objectively confirmed), 20 (43%) did not respond or failed to show for assessment, and 1 (2%) declined to participate. 16 subjects returned at average age 36, 22 to 31 years post-index surgery. Body mass index (BMI) averaged 45.8 (range 23.9 to 67.6). Physical Score correlated most strongly and inversely with BMI ( P <0.01). Satisfaction with life correlated strongly and inversely with mechanical axis deviation ( P =0.02) and radiographic osteoarthritis of the knee ( P =0.02), but not BMI. There also was no correlation between severity of radiographic osteoarthritis and mechanical axis deviation ( P =0.46) or BMI ( P =0.52)., Conclusions: The small fraction of patients returning for evalutation minimize clinical conclusions that can be drawn from this study, despite an intensive 4-year effort to conduct it. Management of obesity and other socioeconomic characteristics are likely the most important aspects of treatment of patients with Blount disease. Our primary conclusion is that meaningful long-term functional studies of pediatric orthopaedic conditions will not be answered by retrospective call-back studies, and must be conducted within prospective registries and regular longitudinal follow-up., Level of Evidence: III-Case-controlled study., Competing Interests: J.G.B. receive royalties through Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children from Orthofix for sales of an external fixator. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: While the transfer of the tibialis anterior tendon (TAT) to the lateral cuneiform (LC) following serial casting has been used for nearly 60 years to treat relapsed clubfoot deformity, modern methods of tendon fixation remain largely unstudied. Interference screw fixation represents an alternative strategy that obviates concerns of plantar foot skin pressure-induced necrosis and proper tendon tensioning associated with button suspensory fixation. A better understanding of LC morphology in young children is a necessary first step in assessing the viability of this fixation technique. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation is to define LC morphology and TAT width in children aged 3 to 6 years., Methods: A retrospective radiographic review of 40 healthy pediatric feet aged 3 to 6 years who had either magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scans was performed at a single pediatric hospital. The length, width, and height of only the ossified portion of the LC were measured digitally using sagittal, coronal, and axial imaging. In addition, the maximal cross-sectional diameter of the TAT was measured at the level of the tibiotalar joint., Results: The average ossified LC width ranged from 8.5 mm in the 3-year-old cohort to 10.3 mm in 6-year-old children. Analysis of variance testing revealed no statistically significant difference in width between age groups. Average ossified LC length ranged from 13.5 mm in the 3-year-old cohort to 18.3 mm in 6-year-old children with statistically significant increases in age groups separated by 2 or more years. Significant differences in LC height, volume, and TAT diameter were demonstrated after analysis of variance testing. The TAT to ossified LC width ratio ranged from 44% to 53% across age groups., Conclusions: The dimensions of the LC ossification center are large enough to allow interference screw fixation in children 3 to 6 years of age. Further studies are needed to investigate interference screw fixation performance in the pediatric clubfoot population., Level of Evidence: Level IV., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Acute weakness associated with West Nile virus (WNV) infection has previously been attributed to a peripheral demyelinating process (Guillain-Barré syndrome); however, the exact etiology of this acute flaccid paralysis has not been systematically assessed. To thoroughly describe the clinical, laboratory, and electrodiagnostic features of this paralysis syndrome, we evaluated acute flaccid paralysis that developed in seven patients in the setting of acute WNV infection, consecutively identified in four hospitals in St. Tammany Parish and New Orleans, Louisiana, and Jackson, Mississippi. All patients had acute onset of asymmetric weakness and areflexia but no sensory abnormalities. Clinical and electrodiagnostic data suggested the involvement of spinal anterior horn cells, resulting in a poliomyelitis-like syndrome. In areas in which transmission is occurring, WNV infection should be considered in patients with acute flaccid paralysis. Recognition that such weakness may be of spinal origin may prevent inappropriate treatment and diagnostic testing.

Previous reports have attributed the development of premature cervical spondylosis to movement disorders such as torticollis and athetosis. This case report describes the clinical, electromyographic, and radiographic findings in a 34-year-old man who developed a myelopathy and cervical radiculopathy superimposed on a chronic dystonia of his neck and left arm. Cervical myeloradiculopathy should be suspected in any patient with a chronic movement disorder of the hand, neck, or arms, who presents with neurologic deterioration. Early diagnosis will lead to treatment that may improve symptoms. Anterior cervical bony fusion appears to be the preferred surgical treatment in these patients.