scholarly journals The influence of preoperative knee flexion contracture severity on short-term outcome of orthopedic surgery in ambulatory children with bilateral cerebral palsy

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelina Pantzar-Castilla ◽  
Brian Po-Jung Chen ◽  
Freeman Miller ◽  
Jacques Riad

Abstract Background Indications and cutoff value of deformities to determine surgical procedures for flexed knee gait are not clear. The aim was to determine the influence of none or mild, and moderate preoperative knee flexion contracture on the improvement of gait after orthopedic surgery in children with bilateral cerebral palsy (CP). Methods Inclusion criteria; bilateral CP, Gross Motor Function Classification System level I-III, and pre- and post operative-gait analysis. The 132 individuals identified were categorized into 2 groups based on the severity of knee flexion contracture (group 1: none or less than 11°; group 2: greater than or equal to 11°), and then matched according to the exact same soft tissue and/or bony orthopedic surgical procedures performed. The indication for surgery was to prevent progressive development of knee flexion contracture and stance phase flexed knee gait. Pre- and postoperative physical examination and gait analysis data were analyzed retrospectively. Results Sixty (30 + 30) children, with mean age 10.6 years in each group, were included. The average follow-up time was 17 months. Gait Deviation Index (GDI) improved in group 1 from mean 66 (SD 19) to 74 (15), p = 0.004, and in group 2 from 60 (13) to 69 (15), p = 0.001. Knee flexion in stance improved in group 1 from 21.4 (16.1) to 12.1 (16.0) degrees, p = 0.002, and in group 2 from 32.2 (14.2) to 17.0 (15.9), p = 0.001. Step length improved in both groups, p = 0.017 and p = 0.008, respectively. Only in group 2 significant improvement was noted in walking speed, p = 0.018 and standing function, Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-D), p = 0.001. Knee flexion contracture decreased in group 1 from mean 4.6 (5.3) to 2.1 (8.3) degrees, p = 0.071 and in group 2 from 17.2 (4.9) to 9.6 (9.3), p = 0.001. There was no statistical difference between groups in pre-post improvement of GDI or other variables, except GMFM-D. Conclusions Relative mild to moderate preoperative knee flexion contracture does not influence the short-term improvement of gait after orthopedic surgery in children with bilateral CP.

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 110-112
Author(s):  
Shogo Nakagawa ◽  
Hirotaka Mutsuzaki ◽  
Yuki Mataki ◽  
Ryoko Takeuchi ◽  
Hiroshi Kamada

2016 ◽  
Vol 6;19 (6;7) ◽  
pp. 349-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Gupta

Background: All surgical procedures are associated with a degree of pain. The experience of uncontrolled post-operative pain can have significant implications on health care costs. Recent studies have demonstrated that intravenous (IV) ibuprofen is an effective, safe, well-tolerated analgesic when administered for both abdominal hysterectomy and orthopedic surgery. The use of ibuprofen leads to a reduction in pain severity at rest and with movement and also decreases narcotic consumption. IV acetaminophen has also been shown to be effective in alleviating pain for surgical procedures. Given the established safety and efficacy of IV ibuprofen and IV acetaminophen for perioperative pain, we were interested in determining if any potential synergies are afforded by the simultaneous administration of both medications in orthopedic surgery patients. Objectives: Compare the safety and efficacy of the perioperative administration of IV ibuprofen alone and in combination with IV acetaminophen in total knee or hip arthroplasty. Study Design: Randomized, single center, trial. Setting: Tertiary care center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Methods: Seventy-eight patients undergoing elective knee or hip arthroplasty were randomized into 2 groups. Group 1 received 800 mg of IV ibuprofen at induction, and 800 mg of IV ibuprofen every 6 hours until discharge or for up to 5 days. Group 2 received 800 mg IV ibuprofen at induction and 1000 mg IV acetaminophen at closure, and 800 mg IV ibuprofen plus 1000 mg IV acetaminophen every 6 hours until discharge for up to 5 days. The primary endpoint was demonstrated using the visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores. Secondary endpoints included opioid requirements, quality of recovery scale (QoR), length of post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay, antiemetic consumption, opioid consumption, and opioid related adverse events. Results: Patients in Group 2 had lower VAS scores (P < 0.002) by day 3 only. Opioid requirements and adverse events were significantly less in Group 2 which was also statistically significant. Time to discharge from the PACU for Group 1 on average was 55 minutes and 38 minutes for Group 2 (P = 0.178) which was not statistically significant although may have clinical significance. Length of hospital stay was also evaluated; however, no statistical significance was noted between the 2 groups (P = 0.138). There was no significant difference in QoR scores which were 177 (SD = 15.44) for Group 1 (n = 35) and 179.5 (SD = 16.30) for Group 2 (n = 39). Limitations: The study is a single center study with the attendant risk of convenience bias. The total number of patients is also small and may call into question the reproducibility of the results. No cost analysis was undertaken as part of this study. Further research should aim at prospectively designed multi-center double blinded randomized control trials with an analysis of the pharmacoeconomics of the use of these agents. Conclusion: IV ibuprofen combined with IV acetaminophen demonstrated additional benefit in terms of improved pain scores on post-operative day 3 only, fewer potential adverse events related to opioid use, and decreased use of opioids when compared to IV ibuprofen alone. Key Words: Acute pain, post-operative pain, randomized controlled trial, surgery, NSAID, analgesia, acetaminophen


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 230949901989025
Author(s):  
Winson Min-Teng Low ◽  
Sue-Mei Wang ◽  
Kuo-Kuang Yeh ◽  
Chia-Hsieh Chang

Purpose: Synergistic neuro-excitability in the lower extremities may be related to gait disorders. This study aimed to report spontaneous changes after correcting knee flexion gait and discuss the underlying mechanisms. Methods: A prospective study of 23 children with cerebral palsy was conducted to assess postoperative changes in gross motor function, joint range of motion (ROM), and spasticity. Characteristics of children/limbs with spontaneous decrease in gastrocnemius spasticity were assessed. Results: In 10 patients (19 limbs) without gastrocnemius release, the Modified Ashworth scores in the gastrocnemius decreased in 6 limbs after 3 months and in 10 limbs after 6 months. Those limbs with spontaneous changes had worse preoperative knee flexion contracture than the limbs without spasticity changes (knee ROM limitation score 5.4 vs. 3.7, p = 0.026). Conclusions: Patients with knee flexion contracture recruited greater plantar flexion–knee extension couple to balance knee flexion gait, and synergistic neuro-excitability of the gastrocnemius was enhanced. Our early results suggest preservation of the gastrocnemius in treating knee flexion gait, especially for patients with knee flexion contracture.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-292
Author(s):  
Vladimir A. Novikov ◽  
Valery V. Umnov ◽  
Dmitry V. Umnov

Background. The surgical approaches adopted for the treatment of wrist flexion contracture can be categorized into soft tissue intervention (such as lengthening or transplantation of tendons) and bone operations that stabilize the wrist joint. We developed a technique for temporary arthrodesis of the wrist joint to combine the main advantages of both the approaches, that is, the stability of arthrodesis by the installed metal construction and the possibility of active movements in the wrist joint after removal of the structure. Aim. To compare the effectiveness of a new method of surgical treatment of wrist flexion contracture in children with cerebral palsy, such as temporary extra-articular arthrodesis and transplantation of the hand flexors to the extensors, according to Green. Materials and methods. We conducted a comparative analysis of the treatment outcomes between the following 2 groups of patients: group 1 (n = 13) patients underwent a tendon transplantation of m. flexor carpi ulnaris on m. extensor carpi radialis brevis/longus (Green operation), while group 2 (n = 13) patients underwent temporary arthrodesis of the wrist joint with a bone plate for a period of 1 year. The patients in group 2, after the removal of metal structures, underwent a 14-day course of rehabilitation before evaluation of their treatment outcomes. A comparative analysis of the treatment results between the groups 1 and 2 was performed 1 year after arthrodesis and plate removal and at 1 year after muscle transplantation. The range of active and passive movements in the wrist joint was analyzed throughout. In addition, the functionality of the upper limb was assessed with reference to the international classification system of MACS 2002 and the Block and Box test. Results. In the group 1 patients, an increase in the passive range of motion (+9.7) was noted. In both the groups, a significant increase was recorded in the amplitude of active movements (31.9 in group 1 and 45.7 in group 2). The upper limb functionality index MACS, on evaluating the condition of the arm as a whole, appeared to be almost identical in both the groups. In the group 1 patients, the average dynamics of the Block and Box test as a result of treatment was 8 additional cubes, while it was only 1.6 in the group 2 patients. Conclusion. The Green operation was less effective in comparison with the operation of temporary arthrodesis as a method of correcting the flexion contracture of the wrist joint. However, the functional performance of the Green operation was higher. The choice of the optimal surgical treatment technique can be determined as follows. In children with a high functional perspective, the Green operation is preferred. However, in children with doubtful functional prospects where the correction of severe contracture is the main aim, temporary arthrodesis may be preferable.


Arthroplasty ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhijie Chen ◽  
Kaizhe Chen ◽  
Yufei Yan ◽  
Jianmin Feng ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effect of medial posterior tibial slope (PTS) on mid-term postoperative range of motion (ROM) and functional improvement of the knee after medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Methods Medical records of 113 patients who had undergone 124 medial UKAs between April 2009 through April 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. The mean follow-up lasted 7.6 years (range, 6.2–11.2 years). Collected were demographic data, including gender, age, height, weight of the patients. Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral knee radiographs of the operated knees were available in all patients. The knee function was evaluated during office follow-up or hospital stay. Meanwhile, postoperative PTS, ROM, maximal knee flexion and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score (pre−/postoperative) of the operated side were measured and assessed. According to the size of the PTS, patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 (<4°), group 2 (4° ~ 7°) and group 3 (>7°). The association between PTS and the knee function was investigated. Results In our cohort, the average PTS was 2.7° ± 0.6° in group 1, 5.6° ± 0.9° in group 2 and 8.7° ± 1.2° in group 3. Pairwise comparisons showed significant differences among them (p < 0.01). The average maximal flexion range of postoperative knees in each group was 112.4° ± 5.6°, 116.4° ± 7.2°, and 117.5° ± 6.1°, respectively, with significant difference found between group 1 and group 2 (p < 0.05), and between group 1 and group 3 (p < 0.05). However, the gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) did not differ between three groups and there was no significant difference between groups in terms of pre−/postoperative HSS scores or postoperative knee ROM. Conclusion A mid-term follow-up showed that an appropriate PTS (4° ~ 7°) can help improve the postoperative flexion of knee. On the other hand, too small a PTS could lead to limited postoperative knee flexion. Therefore, the PTS less than 4° should be avoided during medial UKA.


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