Application of Bailey-Dubow rods in the treatment ofOsteogenesis Imperfecta

Effects of a telescopic intramedullary rod for treating patients with osteogenesis imperfecta of the femur

PURPOSE

To introduce a new model of telescopic intramedullary rod (TIR), evaluate its effects on treating patients presenting with moderate and severe osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and to compare the findings with those of other telescopic rods.

METHODS

A total of 21 patients (nine girls and 12 boys; mean age at first operation, 6.6 years, 1.52 to 13.18) who underwent 52 femoral operations were monitored during a mean of 9.96 years (3.39 to 14.54). Patient characteristics, telescoping rod capability and its complications were examined.

RESULTS

According to the Sillence classification, we investigated one patient with type I, nine with type III and 11 with type IV OI. Revision rates at up to five years (36%) were inferior to those found for the Fassier-Duval rod (46%). The main cause of revision was fracture (15 patients), followed by rod migration (nine), and infection (two). The rod exhibited higher telescopic capacity in boys than girls. Type III most commonly required an operation; the age group with the highest number of procedures was five to ten years. Male migration was the main cause of rod migration.

CONCLUSION

The TIR has a satisfactory cost-benefit ratio with less complication rates and low production costs. The TIR is a feasible alternative to the commonly used Fassier-Duval rod.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Fassier-Duval femoral rodding in children with osteogenesis imperfecta receiving bisphosphonates: functional outcomes at one year

PURPOSE

To examine the functional outcomes of children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) following initial Fassier-Duval (FD) rodding to the femur at 1 year, and to determine which factors are associated with change in gross motor function, ambulation, and functional performance.

METHODS

Approval from our Institutional Review Board was obtained. A retrospective chart review identified 60 children (28 males, 32 females) with OI who underwent initial FD femoral rodding (101 rods) and who were receiving bisphosphonates. The mean age of the children was 3 years, 11 months at the initial femoral FD rodding. Two had type I OI, 30 type III, 27 type IV, and one type VI. The maximum length of follow-up was 4 years. Telescoping FD rods were used for the femurs, with surgeries performed one leg at a time, with a 1-week interval. The active range of motion (AROM) of the hips and knees in flexion was measured 4-5 weeks post-initial rodding. Outcomes on the Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ) Ambulation Scale, the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) were compared pre-operatively and at 1 year post-surgery using t-tests and multivariate linear regression.

RESULTS

Pre-operatively, the mean FAQ score was 2.0, and this increased to 5.8 at 1 year post-surgery. Statistically significant improvements (P ≤ 0.05) were found on the FAQ, crawling, standing, walking and running, and total domains of the GMFM, and PEDI mobility and self-care from baseline to 1 year. The results from the multivariate linear regression indicate that older age (P = 0.0045) and higher weight (P = 0.0164) are significantly associated with lower scores in the self-care domain of the PEDI, and that OI type III compared to type IV is significantly associated (P = 0.0457) with greater improvement on the crawling domain of the GMFM. Higher weight was also associated (P = 0.0289) with lower scores in the standing domain of the GMFM, as well as with the total GMFM score (P = 0.0398).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that initial FD femoral rodding resulted in benefits in ambulation, gross motor function, self-care, and mobility for children with OI beyond physiological expectations due to developmental growth. FD rodding is a procedure which can improve the overall mobility in children with OI with significant femoral deformities.