Negative pressure wound therapy in reconstructing extensive leg and foot soft tissue loss in a child: a case study

Negative pressure wound therapy for extensive soft tissue defects of the lower extremity in a teenager: A case study

Key Clinical Message

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) aided in the management of complex soft tissue injury in a 14-year-old girl by managing moisture, reducing oedema, and stimulating wound granulation less than 2 months after the accident and prepared the skin for skin grafting, thus successfully saving the limb.

Abstract

This case study describes the use of a tubular bandage encompassing the whole limb to deliver successful NPWT in the treatment and reconstruction of extensive soft tissue damage extending from the right lower extremity to the hip in a 14-year-old female.

Traumatic Hip Dislocation Associated with Proximal Femoral Physeal Fractures in Children: A Systematic Review

Traumatic hip dislocation might lead to serious complications and a poor outcome. Fortunately, it is a rare condition in pediatric patients. The purpose of this study is to establish and describe the complications caused by hip dislocations associated with transphyseal femoral neck fractures. Therefore, we conducted a literature review that resulted in 11 articles, including 32 patients, older than 10 years of age, suffering from traumatic hip dislocation associated with a transphyseal femoral neck fracture. We presented a case series of three patients with hip fracture-dislocation treated in our clinic that were also evaluated and included in the study. For the 35 patients included in the study group, the percentage of avascular osteonecrosis after hip fracture-dislocation was 88.57%. Traumatic hip dislocation associated with transphyseal femoral neck fracture is a rare condition and has a poor prognosis because of the high incidence of femoral head avascular necrosis (AVN). Reduction should be attempted within six hours the from injury, but this may not minimize the risk of AVN if transphyseal separation occurs. The approach may influence the development of AVN; lateral approach of the hip with great trochanter osteotomy seems to have the lowest number of cases of AVN.

Comparison of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate skin adhesive and interrupted polypropylene sutures for wound closure in total ankle arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Adhesive skin materials have increasingly been used in orthopedic surgery. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of skin adhesive (2-octyl cyanoacrylate and polymer mesh, Dermabond Prineo) and interrupted polypropylene sutures for wound closure in patients undergoing total ankle arthroplasty (TAA).

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled 107 consecutive patients (108 ankles) undergoing TAA and divided them into two groups: skin adhesive group (36 ankles) and suture group (72 ankles). The primary outcome assessment included wound complications and patient satisfaction for wound cosmesis. The secondary outcome assessment included duration of surgery, length of hospital stay, and the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS) pain and disability score.

RESULTS

There was one case of allergic contact dermatitis, three cases of wound dehiscence, and one case of superficial surgical site infection in the skin adhesive group. Among them, one case each with allergic contact dermatitis and wound dehiscence finally progressed to deep surgical site infection. Three cases of wound dehiscence were also reported in the suture group; however, there was no case of surgical site infection. Patient satisfaction for wound cosmesis was significantly higher in the skin adhesive group than in the suture group (p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of secondary outcomes (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the use of Dermabond Prineo showed better patient satisfaction for wound cosmesis, it showed significantly high wound complication rates and no other clinical benefits compared to interrupted polypropylene suture in TAA. Our results suggest that awareness of the possibility of wound complications is necessary when Dermabond Prineo is used in TAA.

Paediatric pelvic injuries: a retrospective epidemiological study from four level 1 trauma centers

AIM OF THE STUDY

Epidemiologic evaluation of pelvic ring injuries in children.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis over a period of 13 years, excluding pathological fractures. AO/OTA type, epidemiological data, type of treatment, and complications were recorded. Data were assessed using Fisher's exact test and Wilcoxon test.

RESULTS

243 boys, 115 girls, mean age (SD) 14.1 ± 3.0 years, AO/OTA types: 281 A, 52 B, 25 C. Multiple trauma: 62, combined trauma: 59, mono-trauma: 237. 281 patients were treated non-operatively, 97 surgically.

ETIOLOGY

traffic accidents 88, falls from a great height 37, crushing injuries four, and sports injuries 192, simple falls 30, others seven. High-energy mechanisms prevailed in types B and C. Low-energy mechanism in type A (p < 0.0001). Similar differences were found between type A (p = 0.0009) and in case type C requiring surgery and cases treated non-operatively (p < 0.0001). Twenty-six patients (7.3%) had complications (pelvic asymmetry 5, neurological deficits 5, non-union 1, ectopic calcification 4, others 7). Higher complication rates were associated with types B and C (p = 0.0015), with surgically treated cases (p < 0.0001) and multiple trauma (p = 0.0305).

DISCUSSION

Results of this trial were comparable with other studies.

CONCLUSION

Sports injuries accounted for most type A injuries, while types B and C tended to be associated with high-energy trauma. Complications were associated with the severity of pelvic trauma, more common in surgically treated group of patients; this is primarily linked to the surgical cases being more serious as well as the associated injuries.

Poor prognostic factors of femoral shaft fractures in children treated by elastic intramedullary nailing

Introduction: Femoral shaft fractures in pediatric patients are treated by elastic intramedullary nailing using titanium or stainless-steel nails. The elastic stable intramedullary nailing behaves as an internal splint, promoting early mobilization. This type of treatment involves a minimally invasive approach, no damage to the growth plates, and no impairment of femoral head blood supply. Purpose: The aim of our study was to identify the negative predicting factors that might lead to an increased complication rate after elastic stable intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures in children. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 137 patients with femoral shaft fractures treated by elastic stable intramedullary nailing. Patients’ age ranged between 4 and 17 years. We used data from the medical records of the patients to evaluate postoperative complications. Plain radiographs were analyzed to determine the fracture type, fracture location, and postoperative complications such as delayed union, angular deformities, and limb length discrepancies. Multivariate analysis was conducted to identify predictors for poor outcomes. Results: Complications occurred in 29 patients (21%) and consisted of delayed union, axial deformities, or lower limb length discrepancies. In the group of patients that suffered from complications, mechanism of injury, age, and weight were significant. They were older by an average of 5 years; half of them weighed more than 50 kg and over a half were involved in a road traffic accident. Conclusions: Elastic nailing is a successful tool to treat femoral shaft fractures. Three factors were demonstrated to influence the outcome. The mechanism of injury, age > 11 years, and weight > 50 kg are the most important and are predictors for development of complications such as delayed union or deformity.

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in children: A 25 cases series

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy is a device applied to a wound that causes local depression. There are a few series showing the effectiveness of this treatment in Pediatric. The objective of this work is to try to clarify the indications in children. This is a retrospective series of 25 children between 2004 and 2019. The inclusion criteria were all children with a wound treated with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy. The characteristics retained were their age, the context of occurrence, the treatment time, the depression applied, the technique of skin covering wound and the average healing time. We included 25 patients. The average age was 8.8 years. The context of the wound occurrence was mainly a road (44%) or a domestic (36%) accident. Substance losses were mainly located in the lower limb (84%). The depression applied was -90mmHg. The healing time was 18.4 days. Thin skin grafting was the main method chosen (88%). No complications related to Negative Pressure Wound Therapy equipment have been identified. Despite the weakness of the literature and the lack of consensus regarding its use, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy is an essential therapy in pediatric. It is a simple and effective technique in children. It can reduce the need for flaps coverage, even in the event of exposure of noble elements. The flaps should not, however, be excluded from the decision-making algorithm, on pain of complications or sequelae.

Masquelet technique combined with microsurgical technique for treatment of Gustilo IIIC open distal tibial fractures: a retrospective single-center cohort study

Objective

This study was performed to investigate the clinical effects of the Masquelet technique combined with a microsurgical technique for treatment of Gustilo IIIC open distal tibial fractures.

Methods

Fifteen patients with a mean age of 39.3 ± 7.9 years (range, 21–43 years) with Gustilo IIIC open distal tibial fractures were treated by the Masquelet technique combined with a microsurgical technique from May 2013 to January 2017. The mean length of the bone defect was 6.9 ±2.2 cm (range, 5.2–10.7 cm). The mean area of the wound defect was 129.3 ± 41.4 cm² (range, 83.7–180 cm²). Complications and fracture healing were recorded. At the last follow-up, the functional outcome was measured using the Iowa ankle score.

Results

All 15 patients achieved bone healing, and the median healing time was about 6.1 months (range, 5–8 months). No complications such as infection or nonunion occurred. At the last follow-up, the median Iowa ankle score was 82 (range, 68–88). The rate of an excellent and good Iowa ankle score was 86.6%.

Conclusions

Application of the Masquelet technique combined with a microsurgical technique is an effective strategy for the treatment of Gustilo IIIC open distal tibial fractures.