Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Pediatric Scoliosis Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Background: Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a rare but serious complication of pediatric scoliosis surgery; sparse current evidence warrants more information on causality and prevention. This systematic review sought to identify incidence of DIC in pediatric patients during or shortly after corrective scoliosis surgery and identify any predictive factors for DIC.

Methods: Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, and Ovid databases were systematically reviewed through July 2017 to identify pediatric patients with DIC in the setting of scoliosis surgery.

Perioperative Complications After Spinal Fusion in Pediatric Patients With Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) have been reported to be at increased risk of developing scoliosis following cardiac surgery. Previous sample studies have reported that these patients may safely undergo posterior spinal fusion (PSF) with low complication rates. The goal of this study is to provide an updated analysis of the perioperative complication profile for posterior spinal fusion in a large cohort of pediatric patients with CHD, using a nationwide database.

Combined Labeled Leukocyte and Technicium 99 Sulfur Colloid Bone Marrow Imaging: Differentiating Primary Pyomyositis Pseudotumor from Osteomyelitis and Multiple Bone Infarcts.

A 53 year old-female patient with lupus had undergone a cephalo-medullary nailing for a femur shaft fracture 30 years ago. This was complicated by osteomyelitis, requiring multiple debridement procedures and hardware removal. Recently, she developed a painful soft tissue mass in the same region, which was ultimately diagnosed as pyomyositis.

Older age does not affect healing time and functional outcomes after fracture nonunion surgery.

Introduction: Elderly patients are at risk of fracture nonunion, given the potential setting of osteopenia, poorer fracture biology, and comorbid medical conditions. Risk factors predicting fracture nonunion may compromise the success of fracture nonunion surgery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of patient age on clinical and functional outcome following long bone fracture nonunion surgery.

Treatment of long bone nonunions: factors affecting healing.

Purpose: Nonunions of the upper and lower extremity have been associated with pain and functional deficits. Recent studies have demonstrated that healing of these nonunions is associated with pain relief and both subjective and objective functional improvement. The purpose of this study was to determine which patient and surgical factors correlated with successful healing of a nonunion following surgical intervention.

Bone quality: educational tools for patients, physicians, and educators.

Background: Defining bone quality remains elusive. From a patient perspective bone quality can best be defined as an individual's likelihood of sustaining a fracture. Fracture risk indicators and performance measures can help clinicians better understand individual fracture risk.

Do successful surgical results after operative treatment of long-bone nonunions correlate with outcomes?

Unlabelled: There has been increased emphasis on validated, patient-reported functional outcomes after orthopaedic interventions for various conditions. The few reports on these types of outcomes after treatment of fracture nonunions are limited to specific anatomic sites, limited by small numbers, and retrospective. To determine whether successful healing of established long-bone nonunions resulted in improved functional outcomes and reduction in patient-reported pain scores, we prospectively followed 80 patients.

Use of a "hybrid" locking plate for complex metaphyseal fractures and nonunions about the humerus.

Purpose: To review one surgeon's experience with a novel type of "hybrid" locking plate (which has both 3.5mm and 4.5mm locking holes) for difficult fractures of the meta-diaphyseal humeral shaft.