Delayed En Bloc Excision of L3 for Metastatic Sacrococcygeal Teratoma on a 1-Year-Old Boy: A Case Report.

Case: A 1-year old boy was presented with cauda equina syndrome and progressive loss of motor function in lower limbs. MRI and CT scans revealed a sacrococcygeal teratoma with metastases para-aortically and in L3 producing compression into the epidural space. Despite metastases and a progressive cauda equina, neoadjuvant treatment was given to achieve cytoreduction for neurological recovery and facilitate curative treatment.

Finnish Pediatric Surgery Hub - From Centralization to Collective Learning and Sharing of Expertise.

Aim Of The Study: Continuous surgical developments, growing awareness of patient representatives and limited health-care resources are pushing for innovative approaches to ensure equal high-quality pediatric surgical care. We aimed to describe early experiences and assess surgical safety of a novel nationwide pediatric surgery collaborative initiative.

Methods: In 2021, general pediatric surgeons representing all five independent university hospitals performing neonatal surgery in Finland initiated national collaboration, the Finnish pediatric surgery hub (FPSH), for sharing of surgical expertise and collective learning.

Duodenal Atresia in Finland from 2004 to 2017: Prevalence, Mortality, and Associated Anomalies-A Population-Based Study.

Introduction:  Duodenal atresia (DA) is the most common atresia of the small bowel. This study aims to assess the prevalence, mortality, and associated anomalies related to DA in Finland from 2004 to 2017.

Material And Methods:  A nationwide study based on registers maintained by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and Statistics Finland containing data on all live births and stillbirths and terminations of pregnancy.

Treatment and outcomes in pediatric inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors - A systematic review of published studies.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a soft tissue neoplasm which can be locally invasive, recur, or in rare cases metastasize. Often originating from the abdomen or thorax, IMT most commonly affects children and young adults. Due to its rarity comprehensive reports detailing clinical management and outcome(s) are sparse and often based on limited index case numbers.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Chyle Leaks After Neuroblastic Tumor Resection: A Systematic Review of Published Studies.

Background: Chyle leakage/ascites after surgical resection of neuroblastic tumors may delay the start of chemotherapy and worsen prognosis. Previous studies have reported a highly variable incidence and risk factors remain largely unknown. This study aims to analyze the true incidence of chyle leaks and ascites and seeks to identify risk factors and optimal treatment strategies.

Hidden blood loss and bleeding characteristics in children with congenital scoliosis undergoing spinal osteotomies.

Purpose: Spinal osteotomies are often essential in the treatment of congenital scoliosis. Risk factors for bleeding in these patients needing extracavitatory approaches, especially hidden blood loss, are sparsely investigated. We aimed to investigate the bleeding characteristics and hidden blood loss in paediatric patients undergoing spinal osteotomies for congenital scoliosis.

Longitudinal growth of children born with gastroschisis or omphalocele.

Unlabelled: Normal childhood growth is an indicator of good health, but data addressing the growth of children born with abdominal wall defects (AWDs) are limited. The detailed growth phenotypes of children born with gastroschisis or omphalocele are described and compared to peers without AWDs from birth to adolescence. Data from 183 gastroschisis and 144 omphalocele patients born between 1993 and 2017 were gathered from Finnish nationwide registers and electronic health records.

Biodegradable biomaterials in orthopedic surgery: A narrative review of the current evidence.

Background: Biomaterials are routinely used in orthopedic surgery to fill bone defects, improve bone healing, and as degradable fixation material. A wide range of materials are currently in use, and the materials are chosen according to their bioactive properties. Osteoinductive materials stimulate bone healing by promoting osteogenesis.

Maternal Risk Factors for Congenital Vertebral Anomalies: A Population-Based Study.

Background: The spectrum of congenital vertebral defects varies from benign lesions to severe, life-threatening conditions. The etiology and maternal risk factors remain mainly unclear in isolated cases. Hence, we aimed to assess and identify potential maternal risk factors for these anomalies.

Pre and postoperative diarrhoea associated with neuroblastoma resection - A systematic review of published studies.

Neuroblastoma is a malignant tumour affecting 10.5/1 million children annually. It arises from sympathetic nervous system precursor cells and is most frequently found in the adrenal gland and abdominal paravertebral ganglia.

Health-related quality of life after segmental pedicle screw instrumentation: a matched comparison of patients with neuromuscular and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Background And Purpose: Progressive neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) often requires a long instrumented spinal fusion to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and sitting balance. Segmental pedicle screw instrumentation improves HRQoL in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), but data on NMS is limited. We aimed to assess the impact of spinal fusion on HRQoL in NMS patients.

Surgical and Health-related Quality of life Outcomes in Children With Congenital Scoliosis During 5-year Follow-up. Comparison to Age and Sex-matched Healthy Controls.

Background: Congenital spinal anomalies represent a heterogeneous group of spinal deformities, of which only progressive or severe curves warrant surgical management. Only a limited number of studies have investigated the impact of surgery on the health-related quality of life and very limited data exists comparing these outcomes to healthy controls.

Methods: A single surgeon series of 67 consecutive children with congenital scoliosis (mean age at surgery 8.

Perioperative Risk Factors for Bleeding in Adolescents Undergoing Pedicle Screw Instrumentation for Scoliosis.

Progressive scoliosis eventually leads to extensive spinal fusion surgery, which carries a risk for significant bleeding. Neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) patients have an additional inherent risk of major perioperative bleeding. The purpose of our research was to investigate the risk factors for measured (intraoperative, drain output) and hidden blood loss related to pedicle screw instrumentation in adolescents, divided into adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and NMS patient groups.

Allograft Versus Bioactive Glass (BG-S53P4) in Pediatric Benign Bone Lesions: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Benign bone cysts in children have a high risk of recurrence after bone grafting. The optimal treatment and filling material for these lesions are currently unknown.

Methods: We compared cyst recurrence after intralesional curettage and filling with allograft versus bioactive glass (BG-S53P4; Bonalive) in a randomized clinical trial.

A retrospective cohort study of bleeding characteristics and hidden blood loss after segmental pedicle screw instrumentation in neuromuscular scoliosis as compared with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Background: Progressive scoliosis in neuromuscular patients often requires a long instrumented spinal fusion. Previous studies have shown larger intraoperative blood loss in these patients than those with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), but the total blood loss composed of visible and hidden blood loss has not been described in this patient population. The aim of our study was to investigate the bleeding characteristics and hidden blood loss related to spinal fusion in neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) as compared to AIS patients.

Long-term functional outcomes of sacrococcygeal teratoma - A systematic review of published studies exploring 'real world' outcomes.

Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is a rare neoplasm affecting 1:35,000 newborns. Long-term follow-up from small observational studies report impaired bladder/bowel function. This current study comprehensively analyses all published studies to better define true long-term functional sequelae.

Distal Femoral Focal Deficiency.

Distal femoral focal deficiency is an extremely rare type of congenital femoral deficiency that comprises hypoplasia of the distal femur, with a normally developed hip. We represent a unique case of distal femoral hypoplasia and deficiency of knee extensors, childhood follow-up and final treatment with exarticulation, and a comparison with previous literature.

Intraoperative 3D Imaging Reduces Pedicle Screw Related Complications and Reoperations in Adolescents Undergoing Posterior Spinal Fusion for Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Retrospective Study.

Widely used surgical treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is posterior spinal fusion using pedicle screw instrumentation (PSI). Two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) navigation is used to track the screw positioning during surgery. In this study, we evaluated the screw misplacement, complications, and need for reoperations of intraoperative 3D as compared to 2D imaging in AIS patients.

Comparison of three risk stratification scores in gastroschisis neonates: gastroschisis prognostic score, gastroschisis risk stratification index and complex gastroschisis.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to compare and evaluate the utility of three different risk stratification scores for gastroschisis neonates; simple/complex gastroschisis, gastroschisis prognostic score and risk stratification index.

Methods: Data of neonates born with gastroschisis between the years 1993 and 2015 were collected. The national registers and patient records of four Finnish University Hospitals were retrospectively reviewed.

Introduction of pediatric thoracoscopic lung resections in a low-volume center - feasibility, outcome and cost analysis.

Background: Early series of pediatric thoracoscopic surgery have reported high conversion rates and significant complications. This study investigated the introduction of pediatric thoracoscopic lung resections in a low-volume center with reference to corresponding open thoracotomy procedures with regards to operative times, length of stay, cost of admission, and outcomes.

Methods: A single surgeon series.

Vertebral Body Tethering: Indications, Surgical Technique, and a Systematic Review of Published Results.

Vertebral body tethering (VBT) represents a new surgical technique to correct idiopathic scoliosis using an anterior approach, spinal instrumentation with vertebral body screws, and a cable compressing the convexity of the curve. According to the Hueter-Volkmann principle, compression reduces and distraction increases growth on the growth plates. VBT was designed to modulate spinal growth of vertebral bodies and hence, the term 'growth modulation' has also been used.

Treatment of congenital bipartite patella in pediatric population - a systematic review of the published studies.

Bipartite patella is an abnormality where patella is incorrectly ossified resulting in fibrocartilaginous synchondrosis. In most cases bipartite patella is asymptomatic and incidental finding but can also be painful especially in adolescents. The aim of our analysis was to determine the preferable treatment for pediatric bipartite patella.