Effect of capacitive coupled electrical stimulation on regenerate bone.

An in vivo study was carried out to determine if capacitive coupled electrical stimulation increased the rate of recovery of strength of regenerate bone produced as a result of lengthening by the Ilizarov technique. Thirty-four adult male beagles underwent a right tibial mid-diaphyseal corticotomy, followed by a 5-day delay, and then 21 days of lengthening (1 mm/day). At the start of the post-distraction period (day 27), stimulation (3-6.

Application of thoracoscopy for diseases of the spine.

For anterior approaches to the thoracic spine, a posterolateral thoracotomy has been the standard approach. Recent expanded experience with video-assisted thoracic surgical techniques has allowed us to perform many thoracic spine procedures that previously required open approaches. These procedures include drainage of spinal abscesses, biopsy of vertebral bodies, discectomy for a herniated nucleus pulposus, and anterior releases for kyphoscoliosis.

Morphologic and histochemical characteristics of skeletal muscle after long-term intramuscular electrical stimulation.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the morphologic and histochemical characteristics of paraspinal muscles in patients with scoliosis after long-term electrical stimulation. Thirty-six children with idiopathic scoliosis, who had been treated with implantable muscle stimulators, had paraspinal muscle biopsies at the time of implantable muscle stimulator removal. Group A patients whose curve did not progress, had 2.

Scoliosis treatment in children using a programmable, totally implantable muscle stimulator (ESI).

More than ten years ago, we began the night time treatment of early scoliosis in growing children with implanted muscle stimulators [1], [2]. The early devices were radio-frequency (RF) coupled units with an implanted receiver and external transmitter-antenna which the patient used at night to power and activate the implant. Compliance with this treatment was 95 percent.

Paraspinal muscle stimulation for the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in children.

More than 12 years ago, we began to investigate the potential use of electrical stimulation of the paraspinal muscles to control scoliosis in children. Animal experimentation showed that unilateral stimulation of these muscles will cause the spine to grow toward the stimulated side. It was also shown that the stimulation need only be carried on for part of the day.

Spine deformity in familial dysautonomia (Riley-Day syndrome).

Familial dysautonomia spanning a 30-year period reviewed retrospectively. The 16 patients identified included nine with spine deformities. Serious general medical problems were common.

Butler arthroplasty for correction of the adducted fifth toe: a retrospective study of 36 operations between 1968 and 1982.

This is a retrospective study of 30 children and adolescents who have undergone Butler arthroplasty for correction of an overriding fifth toe. Bilateral operations were performed on six patients, giving a total of 36 operations. Good to excellent results were obtained in 34 of the 36 operations.

Limp affecting the hip and knee in children.

Limp and pain are common findings about the hip and knee in growing children. Epiphyseal growth peculiarities in children account for many of the specific disease entities. Simple but specific physical examination and mandatory simple X-rays will virtually always give or exclude a diagnosis.

Incidence, natural history, and treatment of scoliosis in Friedreich's ataxia.

We carried out a retrospective study of 42 patients with documented Friedreich's ataxia to answer four questions: what is the incidence and natural history of scoliosis in Friedreich's ataxia, and what are the results of operative and nonoperative treatment? We concluded that the incidence of scoliosis in true Friedreich's ataxia is extremely high. The curves tend to progress with the severity of the disease and often tend to progress after skeletal maturity. Bracing and electrospinal instrumentation have no role in treatment.

The congenital undescended scapula. Surgical correction by the woodward procedure.

At The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, 21 undescended scapulae were corrected by the Woodward procedure in 20 patients over the past 18 years. The average age at operation was six years six months. The average follow-up period after operation was 8 years 9 months.

The response of articular cartilage to the in vivo replacement of synovial fluid with saline.

Experiments on rabbits were performed to determine whether continuous irrigation of a synovial joint produced irreversible degenerative changes in the articular cartilage. Continuous irrigation of a synovial joint permits observations of the effect on articular cartilage of altering the intra-articular environment. The right knee joints were irrigated with normal saline for varying periods, up to 14 days, and the left knees served as nonirrigated controls.

Electrical stimulation for scoliosis.

Scoliosis is detectable in 6 to 14 percent of school-age children. An estimated 0.1 percent of the curvatures are progressive and require treatment.

Aeromedical transport: its hidden problems.

Air transport can move patients safely and rapidly over long distances. However, changes in altitude can have disastrous effects because diminished ambient air pressure may allow gases in closed spaces and tissues to expand rapidly. Even pressurized commercial aircraft do not maintain sea-level pressure: cabin pressures equal to those at yp to 8000 ft may be experienced, diminishing oxygen tension in proportion.

Computerized axial tomography to demonstrate occult fractures of the acetabulum in children.

Following hip trauma in children an intra-articular osteocartilaginous fragment may be retained within the hip joint. This fragment may not be visualized by plain films or arthrography. However, computerized tomography clearly demonstrated such fragments in the two children with post-traumatic painful hips reported in this paper.

Surgical management of thoracic kyphosis in adolescents.

Twenty-seven patients of a group of twenty-nine who underwent posterior spine fusion using Harrington compression instrumentation for Scheuermann's disease or postural roundback deformity were reviewed with a mean follow-up of 27.6 months. The mean curve before operation was 72 degrees and at review, 46.

The spectrum of intervertebral disc-space infection in children.

Discitis, intervertebral disc-space infection, and vertebral osteomyelitis form a spectrum of disorders with a probably common bacterial etiology. We studied forty-one children who had symptomatic narrowing of the disc space associated with fever and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and found that the diagnosis of infection in the spine was usually delayed. Technetium 99m polyphosphate bone-scanning proved to be an accurate, rapid, and safe method of establishing an early diagnosis of infection.

Acute dislocation of the patella with osteochondral fracture: a review of eighteen cases.

Eighteen patients with acute dislocation of the patella had associated osteochondral fractures. This fracture complicates approximately 5% of all acute dislocations of the patella occurring in children. Three types of fracture patterns were noted.

Immunology of cartilage in septic arthritis.

Septic arthritis in one knee joint was produced in 18 rabbits, the contralateral knee being left intact. Sections stained with fluorescein conjugated anti-IgG and with fluorescein conjugated anti-IgM showed layers of immunoglobulins on the articular cartilage in 16 out of 17 injected joints, and 10 out of 17 supposedly "normal" knee joints. Concurrent tests for circulating anti-staphylococcal alpha-lysin gave negative results.