Chance Fractures in the Pediatric Population Are Often Misdiagnosed.

Background: Flexion injuries of the spine range from mild compression fractures to severe flexion-distraction injuries, that is, Chance fractures. Chance fractures are often unstable and Arkader and colleagues demonstrated improved outcomes when Chance fractures are treated operatively compared with those managed nonoperatively.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of all patients treated over a 5-year period (2008 to 2013) for a flexion injury, either a Chance or a compression fracture, of the thoracolumbar spine at our tertiary pediatric level I trauma center.

Prevalence of Scoliosis and Thoracolumbar Kyphosis in Patients With Achondroplasia.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review, case series.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of scoliosis and kyphosis in patients with achondroplasia.

Summary Of Background Data: There is little published research on the prevalence of scoliosis and thoracolumbar kyphosis in patients with achondroplasia.

Management of the pulseless pediatric supracondylar humeral fracture.

A pediatric supracondylar humeral fracture with a pulseless, poorly perfused hand requires emergency operative reduction. If the limb remains pulseless and poorly perfused after fracture fixation, vascular exploration and possible reconstruction is necessary. A pediatric supracondylar humeral fracture with a pulseless, well-perfused hand should be treated urgently with operative fixation of the fracture and subsequent reassessment of the vascular status.

Cerebral microinfarcts associated with severe cerebral beta-amyloid angiopathy.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is common in elderly individuals, especially those affected with Alzheimer's disease. Eighteen brains with severe SCAA (SCAA) were compared with 21 brains with mild CAA (MCAA) to investigate whether the presence of SCAA in the brains of demented patients was associated with a higher burden of old microinfarcts than those with MCAA. Immunohistochemistry for CD68 was employed to highlight old microinfarcts in tissue blocks from various brain regions.

Toll-like receptor pathway gene expression is associated with human immunodeficiency virus-associated neurodegeneration.

The innate immune system is a significant component of the brain's defense against infection, especially as the blood-brain barrier restricts access of the members of the adaptive immune system, such as T and B cells. The innate immune system includes Toll-like receptors (TLRs) that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Within the central nervous system, they are expressed on glial cells and their expression can be modulated by pathological states.