Research Highlight |Overview
Each “Research Highlight” in Boston Children’s Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Advancing Orthopedics newsletter takes a closer look at one research publication of interest.
Modified surgical technique for missed Monteggia lesions
Monteggia fractures are fairly common in young children, but signs of the initial injury are often missed onx-ray. Surgeons in theHand and Orthopedic Upper Extremity Program最近报道的结果修改手术technique for missed Monteggia fracture-dislocations. Despite the promising results of this study, timely diagnosis of acute Monteggia lesions remains the best way to restore upper arm function.
Autologous osteochondral grafting: Promising results in repairing severe capitellar osteochondritis dissecans
Capitellarosteochondritis dissecans (OCD)is a relatively common injury among athletes who play sports with a large amount of overhead throwing or weight-bearing activities. Autologous osteochondral grafting (AOG) replaces diseased bone and cartilage with healthy tissue taken from a donor site. Surgeons in Boston Children’sOrthopedic Centerhave successfully used the procedure, originally developed to repair OCD of the knee, to repair OCD of the elbow.
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis: Radiographic images may support earlier diagnosis
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE)is the most common hip disorder of adolescence, affecting 10.8 per 100,000 children. Although early intervention leads to better outcomes, SCFE is often not diagnosed in its earliest stages. A team of researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital have identified a radiographic sign that could help clinicians identify the condition earlier.
Robotic navigation and the future of spine surgery
In June 2019, theSpine Divisionat Boston Children’s Hospital became one of the first pediatric orthopedic centers in the world to use the Mazor X Stealth Edition Robotic Guidance System. The system has the potential to improve surgical processes. However, it also requires a commitment of time and resources. Any surgeon using the robotic guidance system should have extensive experience with spinal fusion surgery to assure patient safety.
ACL regeneration: Promising two-year results of first-in-human trial
In an article in theOrthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, orthopedic surgeonMartha Murray, MD, reports two-year results of the first-in-human trial of Bridge-Enhanced® ACL Repair (BEAR®). This phase I study was the culmination of 15 years of laboratory work developing a safe and effective scaffold. The procedure could serve as the basis for less invasive, more effective procedures for patients with torn ACLs and other musculoskeletal injuries.
Modern instrumentation for cervical stabilization in pediatric patients
Orthopedic surgeon,Daniel Hedequist, MD, and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief,Mark Proctor, MD, have extensive experience using modern implants to stabilize the spines of children with unusual diagnoses. In an article published in theJournal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, they reviewed the use of C2 translaminar screw fixation in children. Although this technique is often safer than other methods of screw fixation, it is currently underutilized in pediatric patients.
A new approach to transferring radial nerve triceps fascicles to the axillary nerve
Orthopedic SurgeonAndrea Bauer, MD, published a paper in The Journal of Hand Surgery detailing the success of the anterior approach to nerve transfer. She and her team successfully operated on a five-month-old girl with bilateral brachial plexus birth injury, who concurrently received two other types of nerve transfers.
Increasing operating room capacity through a dedicated Satellite Trauma Orthopedic Program
Orthopedic surgeon-in-chief Peter M. Waters, MD, published a study detailing the success of a program to utilize the operating room (OR) capacity of a satellite campus in order to decrease stress on the ORs in our pediatric tertiary care center.
Reducing cast-saw injuries through simple simulation
Orthopedic surgeonDonald Bae, MD, and colleagues examine the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of training residents on cast removal through a novel task trainer that mimics the surface temperature of a patient’s skin.
Spinal fusion in children with cerebral palsy
Rachel DiFazio, PhD, RN, PPCNP-BC, FAAN, and colleagues assessed changes in caregivers’ perceptions of health-related quality of life and caregiver burden following surgical correction of scoliosis in CP patients.