Aims. The management of fractures of the medial epicondyle is one of the greatest controversies in paediatric fracture care, with uncertainty concerning the need for surgery. The British Society of Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery prioritized this as their most important research question in paediatric trauma. This is the protocol for a randomized controlled, multicentre, prospective superiority trial of operative fixation versus nonoperative treatment for displaced medial epicondyle fractures: the Surgery or Cast of the EpicoNdyle in Children’s Elbows (SCIENCE) trial. Methods. Children aged seven to 15 years old inclusive, who have sustained a displaced fracture of the medial epicondyle, are eligible to take part. Baseline function using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) upper limb score, pain measured using the Wong Baker FACES pain scale, and quality of life (QoL) assessed with the EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire for younger patients (EQ-5D-Y) will be collected. Each patient will be randomly allocated (1:1, stratified using a minimization algorithm by centre and initial elbow dislocation status (i.e. dislocated or not-dislocated at presentation to the emergency department)) to either a regimen of the operative fixation or non-surgical treatment. Outcomes. At six weeks, and three, six, and 12 months, data on function, pain, sports/music participation, QoL, immobilization, and analgesia will be collected. These will also be repeated annually until the child reaches the age of 16 years. Four weeks after injury, the main outcomes plus data on complications, resource use, and school absence will be collected. The primary outcome is the PROMIS upper limb score at 12 months post-randomization. All data will be obtained through electronic questionnaires completed by the participants and/or parents/guardians. The NHS number of participants will be stored to enable future data linkage to sources of routinely collected data (i.e. Hospital Episode Statistics). Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(1):69–77

Aims. Medial humeral epicondyle fractures (MHEFs) are common elbow fractures in children. Open reduction should be performed in patients with MHEF who have entrapped intra-articular fragments as well as displacement. However, following open reduction, transposition of the ulnar nerve is disputed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the need for ulnar nerve exploration and transposition. Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of patients who underwent surgical treatment of MHEF in our hospital from January 2015 to January 2022 were collected. The patients were allocated to either transposition or non-transposition groups. Data for sex, age, cause of fracture, duration of follow-up, Papavasiliou and Crawford classification, injury-to-surgery time, preoperative ulnar nerve symptoms, intraoperative exploration of ulnar nerve injury, surgical incision length, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative ulnar nerve symptoms, complications, persistent ulnar neuropathy, and elbow joint function were analyzed. Binary logistic regression analysis was used for statistical analysis. Results. A total of 124 patients were followed up, 50 in the ulnar nerve transposition group and 74 in the non-transposition group. There were significant differences in ulnar nerve injury (p = 0.009), incision length (p < 0.001), and blood loss (p = 0.003) between the two groups. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that preoperative ulnar nerve symptoms (p = 0.012) were risk factors for postoperative ulnar nerve symptoms. In addition, ulnar nerve transposition did not affect the occurrence of postoperative ulnar nerve symptoms (p = 0.468). Conclusion. Ulnar nerve transposition did not improve clinical outcomes. It is recommended that the ulnar nerve should not be transposed when treating MHEF operatively. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(2):212–218

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to develop an accurate, reliable and easily applicable method for determining the anatomical location of the joint line during revision knee arthroplasty. Methods. The transepicondylar width (TEW), the perpendicular distance between the medial and lateral epicondyles and the distal articular surfaces (DMAD, DLAD) and the distance between the medial and lateral epicondyles and the posterior articular surfaces (PMAD, DLAD) were measured in 40 knees from 20 formalin-fixed adult cadavers (11 male and nine female; mean age at death 56.9 years, . sd. 9.4; 34 to 69). The ratios of the DMAD, PMAD, DLAD and PLAD to TEW were calculated. Results. The mean TEW, DMAD, PMAD, DLAD and PLAD were 82.76 mm (standard deviation (. sd. ) 7.74), 28.95 mm (. sd. 3.3), 28.57 mm (. sd. 3), 23.97 mm (. sd. 3.27) and 24.42 mm (. sd. 3.14), respectively. The ratios between the TEW and the articular distances (DMAD/TEW, DLAD/TEW, PMAD/TEW and PLAD/TEW) were calculated and their means were 0.35 (. sd. 0.02), 0.34 (. sd. 0.02), 0.28 (. sd. 0.03) and 0.29 (. sd. 0.03), respectively. Conclusion. This method provides a simple, reproducible and reliable technique enabling accurate anatomical joint line restoration during revision total knee arthroplasty. Cite this article: B. Ozkurt, T. Sen, D. Cankaya, S. Kendir, K. Basarır, Y. Tabak. The medial and lateral epicondyle as a reliable landmark for intra-operative joint line determination in revision knee arthroplasty. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:280–286. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.57.BJR-2016-0002.R1

After dislocation of the elbow with avulsion of the medial epicondyle, the management of the latter is controversial. Of 28 children followed up after initial closed reduction of the elbow, 19 had a satisfactory closed reduction of the epicondyle and were treated in plaster. At follow-up, 11 children had a normal elbow and eight had lost an average of 15 degrees of flexion. Nine children had had open reduction and internal fixation of the fragment, one for an open injury, three for displacement of the epicondyle and six for intra-articular entrapment of the fragment. Five of these children had ulnar nerve contusion or compression, four requiring anterior transposition of the nerve. At review, only three had normal elbows and six had lost an average of 37 degrees of flexion. We agree with other authors that surgery is indicated only for children in whom the epicondyle is trapped in the joint or is significantly displaced after closed reduction

Six children with entrapment of the medial epicondyle in the elbow after closed reduction of a posterior dislocation were seen an average of 14 weeks after injury. The elbows were painful and the average range of flexion was 22 degrees. Two children had ulnar nerve involvement which recovered after operation. The epicondyle was removed from the joint and either reattached to the humerus or excised, and the muscles reattached. Two children had anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve, one for pre-operative hyperaesthesia, and the other to relieve tension on the nerve. At follow-up, at an average of 15 months after operation, flexion had increased fivefold, none of the children had pain and all were leading normal lives

We reviewed 24 displaced fractures through the physis of the medial epicondyle of the distal humerus. One was a Salter-Harris type-II fracture-separation of the whole distal humeral epiphysis; the others involved only the medial epicondylar centre of ossification. Two cases had presented as pseudarthroses. One fracture had been treated closed in a plaster slab and 21 had had open reduction and internal fixation with sutures, Kirschner wires or Palmer nails. At 2 to 13 years later we found five types of deformity of the epicondyle: pseudarthrosis, an ulnar sulcus, a double-contoured epicondyle, hypoplasia or hyperplasia. Pseudarthrosis had developed after either no treatment, closed reduction and plaster, or open reduction and suturing. Hypoplasia followed nailing, as did a trend to varus tilting of the joint surface. One very young patient, with fracture-separation of the whole distal epiphysis treated by nailing, developed marked cubitus varus

Restoration of joint line in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is important for kinematics of knee and ligamentous balance. Especially in revision TKA, it may be difficult to identify the joint line. The aim of this study is to define the relationship between epicondyles and articular surface using CT based three-dimensional digital templating sofware $“Athena” (Soft Cube, Osaka, Japan). 137 knees with osteoarthritis, all caces were grade 2 or lower in Kellgren-Lawrence index, were investigated. Perpendicular lines were dropped from the prominences of the medial and lateral femoral epicondyles to the most distal points of articular surfaces and distances of the lines were measured on the axial and coronal planes. The femoral width was measured as the distance between medial and lateral epicondyles. Each of the distance described above was converted to a ratio by dividing by the femoral width. On the axial plane, the average distance from epicondyles to the posterior articular surfaces were 29.4±2.2mm on the medial side and 21.2±2.3mm on the lateral side. The average of the femoral width was 75.2±4.1mm. On coronal plane, the average distance from epicondyles to the distal articular surfaces were 25.2±2.8mm on the medial side and 21.4±2.5mm on the lateral side. The ratio for the distance from epicondyles to the distal and posterior joint line compared to femoral width was 0.39±0.02, 0.28±0.03, 0.33±0.03 and 0.28±0.03. The distance from epicondyles to the distal and posterior joint line correlates with the femoral width of the distal femur. This information can be useful in determining appropriate joint line

1. Fifty-nine patients with fractures of the medial epicondyle of the humerus have been reviewed, of whom more than one-third also had a dislocation of the elbow. 2. The final disability has been shown to be very slight. Non-union occurs very often with conservative treatment, but gives no disability. Union can be obtained by fixation with a Pidcock pin. 3. Operative treatment is advised only when the fragment is included in the joint. It is suggested that the best position of the elbow in patients treated conservatively is about 60 degrees below the right angle

Abstract. The radiographic or bony landmark techniques are the two most common methods to determine Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) femoral tunnel placement. Their intra/inter-observer reliability is widely debated. The palpation technique relies on identifying the medial epicondyle (ME) and adductor Tubercle (AT). The central longitudinal artery and associated vessels (CLV) are consistently seen in the surgical dissection during MPFL reconstruction. The aim of this study was to investigate the anatomic relationship of CLV to ME-AT and thereby use CLV as an important vascular landmark during MPFL reconstruction. A retrospective review of MRI scans in skeletally mature patients presenting to a tertiary referral knee clinic was undertaken. Group-N consisted of any presentation without patellofemoral instability or malalignment (PFI). Group-P with PFI. MRI's were reviewed and measured by two Consultant Radiologists for the CLV-ME-AT anatomy and relationship. Following exclusions 50 patients were identified in each group. The CLV passed anterior to the AT and ME in all patients. ME morphology did not differ greatly between the groups except in the tubercle height, where there was a statically but not clinically significant difference (larger in the non-PFI group, 2.95mm vs 2.52mm, p=0.002). The CLV to ME Tip distance was consistent between the groups (Group PFI group 3.8mm & ‘normal’ non-PFI Group 3.9mm). The CLV-ME-AT relationship remained consistent despite patients presenting pathology. The CLV consistently courses anterior to ME and AT. The CLV could be used as a vascular landmark assisting femoral tunnel placement during MPFL reconstruction

We performed a new operation for ulnar neuropathy caused by recurrent dislocation at the medial epicondyle. There were eleven patients, eight men and three women, with an average age of 52 years (24–74 years) at the time of surgery. The mean duration of symptoms was 23 months. The severity of the symptoms was McGowan grade 1 in five patients, grade 2 in five patients, and grade 3 in one patient. The operation consisted of ulnar groove plasty proximal to the cubital tunnel. The ulnar nerve was replaced into this reconstructed groove. The nerve was confirmed to be stable throughout the full range of elbow motion. The cubital tunnel retinaculum of all patients was hypoplastic and the dislocated portion of the ulnar nerves was hard. One nerve showed severe adhesion around the dislocation site. One patient had a pseudo-neuroma. All patients were relieved of discomfort, and motor and sensory function were recovered. The ulnar nerve in the groove showed neither irritation nor adhesion. In patients with grade 1, symptoms or numbness of the fingers was relieved within three months of the operation. Sensory disturbances in patients with grade 2 symptoms also improved within six months. Grade 2 patients with intrinsic muscle weakness regained normal muscular power, and these with patients with intrinsic muscle atrophy had showed increasing muscular power. The patient with grade 3 symptomes recovered normal sensation after 1 year; clawing of the ring and little fin-gers recovered, and the muscle volume was increased. Friction ulnar neuropathy has been treated traditionally by anterior transpositon or medial epicondylectomy. The ulnar nerve may become entrapped in scar tissue after these operations. We believe that this anatomical position is optimum for the nerve and that this procedure is essential for treatment of friction neuropathy

The operation has the advantage of simplicity, and it avoids the slight danger of secondary cicatricial contracture of the nerve when it is transplanted anteriorly and implanted in muscle. There is a slight hazard from external injuries because the nerve is unprotected by the epicondyle

Certain technical advances, such as flexible intramedullary fixation and bioreabsorbable implants, have further increased enthusiasm for surgical management of pediatric fractures.» (Flynn et al.). In the Paediatric Surgery Department biodegradable pins of solid polydioxanone (PDS) in management of paediatric fractures have been used since April 1986. PDS pins are too soft for the osteosynthesis in fractures with fragments under high tensile pressures. However, we have successfully carried out a large number of internal fixations in children’s elbows. This is based on accurate distribution of PDS pins and careful positioning of periostal sutures and the adjacent disrupted muscles. Our technique, as presented at the 2nd European Congress of Paediatric Surgery in Madrid in 1997, is to fix temporarily the repositioned fractured fragment with Kirschner’s metal wire. Following osteosynthesis with PDS, the protruding K-wire is left in place for seven days until the limb is safely immobilized.

A total of 96 patients were operated. The purpose of the study is to compare osteosynthesis with PDS pins (Group A) with that of metallic K-wire (Group B). Each group consisted of 48 children. General characteristics (age, sex, and fracture types) were statistically the same (P > 0.05). In Group A, with children between 2 and 13 years, or 9.3 on average, 21 children were with the lateral condyle fractures (43.75%), 25 children with medial epicondyle fractures (52.08%), and 2 children with medial condyle fractures (4.16%). In Group B, with children between 2 and 14 years, or 8.7 on average, 26 children were with lateral condyle fractures (54.16%), 19 children with medial epicondyle fractures (39.58%), and 3 with medial condyle fractures (6.25%). The study excludes Milch Type II fractures of medial and lateral condyles. The results have been examined in the follow-up period of one, three, and six months of two different methods according to Flynn’s criteria. After statistical evaluation the differences obtained had no statistical significance (P > 0.05). However, satisfaction score (0 – 10) is significantly higher in Group A than in Group B for both parents and evaluators (P < 0.05). Both treatments exhibit good results with the exception that the use of metal osteosynthetic material requires another operation. If metal wires are used and cut just underneath the skin, protruding with local inflammation may appear. Proper use of PDS pins requires no further operation. This is to the benefit for both the patient and rehabilitation staff.

The objective of this study was to analyze the biomechanical effect of an implanted ACL graft by determining the tunnel position according to the aspect ratio (ASR) of the distal femur during flexion-extension motion. To analyze biomechanical characteristics according to the ASR of the knee joint, only male samples were selected to exclude the effects of gender and 89 samples were selected for measurement. The mean age was 50.73 years, and the mean height was 165.22 cm. We analyzed tunnel length, graft bending angle, and stress of the graft according to tunnel entry position and aspect ratio (ratio of antero-posterior depth to medio-lateral width) of the articular surface for the distal femur during single-bundle outside-in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery. We performed multi-flexible-body dynamic analyses with wherein four ASR (98, 105, 111, and 117%) knee models. The various ASRs were associated with approximately 1-mm changes in tunnel length. The graft bending angle increased when the entry point was far from the lateral epicondyle and was larger when the ASR was smaller. The graft was at maximum stress, 117% ASR, when the tunnel entry point was near the lateral epicondyle. The maximum stress value at a 5-mm distance from the lateral epicondyle was 3.5 times higher than the 15-mm entry position and, the cases set to 111% and 105% ASR, showed 1.9 times higher stress values when at a 5-mm distance compared with a 15-mm distance. In the case set at 98% ASR, the low-stress value showed a without-distance difference from the lateral epicondyle. Our results suggest that there is no relationship between the ASR and femoral tunnel length, A smaller ASR causes a higher graft bending angle, and a larger ASR causes greater stress in the graft

The June 2024 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup. 360. looks at: Proximal femoral unicameral bone cysts: is ESIN the answer?; Hybrid-mesh casts in the conservative management of paediatric supracondylar humeral fractures: a randomized controlled trial; Rate and risk factors for contralateral slippage in adolescents treated for slipped capital femoral epiphysis; CRP predicts the need to escalate care after initial debridement for musculoskeletal infection; Genu valgum in paediatric patients presenting with patellofemoral instability; Nusinersen therapy changed the natural course of spinal muscular atrophy type 1: what about spine and hip?; The necessity of ulnar nerve exploration and translocation in open reduction of medial humeral epicondyle fractures in children

The posterior compartments of the knee are currently accessed arthroscopically through anterior, posteromedial or posterolateral portals. A direct posterior portal to access the posterior compartments has been overlooked due to a perceived high-risk of injury to the popliteal neurovascular structures. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the safety and accessibility of a direct posterior portal into the knee. This cross-sectional study comprised a sample of 95 formalin-embalmed cadaveric knees and 9 fresh-frozen knees. Cannulas were inserted into the knees, 16mm from the vertical plane between the medial epicondyle of the femur and medial condyle of the tibia and 8 and 14mm (females and males respectively) from the vertical plane connecting the lateral femoral epicondyle and lateral tibial condyle. Landmarks were identified in full extension and cannula insertion was completed with the formalin-embalmed knees in full extension and the fresh-frozen in 90-degree flexion. Posterior aspects of the knees were dissected from superficial to deep, to assess potential damage caused by cannula insertion. Incidence of neurovascular damage was 9.6% (n=10); 0.96% medial cannula and 8.7% lateral cannula. The medial cannula damaged one small saphenous vein (SSV) in a male specimen. The lateral cannula damaged one SSV, 7 common fibular nerves (CFN) and both CFN and lateral cutaneous sural nerve in one specimen. All incidences of damage occurred in formalin-embalmed knees. The posterior horns of the menisci were accessible in all specimens. A medial-lying direct posterior portal into the knee is safe in 99% of occurrences. The lateral-lying direct posterior portal is of high risk to the CFN

Abstract. Introduction. Previous research has shown that, notwithstanding ligament healing, properly selected MCL reconstruction can restore normal knee stability after MCL rupture. The hypothesis of this work was that it is possible to restore knee stability (particularly valgus and AMRI) with simplified and/or less-invasive MCL reconstruction methods. Methods. Nine unpaired human knees were cleaned of skin and fat, then digitization screws and optical trackers were attached to the femur and tibia. A Polaris stereo camera measured knee kinematics across 0. o. -100. o. flexion when the knee was unloaded then with 90N anterior-posterior force, 9Nm varus-valgus moment, 5Nm internal-external rotation, and external+anterior (AMRI) loading. The test was conducted for the following knee conditions: intact, injured: transected superficial and deep MCL (sMCL and dMCL), and five reconstructions: (long sMCL, long sMCL+dMCL, dMCL, short sMCL+dMCL, short sMCL), all based on the medial epicondyle isometric point and using 8mm tape as a graft, with long sMCL 60mm below the joint line (anatomical), short sMCL 30mm, dMCL 10mm (anatomical). Results. No significant changes were found in anterior or posterior translation, or varus at any stage. MCL deficiency caused increased valgus, external rotation and AMRI instabilities. All reconstructions restored valgus stability. The isolated long sMCL allowed residual external rotation and AMRI instability, while the short sMCL did stabilise AMRI. Both 2-strand reconstructions (dMCL+sMCL) restored stability. Conclusion. All tested techniques, except long sMCL, restored valgus and AMRI stability of the knee. The single femoral tunnel is satisfactory for both the dMCL and sMCL grafts

We evaluated the morphological changes to the ulnar nerve of both elbows in the cubital tunnel by sonography in a total of 237 children, of whom 117 were aged between six and seven years, 66 between eight and nine years, and 54 between ten and 11 years. We first scanned longitudinally in the extended elbow and then transversely at the medial epicondyle with the elbow extended to 0°. We repeated the scans with the elbow flexed at 45°, 90°, and 120°. There were no significant differences in the area of the ulnar nerve, but the diameter increased as the elbow moved from extension to flexion in all groups. More importantly, the ulnar nerve was subluxated anteriorly on to the medial epicondyle by 1.5% to 1.9% in extended elbows, by 5.9% to 7.9% in those flexed to 45°, by 40.0% to 44% in those flexed to 90°, and by 57.4% to 58.1% in those flexed to 120°, depending on the age group. Sonography clearly and accurately showed the ulnar nerve and was useful for localising the nerve before placing a medial pin. Because the ulnar nerve may translate anteriorly onto the medial epicondyle when the elbow is flexed to 90° or more, it should never be overlooked during percutaneous medial pinning