scoliosis

Leg Length Discrepancy

Issue

 

Most common reason for litigation against orthopaedic surgeons in THR

Usually from lengthening

 

Complications of LLD

 

1.  Nerve palsy

 

Sciatic nerve - tolerate average 4.4cm lengthening

 

Common peroneal nerve - tolerate average 2.7 cm lengthening

 

Lengthen by up to 15-20% of the resting nerve length

- but in reality is unknown and multifactorial

Neuromuscular scoliosis

Epidemiology

 

Prevalence of 25-100%

 

Ambulation

- walking decreases incidence

 

Age 

- worse with young onset

 

Aetiology

 

Exact biomechanical explanation of origin & progression of curves unclear

 

Associated with

- weakness 

- poor muscle control

- no proprioception

Congenital scoliosis

Definition

 

Lateral curvature of the spine 2° to vertebral anomaly

- causes an imbalance in longitudinal spine growth

 

Epidemiology

 

True incidence unknown

 

F > M

 

Typically Thoracic

 

Inheritance

 

No association in twins / suggests not inherited

5% risk in family if complex multi-level

 

Aetiology

 

Early onset idiopathic

Epidemiology

 

< 4 years by definition

 

M : F

 

75% left thoracic

 

Actually very uncommon 

- likely most patients once had spinal dysraphism (Arnold-chiari / syrinx / tethered cord)

- reduced by prenatal folate

 

Progression

 

Age < 1

- 90 % spontaneously regress

- very important

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED)

Engelmann's Disease

 

Progressive diaphyseal dysplasia

- marked thickening of cortices of long bones

 

Present

 

Young child with gait disturbance and limb pain

 

Clinical

 

Bilateral symmetrical diaphyseal sclerosis of long bones

- Affects endosteal & periosteal new bone

- Metaphysis & epiphysis are normal

 

Skull base sclerotic

- can get blindness and deafness

Osteogenesis imperfecta

Defect

 

Abnormality of type 1 collagen

- amino acid substitution of glycine with another amino acid

- prevents triple helix formation

 

Many many deformities described

- some 286 mutations of Type 1 collagen described

 

Sillence Classification

 

There are actually now 7 

 

Type I

- mild

- AD

- blue sclera

Osteoid Osteoma

Definition

 

Benign, bone-forming neoplasm

- characterized by a small nidus of neoplastic tissue

- surrounded by a wide zone of mature, reactive bone

 

Epidemiology

 

10% of benign bone tumours

Age 5-25

M:F 2:1

 

Aetiology

 

Unknown

- thought may be glomus tumour of bone

 

Pain secondary to prostaglandin production

 

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