Distal forearm buckle fractures are common, inherently stable pediatric fractures. Immobilization, achieved with a removable splint is better tolerated, cheaper, and more efficient than cast treatment without increasing rates of re-fracture. Our children's hospital emergency department (ED) had no standardized protocol for the management of these fractures, resulting in varied immobilization methods, orthopedic consultations in the ED, and long lengths of stay.

In situ fixation for mild to moderate slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) remains an acceptable treatment methodology in most centers. Satisfactory fixation results have been reported with the procedure using either the fracture table or radiolucent table, both of which allow the hip to be imaged during the procedure. The position of the pin within the center of the femoral head is important to secure adequate fixation of the capital femoral epiphysis and prevent further slippage with minimal risk for articular penetration and avascular necrosis (AVN) or chondrolysis. We describe a pre-operative planning technique to determine the pin-entry point for percutaneous pinning of SCFE on a radiolucent operating table. A retrospective review of patients who underwent in situ screw fixation with the usage of a cannulated screw on a radiolucent table or fracture table over a 6-year period was conducted. The pin-entry point with this technique was reliable in 92% of procedures and comparable in both accuracy and complications to in situ screw fixation on a fracture table. In situ screw fixation on a regular radiolucent table was straightforward and required significantly less surgical time than on the fracture table (P = 0.01). It was also more efficient during a bilateral procedure, as it required only a single preparation and draping of the patient. This pre-operative planning technique for deciding the starting point on the proximal femur is helpful in executing an accurate in situ screw fixation of hips with SCFE.

Background

Osteoarticular infections (OAIs) are frequently encountered in children. Treatment may be guided by isolation of a pathogen; however, operative cultures are often negative. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) allows for broad and sensitive pathogen detection that is culture-independent. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic utility of mNGS in comparison to culture and usual care testing to detect pathogens in acute osteomyelitis and/or septic arthritis in children.

Methods

This was a single-site study to evaluate the use of mNGS in comparison to culture to detect pathogens in acute pediatric osteomyelitis and/or septic arthritis. Subjects admitted to a tertiary children's hospital with suspected OAI were eligible for enrollment. We excluded subjects with bone or joint surgery within 30 days of admission or with chronic osteomyelitis. Operative samples were obtained at the surgeon's discretion per standard care (fluid or tissue) and based on imaging and operative findings. We compared mNGS to culture and usual care testing (culture and polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) from the same site.

Results

We recruited 42 subjects over the enrollment period. mNGS of the operative samples identified a pathogen in 26 subjects compared to 19 subjects in whom culture identified a pathogen. In 4 subjects, mNGS identified a pathogen where combined usual care testing (culture and PCR) was negative. Positive predictive agreement and negative predictive agreement both were 93.0% for mNGS.

Conclusions

In this single-site prospective study of pediatric OAI, we demonstrated the diagnostic utility of mNGS testing in comparison to culture and usual care (culture and PCR) from operative specimens.