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Feasibility of pre- and postoperative arthroscopic assessments with internal fixation for growth plate injury of the distal tibia: three case reports and a literature review

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Abstract

Background

Inappropriate treatment of growth plate injury may cause complications such as malunion or early arrest of the growth plate. Identification of intra-articular lesions is mandatory in patients with a growth plate injury of the distal tibia. Arthroscopic assessment is useful in identifying intra-articular injury. We report three cases of intra-articular growth plate injury of the distal tibia that were treated via internal fixation with arthroscopic assessment in our hospital.

Materials and Methods

All three cases were performed pre- and postoperative arthroscopic assessment and open reduction and internal fixation with a cannulated cancellous screw (CCS; Meira, Japan). All patients were then examined for postoperative complications, functional recovery, at the end of the final follow-up consultation.

Results

Intraoperatively, a small cartilage injury was found in the non-fracture area in two cases; the remaining case had a reversed cartilage fragment at the talus, which was arthroscopically removed.

Conclusions

Arthroscopic assessment followed by internal fixation is a useful minimally invasive method for the identification of intra-articular lesions such as osteochondral injury or free bodies.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Kelly Zammit, BVSc, from Edanz Group (www.edanzediting.com/ac), for editing a draft of this manuscript.

Funding

This paper was written entirely by the authors, and the study received no external funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hirose Hospital, Kagawa, 760-0079, Japan

    Akira Isaka, Kojiro Kawasaki & Tomohiko Hirose

  2. Hand Surgery Center, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, 2-1-1 Tomioka, Urayasu, Chiba, 279-0021, Japan

    Satoshi Ichihara

Authors
  1. Akira Isaka
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  2. Satoshi Ichihara
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  3. Kojiro Kawasaki
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  4. Tomohiko Hirose
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Contributions

AI (first author) mainly wrote this manuscript and performed medical examinations and surgery for these patients. SI (corresponding author) also wrote this manuscript and performed medical examinations. KK and TH were assistant of operative procedure. SI, KK and TH discussed and advised about the treatment for these patients. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satoshi Ichihara.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

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Ethical approval was obtained from the regional ethics review board of our hospital.

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Isaka, A., Ichihara, S., Kawasaki, K. et al. Feasibility of pre- and postoperative arthroscopic assessments with internal fixation for growth plate injury of the distal tibia: three case reports and a literature review. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 31, 51–55 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-020-02741-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-020-02741-z

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