Obese children more likely to have wrist fractures, complications related to healing

Surgical pinning at the onset of fracture may ensure faster healing

2014-03-14

(Press-News.org) NEW ORLEANS─Children considered obese are more likely to suffer a distal radius fracture, a bone break near the wrist, and more likely to experience complications related to the healing of the fracture, according to research presented today at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

In the study, "Childhood Obesity Increases the Risk of Failure in the Treatment of Distal Forearm Fracture," the records and outcomes of 157 patients with distal radius fractures who received emergency department and/or surgical treatment were collected from a large urban pediatric practice between January 2011 and June 2012. All patients were initially treated with fiberglass casting, and monitored until their bone break healed (radiographic union). Each patient's age, weight, height and number of office visits, subsequent surgeries and the type/angle of the fracture were recorded and analyzed. Sixty-six (42 percent) of the children were diagnosed as overweight, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than the 85th percentile; and 46 (29 percent) as obese, with a BMI greater than the 95th percentile.

A total of 27 children required repeat reduction (the surgical repositioning of the fractured bone). Of the 91 children without obesity, 14 (12 percent) required the second procedure. However, of the children with obesity, 13 (28 percent) required repeat reduction. Obese children had significantly more follow-up visits requiring X-rays or other images, and were significantly less likely to have an initial, successful bone repositioning in the emergency room.

Children diagnosed as obese should be followed early and closely, and possibly have their fractures surgically pinned from the onset, to expedite and ensure appropriate healing.

INFORMATION:

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Greater risk for surgical intervention, longer hospital stays in obese trauma patients

2014-03-14

NEW ORLEANS--Approximately one-third of the American population is obese and the number is rising, as is the number of obese individuals involved in high-energy accidents with multiple injuries. In the new study, "The Relationship of Obesity to Increasing Health Care Burden in the Setting of Orthopedic Polytrauma," presented today at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), researchers identified 301 patients with multiple traumatic injuries (polytrauma) who had orthopaedic injuries requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission ...

Gastric bypass surgery may diminish knee pain in obese patients

2014-03-14

NEW ORLEANS─There is a known link between elevated body mass index (BMI) and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). While patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery (GBS)—a procedure that closes off much of the stomach and causes food to bypass a portion of the small intestine─typically lose weight, the comparative impact of this weight loss on knee pain and function has not been measured. The new study, "The Impact of Gastric Bypass Surgery Compared to Total Knee Arthroplasty on Knee Symptoms," presented today at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American ...

Platelet-rich plasma treatment more effective than cortisone for severe hip bursitis

2014-03-14

NEW ORLEANS─Chronic hip bursitis is a common yet difficult condition to treat successfully. A recent study, presented today at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), compared the results of PRP and cortisone injections in patients with severe chronic hip (greater trochanteric) bursitis. In "Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) More Effective than Cortisone for Severe Chronic Hip Bursitis," 40 patients were selected for the study and randomly divided into two groups: one group was treated with a single injection of 40 milligrams (mg) ...

Sleep disturbance following acute fractures not related to injury

2014-03-14

NEW ORLEANS─Sleep disturbance is an extremely common complaint following orthopaedic trauma. In a new study presented today at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), researchers assessed the functional status of 1,095 patients following acute fractures to the proximal humerus (shoulder), distal radius (wrist), ankle and tibial plateau (shinbone), using standard orthopaedic tests and assessments. In "Sleep Disturbance Following Fracture is Related to Emotional Well Being Rather than Functional Results," patient sleep difficulty ...

DNA can be damaged by very low-energy radiation

2014-03-14

"Very low-energy radiation also damages DNA: how safe are "eye-safe" lasers?" Damage to DNA by high energy radiation constitutes the most lethal damage occurring at the cellular level. Surprisingly, very low-energy interactions - with OH radicals, for instance - can also induce DNA damage, including double strand breaks. It is known that single strand breaks in the DNA backbone are amenable to repair but most double strand breaks are irreparable. The propensity with which slow OH radicals damage DNA depends on their rotational energy: rotationally "hot" OH is more proficient ...

Emotion detectors could make driving safer

2014-03-14

VIDEO: As the conductor drives, the device captures one the seven universal emotions: fear, anger, joy, sadness, disgust, surprise, or suspicion. Click here for more information. Technology now allows us to read facial expressions and identify which of the seven universal emotions a person is feeling: fear, anger, joy, sadness, disgust, surprise, or suspicion. This is very useful in video game development, medicine, marketing, and, perhaps less obviously, in driver safety. We ...

Pancreatic cancer surgery findings presented at SSO

2014-03-14

CLEVELAND – Despite the benefits of surgery for early stage pancreatic cancer, it remains under-utilized for patients with this deadly disease, according to a new national analysis of trends and outcomes. Physician-scientists at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine presented their findings and strategies to increase rates at the Society of Surgical Oncology Cancer Symposium in Phoenix. In an abstract titled "Factors Associated with Failure to Operate for Localized Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma," the research team ...

Mindfulness-based meditation helps teenagers with cancer

2014-03-14

This news release is available in French. Mindfulness-based meditation could lessen some symptoms associated with cancer in teens, according to the results of a clinical trial intervention led by researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital. Mindfulness-based meditation focuses on the present moment and the connection between the mind and body. Adolescents living with cancer face not only the physical symptoms of their condition, but also the anxiety and uncertainty related to the progression of the disease, the ...

Education and culture affect children's understanding of the human body

2014-03-14

The study found that children as young as four and five can understand that the human body works to keep us alive. The researchers call this a 'life theory' and say it is important because it enables children to understand other related biological facts, such as what the vital organs do to keep us alive and what happens when people die. The results also have implications for teaching about the human body in schools. The research, published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, aimed to identify the age by which children begin to demonstrate a biological ...

Higher exposure to takeaway food outlets could double the odds of being obese

2014-03-14

People exposed to takeaway food outlets around their home, at work and on their way to work are more likely to consume more of these foods, as well as being more likely to be obese, suggest a paper published on bmj.com today. During the past decade in the UK, consumption of food away from home has risen by 29% while the number of takeaways has increased dramatically. This, the researchers say, could be contributing to rising levels of overweight and obesity. Despite increasing policy focus, identifying the association between exposures to unhealthy neighbourhood food ...

Obese children more likely to have wrist fractures, complications related to healing

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: