Abstract
This is a comprehensive textbook on pediatric orthopedics written by Professor Fritz Hefti and his colleagues from Basel University Children's Hospital, Switzerland. The textbook is arranged into sections, the first of which is broken down into parts representing regional segments of the body, such as the spine, pelvis, knee, foot and ankle, and upper extremities. The latter section covers systemic conditions, such as trauma, infections, tumors, hereditary diseases and neuro-orthopedics. It is beautifully organized with general sections defining a brief history of orthopedics and a great deal of data on normal measurements and pertinent examination of the child. It is extremely well illustrated and has numerous cartoons drawn by Dr. Franz Freuler (very similar to those of Mercer Rang), as well as the schematic drawing by Dr. Fritz Hefti. Also, throughout each section, there are interspersed aphorisms by famous people that link each section and add to your enjoyment when reading this text. Because of the large number of cartoons, drawings and radiographs, it is an easy to follow text and most enjoyable reading.
In the section about hips, the authors discuss the examination of the hip and radiographs. Then they discuss the various disorders of the hip with a thorough management of each, ranging from Perthes, slipped epiphysis, hip dysplasia, toxic synovitis, to femoral anteversion, etc. All of this information and this type of organization would be most useful for pediatricians, medical students and orthopedic residents on the pediatric orthopedic service. There is much information in each section elucidating the diagnostic tests and treatment options for each disorder.
In each of these regional areas, a differential diagnosis table is also presented. Dr. Hefti and his colleagues are international experts on the hip, spine and tumors and this is quite apparent in the discussion of these areas in their text. The references are very up to date and, yet, not overwhelming as they cover each of the topics.
Tumors are considered regionally, such as the distal femur (under knee), but also considered in more detail in the systemic chapters. Thus, there is some overlap between these areas and perhaps some repetition. The Basel Bone Tumor registry may be biased toward more serious tumors, as the most common tumors of the distal femur were osteochondromas 37%, osteosarcomas 20% and non-ossifying fibromas only 15%. Likely, at our center, non-ossifying fibroma and osteochondromas would be far more common than osteosarcoma.
Overall, this is a wonderful textbook that should be a part of pediatric orthopedic training programs for orthopedic residents and medical students. It is an excellent introduction to our specialty and most enjoyable to peruse. The author's keen insight into clinical care of the pediatric orthopedic patient and warm sense of humor makes this a wonderful text. Pediatric orthopedics is indeed fun!