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Letters to the Editor to:

Scientific Articles:
S. Tyler Hollmig, Lawson A.B. Copley, Richard H. Browne, Linda M. Grande, and Philip L. Wilson
Deep Venous Thrombosis Associated with Osteomyelitis in Children
J Bone Joint Surg Am 2007; 89: 1517-1523 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]
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[Read Letter to the Editor] From the Editor-in-Chief
James D Heckman   (15 November 2007)

From the Editor-in-Chief 15 November 2007
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James D Heckman

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editorial{at}jbjs.org James D Heckman

It was recently brought to the attention of The Journal that an article by Copley et al published in the July 2007 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery- American Volume1 may have reported cases that had been previously reported in an article appearing in the October 2006 issue of The Journal of Pediatrics by Crary et al2. Both journals investigated the patient population by corresponding with the authors of the JBJS-A and The Journal of Pediatrics articles and the Institutional Review Board and Research Administration at the University of Texas Southwestern. Please see the following response from Lawson A. B. Copley, MD, corresponding author of the article published in JBJS-A.

James D. Heckman, MD Editor-in-Chief The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery

1. Hollmig ST, Copley LAB, Browne RH, Grande LM, Wilson PL. Deep Venous Thrombosis Associated with Osteomyelitis in Children. J Bone Joint Surg [A] 2007; 89:1517-23. 2. Crary SE, Buchanan GR, Drake CE, Journeycake JM. Venous Thrombosis and Thromboembolism in Children with Osteomyelitis. J Pediatr 2006; 149: 537- 41.

To the Editor:

During our study period, from January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2004, we reported thirteen cases of DVT associated with musculoskeletal infection in children. Eleven of these cases occurred in children with osteomyelitis. After our publication, we became aware of the article of Crary et al. in the Journal of Pediatrics which reported ten cases of DVT associated with osteomyelitis from the same institution (University of Texas Southwestern—Children’s Medical Center of Dallas). After comparing both articles, it appears that there are eight children who are commonly described by the two articles. Our report, therefore, includes eight children who are previously reported in the literature by Crary et al, plus five additional children with DVT (three with Osteomyelitis, one with septic arthritis and one with pyomyositis) within a three year period.

I apologize for any confusion that might have arisen as a result of reporting these eight cases twice.

Lawson A. B. Copley, MD Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery University of Texas Southwestern