Effects of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative functional prognosis in elderly patients with proximal humerus fracture / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the effects of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative functional prognosis in elderly patients with proximal humerus fracture.Methods:From January 2020 to December 2020, 103 elderly patients (≥65 years old) were treated for proximal humerus fractures by open reduction and internal fixation at Department of Traumatology, Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University. Upon admission, according to the Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index (GNRI), they were assigned into a normal nutrition group (55 cases, with GNRI≥92) and a malnutrition group (48 cases, with GNRI<92). The baseline data, preoperative hemoglobin level, time from injury to operation, intraoperative blood transfusion, postoperative complications, 1-year mortality, and Neer shoulder functional scores at 3 months, 6 months and the last follow-up were compared between the 2 groups.Results:The 2 groups were comparable because there were no significant differences in gender, injury side, Neer fracture classification, injury cause, or American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grading ( P>0.05). The age of the malnutrition group was significant older than that of the normal nutrition group ( P<0.05). All patients were followed up for 9 to 16 months (mean, 13.6 months) after surgery. In the normal nutrition group and the malnutrition group, respectively, the preoperative hemoglobin level was (10.24±0.68) g/dL and (8.94±0.89) g/dL, the time from injury to operation (3.9±1.3) d and (5.8±1.2) d, the rate of intraoperative blood transfusion 14.5%(8/55) and 60.4%(29/48), the rate of postoperative complications 20.0%(11/55) and 39.6%(19/48), the 1-year mortality 1.8%(1/55)、4.2%(2/48), and the Neer shoulder function score (46.7±8.8) points and (43.2±5.6) points at 3 months after operation, (67.6±6.2) points and (76.3±5.5) points at 6 months after operation, and (80.4±5.0) points and (76.3±5.5) points at the last follow-up. Comparisons of all the above items showed significant differences between the 2 groups (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Preoperative malnutrition in elderly patients with proximal humerus fracture has adverse effects on preoperative waiting time, intraoperative blood transfusion, complications and postoperative shoulder function. Therefore, perioperatively, attention should be paid to the nutritional status of elderly patients to reduce their stress responses to fracture, surgery and anesthesia, and to improve their postoperative function and quality of life.