Social Media Use among Orthopedic Trauma Fellowship-trained Surgeons.

Objective: To quantify the use of social media platforms by orthopedic traumatologists with an emphasis on demographic, practice-based, and regional differences. Materials and Methods: Using the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) membership database, online searches were performed to identify professional profiles on numerous social media platforms. This presence was then quantified by a cumulative social media score which was correlated to the demographic information collected. Results: In total, 1,262 active fellowship-trained orthopedic traumatologists were identified. Surgeons practicing in an academic setting were found to be more likely to use numerous social media platforms and to present an overall greater social media score than those in private practices. No significant differences in use were found based on practice region. Conclusion: Social media platforms are currently underused by orthopedic traumatologists. Level of Evidence: IV.

Social Media Use among Orthopedic Trauma Fellowship-trained Surgeons / Uso de redes sociais por cirurgiões com treinamento especializado em trauma ortopédico

Abstract Objective: To quantify the use of social media platforms by orthopedic traumatologists with an emphasis on demographic, practice-based, and regional differences. Materials and Methods: Using the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) membership database, online searches were performed to identify professional profiles on numerous social media platforms. This presence was then quantified by a cumulative social media score which was correlated to the demographic information collected. Results: In total, 1,262 active fellowship-trained orthopedic traumatologists were identified. Surgeons practicing in an academic setting were found to be more likely to use numerous social media platforms and to present an overall greater social media score than those in private practices. No significant differences in use were found based on practice region. Conclusion: Social media platforms are currently underused by orthopedic traumatologists. Level of Evidence: IV.

Resumo Objetivo: Quantificar o uso de plataformas de rede social por traumato-ortopedistas, com ênfase nas diferenças demográficas, regionais e de tipo de prática clínica. Materiais e Métodos: Utilizando o banco de dados de membros da Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA), foram realizadas pesquisas on-line para identificar perfis de profissionais em diversas plataformas de rede social. Esta presença foi quantificada por uma pontuação cumulativa de redes sociais, que foi correlacionada com as informações demográficas coletadas. Resultados: Foram identificados 1.262 profissionais com treinamento especializado em trauma ortopédico. Observou-se que os cirurgiões que atuam em ambiente acadêmico têm maior probabilidade de usar diversas plataformas de rede social e apresentam pontuação geral maior em redes sociais do que aqueles que atuam em consultório particular. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas quanto ao uso de redes sociais com base na região de atuação. Conclusão: Atualmente, as plataformas de rede social são subutilizadas pelos traumato-ortopedistas. Nível de Evidência: IV.

Risk factors for loss to follow up of pelvis and acetabular fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Pelvic and acetabular fracture incidence is increasing worldwide for more than four decades. There is currently no evidence examining risk factors for loss to follow up in patients with these injuries. METHODS: Patients presenting with pelvic and/or acetabular fractures at our institution between 2015 and 2020 were included. Demographic, injury, treatment, and follow up information was included. Excluded patients were those who sustained a pathologic fracture, has a course of treatment prior to transfer to our centre, or expired prior to discharge. RESULTS: 446 patients, 263 with a pelvic ring injury, 172 with an acetabular fracture, and 11 with combined injuries were identified. 271 (61%) of patients in our cohort followed up in Orthopaedic clinic (p = 0.016). With an odds ratio of 2.134, gunshot wound mechanism of injury was the largest risk factor for loss to follow up (p = 0.031) followed by male sex (OR= 1.859) and surgery with general trauma surgery (OR=1.841). The most protective risk factors for follow up with Orthopaedic surgery were operatively treated pelvic and acetabular fractures (OR=0.239) and Orthopaedic Surgery as the discharging service (OR=0.372). DISCUSSION: Numerous risk factors exist for loss to follow up including male sex, ballistic mechanism, and discharging service. Investigation into interventions to improve follow up in these patients are warranted.

Highly Cited Articles in Periacetabular Osteotomy Research.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify highly cited articles and examine trends and characteristics in research on periacetabular osteotomy. Materials and Methods: The 50 most highly cited articles on periacetabular osteotomy research were identified using Scopus. Data regarding article demographics and publication were collected from each article and an analysis was performed. Results: The mean citation count was 125±37. The article with the highest total citation count (796), five-year citation count (327), and five-year citation density (65/year) was reported by Reinhold Ganz. The five-year citation density showed strong correlation with total citation density (r=0.930, P<0.001). Reinhold Ganz, the most productive author, was listed on 13 articles in the cohort with 455 weighted citation points. Conclusion: This study provides a collection of articles examining periacetabular osteotomies and demonstrates that citation count can be regarded as an acceptable measure of the contemporary academic influence of an article.

High Altitude as a Risk Factor for Venous Thromboembolism in Tibial Plateau Fractures.

Background: Tibial plateau fractures are often significant injuries that can require complex surgical interventions with prolonged perioperative immobilization, thereby increasing the risk of developing venous thromboembolic (VTE) events, specifically, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Risk stratification is paramount for guiding VTE prophylaxis. Although high altitude has been suggested to create a prothrombotic state, virtually no studies have explored its clinical effects in lower extremity trauma. The purpose of this study was to compare surgical fixation of tibial plateau fractures at high and low altitudes and its effects on post-operative VTE development. Methods: The Truven MarketScan claims database was used to retrospectively identify patients who underwent surgical fixation of isolated and closed tibial plateau fractures using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes over a 10-year period. Extraneous injuries were excluded using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10), and CPT codes. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and DVT chemoprophylaxis prescriptions were obtained. Patients were partitioned into high altitude (>4000 feet) or low altitude (<100 feet) cohorts based on the zip codes of their surgery locations. One-to-one matching and univariate analysis were used to assess and control any baseline discrepancies between cohorts; multivariate regression was then performed between cohorts to determine the odds ratios (OR) for developing VTEs post-operatively. Results: There were 7,832 patients included for analysis. There was no statistical difference between high and low altitude cohorts in developing VTEs within 30 days post-operatively. Higher altitudes were associated with increased odds of developing DVT (OR 1.21, p = 0.043) and PE (OR 1.27, p = 0.037) within 90 days post-operatively. Conclusions: Surgical fixation of tibial plateau fractures is associated with an increased risk of developing VTEs at high altitudes within 90 days post-operatively. Understanding such risk factors in specific orthopaedic patient populations is essential for optimizing DVT prophylaxis protocols. Further studies should investigate this relationship and the role of DVT prophylaxis regimens in this population.

Characteristics and Trends of Highly Cited Articles in Calcaneus Fracture Research.

Background: Despite significant effort expended toward exploring fracture patterns, surgical timing, surgical approaches, and possible implants within the calcaneus fracture literature, treatment is still fraught with complications and controversy. This study aims to conduct a citation analysis of the most cited articles related to calcaneus fractures to highlight the most historically influential articles, as well as the more recent breakthrough articles that are leading change within the field. Methods: A literature search was performed via Scopus on September 20, 2021 using the terms "(calcaneus OR calcaneal OR hindfoot) AND (fracture OR injury)" to search "article title, abstract, and keywords" of all primary and review articles. Search results were rigorously reviewed to ensure appropriateness for this study. The 50 highest total cited included articles were analyzed. Title, authors, journal, country of origin, institution, year of publication, citation variables (total citation count, total citation density, citation count from the last 5 years, and 5-year citation density), and level of evidence were collected for each article. One-way analysis of variance with post hoc testing was used to identify differences in citation variables and level of evidence. Pearson correlation was used to directly compare different citation variables. Results: The total citation count average was 178±33, with a total citation density average of 9±2. The year of publication for the 50 articles ranged from 1948 to 2014, with a median year of 1999. Roy W. Sanders was the most productive author in the field, authoring 6 articles and lead authoring 3. The most frequent level of evidence was IV with 19 articles. There was a strong correlation between total citation density and 5-year citation density. The article level of evidence showed no impact on the included measures of an article's influence. Conclusion: This study successfully analyzes and presents the characteristics among the highest cited articles related to calcaneus fractures. The provided characterization of influential works and authors highlights trends, impactful findings, and future areas of focus within calcaneus fracture literature.Level of Evidence: Review Article.