Effect of heart failure on postoperative short and long-term mortality in elderly patients with hip fracture.

INTRODUCTION: We designed a comparative study using elderly hip fracture patients with and without heart failure (HF). The purpose of this study was to assess 1) prevalence of HF, compare 2) early and late mortality after elderly hip fracture between HF and non-HF patients and to assess 3) risk factors of mortality after hip fractures in elderly patients with HF. In addition, we also investigated 4) whether there is a difference in mortality according to the severity of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction classified by LV ejection fraction (EF) in HF patients through subgroup analysis. METHODS: This study included 1992 patients (1992 hips) who were diagnosed as having unilateral femoral neck or intertrochanteric fractures and who underwent surgery at two hospitals between January 2004 and June 2018. The patients were categorized into a non-HF group (1782 patients) and a HF group (210 patients; mild [119 patients] and moderate-to- severe HF subgroups [91 patients]). The cumulative crude mortality rate was calculated, and 30-day, 60-day, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year mortality rates were compared between the non-HF and HF. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent factors associated with mortality. RESULTS: Of 1992 patients, 210 (10.5%) patients were diagnosed with HF. The 30-day, 60-day, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year postoperative cumulative mortality rates were respectively 1.6%, 3.6%, 5.1%, 8.4%, and 12.9% in the non-HF group, and 5.7%, 9.5%, 12.4%, 17.1%, and 25.2% in the HF group (p ≤ 0.001). The factors that affected 1-year mortality were sex (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.62-2.72; p < 0.001) and age (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06; p < 0.001) and presence of HF (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.45-1.86; p = 0.005). In subgroup analysis, the factors that affected 30-day mortality were only moderate-to-severe HF (OR, 4.01; 95% CI, 1.10-8.78; p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: In elderly patients with hip fracture, the comparison between the HF and non-HF patients revealed that HF was an independent factor of mortality at a minimum of 1-year follow-up, and severity of LV systolic dysfunction classified by LVEF in patients with hip fracture was also a risk factor of 30-day mortality.

Neuropathic Pain Related with Spinal Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Systematic literature review. To review the evidence from high-quality studies regarding the treatment of neuropathic pain originating specifically from spinal disorders. In general, treatment guidelines for neuropathic pain cover all its various causes, including medical disease, peripheral neuropathy, and cancer. However, the natural history of neuropathic pain originating from spinal disorders may differ from that of the pain originating from other causes or lesions. An expert research librarian used terms related to neuropathic pain and spinal disorders, disc herniation, stenosis, and spinal cord injury to search in MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL for primary research from January 2000 to October 2015. Among 2,313 potential studies of interest, 25 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 21 systematic reviews (SRs) were included in the analysis. The selection was decided based on the agreement of two orthopedic surgeons. There was a lack of evidence about medication for radiculopathy arising from disc herniation and stenosis, but intervention procedures, including epidural block, showed positive efficacy in radiculopathy and also limited efficacy in spinal stenosis. There was some evidence based on the short-term follow-up regarding surgery being superior to conservative treatments for radiculopathy and stenosis. There was limited evidence regarding the efficacy of pharmacological and electric or magnetic stimulation therapies for neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury. This review of RCTs and SRs with high-quality evidence found some evidence regarding the efficacy of various treatment modalities for neuropathic pain related specifically to spinal disorders. However, there is a need for much more supportive evidence.

Reconstruction of two fingertip amputations using a double thenar flap and comparison of outcomes of surgery using a single thenar flap.

BACKGROUND: Although thenar flap for single fingertip amputation is a common and popular surgical technique, double thenar flap technique for patients with two fingertip amputations has rarely been reported in the literature. The purpose of this case-control study was to introduce the double thenar technique and compare the clinical outcomes between single thenar flap and double thenar flap surgical treatments. METHODS: From January 2005 to December 2014, 92 patients with single fingertip amputations were treated with thenar flap (Group I) and 28 patients with two fingertip amputations were treated with double thenar flap (Group II). These 120 patients were followed-up for a minimum of 12 months postoperatively. At the latest follow-up, the two groups were assessed for pain, cold intolerance in the reconstructed finger, functional outcomes by Chen's criteria, and subjective patient satisfaction. RESULTS: At the final follow-up, all flaps in both groups had survived. No flap failure occurred. There was no significant difference in cold intolerance (p=0.783), donor site pain (p=0.728), fingertip pain (p=1.000), or paresthesia (p=0.514) between the two groups. A total of 100 (83.3%) patients were completely or fairly satisfied. There was no significant difference in satisfaction between the two groups (p=0.801). According to the Chen criteria, 102 (85%) patients had excellent or good results. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the double thenar flap technique used for patients with two fingertip amputations produced complete survival with functional outcomes comparable to those of the single thenar flap technique at the last follow-up.

Teriparatide Treatment in Elderly Patients With Sacral Insufficiency Fracture.

Context and Objective: Pain-related immobility because of insufficiency fractures may result in serious complications and a high mortality rate in senile patients with preexisting comorbidities. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of teriparatide in patients with sacral insufficiency fractures. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective, case-controlled, single center study, performed from 2009 to 2014, included 41 patients who underwent radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging, and/or bone scans to document sacral insufficiency fractures. Intervention: The intervention involved teriparatide at a once-daily subcutaneous dose of 20 µg within 2 days of hospital admission (21 patients). Twenty patients (control group) did not receive teriparatide. Main Outcome Measures: Functional outcome was assessed using a visual analog scale for pain and the time to mobilization. Pelvic anteroposterior radiographs were repeated at 0, 1, 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks until radiographic evidence of cortical bridging at the fracture site was confirmed. Results: From the date of admission to 4 weeks, the mean visual analog scale score improved between the 2 groups. The mean time to mobilization was 1.2 ± 0.4 weeks in patients who received teriparatide treatment, compared with 2.0 ± 0.3 weeks in controls (P < 0.001). At 8 weeks, all fractures in the teriparatide treatment group and 4 fractures in the control group had healed. Conclusions: In senile patients with preexisting comorbidities who have sacral insufficiency fractures, teriparatide treatment may achieve earlier pain reduction and mobilization and reduce healing time.

Prevalence of Sarcopenia Adjusted Body Mass Index in the Korean Woman Based on the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine cut-off point of appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) adjusted body mass index (BMI) for sarcopenia in the Korean women and evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia in postmenopausal women. METHODS: This study was based on the data obtained from 2008 to 2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) IV and V. A whole body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan and measurement of BMI were performed on individuals of ≥10 years old. Five thousand, two hundred and fifteen women older than 50 years were included in the study. ASM was obtained by adding the muscle masses of the four limbs. To determine the young reference group, mean and standard deviation of ASM and ASM/BMI by ages was measured. We calculated the prevalence rate of sarcopenia by each age group according to the cut-off point based on ASM and ASM/BMI. RESULTS: In determining the cut-off values related ASM/BMI, using the value that is two standard deviations below mean values for young reference group (20's and 30's) thus recommends 0.50 m2 in women. The overall prevalence among women older than 50 years was 15.6%. Among women older than 65 years prevalence of sarcopenia was 22.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of sarcopenia among Korean women obtained in this study is within the proper range of value to research about sarcopenia. Furthermore, using 0.50 m2 as the cut-off value can help compare various studies about sarcopenia in Korea.