Preliminary clinical outcomes of the double-row anchor suture-bridge technique for the fixation of tibial intercondylar eminence fractures in adults: a 12-months minimal follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Tibial intercondylar eminence avulsion fractures occur primarily in adolescents and young adults. However, the incidence of such fractures is increasing in adults, concurrent with an increase in sports injuries and traffic accidents. This study describes the fixation-based double-row anchor suture-bridge technique, a novel technique for treating tibial intercondylar eminence fractures in adults; and evaluates its preliminary clinical outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of adult patients with tibial intercondylar eminence fractures treated at our institution from June 2016 to June 2018 was conducted. Seven such patients, treated with the anchor suture-bridge technique, were included. All patients were assessed for knee joint range of motion (ROM), Lysholm knee score, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Evaluation Form score, Tegner activity score pre-surgery, and the healing of the fracture at 3, 6 and 12 months minimal post-surgery follow-up. RESULTS: Patients were followed for a mean of 12.43 months (range 9-15 months). By the final follow-up, all fractures had fully healed. The mean Lysholm score improved from 27.86 (range, 2 to 54) pre-surgery to 88.14 (range, 81 to 100) 3 months post-surgery (p < 0.05). Similarly, the mean IKDC score improved from 48.86 (range, 43 to 55) to 84.29 (range, 75 to 90) (P < 0.05); and the mean Tegner activity score improved from 1.71 (range, 0 to 4) to 3.29 (range, 2 to 4) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, knee joint ROM, Lysholm scores, IKDC scores, and Tegner activity scores displayed excellent outcomes at the 6 and 12 months minimal follow-up. CONCLUSION: The arthroscopic anchor suture-bridge technique is a valid and secure method for achieving effective fixation of tibial intercondylar eminence fractures in adults.

Preoperative plasma leptin levels predict delirium in elderly patients after hip fracture surgery.

Leptin is considered to be a modulator of the immune response. Hypoleptinemia increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. The present study aimed to investigate the ability of plasma leptin level to predict delirium in elderly patients after hip fracture surgery. Postoperative delirium (pod) was evaluated using the Confusion Assessment Method. Prolonged postoperative delirium (ppod) was defined as delirium lasting more than 4 weeks. Plasma leptin levels of 186 elderly patients and 186 elderly controls were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Plasma leptin level was substantially lower in patients than in controls (4.6±2.2ng/ml vs. 7.5±1.8ng/ml, P<0.001). It was identified as an independent predictor for pod [odds ratio, 0.385; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.286-0.517; P<0.001] and ppod (odds ratio, 0.283; 95% CI, 0.152-0.527; P<0.001) using a multivariate analysis, and had high area under receiver operating characteristic curve for pod [area under curve (AUC), 0.850; 95% CI, 0.790-0.898] and ppod (AUC, 0.890; 95% CI, 0.836-0.931). The predictive value of leptin was markedly bigger than that of age for pod (AUC, 0.705; 95% CI, 0.634-0.770; P=0.002) and ppod (AUC, 0.713; 95% CI, 0.642-0.777; P=0.019). In a combined logistic-regression model, leptin improved the AUC of age to 0.890 (95% CI, 0.836-0.931) (P<0.001) for pod and 0.910 (95% CI, 0.860-0.947) (P=0.005) for ppod. Thus, preoperative plasma leptin level may be a useful, complementary tool to predict delirium and also prolonged delirium in elderly patients after hip fracture surgery.

[Biomechanical influence of vertebroplasty with filling with autosolidification calcium phosphate cement in thoracolumbar osteoporotic fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biomechanical influence of vertebroplasty using autosolidification calcium phosphate cement (CPC) on thoracolumbar osteoporotic fractures. METHODS: Four cadaver specimens with osteoporosis were applied to make spine unit. There were 2 females and 2 males, whose average age was 69 years. All underwent flexion-axial loading to result in vertebral body fracture. Following reduction, the middle fractured vertebral body were strengthened by the method of vertebroplasty, using CPC. Before fracture and after vertebroplasty, all were conducted biomechanical test. RESULTS: After being packed CPC to the space in the fractured vertebral body, the strength and stiffness in vertebroplastic group (2 285+/-34 N, 427+/- 10 N/mm) were significantly higher than that in osteoporotic group (1 954+/-46 N, 349+/-18 N/mm) (P<0.05). The vertebral height changing in vertebroplastic group (5.35+/-0.60 mm) were significantly lower than that in osteoporotic group (5.60+/-0.70 mm) (P<0.05). And the fractured body increases its strength and stiffness by 16.92% and 22.31% respectively in comparison with its initial situation. CONCLUSION: After being injected CPC into bone trabecular interspaces, the fractured vertebral bodies can restore its strength and stiffness markedly.