Discharge to a Skilled Nursing Facility After Hip Fracture Results in Higher Rates of Periprosthetic Joint Infection.

BACKGROUND: Femoral neck fractures (FNFs) in elderly patients are associated with major morbidity and mortality. The influence of postoperative discharge location on recovery and outcomes after arthroplasty for hip fractures is not well understood. METHODS: A multisite retrospective cohort from 9 academic centers identified patients who had FNF treated with hemiarthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty between 2010 and 2019. Patients who had diagnoses of dementia, stroke, age > 80 years, or high energy fracture were excluded. Discharge location was identified, including home-based health services (HHS), inpatient rehabilitation (IPR), or a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Rates of reoperation, periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), and mortality were compared between cohorts. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed, adjusting for age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, body mass index, sex, and tobacco use. Statistical significance was defined as P < .05. RESULTS: A total of 672 patients (315 HHS, 144 IPR, and 213 SNF) were included in this study. The average follow-up was 30 months. The SNF cohort was significantly older (P < .0001) with higher ASA scores (P < .0001) than the HHS cohort. In a logistic regression model adjusting for age, ASA score, and body mass index, the SNF cohort had higher mortality rates than the HHS cohort (P = .0296) and were more likely to have PJI within 90 days (odds ratio = 4.55, 95% confidence interval = 1.40, 4.74) and within 1 year (odds ratio = 3.08, 95% confidence interval = 1.08, 8.78). Time to PJI was significantly shorter in the SNF cohort (SNF 38 versus HHS 231 days, P = .0155). No differences were seen in dislocation or reoperation rates between the SNF and HHS cohorts. No differences were seen in complication rates between the IPR and HHS cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Discharge to a SNF after arthroplasty for FNF is associated with increased mortality and higher rates of PJI. Hip fracture care pathways that uniformly discharge patients to SNFs may need to be re-evaluated, and surgeons should consider discharge to home with HHS when possible.

Risk of reverse golf club deformity with medial plating of distal femur fracture.

INTRODUCTION: This study described a deformity induced by medial plating of supracondylar distal femur fractures using plates that are precontoured for other anatomic locations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OTA/AO 33A fractures were created in 12 sawbone femurs and fixed with either a proximal humerus locking plate (PH), an ipsilateral lateral tibial plateau plate (LTP), or an ipsilateral medial distal tibial plate (MDT). A motion capture system measured changes in length and rotation of the distal femur as the plate was applied. Each plate underwent four trials and the mean and standard deviation (SD) for each measurement was reported. An analysis of variance with post hoc Tukey test compared malreduction measures between plate types. RESULTS: All plates consistently created a varus deformity. There was lateral lengthening with a compensatory medial shortening and an increase in the lateral distal femoral angle. The distal fracture fragment was laterally translated, and internally rotated. The PH plate had significantly greater lateral length (27.39 mm SD 4.78, p = 0.007), shorter medial length (13.57 mm SD 4.99, p = 0.028), greater lateral translation (28.82 mm SD 5.70, p = 0.010) and greater widening of the lateral distal femoral angle (28.54° SD 4.98, p < 0.001) than the LTP and MDT plates. The MDT plate had significantly greater angulation anteriorly (8.40° SD 1.07, p < 0.001) and laterally (7.63° SD 3.10, p = 0.002) than the PH and LTP plates. There was no significant difference between plates in internal rotation (PH: 3.07° SD 2.79; LTP: 2.05° SD 1.05; MDT 3.81° SD 3.56; p = 0.659). CONCLUSION: When dual plating supracondylar distal femur fractures, poor plate positioning and a mismatch between plate contour and the slope of the medial distal femur can lead to varus angulation, internal rotation, and lateral translation or a "reverse golf club deformity". After comparing three types of precontoured plates, the authors recommend initial evaluation of the ipsilateral proximal tibial plate when placing a plate along the medial distal femur. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

The MCID of the PROMIS physical function instrument for operatively treated tibial plateau fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding minimal clinically important differences (MCID) in patient reported outcome measurement are important in improving patient care. The purpose of this study was to determine the MCID of Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement System (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF) domain for patients who underwent operative fixation of a tibial plateau fracture. METHODS: All patients with tibial plateau fractures that underwent operative fixation at a single level 1 trauma center were identified by Current Procedural Terminology codes. Patients without PROMIS PF scores or an anchor question at two-time points postoperatively were excluded. Anchor-based and distribution-based MCIDs were calculated. RESULTS: The MCID for PROMIS PF scores was 4.85 in the distribution-based method and 3.93 (SD 14.01) in the anchor-based method. There was significantly more improvement in the score from the first postoperative score (<7 weeks) to the second postoperative time (<78 weeks) in the improvement group 10.95 (SD 9.95) compared to the no improvement group 7.02 (SD 9.87) in the anchor-based method (P < 0.001). The percentage of patients achieving MCID at 7 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were 37-42 %, 57-62 %, 80-84 %, and 95-87 %, respectively. DISCUSSION: This study identified MCID values for PROMIS PF scores in the tibial plateau fracture population. Both MCID scores were similar, resulting in a reliable value for future studies and clinical decision-making. An MCID of 3.93 to 4.85 can be used as a clinical and investigative standard for patients with operative tibial plateau fractures.

Risk Factors of Failure in 228 Periprosthetic Distal Femur Fractures: A Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors of reoperation to promote union or to address deep surgical-site infection (DSSI) in periprosthetic distal femur fractures treated with lateral distal femoral locking plates (LDFLPs). DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten level-I trauma centers. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Patients with Orthopaedic Trauma Association/Association of Osteosynthesis (OTA/AO) 33A or 33C periprosthetic distal femur fractures who underwent surgical fixation between January 2012 and December 2019 exclusively using LDFLPs were eligible for inclusion. Patients with pathologic fractures or with follow-up less than 3 months without an outcome event (unplanned reoperation to promote union or for deep surgical infection) before this time point were excluded. Fracture fixation constructs used medial plates, intramedullary nails, or hybrid fixation constructs were excluded from analysis. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS: To examine the influence of patient demographics, injury characteristics, and features of the fracture fixation construct on the occurrence of unplanned reoperation to promote union or to address a DSSI. RESULTS: There was an 8.3% rate (19/228) of unplanned reoperation to promote union. Predictive factors for the need for reoperation to promote union included increasing body mass index (odds ratio [OR] = 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.16; P = 0.01), increasing number of screws in the distal fracture segment (OR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.06-2.95; P = 0.03), and decreasing proportion of proximal segment screws that are locking (OR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.03-0.70; P = 0.02) There was a 4.8% rate (11/228) of reoperation to address DSSI. There were no statistically significant predictive factors identified as risk factors of the need for reoperation to address DSSI ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 8.3% of periprosthetic distal femur fractures treated at 10 centers with LDFLPs underwent unplanned reoperation to promote union. Increasing patient body mass index and increasing number of screws in the distal fracture segment were found to be predictive factors, whereas increased locking screws in the proximal segment were found to be protective. 4.8% of patients in this cohort underwent reoperation to address DSSI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Technical Factors Contributing to Nonunion in Supracondylar Distal Femur Fractures Treated With Lateral Locked Plating: A Risk-Stratified Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify technical factors associated with nonunion after operative treatment with lateral locked plating. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten Level I trauma centers. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Adult patients with supracondylar distal femur fractures (OTA/AO type 33A or C) treated with lateral locked plating from 2010 through 2019. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS: Surgery for nonunion stratified by risk for nonunion. RESULTS: The cohort included 615 patients with supracondylar distal femur fractures. The median patient age was 61 years old (interquartile range: 46 -72years) and 375 (61%) were female. Observed were nonunion rates of 2% in a low risk of nonunion group (n = 129), 4% in a medium-risk group (n = 333), and 14% in a high-risk group (n = 153). Varus malreduction with an anatomic lateral distal femoral angle greater than 84 degrees, was associated with double the odds of nonunion compared to those without such varus [odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-4.2; P = 0.03]. Malreduction by medial translation of the articular block increased the odds of nonunion, with 30% increased odds per 4 mm of medial translation (95% CI, 1.0-1.6; P = 0.03). Working length increased the odds of nonunion in the medium risk group, with an 18% increase in nonunion per 10-mm increase in working length (95% CI, 1.0-1.4; P = 0.01). Increased proximal screw density was protective against nonunion (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.92; P = 0.02) but yielded lower mRUST scores with each 0.1 increase in screw density associated with a 0.4-point lower mRUST (95% CI, -0.55 to -0.15; P < 0.001). Lateral plate length and type of plate material were not associated with nonunion. ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Malreduction is a surgeon-controlled variable associated with nonunion after lateral locked plating of supracondylar distal femur fractures. Longer working lengths were associated with nonunion, suggesting that bridge plating may be less likely to succeed for longer fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Nail Plate Combination Fixation Versus Lateral Locked Plating for Distal Femur Fractures: A Multicenter Experience.

OBJECTIVES: To (1) report on clinical, radiographic, and functional outcomes after nail-plate fixation (NPF) of distal femur fractures and (2) compare outcomes after NPF with a propensity matched cohort of fractures treated with single precontoured lateral locking plates. DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten Level 1 trauma centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients with OTA/AO 33A or 33C fractures. INTERVENTION: Fixation with (1) retrograde intramedullary nail combined with lateral locking plate (n = 33) or (2) single precontoured lateral locking plate alone (n = 867). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The main outcomes of interest were all-cause unplanned reoperation and presence of varus collapse at final follow-up. RESULTS: One nail-plate patient underwent unplanned reoperation excluding infection and 2 underwent reoperation for infection at an average of 57 weeks after surgery. No nail-plate patients required unplanned reoperation to promote union and none exhibited varus collapse. More than 90% were ambulatory with no or minimal pain at final follow-up. In comparison, 7 of the 30 matched lateral locked plating patients underwent all-cause unplanned reoperation excluding infection (23% vs. 3%, P = 0.023), and an additional 3 lateral locked plating patients were found to have varus collapse on final radiographs (10% vs. 0%, P = 0.069). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a high proportion of high-energy, open, and comminuted fractures, no NPF patients underwent unplanned reoperation to promote union or demonstrated varus collapse. Propensity score matched analysis revealed significantly lower rates of nonunion for NPF compared with lateral locked plating alone. Larger studies are needed to identify which distal femur fracture patients would most benefit from NPF. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Single-Incision Fasciotomy Decreases Infection Risk Compared with Dual-Incision Fasciotomy in Treatment of Tibial Plateau Fractures With Acute Compartment Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Comparison of surgical site infection (SSI) rates in tibial plateau fractures with acute compartment syndrome treated with single-incision (SI) versus dual-incision (DI) fasciotomies. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Two, Level-1, academic, trauma centers. PATIENTS: Between January 2001 and December 2021, one-hundred ninety patients with a diagnosis of tibial plateau fracture and acute compartment syndrome met inclusion criteria (SI: n = 127, DI: n = 63) with a minimum of 3-month follow-up after definitive fixation. INTERVENTION: Emergent 4-compartment fasciotomy, using either SI or DI technique, and eventual plate and screw fixation of the tibial plateau. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was SSI requiring surgical debridement. Secondary outcomes included nonunion, days to closure, method of skin closure, and time to SSI. RESULTS: Both groups were similar in demographic variables and fracture characteristics (all P > 0.05). The overall infection rate was 25.8% (49 of 190), but the SI fasciotomy patients had significantly fewer SSIs compared with the DI fasciotomy patients [SI 18.1% vs. DI 41.3%; P < 0.001; OR 2.28, (confidence interval, 1.42-3.66)]. Patients with a dual (medial and lateral) surgical approach and DI fasciotomies developed an SSI in 60% (15 of 25) of cases compared with 21.3% (13 of 61) of cases in the SI group ( P < 0.001). The nonunion rate was similar between the 2 groups (SI 8.3% vs. DI 10.3%; P = 0.78). The SI fasciotomy group required fewer debridement's ( P = 0.04) until closure, but there was no difference in days until closure (SI 5.5 vs. DI 6.6; P = 0.09). There were zero cases of incomplete compartment release requiring return to the operating room. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with DI fasciotomies were more than twice as likely to develop an SSI compared with SI patients despite similar fracture and demographic characteristics between the groups. Orthopaedic surgeons should consider prioritizing SI fasciotomies in this setting. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Geriatric Distal Femur Fractures Treated With Distal Femoral Replacement Are Associated With Higher Rates of Readmissions and Complications.

OBJECTIVE: Compare mortality and complications of distal femur fracture repair among elderly patients who receive operative fixation versus distal femur replacement (DFR). DESIGN: Retrospective comparison. SETTING: Medicare beneficiaries. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients 65 years of age and older with distal femur fracture identified using Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services data from 2016 to 2019. INTERVENTION: Operative fixation (open reduction with plating or intramedullary nail) or DFR. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Mortality, readmissions, perioperative complications, and 90-day cost were compared between groups using Mahalanobis nearest-neighbor matching to account for differences in age, sex, race, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index. RESULTS: Most patients (90%, 28,251/31,380) received operative fixation. Patients in the fixation group were significantly older (81.1 vs. 80.4 years, P < 0.001), and there were more an open fractures (1.6% vs. 0.5%, P < 0.001). There were no differences in 90-day (difference: 1.2% [-0.5% to 3%], P = 0.16), 6-month (difference: 0.6% [-1.5% to 2.7%], P = 0.59), and 1-year mortality (difference: -3.3% [-2.9 to 2.3], P = 0.80). DFR had greater 90-day (difference: 5.4% [2.8%-8.1%], P < 0.001), 6-month (difference: 6.5% [3.1%-9.9%], P < 0.001), and 1-year readmission (difference: 5.5% [2.2-8.7], P = 0.001). DFR had significantly greater rates of infection, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and device-related complication within 1 year from surgery. DFR ($57,894) was significantly more expensive than operative fixation ($46,016; P < 0.001) during the total 90-day episode. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients with distal femur fracture have a 22.5% 1-year mortality rate. DFR was associated with significantly greater infection, device-related complication, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, cost, and readmission within 90 days, 6 months, and 1 year of surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

The EMS stress view: occult pelvic instability revealed by pre-hospital pelvic binder placement.

PURPOSE: To describe and evaluate the serendipitous pelvic binder stress radiographs of lateral compression type (LC) pelvic ring injuries. METHODS: This was a retrospective case series performed at a single, level I academic trauma center from 2016 to 2018. All patients presenting with a minimally displaced LC pelvic ring injury were reviewed (< 10 cm displacement on static pelvic radiographs). Patients with X-rays (XR) in a pelvic binder (EMS stress) and with the pelvic binder removed were included. Pelvic ring stability was determined by attending surgeon evaluation of EMS stress radiographs versus static XR of the pelvis. Patients were treated non-operatively and allowed to weight bear or taken to the operating room for exam under anesthesia (EUA) and potential operative fixation. Clinical success of treatment was determined by evaluation of further displacement at the completion of their most recent follow-up. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients of the initial 398 reviewed met inclusion criteria. Fourteen of 37 patients (38%) were categorized as stable with no significant pelvis displacement seen on EMS stress and were treated non-operatively without further sequelae (4.6 months mean follow-up). The remaining 23/37 (62%) were treated operatively. Occult instability was identified on EMS stress in 14 (61%) of those 23 patients and the remainder were determined to be unstable based upon fracture pattern or EUA. All patients went on to successful treatment without significant pelvic deformity (7.8 months mean follow-up). CONCLUSION: The EMS stress XR is a valuable, opportunistic evaluation in LC pelvic ring injuries. This evaluation is a useful diagnostic adjunct to alert the provider that additional stress imaging may be indicated to evaluate for occult pelvic ring instability.

Transfusion after harvesting bone graft with RIA: Practice changes reduced transfusion rate by more than half.

INTRODUCTION: The Reamer Irrigator Aspirator (RIA) is frequently used as a tool for bone graft harvesting procedures. The initial use of this instrument for bone grafting was met with significant blood loss and high transfusion rates. However, the RIA remains an excellent tool to obtain large volumes of viable autologous graft. The aim of this study was to investigate how changes in the technical use of the RIA may affect blood loss. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent RIA bone graft harvest over a 12-year study period. The patients were divided into two cohorts based upon changes in the technique used to obtain autograft harvest with the RIA. The traditional cohort (2008-2012) connected the RIA to dilation and curettage suction and selected reamer size based on radiographic parameters. The modified cohort (2012-2020) connected the RIA to wall suction, used improved techniques for reamer head sizing, and more diligence was paid toward the time the RIA was suctioning in the canal. Demographic information, surgical details, pre- and post-operative hematocrit (HCT), transfusion rate, intra-operative blood loss, reported volume of graft harvested, and iatrogenic fracture were recorded. RESULTS: 201 patients were included in the study with 61 patients in the traditional and 140 patients in the modified cohorts respectively. The average age was 51 years (range: 18-97) with 107 (53%) males. There was no difference in the demographic data between the two cohorts. No difference was noted between the traditional and modified cohorts in terms of the amount of average graft harvested (54cc vs 51cc; p = 0.34) or major complications (1 vs 2; p = 0.91). However, when comparing the traditional versus modified cohorts the traditional group demonstrated a larger average blood loss (675cc vs 500cc; p=<0.01) and HCT drop (13.7 vs 9.5; p=<0.01) with a higher transfusion rate (44% vs 19%; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This series demonstrated a significant improvement in blood loss and transfusion with modified techniques used to obtain autologous bone graft with the RIA. Importantly, these techniques do not appear to limit bone graft harvest yield and can therefore be efficiently implemented without limiting the utility of the RIA.

Displaced Versus Nondisplaced Femoral Neck Fractures: Is Arthroplasty the Answer for Both?

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, nondisplaced geriatric femoral neck fractures (FNFs) have undergone operative fixation, while displaced geriatric FNFs have undergone hip arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences between outcomes in patients with nondisplaced (Garden I and II) fractures and displaced (Garden III and IV) fractures that were treated with arthroplasty. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of patients who had a minimum of 1 year follow-up from nine academic medical centers who underwent arthroplasty for FNFs between 2010 and 2020. Chi-square, Fisher's Exact, and t-tests were used to compare demographics and outcomes between patients who had a displaced fracture and those who had a nondisplaced fracture. We included 1,620 patients, with 131 in the nondisplaced cohort and 1,497 in the displaced cohort. The mean follow-up in the study was 26.4 months. Both groups were similar in terms of demographic variables. RESULTS: At 1-year follow-up, the overall reoperation rate was 7% and was not different between patients who had nondisplaced compared to displaced FNFs who underwent arthroplasty. Heterotopic ossification (HO) was significantly higher in displaced (23.6%) versus nondisplaced fractures (11.7%) (P = .0021). Operative times and blood loss were higher in nondisplaced than displaced fractures that underwent arthroplasty. CONCLUSION: Hip arthroplasty is an excellent treatment option for nondisplaced and displaced geriatric FNFs with relatively low and similar reoperation rates at 1 year. Compared to previously published reoperation rates of internal fixation of nondisplaced FNFs, hip arthroplasty is a reasonable treatment option for nondisplaced FNFs to potentially decrease reoperations in a frail patient population.

Recovery Curve for Patients With Pilon Fractures Using Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System.

BACKGROUND: The time frame in which patients can expect functional improvement after open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of pilon fractures is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the trajectory and rate at which patients' physical function improves up to 2 years postinjury. METHODS: The patients studied sustained a unilateral, isolated pilon fractures (AO/OTA 43B/C) and followed at a level 1 trauma center over a 5-year period (2015-2020). Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF) scores from these patients at defined follow-up times of immediately, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery defined the cohorts and were retrospectively studied. RESULTS: There were 160 patients with PROMIS scores immediately postoperatively, 143 patients at 6 weeks, 146 patients at 12 weeks, 97 at 24 weeks, 84 at 1 year, and 45 at 2 years postoperatively. The average PROMIS PF score was 28 immediately postoperatively, 30 at 6 weeks, 36 at 3 months, 40 at 6 months, 41 at 1 year, and 39 at 2 years. There was a significant difference between PROMIS PF scores between 6 weeks and 3 months (P < .001), and between 3 and 6 months (P < .001). Otherwise, no significant differences were detected between consecutive time points. CONCLUSION: Patients with isolated pilon fractures demonstrate the majority of their improvement in terms of physical function between 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively. No significant difference was detected in PF scores after 6 months postoperatively up to 2 years. Furthermore, the mean PROMIS PF score of patients 2 years after recovery was approximately 1 SD below the population average. This information is helpful in counseling patients and setting expectations for recovery after pilon fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, prognostic.

Role of single-dose intravenous iron therapy for the treatment of anaemia after orthopaedic trauma: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Orthopaedic trauma and fracture care commonly cause perioperative anaemia and associated functional iron deficiency due to a systemic inflammatory state. Modern, strict transfusion thresholds leave many patients anaemic; managing this perioperative anaemia is an opportunity to impact outcomes in orthopaedic trauma surgery. The primary outcome of this pilot study is feasibility for a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate intravenous iron therapy (IVIT) to improve patient well-being following orthopaedic injury. Measurements will include rate of participant enrolment, screening failure, follow-up, missing data, adverse events and protocol deviation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This single-centre, pilot, double-blind RCT investigates the use of IVIT for acute blood loss anaemia in traumatically injured orthopaedic patients. Patients are randomised to receive either a single dose infusion of low-molecular weight iron dextran (1000 mg) or placebo (normal saline) postoperatively during their hospital stay for trauma management. Eligible subjects include adult patients admitted for lower extremity or pelvis operative fracture care with a haemoglobin of 7-11 g/dL within 7 days postoperatively during inpatient care. Exclusion criteria include history of intolerance to intravenous iron supplementation, active haemorrhage requiring ongoing blood product resuscitation, multiple planned procedures, pre-existing haematologic disorders or chronic inflammatory states, iron overload on screening or vulnerable populations. We follow patients for 3 months to measure the effect of iron supplementation on clinical outcomes (resolution of anaemia and functional iron deficiency), patient-reported outcomes (fatigue, physical function, depression and quality of life) and translational measures of immune cell function. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has ethics approval (Oregon Health & Science University Institutional Review Board, STUDY00022441). We will disseminate the findings through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05292001; ClinicalTrials.gov.

Comparing Emergency Department Stress of Lateral Compression Type 1 Pelvis Fractures With a Validated Instability Scoring System.

INTRODUCTION: Lateral compression type 1 (LC1) pelvic ring injuries represent a heterogeneous group of fractures with controversial surgical indications. Recently, multiple institutions have suggested the safety and reliability of an emergency department (ED) stress to evaluate for occult instability. The purpose of this study was to correlate ED stress examination of LC1 pelvis fractures against a validated fracture instability scoring system. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of a consecutive series of 70 patients presenting with minimally displaced LC1 fractures at a level 1 academic trauma center. All patients were stressed in the ED radiology suite, and displacement was measured by comparing calibrated stress radiographs with static radiographs (>10 mm displacement defined positivity). ED stress results were compared with radiographic scores assigned according to the validated Beckmann scoring system (score <7: stable-nonsurgical recommendation; score 7 to 9: indeterminant recommendation; and score >9: unstable-surgical recommendation). RESULTS: Thirteen patients had a positive ED stress examination, and 57 patients stressed negative. The mean displacement was significantly different between the three groups (Beckmann 5 to 6: 3.31 mm, SD = 2.4; Beckmann 7 to 9: 4.23 mm, SD = 3.2; Beckmann 10+: 12.1 mm, SD = 8.6; P < 0.001). Zero of 18 patients in the stable group stressed positive, and only 3 of 38 patients in the indeterminant group stressed positive (7.9%). Finally, 10 of 14 patients in the unstable group stressed positive (71.4%; P < 0.001) . Sacral displacement ( P = 0.001), superior ramus location ( P < 0.02), and sacral columns ( P < 0.001) significantly predicted ED stress positivity in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Comparison of a validated instability scoring system with ED stress examination of minimally displaced LC1 fractures in awake and hemodynamically stable patients showed excellent correlation. This suggests that the ED stress examination is a useful diagnostic adjunct. LC1 fracture characteristics should be analyzed to determine which pelvic fracture characteristics determine occult instability before stress examination. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III diagnostic.

Medial and lateral dual plating of native distal femur fractures: a systematic literature review.

Introduction: Lateral locked plating (LLP) development has improved outcomes for distal femur fractures. However, there is still a modest rate of nonunion in fractures treated with LLP alone, with higher nonunion risk in high-energy fractures, intra-articular involvement, poor bone quality, severe comminution, or bone loss. Several recent studies have demonstrated both the safety and the biomechanical advantage of dual medial and lateral plating (DP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of DP for native distal femoral fractures by performing a systematic review of the literature. Methods: Studies reporting clinical outcomes for DP of native distal femur fractures were identified and systematically reviewed. Publications without full-text manuscripts, those solely involving periprosthetic fractures, or fractures other than distal femur fractures were excluded. Fracture type, mean follow-up, open versus closed fracture, number of bone grafting procedures, nonunion, reoperation rates, and complication data were collected. Methodologic study quality was assessed using the Coleman methodology score. Results: The initial electronic review and reverse inclusion protocol identified 1484 publications. After removal of duplicates and abstract review to exclude studies that did not discuss clinical treatment of femur fractures with dual plating, 101 potential manuscripts were identified and manually reviewed. After final review, 12 studies were included in this study. There were 199 fractures with average follow-up time of 13.72 months. Unplanned reoperations and nonunion occurred in 19 (8.5%) and 9 (4.5%) cases, respectively. The most frequently reported complications were superficial infection (n = 6, 3%) and deep infection (n = 5, 2.5%) postoperatively. Other complications included delayed union (n = 6, 3%) not requiring additional surgical treatment and knee stiffness in four patients (2%) necessitating manipulation under anesthesia or lysis of adhesions. The average Coleman score was 50.5 (range 13.5-72), suggesting that included studies were of moderate-to-poor quality. Conclusions: Clinical research interest in DP of distal femoral fractures has markedly increased in the past few decades. The current data suggest that DP of native distal femoral fractures is associated with favorable nonunion and reoperation rates compared with previously published rates associated with LLP alone. In the current review, DP of distal femoral fractures was associated with acceptable rates of complications and generally good functional outcomes. More high-quality, directly comparable research is necessary to validate the conclusions of this review.

Venous thromboembolism in patients with surgically treated ankle fractures.

OBJECTIVES: In patients with rotational ankle fracture, we compare the rate of venous thromboembolism development between patients who received chemoprophylaxis vs those patients that received none. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Level I trauma center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Between 2014 and 2018, we identified 483 patients with rotational ankle fracture that had no VTE risk factors, were under 70 years of age, and had an isolated injury. INTERVENTION: Chemoprophylaxis vs no chemoprophylaxis after open reduction internal fixation of a rotational ankle fracture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Development of VTE was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included wound problems, infection, hematoma, or non-union. RESULTS: There were 313 patients that received no prophylaxis and 170 patients that received chemoprophylaxis after operative fixation of an isolated ankle fracture. Demographics including age, gender, body mass index, and ASA class were similar between groups. The rate of DVT/PE was 3.5% in those without DVT prophylaxis, and 4.1% in those on DVT prophylaxis with no significant differences found (p = 0.8). There was no significant difference in wound complication (no VTE prophylaxis-3.7% vs VTE prophylaxis-2.5%, p = 0.7) or infection rates (no VTE prophylaxis-3.8% vs VTE prophylaxis 4.1%, p = 1.0) between groups. CONCLUSIONS: No difference was detected in the rate of symptomatic DVT or PE in patients based on chemoprophylaxis. Our results support the conclusion that the use of chemoprophylaxis may remain surgeon preference and based on patient risk factors for VTE development. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-retrospective cohort study.

Surgical outcome of avulsion fractures of the distal fibula: a systematic literature review.

PURPOSE: To provide a systematic overview of clinical and radiographic outcomes in patients who underwent surgical treatment of a painful avulsion fragment of the distal fibula also known as posttraumatic os subfibulare. METHODS: A systematic literature search across two major sources (PubMed and Scopus) was performed. Twenty-seven studies were included and analyzed using the modified Coleman score to assess the methodologic quality. RESULTS: The surgical treatment of symptomatic os subfibulare, with or without concomitant ankle instability, generally results in substantial improvement in clinical and radiographic outcomes with relative low complication rates. Clinical outcome measures may not be affected by the presence of ankle instability or by the fragment size. The methodological quality of analyzed studies was satisfactory. CONCLUSION: Posttraumatic os subfibulare may result in chronic pain and ankle instability. If surgery is indicated, ankle instability should be concomitantly addressed when present. Based on available literature, satisfactory postoperative outcomes can be reliably expected following surgical treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic Review of Level III and Level IV Studies, Level IV.

Predictors of Deep Infection After Distal Femur Fracture: A Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify potentially modifiable risk factors for deep surgical site infection after distal femur fracture. DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten Level-I trauma centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients with OTA/AO 33A or C distal femur fractures (n = 1107). INTERVENTION: Surgical fixation of distal femur fracture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: The outcome of interest was deep surgical site infection. RESULTS: There was a 7% rate (79/1107) of deep surgical site infection. In the multivariate analysis, predictive factors included alcohol abuse [odds ratio (OR) = 2.36; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17-4.46; P = 0.01], intra-articular injury (OR = 1.73; 95% CI, 1.01-3.00; P = 0.05), vascular injury (OR = 3.90; 95% CI, 1.63-8.61; P < 0.01), the use of topical antibiotics (OR = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.25-0.92; P = 0.03), and the duration of the surgery (OR = 1.15 per hour; 95% CI, 1.01-1.30; P = 0.04). There was a nonsignificant trend toward an association between infection and type III open fracture (OR = 1.73; 95% CI, 0.94-3.13; P = 0.07) and lateral approach (OR = 1.60; 95% CI, 0.95-2.69; P = 0.07). The most frequently cultured organisms were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (22%), methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (20%), and Enterobacter cloacae (11%). CONCLUSIONS: Seven percent of distal femur fractures developed deep surgical site infections. Alcohol abuse, intra-articular fracture, vascular injury, and increased surgical duration were risk factors, while the use of topical antibiotics was protective. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Validation of a novel large animal intra-articular tibial plafond fracture model.

BACKGROUND: Large animal fracture models that allow for anatomic fracture fixation are currently lacking. It was hypothesized that a compressed air impaction system can generate a reproducible tibial plafond fracture and be adjustable to create fractures consistent with high and low energy fractures seen in humans. METHODS: Pilot testing of the impaction system was done by impacting polyurethane foam blocks at varying compressed air pressures. A guillotine impaction test was performed on the same foam blocks to create an energy conversion. A total of 12 porcine hindlimb hindlimbs were subjected to low-energy (42.2 J) and high-energy (73.9 J) impact to create tibial plafond fractures. FINDINGS: Guillotine impaction test demonstrated strong correlations between potential energy and foam block impaction depth (R2 = 0.99). Compressed air impaction system test strongly correlated with foam block impaction depth (R2 = 0.99). All six porcine hindlimbs in the low-energy group developed simple coronal split tibial plafond fractures. All six porcine hindlimbs in the high-energy group developed complex, multi-fragmentary tibial plafond fractures. INTERPRETATION: This porcine fracture model created tibial plafond fracture patterns with similar fracture morphology as human patients without violation of the soft tissue structures or adjacent joints. This model would allow for anatomic fixation, the study of post-traumatic osteoarthritis, or the delivery of locally targeted therapeutics to the ankle joint.

Risk Factors for Reoperation to Promote Union in 1111 Distal Femur Fractures.

OBJECTIVES: To identify modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for reoperation to promote union after distal femur fracture. DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten Level-I trauma centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients with OTA/AO 33A or C distal femur fractures (n = 1111). INTERVENTION: Surgical fixation of distal femur fracture. Fixation constructs were classified as lateral plate, dual plate, nail, or nail plate combination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The outcome of interest was unplanned reoperation to promote union. RESULTS: There was an 11% (121/1111) rate of unplanned reoperation to promote union. In the multivariate analysis, predictive factors included body mass index [odds ratio (OR) = 1.18; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-1.32; P < 0.01], intra-articular fracture (OR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.01-2.45; P = 0.04), type III open injury (OR = 2.29; 95% CI, 1.41-3.72; P < 0.01), the presence of medial comminution (OR = 1.85; 95% CI, 1.14-3.06; P = 0.01), and medial translation on postoperative radiographs (OR = 1.23 per one 10th of condylar width; 95% CI, 1.01-1.48; P = 0.03). Construct type was not significantly predictive. CONCLUSIONS: Eleven percent of distal femur fractures underwent unplanned reoperation to promote union. Body mass index, intra-articular fracture, type III open injury, medial comminution, and medial translation on postoperative radiographs were predictive factors. Construct type was not associated with unplanned reoperation; however, this conclusion was limited by small numbers in the dual plate and nail plate groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.