Is There a Role for Isolated Closed Reduction in the Emergency Department Without Fixation for Displaced Proximal Humerus Fractures in Adolescents?

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric proximal humerus fractures (PHFx) are uncommon and makeup ~2% of all pediatric fractures. Traditionally, most cases are treated nonoperatively with closed reduction (CR) or immobilization with no reduction (INR) with excellent outcomes. Indications for CR without fixation remain unclear as immobilization in the position of reduction (shoulder abduction and external rotation) is not practical. We aim to determine the need for CR among adolescents with displaced PHFx treated nonoperatively. METHODS: We conducted an IRB-approved prospective multicenter study involving 42 adolescents aged 10 to 16 years, treated for displaced PHFx across 6 institutions between 2018 and 2022. CR was performed under conscious sedation in the emergency department, with data collected during follow-up visits at 6 weeks and 3 months. Radiographic measurements, range of motion, and patient-reported outcomes, including the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Upper Extremity and Physical Function, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index, and QuickDash scores, were compared between the INR and CR groups. RESULTS: Among 42 fractures, 23 (55%) were treated with INR and 19 (45%) with CR, followed by placement in a hanging arm cast or sling. Of the cases, 62% were high-energy injuries. Radiographic alignment and range of motion were similar between groups at preoperative, 6 weeks, and 3 months with no significant differences noted.Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Upper Extremity, Physical Function, QuickDash, and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index scores at 6 weeks and 3 months showed no significant differences between cohorts. Significant improvement was observed between 6 weeks and 3 months for every patient-reported outcome in both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: For displaced PHFx treated nonoperatively, our data suggests INR has a similar radiographic and clinical outcome when compared with CR. Our results question the necessity of performing CR in this group of patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II-therapeutic studies: prospective cohort study.

Association of race and socioeconomic status with time to pain control among pediatric trauma patients managed nonoperatively.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated racial/ethnic inequities in acute pain control among hospitalized injured children. We hypothesized that there would be inequities in time to pain control based on race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all injured children (7-18 years) admitted to our level 1 trauma center between 2010 and 2019 with initial recorded numerical rating scale (NRS) scores of >3 who were managed nonoperatively. A Cox regression survival analysis was used to evaluate the time to pain control, defined as achieving an NRS score of ≤3. RESULTS: Our cohort included 1,787 admissions. The median age was 14 years (interquartile range, 10-18), 59.5% were male, 76.6% identified as White, 19.9% as Black, and 2.4% as Hispanic. The median initial NRS score was 7 (interquartile range, 5-9), and the median time to pain control was 4.9 hours (95% confidence interval, 4.6-5.3). Insurance status, as a marker of socioeconomic status, was not associated with time to pain control ( p = 0.29). However, the interaction of race/ethnicity and deprivation index was significant ( p = 0.002). Specifically, the socioeconomic deprivation of a child's home neighborhood was an important predictor for non-White children ( p <0.003) but not for White children ( p = 0.41) and non-White children from higher deprivation neighborhoods experienced greater times to pain control (hazard ratio, 1.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-2.07). Being female, older, presenting with higher initial NRS scores, and having history of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were all associated with longer times to pain control. Other injury characteristics and psychiatric history were evaluated but ultimately excluded, as they were not significant. CONCLUSION: Greater neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation was associated with prolonged time to pain control for non-White children admitted after injury and managed nonoperatively. Further work is needed to understand inequities in pain control for injured patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level IV.

Unicolumnar Pin Fixation of Type III Supracondylar Humeral Fractures Is Associated With Over 3 Times Higher Odds of Lost Reduction.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the rate of lost reduction between 2 groups of non-age-segregated type III supracondylar humeral fracture patients: a unicolumnar versus bicolumnar fixation group. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Pediatric Academic Trauma Center. PATIENTS: We identified 257 patients with type III supracondylar humerus fractures from surgical billing records over a 5-year period. There were 183 patients identified with bicolumnar fixation (71.2%) and 74 patients identified with unicolumnar fixation (28.8%). INTERVENTION: Closed reduction percutaneous pinning of the distal humerus. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was difference in rate of lost reduction between patients with bicolumnar (lateral and medial column) and unicolumnar (lateral column only) fixation (Fig. 1). The reduction and fixation at the time of fluoroscopy was assessed using the Baumann angle, Gordon index, and anterior humeral line. Loss of reduction was assessed at time of healing, defined by a Baumann angle change ≥10 degrees and Gordon index of ≥50% (Fig. 2). RESULTS: There were 183 patients with bicolumnar fixation and 74 patients with unicolumnar fixation included in the study (average age 5.8 years; range, 2-14 years). The rate of lost reduction in patients with bicolumnar fixation was 6.01% (11/183), whereas 17.57% (13/74) of patients with unicolumnar fixation experienced lost reduction. These rates were significantly different (P = 0.008) with a 3.3 times higher odds (95% confidence interval = 1.3-8.6) of lost reduction with unicolumnar fixation. CONCLUSIONS: There is a statistically significant increase in the rate of supracondylar fracture loss of reduction for patients with unicolumnar fixation when compared with bicolumnar fixation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Closing the Gender Gap: Barriers to Success for Recruitment and Retention of the Female Orthopaedic Surgery Applicant.

¼ Orthopaedic surgery reports one of the lowest proportions of female residents among all medical specialties. While the number of female medical students has increased, our field has been particularly slow to respond to the gender gap. ¼ There are several barriers to increased female representation in orthopaedics, including "jock" culture and male dominance, the residency application process, pregnancy and lifestyle concerns, a limited number of mentors and role models, and lack of early exposure to the field. ¼ Organizations such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society, The Perry Initiative, Nth Dimensions, and the J. Robert Gladden Society, as well as social media channels, are working to close the gender gap, but there is still more that needs to be done. ¼ By acknowledging and addressing these barriers, both at an individual and institutional level, we can hopefully bring more women into the field. This will ultimately benefit not only ourselves, but our patients as well.

Infantile Supracondylar Humeral Fractures (Patients Less Than Two Years of Age): Twice as Common in Females and a High Rate of Malunion with Lateral Column-Only Fixation.

BACKGROUND: The age range for supracondylar humeral fractures spans from 1 to 14 years of age; most published studies have analyzed patients as non-age-segregated cohorts. Some isolated studies focused on the upper age range, demonstrating a male predominance and more severe fractures. The purpose of the current study was to analyze a large cohort of patients with surgically treated supracondylar humeral fractures at the low end of the age range (<2 years of age). METHODS: Patients <2 years of age were identified from surgical billing records. Pin constructs were categorized as lateral column-only fixation or medial and lateral column fixation. All patients were followed through fracture-healing. Substantial loss of reduction was defined as a Baumann angle that changed ≥10° between surgery and healing or as a lateral rotation percentage (i.e., Gordon index) of ≥50% at the time of healing. The Fisher exact test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: One hundred and three patients met our inclusion criteria. There were 69 female and 34 male patients (a 2:1 female-to-male ratio). Two patients did not have adequate follow-up radiographs. Of the 46 patients with bicolumnar fixation, 5 (11%) demonstrated loss of reduction compared with 20 (36%) of 55 patients with lateral column-only fixation. This difference between the groups was significant (p = 0.005). The group with lateral column-only fixation had 4.7-times-higher odds of loss of reduction (95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 13.8). A subset of patients had in-cast imaging that allowed calculation of the posterior sagittal cast index (a measure of cast fit). Eight of 15 patients who had a posterior sagittal cast index of ≥0.20 experienced loss of reduction, while only 1 of 19 patients with a cast index value of <0.20 had loss of reduction (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Supracondylar humeral fractures were twice as common in females in this very young cohort. We also found a nearly 5-times-higher odds of loss of reduction when fracture fixation was of the lateral column only. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Standardization of Care of Common Pediatric Fractures.

Distal radius fractures are the most common site of fracture in the pediatric population. Supracondylar humerus fractures are the most common pediatric elbow fracture. Although there is abundant literature discussing treatment and outcomes of these fractures, there is only emerging literature specifically discussing the variation in care among surgeons. There is need for standardization of these types of injuries to optimize the quality, safety, and value for patients. Quality improvement methodology differs from traditional research and is meant to be shared and used to implement changes quickly. This article discusses basic quality improvement methodology.

Tarsal Coalition in Children.

Tarsal coalition (a congenital fibrous, cartilaginous, or bony connection between two bones) classically presents with recurrent ankle sprains or with insidious onset of a painful, stiff flatfoot. Flatfoot is a benign finding most of the time, but it is important to distinguish the rigid flatfoot from the flexible flatfoot. A patient with recurrent sprains of the ankle or a stiff flatfoot should be evaluated for a tarsal coalition. The key to making the diagnosis is careful examination for stiffness in the subtalar joint and appropriate imaging studies. Both nonoperative and operative measures can be used to treat this condition.