Timing of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis initiation and complications in polytrauma patients with high-risk bleeding orthopedic interventions: A nationwide analysis.

INTRODUCTION: There are no clear recommendations for the perioperative timing and initiation of venous thromboembolism pharmacologic prophylaxis (VTEp) among polytrauma patients undergoing high-risk bleeding orthopedic operative intervention, leading to variations in VTEp administration. Our study examined the association between the timing of VTEp and VTE complications in polytrauma patients undergoing high-risk operative orthopedic interventions nationwide. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of trauma patients 18 years or older who underwent high-risk bleeding operative orthopedic interventions for pelvic, hip, and femur fractures within 24 hours of admission at American College of Surgeons-verified trauma centers using the 2019-2020 American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program databank. We excluded patients with a competing risk of nonorthopedic surgical bleeding. We assessed operative orthopedic polytrauma patients who received VTEp within 12 hours of orthopedic surgical intervention compared with VTEp received beyond 12 hours of intervention. The primary outcome assessed was overall VTE events. Secondary outcomes were orthopedic reinterventions within 72 hours after primary orthopedic surgery, deep venous thromboembolism, and pulmonary embolism rates. RESULTS: The study included 2,229 patients who underwent high-risk orthopedic operative intervention. The median time to VTEp initiation was 30 hours (interquartile range, 18-44 hours). After adjustment for baseline patient, injury, and hospital characteristics, VTEp initiated more than 12 hours from primary orthopedic surgery was associated with increased odds of VTE (adjusted odds ratio, 2.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-3.77). Earlier initiation of prophylaxis was not associated with an increased risk for surgical reintervention (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-1.34). CONCLUSION: Administering VTEp within 24 hours of admission and within 12 hours of major orthopedic surgery involving the femur, pelvis, or hip demonstrated an associated decreased risk of in-hospital VTE without an accompanying elevated risk of bleeding-related orthopedic reintervention. Clinicians should reconsider delays in initiating or withholding perioperative VTEp for stable polytrauma patients needing major orthopedic intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III.

Do All Fractures Need Surgery?

Common fractures managed by orthopaedic surgeons include ankle fractures, proximal humerus fractures in patients older than 60 years, humeral shaft fractures, and distal radius fractures. Recent trends indicate that surgical management is the best option for most fractures. However, there is limited evidence regarding whether most of these fractures need surgery, or whether there is a subset that could be managed without surgery, with no change in outcomes, or even possibly having improved results with lower complication rates with nonsurgical care.

The induced membrane technique for bone defects: Basic science, clinical evidence, and technical tips.

The clinical management of large bone defects continues to be a difficult clinical problem to manage for treating surgeons. The induced membrane technique is a commonly employed strategy to manage these complex injuries and achieve bone union. Basic science and clinical evidence continue to expand to address questions related to the biology of the membrane and how interventions may impact clinical outcomes. In this review, we discuss the basic science and clinical evidence for the induced membrane technique as well as provide indications for the procedure and technical tips for performing the induced membrane technique.

Surgical Hip Dislocation for Small Posterior Wall Fracture After Hip Subluxation.

This case demonstrates a recognized association between an acetabular injury pattern and underlying morphology of the hip. In the patient discussed, hyperflexion of the hip results in the engagement of the present CAM lesion, and the resulting subluxation leads to a fracture of the posterior wall and instability of the hip. This combination of pathologies was addressed with a surgical dislocation approach to address both the CAM lesion and fix the posterior wall.

Hemiarthroplasty Through a Direct Anterior Approach for Femoral Neck Fractures.

This video demonstrates the direct anterior approach (DAA) for placement of an uncemented hemiarthroplasty for a displaced femoral neck fracture. The DAA is an intranervous and intramuscular approach that is believed to allow patients a quicker recovery and decrease the rate of dislocation. Femoral exposure is the most challenging component of the approach. In this video, the approach is performed with the assistance of the fracture table to facilitate exposure of the femur. This step-by-step description demonstrates how to expose the femur, measure for the femoral head size, and place an uncemented femoral stem in for a unipolar hemiarthroplasty. A full capsular closure is performed by reapproximating the iliofemoral ligament after reduction. This DAA video is taken from the surgeon's point of view to facilitate visualization of the anatomy and orientation of implant placement.

Postoperative Complications of Hip Fractures Patients on Chronic Coumadin: A Comparison Based on Operative International Normalized Ratio.

In current clinical practice, orthopedic surgeons often delay the surgery intervention on geriatric hip fracture patients to optimize the international normalized ratio (INR), in order to decrease the risk of postoperative hematological complications. However, some evidence suggests that full reversal protocols may not be necessary, especially for patients with prior thromboembolic history. Our study aims to compare the surgical outcomes of patients with normal versus elevated INR values. We conducted a retrospective chart review on 217 patients who underwent surgeries on hip fractures at two academic trauma centers. We found that in our group (n = 124) of patients with an INR value of 1.5-3.0, there was only one reoperation for a hematoma, but there was a trend for more blood transfusions. There was no statistically significant difference in the odds of reoperation or overall complications. Nevertheless, there were significantly more events of postoperative anemia in this high INR patient group.

The Past, Present, and Future of Orthopedic Education: Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has upended nearly every medical discipline, dramatically impacted patient care and has had far-reaching effects on surgeon education. In many areas of the country, elective orthopedic surgery has completely stopped to ensure that resources are available for the critically ill and to minimize the spread of disease. COVID-19 is forcing many around the world to re-evaluate existing processes and organizations and adapt to carry out business, of which medicine and education are not immune. Most national and international orthopedic conferences, training programs, and workshops have been postponed or canceled, and we are now critically evaluating the delivery of education to our colleagues as well as residents and fellows. This article describes the evolution of orthopedic education and significant paradigm shifts necessary to continue to teach ourselves and the future leaders of our noble profession.

Patient Outcomes Following Total Joint Replacement Surgery: A Comparison of Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers.

BACKGROUND: For several years, many orthopedic surgeons have been performing total joint replacements in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and more recently in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). In a recent shift, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began reimbursing for total knee replacement surgery in HOPDs. Some observers have expressed concerns over patient safety for the Medicare population particularly if Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services extends the policy to include total hip replacement surgery and coverage in ASCs. METHODS: This study used a large claims database of non-Medicare patients to examine inpatient and outpatient total knee replacement and total hip replacement surgery performed on a near-elderly population during 2014-2016. We applied propensity score methods to match inpatients with ASC patients and HOPD patients with ASC patients adjusting for risk using the HHS Hierarchical Condition Categories risk adjustment model. We conducted statistical tests comparing clinical outcomes across the 3 settings and examined relative costs. RESULTS: Readmissions, postsurgical complications, and payments were lower for outpatients than for inpatients. Within outpatient settings, readmissions and postsurgical complications were lower in ASCs than in HOPDs but payments for ASC patients were higher than payments for HOPD patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the argument that outpatient total joint replacement is appropriate for select patients treated in both HOPDs and ASCs, although in the commercially insured population, the latter services may come at a cost. Until further study of outpatient total joint replacement in the Medicare population becomes available, how this will extrapolate to the Medicare population is unknown.

Garden 1 and 2 Femoral Neck Fractures Collapse More Than Expected After Closed Reduction and Percutaneous Pinning.

OBJECTIVES: To report on the final displacement after in situ percutaneous pinning for Garden type 1 and 2 fractures in height, femoral neck fracture collapse, and loss of offset. DESIGN: Retrospectively reviewed case series. SETTING: Three Academic Medical Centers. Boston University Medical Center (Level 1 Trauma Center), Lahey Hospital and Medical Center (Level 2 Trauma Center), and Geisinger Medical Center (level 2 Trauma Center). PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: One hundred thirty skeletally mature patients with 130 fractures (78 garden 1 and 52 garden 2) who were treated between January 2000 and January 2014 at participating hospitals with percutaneous pinning with a cannulated screw system to successful union after sustaining an intracapsular femoral neck fracture without complete displacement. INTERVENTION: In situ percutaneous pinning with 3 cannulated, partially threaded screws in an inverted triangle orientation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Femoral neck fracture collapse (mm), femoral height shortening (mm), and femoral offset shortening (mm). RESULTS: A total of 130 patients (81F, 49M), average age 72 years, sustained 78 Garden 1 and 52 Garden 2 femoral neck fractures. Maximal collapse occurred in the plane of the femoral neck. Thirty-three of 78 (42%) Garden 1 fractures and 33/52 (63%) Garden 2 fractures demonstrated >10 mm fracture collapse. The range of displacements was 0-39 mm as measured along the plane of the femoral neck. CONCLUSIONS: Garden 1 fractures collapse less frequently than Garden 2 fractures, but both have high rates of fracture collapse when treated to union with in situ percutaneous pin fixation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Incidence of Distal Femoral Periprosthetic Fractures after Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of distal femoral periprosthetic fractures associated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been reported as 0.3% to 2.5%. This study examined the incidence of distal femoral periprosthetic fractures at one hospital over a 16-year period. We hypothesized that the incidence of these fractures would be lowered after the introduction of lugged femoral implants and insertion of a distal femoral intramedullary bone graft during TKA. METHODS: From 1994 to 2010, 4,943 primary TKAs were performed. Following these TKA operations, 21 distal femoral fractures occurred. The surgical technique and implant design changed during this interval. Lugged femoral implants were introduced in 2000. Intramedullary bone grafting of the distal femoral intramedullary guide hole was introduced in 2002. RESULTS: The incidence of distal femoral periprosthetic fracture in this series of 4,943 TKA operations was 0.42% (21/4943). Six fractures occurred in 1,236 knees with femoral implants without femoral fixation lugs (0.49%). Fifteen fractures occurred in 3,707 knees with femoral implants with femoral fixation lugs (0.40%). Eight fractures occurred in 1,653 knees that did not have intramedullary bone grafts (0.48%). Thirteen fractures occurred in 3,290 knees that had intramedullary bone grafts (0.40%). Two fractures occurred in 417 knees with lugged femoral implants and no bone graft (0.48%). CONCLUSIONS: In this series, there was no significant difference in the incidence of distal femoral periprosthetic fractures associated with adding fixation lugs to the femoral implant and filling the femoral intramedullary hole with bone graft.

Outcomes after plating of olecranon fractures: A multicenter evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to report the physical and functional outcomes after open reduction internal fixation of the olecranon in a large series of patients with region specific plating across multiple centres. PATIENTS/METHODS: Between January 2007 and January 2014, 182 consecutive patients with a displaced olecranon fracture treated with open reduction internal fixation were included in this study. Retrospective review across four trauma centres collected elbow range of motion, DASH scores, hardware complications, and hardware removal. Postoperative visits in the outpatient clinic were at two, six, and twenty-four weeks. After 24 weeks, patients were eligible for hardware removal if symptomatic. All patients were contacted, at least 1 year following surgery, to determine if hardware was removed. RESULTS: 182 patients (75 women, 105 men) average age 50 (16-89) with 162 closed and 19 open displaced olecranon fractures were treated with one region specific plate. Nineteen were lost to followup leaving 163 for analysis with all patients united. The most common deficiency was a lack of full extension with 39% lacking at least 10° of extension. Hardware was asymptomatic in 67%, painful upon leaning in 20%, and restricted activities in 11% resulting in a 15% rate of hardware removal. Hardware complaints were more common if a screw was placed in the corner of the plate (P=0.004). When symptomatic, the area of the plate that was bothersome encompassed the whole plate in 39%, was at the edge of the plate in 33%, and was a screw head in 28%. The DASH scores, collected at final follow-up of 24 weeks, was 10.1±16, indicating moderate disability was still present. Patients who lacked 10° of extension had a DASH of 12.3 as compared with 10.5 for those with near full extension, but this was not significant (P=0.5). CONCLUSION: Plating of the olecranon leads to predictable union. The most common complication was lack of full extension with 39% lacking more than 10°, although this did not have any effect on DASH scores. Overall results indicate that disability still exists after 6 months with an average DASH score of 10. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic level III.

Long Term Treatment Results for Deep Infections of Total Knee Arthroplasty.

This study aims to identify the long-term outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) treated for deep infection. 3270 consecutive primary and 175 revision TKAs were followed prospectively. There were 39 deep infections (1.16%): 29 primary (0.9%) and 10 revision (5.7%) cases. Two-stage resection and re-implantation procedure was performed in 13 primary cases with 10/13 (77%) successfully resolved. Early (<1 month) Irrigation and Debridement (I&D) was performed in 16 primary cases with 100% success. Late (>4 months) I&D was performed in 6 cases with 5/6 (83.3%) successful. Infection following revision TKA resulted in poor outcomes with both two-stage (2/4 successful) and I&D (2/6 successful). Deep infection after primary TKA can be successfully resolved with I&D and appropriate antibiotic treatment in the early postoperative course.

Revision surgery occurs frequently after percutaneous fixation of stable femoral neck fractures in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Femoral neck fractures are a major public health problem. Multiple-screw fixation is the most commonly used surgical technique for the treatment of stable femoral neck fractures. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We determined (1) the proportion of hips that had conversion surgery to THA, and (2) the proportion of hips that underwent repeat fracture surgery after percutaneous screw fixation of stable (Garden Stages I and II) femoral neck fractures in patients older than 65 years and the causes of these reoperations. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of all patients older than 65 years with stable femoral neck fractures secondary to low-energy trauma treated surgically at our institution between 2005 and 2008. We identified 121 fractures in 120 patients older than 65 years as stable (Garden Stage I or II); all were treated with percutaneous, cannulated screw fixation in an inverted triangle without performing a capsulotomy or aspiration of the fracture hematoma at the time of surgery. The average age of the patients at the time of fracture was 80 years (range, 65-100 years). Radiographs, operative reports, and medical records were reviewed. Fracture union, nonunion, osteonecrosis, intraarticular hardware, loss of fixation, and conversion to arthroplasty were noted. Followup averaged 11 months (range, 0-5 years) because all patients were included, including those who died. The mortality rate was 40% for all patients at the time of review. RESULTS: Twelve patients (10%) underwent conversion surgery to THA at a mean of 9 months after the index fracture repair (range, 2-24 months); the indications for conversion to THA included osteonecrosis, nonunion, and loss of fixation. Two others had periimplant subtrochanteric femur fractures treated by surgical repair with cephalomedullary nails and two patients had removal of hardware. CONCLUSIONS: Revision surgery after osteosynthesis for stable femoral neck fractures was more frequent in this series than previously has been reported. The reasons for this higher frequency of reoperation may be related to poor bone quality, patient age, and some technical factors, which leads us to believe other treatment options such as nonoperative management or hemiarthroplasty may be viable options for some of these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.

Do osteotomies of the proximal femur still have a role?

Trochanteric valgus and varus correction osteotomies have been described with or without associated rotational correction. In the last decade, new techniques have been described, including femoral neck osteotomy, femoral head reorientation, relative neck lengthening, greater or lesser trochanter distalization, and femoral head reduction osteotomy. While the overall number of femoral osteotomies in the young patients has decreased because of the efficacy of primary total hip arthroplasties, those osteotomy techniques may expand the indications for femoral osteotomies in select patients who meet the indications.

Periacetabular osteotomy after failed hip arthroscopy for labral tears in patients with acetabular dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: Chronic mechanical overload of the acetabular rim may lead to acetabular labral disease in patients with hip dysplasia. Although arthroscopic debridement of the labrum may provide symptomatic relief, the underlying mechanical abnormality remains. There is little information regarding how the results of periacetabular osteotomy are affected by a prior primary treatment for labral disease in the presence of acetabular dysplasia. METHODS: In a retrospective matched-cohort study, seventeen patients who had arthroscopic labral debridement prior to periacetabular osteotomy (the arthroscopy group) were compared with a control group of thirty-four patients who did not undergo arthroscopic labral debridement prior to periacetabular osteotomy (the non-arthroscopy group). Two control patients were randomly matched to each experimental patient from a pool of controls. Functional outcomes were assessed with use of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Failure of periacetabular osteotomy was defined as conversion to a total hip replacement. RESULTS: Changes in the preoperative and postoperative WOMAC scores of arthroscopy and non-arthroscopy patients were comparable, and the differences between the two treatment groups were not significant. We were unable to show a significant difference between the seventeen arthroscopy and thirty-four non-arthroscopy patients with regard to the risk of having to undergo a total hip replacement. CONCLUSIONS: When arthroscopic labral debridement fails to improve symptoms in patients with labral disease secondary to acetabular dysplasia, periacetabular osteotomy may still be considered as a joint-preserving procedure that can achieve good functional results.

Epiphyseal reperfusion after subcapital realignement of an unstable SCFE.

We present a case of epiphyseal reperfusion in a 12-year-old boy following subcapital realignment of a unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis. The case demonstrates that even if delayed, anatomical surgical realignment of the femoral head can be successful in preserving or reestablishing blood flow to the femoral epiphysis.

Spatiotemporal parameters of gait after total hip replacement: anterior versus posterior approach.

The objective of this preliminary study was to examine possible differences in gait characteristics between subjects operated by way of a direct anterior approach and a posterior approach for primary total-hip arthroplasty, and age-matched healthy controls. Fifty-one subjects walked over an instrumented mat at two different speeds (self-selected comfortable and faster than normal) and spatiotemporal gait parameters were calculated using a validated methodology. Despite excellent clinical and radiographic scores, and irrespective of surgical approach, patients demonstrated an impaired walking performance (lower velocity and shorter step lengths) during fast walking, but not at the self-selected comfortable speed compared with healthy controls. Subjects operated with the posterior approach reported significantly higher stiffness than anterior subjects, but similar pain and function. Six months after total arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis of the hip, gait characteristics were comparable between subjects having received the direct anterior approach and the posterior approach.

The history of the anterior approach to the hip.

The anterior approach is a safe, reliable, and feasible technique for total hip arthroplasty, permitting optimal soft tissue preservation. Since Hueter first described this interval, many surgeons have approached the hip anteriorly to perform a myriad of surgical procedures. The anterior approach allows optimal muscle preservation, and it is a truly internervous approach to the hip. An understanding of the evolution of the anterior approach to the hip will help the orthopedic community understand these advantages and why so many have used this approach in the treatment of hip pathology and for the implantation total hip arthroplasty.

Does hip resurfacing require larger acetabular cups than conventional THA?

UNLABELLED: Hip resurfacing is femoral bone preserving, but there is controversy regarding the amount of bone removed at the acetabular side. We therefore compared the implanted acetabular cup sizes in primary THAs between two resurfacing devices and a conventional press-fit cup using a series of 2134 THAs (Allofit cup 1643 hips, Durom Hip Resurfacing 249 hips, and Birmingham Hip Resurfacing 242 hips). The effects of patient demographics and cup position in the horizontal plane also were assessed. After controlling for gender, patients were matched for height, weight, body mass index, and age. The mean size for Allofit cups was smaller than the sizes for Durom and Birmingham Hip Resurfacing cups in women (49.9 mm, 51.6 mm, 52.3 mm, respectively) and men (55.1 mm, 56.7 mm, 57.8 mm; respectively). Although patient height was associated with the implanted cup size, the cup position in the horizontal plane had no effect on the size used. Larger cups were used with hip resurfacing than for THA with a conventional press-fit cup. However, additional studies are needed to determine whether these small differences have any clinical implications in the long term. The association of cup size and patient height should be considered in future studies comparing component sizes among different implants. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic proteins in the treatment of fractures.

Recently, several prospective randomized clinical trials have resulted in the publication of critical studies on the efficacy of recombinant human morphogenetic proteins BMP-2 (rhBMP-2) and BMP-7 (OP-1) in spinal fusion and fracture healing. The clinical use of BMPs is now in its infancy and understanding the mechanism and the appropriate application of these proteins is necessary for all practicing orthopedic surgeons. This article will revisit some of the early studies using rhBMPs and review the current literature on their role in fracture healing.