Objectives. Different criteria for assessing the reduction quality of trochanteric fractures have been reported. The Baumgaertner reduction quality criteria (BRQC) are relatively common and the Chang reduction quality criteria (CRQC) are relatively new. The objectives of the current study were to compare the reliability of the BRQC and CRQC in predicting mechanical complications and to investigate the clinical implications of the CRQC. Methods. A total of 168 patients were assessed in a retrospective observational study. Clinical information including age, sex, fracture side, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, tip-apex distance (TAD), fracture classification, reduction quality, blade position, BRQC, CRQC, bone quality, and the occurrence of mechanical complications were used in the statistical analysis. Results. A total of 127 patients were included in the full analysis, and mechanical complications were observed in 26 patients. The TAD, blade position, BRQC and CRQC were significantly associated with mechanical complications in the univariate analysis. Only the TAD (p = 0.025) and the CRQC (p < 0.001) showed significant results in the multivariate analysis. In the comparison of the receiver operating characteristic curves, the CRQC also performed better than the BRQC. Conclusion. The CRQC are reliable in predicting mechanical complications and are more reliable than the BRQC. Future studies could use the CRQC to assess fracture reduction quality. Intraoperatively, the surgeon should refer to the CRQC to achieve good reduction in trochanteric fractures. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2019;8:502–508

Aims. To develop a core outcome set of measurements from postoperative radiographs that can be used to assess technical skill in performing dynamic hip screw (DHS) and hemiarthroplasty, and to validate these against Van der Vleuten’s criteria for effective assessment. Methods. A Delphi exercise was undertaken at a regional major trauma centre to identify candidate measurement items. The feasibility of taking these measurements was tested by two of the authors (HKJ, GTRP). Validity and reliability were examined using the radiographs of operations performed by orthopaedic resident participants (n = 28) of a multicentre randomized controlled educational trial (ISRCTN20431944). Trainees were divided into novice and intermediate groups, defined as having performed < ten or ≥ ten cases each for DHS and hemiarthroplasty at baseline. The procedure-based assessment (PBA) global rating score was assumed as the gold standard assessment for the purposes of concurrent validity. Intra- and inter-rater reliability testing were performed on a random subset of 25 cases. Results. In total, 327 DHS and 248 hemiarthroplasty procedures were performed by 28 postgraduate year (PGY) 3 to 5 orthopaedic trainees during the 2014 to 2015 surgical training year at nine NHS hospitals in the West Midlands, UK. Overall, 109 PBAs were completed for DHS and 80 for hemiarthroplasty. Expert consensus identified four ‘final product analysis’ (FPA) radiological parameters of technical success for DHS: tip-apex distance (TAD); lag screw position in the femoral head; flushness of the plate against the lateral femoral cortex; and eight-cortex hold of the plate screws. Three parameters were identified for hemiarthroplasty: leg length discrepancy; femoral stem alignment; and femoral offset. Face validity, content validity, and feasibility were excellent. For all measurements, performance was better in the intermediate compared with the novice group, and this was statistically significant for TAD (p < 0.001) and femoral stem alignment (p = 0.023). Concurrent validity was poor when measured against global PBA score. This may be explained by the fact that they are measuring difference facets of competence. Intra-and inter-rater reliability were excellent for TAD, moderate for lag screw position (DHS), and moderate for leg length discrepancy (hemiarthroplasty). Use of a large multicentre dataset suggests good generalizability of the results to other settings. Assessment using FPA was time- and cost-effective compared with PBA. Conclusion. Final product analysis using post-implantation radiographs to measure technical skill in hip fracture surgery is feasible, valid, reliable, and cost-effective. It can complement traditional workplace-based assessment for measuring performance in the real-world operating room . It may have particular utility in competency-based training frameworks and for assessing skill transfer from the simulated to live operating theatre. Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-9:594–604

Aims

This study aimed to determine whether lateral femoral wall thickness (LWT) < 20.5 mm was associated with increased revision risk of intertrochanteric fracture (ITF) of the hip following sliding hip screw (SHS) fixation when the medial calcar was intact. Additionally, the study assessed the association between LWT and patient mortality.