Aims. To explore staff experiences of a multicentre pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing intramedullary nails and circular frame external fixation for segmental tibial fractures. Methods. A purposeful sample of 19 staff (nine surgeons) involved in the study participated in an interview. Interviews explored participants’ experience and views of the study and the treatments. The interviews drew on phenomenology, were face-to-face or by telephone, and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results. The findings identify that for the treatment of segmental tibial fractures equipoise was a theoretical ideal that was most likely unattainable in clinical practice. This was conveyed through three themes: the ambiguity of equipoise, where multiple definitions of equipoise and a belief in community equipoise were evident; an illusion of equipoise, created by strong treatment preferences and variation in collective surgical skills; and treating the whole patient, where the complexity and severity of the injury required a patient-centred approach and doing the best for the individual patient took priority over trial recruitment. Conclusion. Equipoise can be unattainable for rare injuries such as segmental tibial fractures, where there are substantially different surgical treatments requiring specific expertise, high levels of complexity, and a concern for poor outcomes. Surgeons are familiar with community equipoise. However, a shared understanding of factors that limit the feasibility of RCTs may identify instances where community equipoise is unlikely to translate into practice. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(7):486–492

Aims. The aim of this study was to describe services available to patients with periprosthetic femoral fracture (PPFF) in England and Wales, with focus on variation between centres and areas for care improvement. Methods. This work used data freely available from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) facilities survey in 2021, which asked 21 questions about the care of patients with PPFFs, and nine relating to clinical decision-making around a hypothetical case. Results. Of 174 centres contributing data to the NHFD, 161 provided full responses and 139 submitted data on PPFF. Lack of resources was cited as the main reason for not submitting data. Surgeon (44.6%) and theatre (29.7%) availability were reported as the primary reasons for surgical delay beyond 36 hours. Less than half had a formal process for a specialist surgeon to operate on PPFF at least every other day. The median number of specialist surgeons at each centre was four (interquartile range (IQR) 3 to 6) for PPFF around both hips and knees. Around one-third of centres reported having one dedicated theatre list per week. The routine discussion of patients with PPFF at local and regional multidisciplinary team meetings was lower than that for all-cause revision arthroplasties. Six centres reported transferring all patients with PPFF around a hip joint to another centre for surgery, and this was an occasional practice for a further 34. The management of the hypothetical clinical scenario was varied, with 75 centres proposing ORIF, 35 suggested revision surgery and 48 proposed a combination of both revision and fixation. Conclusion. There is considerable variation in both the organization of PPFF services England and Wales, and in the approach taken to an individual case. The rising incidence of PPFF and complexity of these patients highlight the need for pathway development. The adoption of networks may reduce variability and improve outcomes for patients with PPFF. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(5):378–384

The Covid-19 pandemic restricted access to elective arthroplasty theatres. Consequently, there was a staggering rise in waiting times for patients awaiting total hip arthroplasty (THA). Concomitantly, rapidly destructive osteoarthritis (RDOA) incidence also increased. Two cohorts of patients were reviewed: patients undergoing primary THA, pre-pandemic (December 2017-December 2018) and patients with RDOA (ascertained by dual consultant review of pre-operative radiographs) undergoing THA after the pandemic started (March 2020 – March 2022). There were 236 primary THA cases in the pre-pandemic cohort. Out of the 632 primary THA cases post-pandemic, 186 cases (29%) had RDOA. Within this RDOA cohort, the pre-operative mean OHS, EQ5D3L and EQVAS (12.7, 10.5 and 57.6 respectively) were all poorer than in the pre-pandemic population (18.3, 9.4 and 66.7 respectively) (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the RDOA and pre-pandemic cohort in Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) at 12 months, perhaps due to their ceiling effect. Within the RDOA cohort, 7 cases required acetabular augments, 1 of which also required femoral shortening. The rate of intra-operative fracture, dislocation, infection, return to theatre, and revision were 2.2%, 2.7%, 4.3%, 3.8% and 2.2% respectively, greater than those reported in the literature. No fractures nor dislocations occurred in robot assisted arthroplasties. With ever increasing waiting lists, RDOA prevalence will continue to rise. Increased surgical challenges and potential use of additional implants generated by its presence excludes these patients from waiting list initiative pathways, potentiating the complexity of the operative procedure. Going forwards, the economic burden and training implications must be considered

Aims. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the Orthopaedic Trauma Society (OTS) classification of open fractures and economic costs. Methods. Resource use was measured during the six months that followed open fractures of the lower limb in 748 adults recruited as part of two large clinical trials within the UK Major Trauma Research Network. Resource inputs were valued using unit costs drawn from primary and secondary sources. Economic costs (GBP sterling, 2017 to 2018 prices), estimated from both a NHS and Personal Social Services (PSS) perspective, were related to the degree of complexity of the open fracture based on the OTS classification. Results. Adjusted mean total NHS and PSS costs were £13,785 following treatment of complex fractures and £3,550 following treatment of simple fractures, where the open fracture wound is closed at the end of the first wound debridement, generating a mean difference of £10,235 (95% confidence interval £8,074 to £12,396). Conclusion. Following previous work correlating clinical outcomes with the OTS classification of open fractures, this study suggests that the new OTS classification also correlates with economic costs estimated from alternative study perspectives. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(3):408–412

Aims. This study explores data quality in operation type and fracture classification recorded as part of a large research study and a national audit with an independent review. Patients and Methods. At 17 centres, an expert surgeon reviewed a randomly selected subset of cases from their centre with regard to fracture classification using the AO system and type of operation performed. Agreement for these variables was then compared with the data collected during conduct of the World Hip Trauma Evaluation (WHiTE) cohort study. Both types of surgery and fracture classification were collapsed to identify the level of detail of reporting that achieved meaningful agreement. In the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD), the types of operation and fracture classification were explored to identify the proportion of “highly improbable” combinations. Results. The records were reviewed for 903 cases. Agreement for the subtypes of extracapsular fracture was poor; most centres achieved no better than “fair” agreement. When the classification was collapsed to a single option for “extracapsular” fracture, only four centres failed to have at least “moderate” agreement. There was only “moderate” agreement for the subtypes of intracapsular fracture, which improved to “substantial” when collapsed to “intracapsular”. Subtrochanteric fracture types were well reported with “substantial” agreement. There was near “perfect” agreement for internal fixation procedures. “Perfect” or “substantial” agreement was achieved when the type of arthroplasty surgery was reported at the level of “hemiarthroplasty” and “total hip replacement”. When reviewing data submitted to the NHFD, a minimum of 5.2% of cases contained “highly improbable” procedures for the stated fracture classification. Conclusion. The complexity of collecting fracture classification data at a national scale compromises the accuracy with which detailed classification systems can be reported. Data around type of surgery performed show similar tendencies. Data capture, reporting, and interpretation in future studies must take this into account. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1292–1299

A simple classification system, NOF complexity classification, was developed at the Great Western Hospital Trauma and Orthopaedic department, allowing stratification of resources. This is a four-group classification system, each group with two elements, firstly the patients medical fitness and secondly the complexity of the fracture. (C0=medically fit + simple fracture, C1=medically fit + complex fracture, C2=medically unfit + simple fracture, C3=medically unfit + complex fracture). Between June 2008 and June 2009, data was collected retrospectively for 290 patients during a weekly MDT meeting to enter data that has been gathered into a departmental database to monitor our performance. The outcomes that we looked for to test the validity of this classification are the thirty-day mortality, annual mortality and length of hospital stay all stratified by complexity. Results showed that there has been a strong correlation between the complexity classification and the 30-day and annual mortality with P values of 0.015 and 0.008 respectively. This resulted in a 30-day mortality of 4.4%, which is half the national average. Our average length of stay was equal to the national average of 23 days. This classification system has allowed an improvement in service by adapting a classification system, which is understood by both the Orthogeriatric and Orthopaedic teams

Radiation exposure is a hazard to orthopaedic surgeons, theatre staff and patients intra-operatively. Obesity is becoming a more prevalent problem worldwide and there is little evidence how a patient's body habitus correlates with the radiation doses required to penetrate the soft tissues for adequate imaging. We aimed to identify if there was a correlation between Body Mass Index (BMI) and radiation exposure intra-operatively. We performed a retrospective review of 75 patients who underwent sliding hip screw fixation for femoral neck fractures in one year. We recorded Body Mass Index (BMI), screening time, dose area product (DAP), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, seniority of surgeon and complexity of the fracture configuration. We analysed the data using statistical tests. We found that there was a statistically significant correlation between dose area product and patient's BMI. There was no statistically significant relationship between screening time and BMI. There was no statistical difference between ASA grade, seniority of surgeon, or complexity of fracture configuration and dose area product. Obese patients are exposed to increased doses of radiation regardless of length of screening time. Surgeons and theatre staff should be aware of the increased radiation exposure during fixation of fractures in obese patients and, along with radiographers, ensure steps are taken to minimise these risks

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The aim of this study was to assess the safety and clinical outcome of patients with a femoral shaft fracture and a previous complex post-traumatic femoral malunion who were treated with a clamshell osteotomy and fixation with an intramedullary nail (IMN).

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National hip fracture registries audit similar aspects of care but there is variation in the actual data collected; these differences restrict international comparison, benchmarking, and research. The Fragility Fracture Network (FFN) published a revised minimum common dataset (MCD) in 2022 to improve consistency and interoperability. Our aim was to assess compatibility of existing registries with the MCD.

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Proper preoperative planning benefits fracture reduction, fixation, and stability in tibial plateau fracture surgery. We developed and clinically implemented a novel workflow for 3D surgical planning including patient-specific drilling guides in tibial plateau fracture surgery.

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Fracture-related infections (FRIs) are a devastating complication of fracture management. However, the impact of FRIs on mental health remains understudied. The aim of this study was a longitudinal evaluation of patients’ psychological state, and expectations for recovery comparing patients with recurrent FRI to those with primary FRI.

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Ankle fracture fixation is commonly performed by junior trainees. Simulation training using cadavers may shorten the learning curve and result in a technically superior surgical performance.

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The aim of the present study was to assess the outcomes of the induced membrane technique (IMT) for the management of infected segmental bone defects, and to analyze predictive factors associated with unfavourable outcomes.

Bone is the second most commonly transplanted tissue worldwide, with over four million operations using bone grafts or bone substitute materials annually to treat bone defects. However, significant limitations affect current treatment options and clinical demand for bone grafts continues to rise due to conditions such as trauma, cancer, infection and arthritis. The need for a novel, cost effective treatment option for osteochondral defects has therefore never been greater. As an emerging technology, three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has the capacity to deposit cells, extracellular matrices and other biological materials in user-defined patterns to build complex tissue constructs from the “bottom up”. Through use of extrusion bioprinting and fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing, porous 3D scaffolds were successfully created in this study from hydrogels and synthetic polymers. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seeded onto polycaprolactone scaffolds with defined pore sizes and porosity maintained viability over a 7-day period, with addition of alginate hydrogel and scaffold surface treatment with NaOH increasing cell adhesion and viability. MSC-laden alginate constructs produced via extrusion bioprinting also maintained structural integrity and cell viability over 7 days in vitro culture. Growth within osteogenic media resulted in successful osteogenic differentiation of MSCs within scaffolds compared to controls (p<0.001). MSC spheroids were also successfully created and bioprinted within a novel, supramolecular hydrogel with tunable stiffness. In conclusion, 3D constructs capable of supporting osteogenic differentiation of MSCs were biofabricated via FDM and extrusion bioprinting. Future work will look to increase osteochondral construct size and complexity, whilst maintaining cell viability

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This is a multicentre, prospective assessment of a proportion of the overall orthopaedic trauma caseload of the UK. It investigates theatre capacity, cancellations, and time to surgery in a group of hospitals that is representative of the wider population. It identifies barriers to effective practice and will inform system improvements.

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The aim of this study was to perform the first population-based description of the epidemiological and health economic burden of fracture-related infection (FRI).

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The purpose of this study was to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) for fracture detection, classification, and identification of greater tuberosity displacement ≥ 1 cm, neck-shaft angle (NSA) ≤ 100°, shaft translation, and articular fracture involvement, on plain radiographs.

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The aim of this study was to describe the management and associated outcomes of patients sustaining a femoral hip periprosthetic fracture (PPF) in the UK population.

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Fractures of the distal radius are common, and form a considerable proportion of the trauma workload. We conducted a study to examine the patterns of injury and treatment for adult patients presenting with distal radius fractures to a major trauma centre serving an urban population.

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The aim of this study was to explore current use of the Global Fragility Fracture Network (FFN) Minimum Common Dataset (MCD) within established national hip fracture registries, and to propose a revised MCD to enable international benchmarking for hip fracture care.