Aims . To analyse the influence of upper extremity trauma on the long-term
outcome of polytraumatised patients. . Patients and Methods. A total of 629 multiply injured patients were included in a follow-up
study at least ten years after injury (mean age 26.5 years, standard
deviation 12.4). The extent of the patients’ injury was classified
using the Injury Severity Score. Outcome was measured using the
Hannover Score for
Introduction and objectives. High-energy pelvic fractures are life-threatening injuries. Approximately 15% to 30% of patients with high-energy pelvic injuries are hemodynamic unstable, hemorrhagic shock remains the main cause of death in patients with pelvic fractures, with an overall mortality rate from 6% to 35%. The correlation between fracture pattern and mortality in
There have been many advances in the resuscitation
and early management of patients with severe injuries during the
last decade. These have come about as a result of the reorganisation
of civilian trauma services in countries such as Germany, Australia
and the United States, where the development of trauma systems has
allowed a concentration of expertise and research. The continuing
conflicts in the Middle East have also generated a significant increase
in expertise in the management of severe injuries, and soldiers
now survive injuries that would have been fatal in previous wars.
This military experience is being translated into civilian practice. The aim of this paper is to give orthopaedic surgeons a practical,
evidence-based guide to the current management of patients with
severe, multiple injuries. It must be emphasised that this depends
upon the expertise, experience and facilities available within the
local health-care system, and that the proposed guidelines will
inevitably have to be adapted to suit the local resources.
The best time for definitive orthopaedic care is often unclear
in patients with multiple injuries. The objective of this study
was make a prospective assessment of the safety of our early appropriate
care (EAC) strategy and to evaluate the potential benefit of additional
laboratory data to determine readiness for surgery. A cohort of 335 patients with fractures of the pelvis, acetabulum,
femur, or spine were included. Patients underwent definitive fixation
within 36 hours if one of the following three parameters were met:
lactate <
4.0 mmol/L; pH ≥ 7.25; or base excess (BE) ≥ -5.5 mmol/L.
If all three parameters were met, resuscitation was designated full
protocol resuscitation (FPR). If less than all three parameters
were met, it was designated an incomplete protocol resuscitation
(IPR). Complications were assessed by an independent adjudication
committee and included infection; sepsis; PE/DVT; organ failure;
pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Aims
Patients and Methods
Aims. The last decade has seen a marked increase in surgical rib fracture fixation (SRF). The evidence to support this comes largely from retrospective cohorts, and adjusting for the effect of other injuries sustained at the same time is challenging. This study aims to assess the impact of SRF after blunt chest trauma using national prospective registry data, while controlling for other comorbidities and injuries. Methods. A ten-year extract from the Trauma Audit and Research Network formed the study sample. Patients who underwent SRF were compared with those who received supportive care alone. The analysis was performed first for the entire eligible cohort, and then for patients with a serious (thoracic Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) ≥ 3) or minor (thoracic AIS < 3) chest injury without significant
The arrival of major trauma centres (MTC) to Scotland highlights the need for structured management of
Aims. COVID-19 necessitated abrupt changes in trauma service delivery. We compare the demographics and outcomes of patients treated during lockdown to a matched period from 2019. Findings have important implications for service development. Methods. A split-site service was introduced, with a COVID-19 free site treating the majority of trauma patients.
We report the functional and socioeconomic long-term
outcome of patients with pelvic ring injuries. We identified 109 patients treated at a Level I trauma centre
between 1973 and 1990 with multiple blunt orthopaedic injuries including
an injury to the pelvic ring, with an Injury Severity Score (ISS)
of ≥ 16. These patients were invited for clinical review at a minimum
of ten years after the initial injury, at which point functional
results, general health scores and socioeconomic factors were assessed. In all 33 isolated anterior (group A), 33 isolated posterior
(group P) and 43 combined anterior/posterior pelvic ring injuries
(group A/P) were included. The mean age of the patients at injury
was 28.8 years (5 to 55) and the mean ISS was 22.7 (16 to 44). At review the mean Short-Form 12 physical component score for
the A/P group was 38.71 (22.12 to 56.56) and the mean Hannover Score
for
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. We undertook a retrospective cohort study to identify all patients treated at our major trauma centre for a distal radius fracture between 1 June 2018 and 1 May 2021. We reviewed the medical records and imaging for each patient to examine patterns of injury and treatment. We undertook a binomial logistic regression to produce a predictive model for operative fixation or inpatient admission.Aims
Methods
Acetabular fractures are associated with long-term morbidity. Our prospective cohort study sought to understand the recovery trajectory of this injury over five years. Eligible patients at a level I trauma centre were recruited into a longitudinal registry of surgical acetabular fractures between June 2004 and August 2019. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), including the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) physical component summary (PCS), were recorded at baseline pre-injury recall and six months, one year, two years, and five years postoperatively. Comparative analyses were performed for elementary and associated fracture patterns. The proportion of patients achieving minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was determined. The rate of, and time to, conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) was also established.Aims
Methods
Between June 1999 and May 2003 we undertook direct primary closure of the skin wounds of 173 patients with Gustilo and Anderson grade-IIIA and grade-IIIB open fractures. These patients were selected from a consecutive group of 557 with type-III injuries presenting during this time. Strict criteria for inclusion in the study included debridement within 12 hours of injury, no sewage or organic contamination, no skin loss either primarily or secondarily during debridement, a Ganga Hospital open injury skin score of 1 or 2 with a total score of ten or less, the presence of bleeding skin margins, the ability to approximate wound edges without tension and the absence of peripheral vascular disease. In addition, patients with
Posterior column plating through the single anterior approach reduces the morbidity in acetabular fractures that require stabilization of both the columns. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of posterior column plating through the anterior intrapelvic approach (AIP) in the management of acetabular fractures. We retrospectively reviewed the data from R G Kar Medical College, Kolkata, India, from June 2018 to April 2023. Overall, there were 34 acetabulum fractures involving both columns managed by medial buttress plating of posterior column. The posterior column of the acetabular fracture was fixed through the AIP approach with buttress plate on medial surface of posterior column. Mean follow-up was 25 months (13 to 58). Accuracy of reduction and effectiveness of this technique were measured by assessing the Merle d’Aubigné score and Matta’s radiological grading at one year and at latest follow-up.Aims
Methods
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. Data capture was by collaborative approach. Patients undergoing procedures from 22 August 2022 and operated on before 31 October 2022 were included. Arm one captured weekly caseload and theatre capacity. Arm two concerned patient and injury demographics, and time to surgery for specific injury groups.Aims
Methods
Due to the recent rapid expansion of scooter sharing companies, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of electric scooter (e-scooter) injuries. Our purpose was to conduct a systematic review to characterize the demographic characteristics, most common injuries, and management of patients injured from electric scooters. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases using variations of the term “electric scooter”. We excluded studies conducted prior to 2015, studies with a population of less than 50, case reports, and studies not focused on electric scooters. Data were analyzed using Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to describe the demographic details of patients who sustain a femoral periprosthetic fracture (PPF), the epidemiology of PPFs, PPF characteristics, and the predictors of PPF types in the UK population. This is a multicentre retrospective cohort study including adult patients presenting to hospital with a new PPF between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018. Data collected included: patient characteristics, comorbidities, anticoagulant use, social circumstances, level of mobility, fracture characteristics, Unified Classification System (UCS) type, and details of the original implant. Descriptive analysis by fracture location was performed, and predictors of PPF type were assessed using mixed-effects logistic regression models.Aims
Methods
There is increasing evidence to support the use of topical antibiotics to prevent surgical site infections. Although previous research suggests a minimal nephrotoxic risk with a single dose of vancomycin powder, fracture patients often require multiple procedures and receive additional doses of topical antibiotics. We aimed to determine if cumulative doses of intrawound vancomycin or tobramycin powder for infection prophylaxis increased the risk of drug-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) among fracture patients. This cohort study was a secondary analysis of single-centre Program of Randomized Trials to Evaluate Pre-operative Antiseptic Skin Solutions in Orthopaedic Trauma (PREP-IT) trial data. We included patients with a surgically treated appendicular fracture. The primary outcome was drug-induced AKI. The odds of AKI per gram of vancomycin or tobramycin powder were calculated using Bayesian regression models, which adjusted for measured confounders and accounted for the interactive effects of vancomycin and tobramycin.Aims
Methods
In
We treated 17 knees in 15 patients with severe ligament derangement and dislocation by open repair and reconstruction. We assessed the competence of all structures thought to be important for stability by clinical examination, MRI interpretation, and surgery. Our findings showed that in these
The aim of this study was to assess whether it is possible to predict the mortality, and the extent and time of neurological recovery from the time of the onset of symptoms and MRI grade, in patients with the cerebral fat embolism syndrome (CFES). This has not previously been investigated. The study included 34 patients who were diagnosed with CFES following trauma between 2012 and 2018. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed and the severity graded by MRI. We investigated the rate of mortality, the time and extent of neurological recovery, the time between the injury and the onset of symptoms, the clinical severity of the condition, and the MRI grade. All patients were male with a mean age of 29.7 years (18 to 70). The mean follow-up was 4.15 years (2 to 8), with neurological recovery being assessed by the Glasgow Outcome Scale and the Mini-Mental State Examination.Aims
Methods
Objectives. The risk of infection after type III° open fractures is high (10–50%). Preemptive antibiotic therapy may prevent posttraumatic infection and improve the outcome. Recommendations about the type and duration of antibiotic vary among the institutions and it remains unclear whether gram-negative bacilli or anaerobs need to be covered. In Europe, the most commonly recommended antibiotic is amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. We retrospectively analyzed microbiology, characteristics and outcome of patients with open type III° fractures treated at our institution. Methods. Between 01/2005 and 12/2009 we retrospectively included all type III grade open fractures of the leg at our institution classified after Gustilo (JBJS Am 1976) into type IIIA (adequate soft-tissue coverage of bone with extensive soft-tissue laceration or flaps), IIIB (extensive soft-tissue loss with periosteal stripping and bone exposure), and IIIC (requiring arterial injury repair). Demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, microbiology, surgical and antibiotic treatment and patient outcome were recorded using a standardized case-report form. Results. 30 cases of patients with type III° open fractures were included (25 males, mean age was 40.5 years, range 17–67 years). 27 fractures (90%) were located on the lower leg and 3 (10%) on the upper leg. 24 cases (80%) were high-energy and almost half of the patients (n=16, 53%) had a
