Aims. Frailty greatly increases the risk of adverse outcome of trauma in older people. Frailty detection tools appear to be unsuitable for use in traumatically injured older patients. We therefore aimed to develop a method for detecting frailty in older people sustaining trauma using routinely collected clinical data. Methods. We analyzed prospectively collected registry data from 2,108 patients aged ≥ 65 years who were admitted to a single major trauma centre over five years (1 October 2015 to 31 July 2020). We divided the sample equally into two, creating derivation and validation samples. In the derivation sample, we performed univariate analyses followed by multivariate regression, starting with 27 clinical variables in the registry to predict Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS; range 1 to 9) scores. Bland-Altman analyses were performed in the validation cohort to evaluate any biases between the Nottingham Trauma Frailty Index (NTFI) and the CFS. Results. In the derivation cohort, five of the 27 variables were strongly predictive of the CFS (regression coefficient B = 6.383 (95% confidence interval 5.03 to 7.74), p < 0.001): age, Abbreviated Mental Test score, admission haemoglobin concentration (g/l), pre-admission mobility (needs assistance or not), and mechanism of injury (falls from standing height). In the validation cohort, there was strong agreement between the NTFI and the CFS (mean difference 0.02) with no apparent systematic bias. Conclusion. We have developed a clinically applicable tool using easily and routinely measured physiological and functional parameters, which clinicians and researchers can use to guide patient care and to stratify the analysis of quality improvement and research projects. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(4):412–418

Aims. The aim of this study was to determine the current incidence and epidemiology of humeral diaphyseal fractures. The secondary aim was to explore variation in patient and injury characteristics by fracture location within the humeral diaphysis. Methods. Over ten years (2008 to 2017), all adult patients (aged ≥ 16 years) sustaining an acute fracture of the humeral diaphysis managed at the study centre were retrospectively identified from a trauma database. Patient age, sex, medical/social background, injury mechanism, fracture classification, and associated injuries were recorded and analyzed. Results. A total of 900 fractures (typical 88.9%, n = 800/900; pathological 8.3%, n = 75/900; periprosthetic 2.8%, n = 25/900) were identified in 898 patients (mean age 57 years (16 to 97), 55.5% (n = 498/898) female). Overall fracture incidence was 12.6/100,000/year. For patients with a typical fracture (n = 798, mean age 56 years (16 to 96), 55.1% (n = 440/798) female), there was a bimodal distribution in men and unimodal distribution in older women (Type G). A fall from standing was the most common injury mechanism (72.6%, n = 581/800). The majority of fractures involved the middle-third of the diaphysis (47.6%, n = 381/800) followed by the proximal- (30.5%, n = 244/800) and distal-thirds (n = 175/800, 21.9%). In all, 18 injuries (2.3%) were open and a radial nerve palsy occurred in 6.7% (n = 53/795). Fractures involving the proximal- and middle-thirds were more likely to occur in older (p < 0.001), female patients (p < 0.001) with comorbidities (p < 0.001) after a fall from standing (p < 0.001). Proximal-third fractures were also more likely to occur in patients with alcohol excess (p = 0.003) and to be classified as AO-Orthopaedic Trauma Association type B or C injuries (p < 0.001). Conclusion. This study updates the incidence and epidemiology of humeral diaphyseal fractures. Important differences in patient and injury characteristics were observed based upon fracture location. Injuries involving the proximal- and middle-thirds of the humeral diaphysis should be considered as fragility fractures. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(11):1475–1483

Non-operative management of displaced olecranon fractures in elderly low demand patients is reported to result in a satisfactory outcome despite routinely producing a nonunion. The aim of this study was to assess whether there is evidence of dynamic movement of the fracture fragment during the elbow arc of movement. Five consecutive patients (≥70 years of age) with a displaced olecranon fracture (Mayo 2A) that were managed with non-operative intervention were recruited. All underwent ultrasound evaluation at six weeks and follow-up questionnaires at six months including the DASH and Oxford Elbow Score (OES). There were three women and two men with a mean age of 79yrs (range 70–88). All injuries were sustained following a fall from standing height. The mean fracture gap in extension was 22.5mm (95% CI 13.0–31.9), midflexion 21.8mm (11.6–32.0) and in deep flexion 21.8mm (10.9–32.8). Although the amount of fracture displacement varied between patients, it remained static in each patient with no significant differences observed throughout the arc of motion (ANOVA p=0.99). The six-month median DASH score was 7.5 (IQR range, 4.2–39.3) and the OES was 44.0 (29.0–47.5). Four out of the five patients were satisfied with their function. Ultrasound evaluation of displaced olecranon fractures following non-operative management suggests the proximal fragment may function as a sesamoid type bone within the triceps sleeve. This could explain how a functional arc of movement with a minimum level of discomfort can usually be expected with non-operative management in select patients

Introduction. In orthopaedics, clinical outcome assessment (COA) is mostly performed by questionnaires which suffer from subjectivity, a ceiling effect and pain dominance. Real life activity monitoring (AM) can objectively assess function and becomes now feasible as technology has become smaller, lighter, cheaper and easier to use. In this study we validated a custom made algorithm based on accelerometry using different orthopaedic patients with the aim to use AM in orthopaedic COA. Methods. A small, lightweight 3D-accelerometer taped to the lateral side of the affected upper leg served as the activity monitor. AM algorithms were programmed in Matlab to classify standing, sitting, and walking. For validation a common protocol was used; subjects were asked to perform several tasks for 5 or 10 seconds in a fixed order. An observer noted the starting time of each task using a stopwatch. Accuracy was calculated for the number of bouts per activity as well as total time per activity. 10 Subjects were chosen with different pathologies (e.g. post total knee/hip arthroplasty, osteoarthritis) since the difference in movement dynamics in each pathology poses a challenge to the algorithm. Results. In total the subjects performed 267 activities (99 standing, 80 sitting, 88 walking), 258 of which (99, 73, 87 resp.) were classified correctly by the algorithm, corresponding to a sensitivity of 97%. Sensor misplacement in 1 subject caused all missed instances in sitting, and exclusion of this subject increased sensitivity to 99.9%. 5 Instances of standing were incorrectly added by the algorithm, giving a specificity of 95% for standing. In total 80 sit-stand, and 78 stand-sit transitions were performed. Subjects were standing for 792 seconds, sitting for 764 s, and walking for 905 s. The algorithm found a total duration of 739, 583 and 1056 seconds for those activities respectively, and 83 seconds of lying (misclassification of sitting). Discussion. Sensor placement is an important factor to obtain reliable results. Even so sensitivity and specificity are comparable to values found in literature [85–99%]. The added instances of standing occurred when a subject did not immediately sit after a period of walking. It is doubtful if these instances should be considered false positives. The main difference in duration is also found in sitting, which is caused by the missed instances previously described, in combination with the fact that the duration of transitions are added to the walking period in the algorithm, whereas it is divided over sitting and walking by the observer. This corresponds to a difference of less than one second per transition. The algorithm produces reliable results when challenged with different movement patterns common with orthpaedic pathologies. The device may be used as as AM in objective assessment of clinical outcome after orthopaedic procedures

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To investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of older adults (aged ≥ 60 years) after tibial plateau fracture (TPF) compared to preinjury and population matched values, and what aspects of treatment were most important to patients.

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The aims of this study were to identify means to quantify coronal plane displacement associated with distal radius fractures (DRFs), and to understand their relationship to radial inclination (RI).

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The aim of this study was to investigate the association between fracture displacement and survivorship of the native hip joint without conversion to a total hip arthroplasty (THA), and to determine predictors for conversion to THA in patients treated nonoperatively for acetabular fractures.

Several studies have reported the assessment of the femoral head coverage on plane radiograph and CT data in supine position, though young patients with the dysplastic hip often have symptoms during activities such as standing, walking, and running. On the other hand, some investigators have used a method of CT which allows standardization of the femoral head coverage against an anterior pelvic plane based on the anterior superior iliac spines and the pubic tubercle. We believe both the weight-bearing position and the standardized position to be more relevant for diagnosis and preoperative surgical assessment. So, we show the femoral head coverage in standardized position using 3D-CT method and in weight-bearing position using the plane radiograph and the three-dimensional lower extremity alignment assessment system before and after Curved periacetabular osteotomy (CPO). Especially the covered volume of the femoral head, a new concept, using the three-dimensional lower extremity alignment assessment system which differs from the affected area and is measured by the ratio of the covered area in the medial part of the line connecting the anterior point of the acetabulum with the posterior to the femoral head area in each axial slice, superior slices than the slice passing through the femoral head center, obtained from the reproduced 3D model of the pelvis and the femur in standing position allows us to integrate various measurements reported by past researchers. We studied the consecutive 16 patients treated with CPO. In standardized position the sagittal sectional angles on the slice passing through the femoral head center using 3D-CT method gave us how the anterior, lateral, and posterior coverage was lack compared with normal subjects and whether the adequate transfer of the rotated fragment was performed after operation. The covered volume of the femoral head decides generally the deficiency or the adequateness. In standing position, though the pelvic tilt changes, the femoral head coverage on plane radiograph, representation by the CE angle, the VCA angle, AHI and ARO, was significantly improved, and the covered volume of the femoral head was significantly improved from 25.7% preoperatively to 51.1% postoperatively. Our study showed the improvement of the femoral head coverage, including the covered volume of the femoral head as a new concept, after CPO in weight-bearing and standardized position. The morphological and functional assessment of the femoral head coverage on both pre- and post-CPO should be performed because we can obtain the objective information in standardized position and the femoral head coverage in standing position is closely connected with the pain

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Current levels of hip fracture morbidity contribute greatly to the overall burden on health and social care services. Given the anticipated ageing of the population over the coming decade, there is potential for this burden to increase further, although the exact scale of impact has not been identified in contemporary literature. We therefore set out to predict the future incidence of hip fracture and help inform appropriate service provision to maintain an adequate standard of care.

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To assess the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that compares three treatments for acetabular fractures in older patients: surgical fixation, surgical fixation and hip arthroplasty (fix-and-replace), and non-surgical treatment.

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Understanding of open fracture management is skewed due to reliance on small-number lower limb, specialist unit reports and large, unfocused registry data collections. To address this, we carried out the Open Fracture Patient Evaluation Nationwide (OPEN) study, and report the demographic details and the initial steps of care for patients admitted with open fractures in the UK.

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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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We assessed the value of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) in the prediction of adverse outcome after hip fracture.

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The purpose of this study was to determine the weightbearing practice of operatively managed fragility fractures in the setting of publically funded health services in the UK and Ireland.

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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.

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The primary aim was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of routine operative fixation for all patients with humeral shaft fractures. The secondary aim was to estimate the health economic implications of using a Radiographic Union Score for HUmeral fractures (RUSHU) of < 8 to facilitate selective fixation for patients at risk of nonunion.

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Postoperative malalignment of the femur is one of the main complications in distal femur fractures. Few papers have investigated the impact of intraoperative malalignment on postoperative function and bone healing outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate how intraoperative fracture malalignment affects postoperative bone healing and functional outcomes.

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The primary aim of this study was to determine the rates of return to work (RTW) and sport (RTS) following a humeral shaft fracture. The secondary aim was to identify factors independently associated with failure to RTW or RTS.

Background. Acquired flatfoot deformity goes ahead with a partial or complete rupture and thus insufficiency of the tibialis posterior tendon. We present the results of flexor digitorum longus transfer and medial displacement calcaneal osteotomy to reconstruct the acquired deformity. Material & Methods. Twenty two patients (24 feet) with an average age of 58 (36–75) years were operated on for acquired flexible flatfoot deformity. Two patients had a bilateral procedure. Patients were seen pre-and postoperatively in order to evaluate following parameters: AOFAS hindfoot score, visual analogue scale for pain (0–10), the tarsometatarsal angle on lateral and ap standing x-rays, the cuneiform heights and talocalcaneal angle on lateral standing x-rays and subjective postoperative satisfaction score (1-worst to 5-best). Average time of follow-up was 24.7 months (12–48). Results. The AOFAS hindfoot score could be increased from 46.4 to 89.5 points, the visual analogue scale for pain decreased from 6.6 to 1.1. The average satisfaction score was 4.5 points with one patient scoring 2 and another one scoring 3. All the other patients scored either 4 or 5. All radiological parameters could be improved. Following complications were seen: one recurrence, two patients with irritation of the sural nerve, one patient with hypesthesia of the big toe. The calcaneal screws had to be removed in 3 patients. Conclusion. Flexor digitorum longus transfer together with medial displacement calcaneal osteotomy gave satisfactory results for the treatment of acquired flatfoot deformity. All radiologic parameters were improved

Aims. To compare the early management and mortality of older patients sustaining major orthopaedic trauma with that of a younger population with similar injuries. Patients and Methods. The Trauma Audit Research Network database was reviewed to identify eligible patients admitted between April 2012 and June 2015. Distribution and severity of injury, interventions, comorbidity, critical care episodes and mortality were recorded. The population was divided into young (64 years or younger) and older (65 years and older) patients. Results. Of 142 765 adults sustaining major trauma, 72 942 (51.09 %) had long bone or pelvic fractures and 45.81% of these were > 65 years old. Road traffic collision was the most common mechanism in the young (40.4%) and, in older people, fall from standing height (80.4%) predominated. The 30 day mortality in older patients with fractures is greater (6.8% versus 2.5%), although critical care episodes are more common in the young (18.2% versus 9.7%). Older people are less likely to be admitted to critical care beds and are often managed in isolation by surgeons. Orthopaedic surgery is the most common admitting and operating specialty and, in older people, fracture surgery accounted for 82.1% of procedures. . Conclusion. Orthopaedic trauma in older people is associated with mortality that is significantly greater than for similar fractures in the young. As with the hip fracture population, major trauma in the elderly is a growing concern which highlights the need for a review of admission pathways and shared orthogeriatric care models. . Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:1677–80