1. Loss of osteocytes in the bone trabeculae of the femoral heads of "normal" elderly patients was patchy and distinguishable from that resulting from avascular necrosis after fracture. 2. Changes in the haemopoietic marrow were the earliest and most sensitive indicators of ischaemia, loss of osteocytes rarely being complete until three or four weeks after fracture. 3. In 109 femoral heads removed more than sixteen days after fracture the viability could be determined by histological means. All of these had suffered some damage to the vascular supply but in a number the head remained alive apart from the region of the fracture line. These heads were nourished by the blood vessels of the ligamentum teres and sometimes by retinacular arteries, usually of the inferior group. 4. Some femoral heads became completely necrotic following fracture, others were only partly affected. A variable amount of the subfoveal region commonly remained alive and it was from this site that revascularisation spread into the head. The upper segment of the femoral head least often remained alive and its subchondral region was usually the last to revascularise. 5. In a group of unselected femoral heads a third remained alive following fracture and two-thirds were partly or completely necrotic. 6. Femoral heads which were partly necrotic appeared capable of uniting and completely revascularising, there being invasion of the necrotic bone by vessels from across the fracture line and from the ligamentum teres. This contrasted with the completely necrotic femoral heads described elsewhere in this issue which united but in the absence of proliferation of ligamenturn teres vessels failed to revascularise completely and developed late segmental collapse. 7. Avascular necrosis did not appear to be the sole cause of non-union. 8. Necrotic bone showed no alteration in radiological density. Reossifying bone in areas of revascularisation sometimes caused an absolute increase of radiodensity especially when associated with halted revascularisation. This increase of radiological opacity was the result of deposition of new on dead bone with broadening of the trabeculae. Marrow calcification was minimal. 9. Obliterative sclerosis of venules in the ligamentum teres was found in "normal" patients even in infancy. No thrombosis was seen in the ligaments following fracture but where the femoral heads were completely necrotic and not revascularised the ligaments were often also necrotic. 10. There appeared to be no increase in degenerative changes in the articular cartilage of the femoral heads following fracture compared with fifty elderly controls. Some loss of chondrocytes in the deep zone of the weight-bearing area was found in about a quarter of the femoral heads. In only one head was the cartilage almost completely acellular. An almost normal depth and a smooth contour of the articular cartilage were retained

Aims

A proximal femur fracture (PFF) is a common orthopaedic presentation, with an incidence of over 25,000 cases reported in the Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (ANZHFR) in 2018. Hip fractures are known to have high mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) in predicting 30-day and one-year mortality after a PFF in older patients.

Aims

The gluteus minimus (GMin) and gluteus medius (GMed) have unique structural and functional segments that may be affected to varying degrees, by end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) and normal ageing. We used data from patients with end-stage OA and matched healthy controls to 1) quantify the atrophy of the GMin and GMed in the two groups and 2) describe the distinct patterns of the fatty infiltration in the different segments of the GMin and GMed in the two groups.

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The aim of this study was to describe variation in hip fracture treatment in Norway expressed as adherence to international and national evidence-based treatment guidelines, to study factors influencing deviation from guidelines, and to analyze consequences of non-adherence.

Aims

Europe has found itself at the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. Naturally, this has placed added strain onto healthcare systems internationally. It was feared that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could overrun the Irish healthcare system. As such, the Irish government opted to introduce a national lockdown on the 27 March 2020 in an attempt to stem the flow of admissions to hospitals. Similar lockdowns in the UK and New Zealand have resulted in reduced emergency department presentations and trauma admissions. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of the national lockdown on trauma presentations to a model-3 hospital in Dublin, Ireland.

Aims

Hospital case volume is shown to be associated with postoperative outcomes in various types of surgery. However, conflicting results of volume-outcome relationship have been reported in hip fracture surgery. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the association between hospital case volume and postoperative outcomes in patients who had hip fracture surgery. We hypothesized that higher case volume would be associated with lower risk of in-hospital and one-year mortality after hip fracture surgery.

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This study, using a surgeon-maintained database, aimed to explore the risk factors for surgery-related complications in patients undergoing primary cervical spine surgery for degenerative diseases.

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Restoration of proximal medial femoral support is the keystone in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures. None of the available implants are effective in constructing the medial femoral support. Medial sustainable nail (MSN-II) is a novel cephalomedullary nail designed for this. In this study, biomechanical difference between MSN-II and proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA-II) was compared to determine whether or not MSN-II can effectively reconstruct the medial femoral support.

We studied the epidemiology of 401 fractures of the shaft of the humerus in 397 patients aged 16 years or older. The incidence was 14.5 per 100 000 per year with a gradually increasing age-specific incidence from the fifth decade, reaching almost 60 per 100 000 per year in the ninth decade. Most were closed fractures in elderly patients which had been sustained as the result of a simple fall. The age distribution in women was characterised by a peak in the eighth decade while that in men was more even. Simple fractures were by far the most common and most were located in the middle or proximal shaft. The incidence of palsy of the radial nerve was 8% and fractures in the middle and distal shaft were most likely to be responsible. Only 2% of the fractures were open and 8% were pathological. These figures are representative of a population with a low incidence of high-energy and penetrating trauma, which probably reflects the situation in most European countries

Total hip replacement (THR) after acetabular fracture presents unique challenges to the orthopaedic surgeon. The majority of patients can be treated with a standard THR, resulting in a very reasonable outcome. Technical challenges however include infection, residual pelvic deformity, acetabular bone loss with ununited fractures, osteonecrosis of bone fragments, retained metalwork, heterotopic ossification, dealing with the sciatic nerve, and the difficulties of obtaining long-term acetabular component fixation. Indications for an acute THR include young patients with both femoral head and acetabular involvement with severe comminution that cannot be reconstructed, and the elderly, with severe bony comminution. The outcomes of THR for established post-traumatic arthritis include excellent pain relief and functional improvements. The use of modern implants and alternative bearing surfaces should improve outcomes further. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B, Supple A:11–16

Aims

Fixation of osteoporotic proximal humerus fractures remains challenging even with state-of-the-art locking plates. Despite the demonstrated biomechanical benefit of screw tip augmentation with bone cement, the clinical findings have remained unclear, potentially as the optimal augmentation combinations are unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the biomechanical benefits of the augmentation options in a humeral locking plate using finite element analysis (FEA).

Aims

Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive decline (POCD) are common surgical complications. In the UK, the Best Practice Tariff incentivizes the screening of delirium in patients with hip fracture. Further, a National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) performance indicator is the reduction in the incidence of POD. To aid in its recognition, we sought to determine factors associated with POD and POCD in patients with hip fractures.

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A systematic literature review focusing on how long before surgery concurrent viral or bacterial infections (respiratory and urinary infections) should be treated in hip fracture patients, and if there is evidence for delaying this surgery.

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The primary aim of this study was to assess the independent association of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on postoperative mortality for patients undergoing orthopaedic and trauma surgery. The secondary aim was to identify factors that were associated with developing COVID-19 during the postoperative period.

Aims

Dislocation is the most common indication for further surgery following total hip arthroplasty (THA) when undertaken in patients with a femoral neck fracture. This study aimed to assess the complication rates of THA with dual mobility components (THA-DMC) following a femoral neck fracture and to compare outcomes between THA-DMC, conventional THA, and hemiarthroplasty (HA).