Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND:The number of individuals turning to cycling for physical activity and commuting has been expanding across the US. However, studies have demonstrated that when compared to motor vehicle accidents, cyclists in major cities have a significantly increased risk of injuries requiring hospitalizations. The purpose of this study was to assess if a correlation exists between the growing cyclist volume in a densely populated metropolitan city and prevalence of clavicle fractures requiring inpatient hospital admissions. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE:A correlation exists between the increased number of cyclists and the increasing number of clavicle fractures requiring inpatient hospital admissions. METHODS:Patients who sustained a clavicle fracture that required an inpatient admission were identified using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS). The location of hospital admission was screened using New York City (NYC) hospital county codes, as only clavicle fractures presenting to NYC hospitals were included in the analysis. This study was exempt from Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Public transportation data was available through the Department of Transportation (DOT) and The Decennial Census. These databases are publicly available and are performed to assess if New Yorkers are using cycling as a mode of transportation. The cycling data included the following information in a given year: the number of people in NYC who use a bicycle as their primary mode of commuting to work, the number of daily cycling trips, total bicycle protected bike lane mileage, midtown Manhattan cycling counts and East River Bridge cycling counts. Spearman's correlation analysis was conducted between the numbers of patients with clavicle fractures per year and the described data for that specific year. Additionally, the number of bicycle-share program miles traveled per month and total number of cycling trips that month were obtained from the public bicycle-sharing program database from June 2013 through June 2015. Spearman's correlation analysis was conducted between the numbers of patients with clavicle fractures per month and total bicycle-sharing miles and trips traveled per month. RESULTS:The increasing daily cycling trips in NYC has a strong correlation with the increasing number of clavicle fractures in NYC (rs = .979, p < 0.001). The increasing use of a bicycle as transportation to work has a strong positive correlation with the increasing number of clavicle fractures in NYC (rs = .988, p < 0.001). There was a strong positive correlation between the mileage of bicycle lanes in NYC and the number of clavicle fractures (rs = .867, p = 0.001). A strong positive correlation exists between NYC clavicle fracture number and public bicycle-sharing miles (rs = .819, p < 0.001) and trips (rs = .811, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:There are many physical benefits to cycling. Cycling, as a means of transportation, has been encouraged to decrease CO2 emissions from vehicular transportation. These benefits do not come without risks, as this study shows a correlation between increased cycling and clavicle fractures. CLINICAL RELEVANCE/CONCLUSIONS:Physicians and public health officials should be aware of the dangers of cycling in major cities in order to create safer routes for this environmentally beneficial route of transportation.

The purpose of this study is to determine when functional outcome no longer improves following tibial plateau fracture. A patient series of operatively treated tibial plateau fractures was reviewed. Patients were evaluated using the short musculoskeletal function assessment (SMFA), range of motion (ROM) assessment, and pain levels at visual analog scale (VAS) at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Fractures were classified by the Schatzker's classification using preoperative imaging. The case series was divided into two groups based on fracture patterns. Friedman's tests were conducted to determine if there were differences in SMFA, ROM, or VAS throughout the postoperative course. A total of 117 patients with tibial plateau fractures treated operatively, with complete follow-up and without complication, were identified. Seventy-seven patients (65.8%) sustained lateral tibial plateau fractures (Schatzker's I-III). Friedman's test demonstrated significant differences in SMFA (p < 0.0005) and ROM (p < 0.0005) at the three time points. Post hoc analysis demonstrated a significant difference in SMFA (p < 0.0005) and ROM (p = 0.003) between 3 and 6 months postoperatively but no significant difference in either metric between 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Friedman's test demonstrated no significant difference in VAS postoperatively (p = 0.210). Forty patients (34.2%) sustained medial or bicondylar tibial plateau fractures (Schatzker's IV-VI). Friedman's test demonstrated significant differences in SMFA (p < 0.0005) and ROM (p < 0.0005) at the three time points. Post hoc analysis demonstrated a strong trend toward significance in SMFA between 3 and 6 months postoperatively (p = 0.088), and demonstrated a significant difference between 6 and 12 months postoperatively (p = 0.013). ROM was found to be significantly different between 3 and 6 months postoperatively (p = 0.010), but no difference was found between 6 and 12 months postoperatively (p = 0.929). Friedman's test demonstrated no significant difference in VAS postoperatively (p = 0.941). In this cohort, no significant difference in function, ROM, or pain level exists between 6 and 12 months after treatment of lateral tibial plateau fractures. However, there are significant improvements in function for at least 1 year following medial or bicondylar tibial plateau fractures.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To identify which factors are predictive of surgical site infection in upper extremity fractures, and to assess whether the timing of operative debridement influences infection risk. DESIGN/METHODS:Retrospective database review. SETTING/METHODS:Hospitals participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. PATIENTS/METHODS:Patients in the NSQIP database with fractures involving the upper extremity. INTERVENTION/METHODS:Surgical management of upper extremity fracture, including operative debridement for open injuries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS/METHODS:Surgical site infection, including both superficial and deep infections. RESULTS:A total of 22,578 patients were identified, including 1298 patients with open injuries (5.7% of total). The overall wound infection rate was 0.79%. Patients with open injuries were found to have a higher incidence of infection compared with those with closed injuries (1.7% vs. 0.7%, P < 0.001). Independent risk factors for 30-day infection included open fracture diagnosis, obesity, smoking, and American Society of Anesthesiolgists class >2 (all P < 0.05). Of patients with open fractures, 79.7% were taken expediently to the operating room. The rate of infection did not differ based on whether surgery was performed expediently or not (1.8% vs. 1.1%, P = 0.431). CONCLUSIONS:Based on an analysis of the NSQIP database, the overall risk of surgical site infection following intervention for open or closed upper extremity fractures remains low. Risk factors for infection include open injury, obesity, and cigarette smoking. There was no difference in the infection rate based on the urgency of operative debridement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

AIMS/OBJECTIVE:Tibial plateau fractures are serious injuries about the knee that have the potential to affect patients' long-term function. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use patient-reported outcomes (PROs) with a musculoskeletal focus to assess the long-term outcome, as compared to a short-term outcome baseline, of tibial plateau fractures treated using modern techniques. METHODS:-test. RESULTS:Patient-reported functional outcomes as assessed by overall SMFA were statistically significantly improved at five years (p < 0.001) compared with one-year data from the same patients. Patients additionally reported an improvement in the Standardized Mobility Index (p < 0.001), Standardized Emotional Index (p < 0.001), as well as improvement in Standardized Bothersome Index (p = 0.003) between the first year and latest follow-up. Patient-reported pain and knee ROM were similar at five years to their one-year follow-up. In total, 15 of the patients had undergone subsequent orthopaedic surgery for their knees at the time of most recent follow-up. Of note, only one patient had undergone knee arthroplasty following plateau fixation related to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:2020;102-B(5):632-637.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the causes of 30-day readmissions following orthopedic trauma surgery and classify them based on their relation to the index admission. DESIGN/METHODS:Retrospective chart review. SETTING/METHODS:One large, academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS/METHODS:Patients admitted to a large, academic medical center for a traumatic fracture injury over a nine-year period. INTERVENTION/METHODS:Assignment of readmission classification. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS/METHODS:Readmissions within 30 days of discharge were identified and classified into: orthopedic complications; medical complications; and non-complications. A chi-square test was performed to assess any difference in the proportion of readmissions between the hospital-reported readmission rate and the orthopedic complication readmission rate. RESULTS:1,955 patients who were admitted between 2011-2018 for an acute orthopedic trauma fracture injury were identified. Eighty-nine patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge with an overall readmission rate of 4.55%. Within the 30-day readmission cohort, 30 (33.7%) were the direct result of orthopedic treatment complications, 36 (40.4%) were unrelated medical conditions, and 23 (25.8%) were non-complications. Thus, the readmission rate directly due to orthopedic treatment complications was 1.53%. A chi-square test of homogeneity revealed a statistically significant difference between the hospital-reported readmission rate and the orthopedic-treatment complication readmission rate, p < .0005. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The use of 30-day readmissions as a measure of hospital quality of care overreports the number of preventable readmissions and penalizes surgeons and hospitals for caring for patients with less optimal health. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Diagnostic Level III.

Introduction/UNASSIGNED:Rising costs of post-acute care facilities for both the patient and payers make discharge home after hospital stay, with or without home help, a favorable alternative for all parties. Our objectives were to assess the effect of marital status, a large source of social support for many, on disposition following hospital stay. Methods/UNASSIGNED:Patients were prospectively entered into an institutional review board-approved, trauma database at a large, academic medical center. Patients aged 55 years or older with any fracture injury between 2014 and 2017 were included. Retrospectively, their relationship status was recorded through review of patient records. A status of "married" was separated from those with a status self-reported as "single," "divorced," or "widowed." Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess whether discharge location differs by marital status while controlling for demographics and injury characteristics. Results/UNASSIGNED:Of 1931 patients, 8.3% were divorced, 29.9% were single, 20.0% were widowed, and 41.8% were married. There was a significant correlation between discharge disposition and marital status. Single patients had 1.71 times, and widowed patients had 1.80 times, the odds of being discharged to a nursing home, long-term care facility, or skilled nursing facility compared to married patients after controlling for age, gender, Score for Trauma Triage in the Geriatric and Middle-Aged score, and insurance type. Additionally, single and widowed patients experienced 1.36 and 1.30 times longer length of hospital stay than their married counterparts, respectively. Discussion/UNASSIGNED:Patients who are identified as "single" or "widowed" should have early social work intervention to establish clear discharge expectations. Early intervention in this way would allow time for contact with close, living relatives or friends who may be able to provide sufficient support so that patients can return home. Increasing home discharge rates for these patients would reduce lengths of hospital stay and reduce post-acute care costs for both patient and payers without materially altering unplanned readmission rates.

Introduction/UNASSIGNED:This study sought to investigate whether a validated trauma triage risk assessment tool can predict time to surgery and delay to surgery. Materials and Methods/UNASSIGNED:Patients aged 55 and older who were admitted for operative repair or arthroplasty of a hip fracture over a 3-year period at a single academic institution were included. Risk quartiles were constructed using Score for Trauma Triage in the Geriatric and Middle-Aged (STTGMA) calculations. Negative binomial and multivariable logistic regression were used to evaluate time to surgery and delay to surgery, respectively. Pairwise comparisons were performed to evaluate 30-day mortality rates and demonstrate the effectiveness of the STTGMA tool in triaging mortality risk. Results/UNASSIGNED:= .046). Discussion/UNASSIGNED:Patients in higher STTGMA quartiles encountered longer time to surgery, greater operative delays, and higher 30-day mortality. Conclusion/UNASSIGNED:Score for Trauma Triage in the Geriatric and Middle-Aged can quickly identify hip fracture patients at risk for a delay to surgery and may allow treatment teams to optimize surgical timing by proactively targeting these patients. Level of Evidence/UNASSIGNED:Prognostic Level III.