Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To identify factors associated with the need for reoperations in patients treated surgically for fracture nonunion. DESIGN/METHODS:Retrospective cohort study. SETTING/METHODS:One urban Level 1 trauma center and an orthopaedic specialty hospital. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS/METHODS:This study included 365 patients who did not and 95 patients who did undergo a reoperation after nonunion repair. INTERVENTION/METHODS:All patients who underwent fracture nonunion repair were identified. Baseline demographic, injury, and surgical information were collected. These factors were compared between patients who did and did not require an unplanned reoperation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS/METHODS:An unplanned reoperation after index fracture nonunion surgery. RESULTS:When compared with patients who did not undergo a reoperation after their index fracture nonunion surgery, patients who underwent at least 1 reoperation had a greater proportion of those who sustained an open fracture, a high-energy injury, initial neurologic or vascular injuries, the need for a flap or soft tissue graft at initial treatment, and lower extremity injuries with univariate analysis. Unplanned reoperation was also associated with diagnosis of "infected" nonunion at initial nonunion surgery. Multivariate analysis confirmed initial nerve or vascular injuries and positive infection status were statistically significant predictors of a reoperation. CONCLUSIONS:Initial injury characteristics such as nerve or vascular injury at initial injury and positive infection status at the index nonunion surgery were associated with the need for a secondary surgery after nonunion repair. Appropriate care of these patients should be aimed at adjusting expectations of unplanned reoperation in the future and potentially enhanced treatment strategies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

INTRODUCTION:The purpose of this study is to determine whether the Score for Trauma Triage in the Geriatric and Middle-Aged (STTGMA) patients is able to predict fall, fracture, periprosthetic fracture, or dislocation risk after femoral neck fracture arthroplasty surgery. METHODS:Four hundred one patients who underwent hip arthroplasty surgery after a femoral neck fracture at one urban academic medical center were stratified into groups based on their risk scores assigned at femoral neck fracture presentation. The cohort was reviewed for the occurrence of postdischarge falls, secondary fractures, and prosthetic dislocations that resulted in a presentation to the emergency department (ED) after discharge from their hip fracture surgery. The incidence and timing of these complications after discharge were compared between the low-risk and high-risk groups. RESULTS:The low-risk group included 201 patients, and the high-risk group included 200 patients. The high-risk group had significantly more postdischarge falls resulting in ED presentation (49 vs. 32, p = .035) that occurred significantly sooner (12.6 vs. 18.3 months, p = .034) after discharge. CONCLUSIONS:The STTGMA model was able to successfully stratify patients who are at a higher risk of sustaining a fall after an arthroplasty procedure for a femoral neck fracture.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To examine the feasibility of a novel anesthetic option for hip fracture fixation with short cephalomedullary nails. DESIGN/METHODS:Retrospective cohort study. SETTING/METHODS:An urban, academic level 1 trauma center, a tertiary care academic medical center, and an orthopedic specialty hospitalPatients/Participants: 20 recent and 40 risk-matched (1:1:1 by anesthesia type) historical hip fracture patients. INTERVENTION/METHODS:All patients with an OTA 31.A1-3 IT hip fracture presenting from October 1st 2019 - March 31st, 2020 treated with a short cephalomedullary nail (CMN) underwent a new intraoperative anesthesia protocol using monitored anesthesia care (MAC) and soft-tissue infiltration with local anesthesia (STILA). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS/METHODS:Intraoperative measures, postoperative pain scores, narcotic and acetaminophen use, hospital quality measures, and inpatient cost. RESULTS:A total of 60 patients (20 each: MAC, general, spinal) were identified. There were differences among the groups regarding mean minimum and maximum intraoperative heart rate with MAC-STILA protocol demonstrating the best maintenance of normal heart rate parameters (60-100 bpm). For the first 3 hours post-operatively, MAC-STILA patients reported consistently lower pain scores (VAS <1) than spinal or general patients (VAS>1). Through 48 hours postoperatively, MAC-STILA narcotic usage was similar to that of the spinal cohort and approximately five times less than the general cohort. There were no differences in procedural time, length of stay, minor or major complications, inpatient and 30-day mortality, or 30-day readmissions, or post-operative ambulatory distance. There was no difference in inpatient cost among cohorts. CONCLUSIONS:This feasibility study demonstrates safety for the MAC-STILA protocol with comparison to spinal and general anesthesia. The MAC-STILA protocol is a viable option for treatment of OTA 13.A1-3 IT fractures with a short CMN, and may be the preferred method for patients with severe medical co-morbidities or relative contraindications to general and/or spinal anesthesia. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of Levels of Evidence.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:This study sought to compare postoperative outcomes and complications between patients with distal humerus fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of their non-dominant versus dominant arm. METHODS:A retrospective review of all patients who sustained a distal humerus fracture treated operatively with ORIF at one academic institution between 2011 and 2015 was performed. Measured outcomes included complications, time to fracture union, painful hardware, removal of hardware, Mayo Elbow Performance Index (MEPI), and elbow range of motion. Differences in outcomes between patients who underwent surgery of their dominant upper extremity and those who underwent surgery of their non-dominant extremity were assessed. RESULTS:Sixty-nine patients met inclusion criteria. Forty (58.0%) underwent ORIF of a distal humerus fracture on their non-dominant arm and 29 (42.0%) on their dominant arm. Groups did not differ with respect to demographics, injury information, or surgical management. Mean overall follow-up was 14.1 ± 10.5 months, with all patients achieving at least 6 months follow-up. The non-dominant cohort experienced a higher proportion of postoperative complications (P = 0.048), painful hardware (P = 0.018), and removal of hardware (P = 0.002). At latest follow-up, the non-dominant cohort had lower MEPI scores (P = 0.037) but no difference in elbow arc of motion (P = 0.314). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Patients who sustained a distal humerus fracture of their non-dominant arm treated with ORIF experienced more postoperative complications, reported a greater incidence of painful hardware, underwent removal of hardware more often, and had worse functional recovery in this study. Physicians should emphasize the importance of physical therapy and maintaining arm movement especially when the non-dominant arm is involved following distal humerus fracture repair. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Level III.

Introduction/UNASSIGNED:Type II distal clavicle fractures are associated with significant displacement and high rates of nonunion. Due to the risk of nonunion, these fractures are most often managed operatively soon after the injury. Case Report/UNASSIGNED:We present an 84-year-old male who sustained a Type II closed distal clavicle fracture that converted to an open fracture 1 month following initial injury. The patient underwent surgical repair with open reduction internal fixation and coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction. Following surgery, the patient experienced hardware failure with nonunion. He did not have any residual soft-tissue problems. Conclusion/UNASSIGNED:Delaying surgical treatment of significantly displaced Type II distal clavicle fractures may pose a risk of conversion to open fracture. Surgeons should counsel their patients on this potential complication when discussing the risks and benefits of operative versus nonoperative treatment.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between patients' own health expectations and treatment outcomes following surgical repair of proximal humerus fractures. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE:Patients' health expectations will correlate with treatment outcomes following surgical repair of proximal humerus fractures. MATERIAL AND METHODS/METHODS:Over a 14-year period, 247 patients with a displaced proximal humerus fracture who underwent ORIF with locking compression plates were prospectively followed at one academic institution. Minimum follow-up period was 12 months. Patient-reported functional outcome data for the latest follow up visit (12 months and greater) was obtained from Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaires. Survey responses regarding health expectations were recorded at 3-month follow-up and converted to dichotomous variables. Two groups were identified: the high expectations and the low expectations groups. Statistical analysis comparing the two groups and their functional and clinical outcomes was performed using the independent t-test, using p<0.05 for significance. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated to further statistically characterize the relationship between health expectations at 3 months and long-term outcomes. RESULTS:One hundred and eighty-five (75.0%) patients available for analysis with a mean follow-up length of 24.8 months. The cohort included 124 (67%) females and 61 (33%) males and the average age at time of injury was 59.5 years. Eighty-six (46.5%) patients had low expectations for their overall health and 99 (53.5%) patients had high expectations for their health. No significant differences were seen between groups in regards to age, gender, follow-up length, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), smoking and tobacco use, fracture pattern (OTA and Neer classifications), early complications (p>0.05), fracture healing, and avascular necrosis. The mean DASH score at the latest follow up for patients with low expectations was 31.42±22.8 whereas the mean for those with high expectations was 16.76±20.2 (p<0.0005). The mean forward flexion of the shoulder for patients with low expectations was 137.8±31.5 degrees as compared to 148.5±26.3 degrees (p<0.05). The positive predictive value of good expectations correlating with good outcomes was 71.7%. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS:Patients with high expectations for their health early following injury had better outcomes in the long term. These high expectations also appeared to have an optimal influence on range of shoulder motion. This data suggests attitudinal and psychological factors that affect patient health expectations early on in the course of treatment may also influence patients' functional and clinical outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:II; Retrospective Study.

SUMMARY:High-energy tibial plateau fractures are associated with knee fracture dislocations and concomitant ligamentous injury. Both bony and ligamentous injuries can require surgical fixation, often requiring a multidisciplinary team and staged treatment. This article and accompanying video describe the workup and treatment of a Moore type 4 tibial plateau rim compression fracture with posterolateral corner and anterior cruciate ligament rupture that underwent open reduction internal fixation of the tibial plateau with posterolateral corner reconstruction and then staged anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with quad tendon autograft.

SUMMARY:There are a variety of ways to treat chronic elbow dislocations, including repeat closed reduction and immobilization, transarticular pinning, temporary bridge plating, hinged or rigid external fixation, and internal fixator application. Although each have distinct advantages and disadvantages, avoiding recurrent instability is critical. The internal-fixator is a relatively new option to maintain a stable, concentric reduction and facilitate early range of motion. This article and accompanying video describe the surgical technique of using an internal joint stabilizer for treatment of a chronically unstable ulnohumeral joint.