Faculty Bibliography

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Monteggia fractures are rare, although complex elbow injuries. Bado II Monteggia fractures are characterized by posterior dislocation of the radial head and concurrent fracture of the proximal or middle third of the ulna. This video demonstrates the open reduction and internal fixation of a complex Bado II Monteggia fracture dislocation. METHODS:The patient is a 65-year-old woman with a Bado II Monteggia fracture after a low-energy fall from standing height. Given the extent of comminution and the instability of the elbow, the patient was indicated for surgical fixation. RESULTS:This video demonstrates a locking plate technique for repair of a comminuted fracture of the proximal ulna. Anatomical reduction of ulnohumeral and radiocapitellar joints and stable fixation with bone grafting of the fracture are achieved with a medial 2.0/2.4-mm plate and a dorsal precontoured variable-angle locking plate. Demonstration of radial head arthroplasty is provided as an alternative for utilization in cases with a radial head fracture. CONCLUSIONS:Anatomical reduction and fixation of complex Monteggia fracture dislocations can be achieved with adherence to standard aspects of bony reconstruction. In this video we present the case of a Bado II Monteggia fracture surgically repaired with a locking plate construct.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Periprosthetic fracture nonunions represent a rare problem in orthopaedic practice, although their incidence has increased with the increased frequency of joint replacement surgery. This video demonstrates the use of a linked nail-plate construct to repair a distal femoral periprosthetic fracture nonunion. METHODS:The patient is a 93-year-old woman who is 1-year status-post a left distal femoral periprosthetic fracture with known delayed healing. She presents with a low energy trauma and hardware failure. The patient was indicated for operative fixation using a linked nail-plate construct given the patient's previous hardware failure, advanced age, and poor bone quality. RESULTS:This video demonstrates the linked nail-plate technique for the repair of a distal femoral periprosthetic fracture nonunion. Anatomical reduction and stable fixation with bone graft was performed with excellent results. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications and no issues related to metallurgy. CONCLUSIONS:In this video, we present the case of an atrophic distal femoral periprosthetic nonunion treated with a linked nail-plate construct with autologous bone graft. Although femoral periprosthetic fracture nonunions are a rare occurrence, they can be successfully treated with operative intervention aimed at compression plating with supplemental bone grafting.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To investigate the ability of a validated geriatric trauma risk prediction tool to stratify hospital quality metrics and inpatient cost for middle-aged and geriatric patients admitted from the ED for operative treatment of an ankle fracture. DESIGN/METHODS:Prospective cohort study SETTING:: Single Academic Medical Center PATIENTS:: Patients aged 55 and older who sustained a rotational ankle fracture and were treated operatively during their index hospitalization INTERVENTION:: Calculation of validated trauma triage score, Score for Trauma Triage in Geriatric and Middle Aged (STTGMA), using patient's demographic, injury severity, and functional status. Patients were stratified into groups based on scores to create a minimal-, low-, moderate-, and high-risk cohort. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS/METHODS:length of stay, complications, need for ICU/SDU level care, discharge location, and index admission costs RESULTS:: Fifty ankle fracture patients met inclusion criteria. Mean length of stay was 7.8 ± 5.2 days with a significant difference among the four risk groups (4.6 day difference between low and high risk). 73.1% of minimal risk patients were discharged home compared to 0% of high-risk patients. There was no difference in complication rate or in need for ICU level care between groups. However, high-risk patients had a mean total inpatient cost two times greater than that of minimal risk patients. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The STTGMA tool is able to meaningfully stratify older ankle fracture patients requiring operative fixation with regards to hospital quality metrics and cost. This information may allow for efficient targeted reductions in costs while optimizing outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Prognostic, Level III.

There are number of significant issues outside of the bone and/or fracture that are important to consider in the treatment of orthopaedic trauma. Joint contractures, heterotopic bone formation, managing a traumatized soft-tissue envelope or substantial soft-tissue defects represent a few of these important issues. This article reviews these issues, including the best available evidence on how to manage them.

Tibial plateau fracture is an injury commonly seen by those who treat trauma around the knee and/or sports-related injuries. In this video article, we present our protocol for surgical treatment of a tibial plateau fracture, which includes definitive fixation with use of a plate-and-screw construct, addressing of all associated soft-tissue injuries at the time of the surgical procedure, filling of any residual voids with bone cement, and early rehabilitation with weight-bearing beginning at 10 to 12 weeks postoperatively. The major steps of the procedure are (1) preoperative planning with digitally templated plates and screws, (2) patient positioning and setup, (3) anterolateral approach toward the proximal aspect of the tibia, (4) submeniscal arthrotomy, (5) booking open of the proximal aspect of the tibia at the fracture site, (6) tagging of the meniscus, (7) fracture reduction and placement of the Kirschner wire, (8) confirmation of reduction with C-arm image intensification, (9) internal fixation with a plate-and-screw construct, and (10) closure.

CASE/METHODS:An 65-year-old immunocompetent female developed a Leclercia adecarboxylata infection following the repair of closed olecranon fracture. L. adecarboxylata is associated with polymicrobial infections, infections in immunocompromised patients and penetrating or open wounds. Following speciation, intravenous ceftriaxone was started. Two weeks later, the patient presented with leukopenia and neutropenia. Per infectious disease recommendations, the patient was switched to intravenous ertapenem with resolution of both infection and neutropenia. The olecranon fracture went on to heal fully. CONCLUSIONS:This case describes a rare postoperative monomicrobial infection with L. adecarboxylata in an immunocompetent host following musculoskeletal trauma and identifies L. adecarboxylata as a potential emerging hospital-acquired pathogen following orthopedic surgery.

Background/UNASSIGNED:The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ability of preoperative and postoperative radiographic union scores for tibia fractures (RUST) to predict treatment success of tibia fracture nonunion. Materials and methods/UNASSIGNED:Patients presenting for operative treatment of tibia fracture nonunion were enrolled in a prospective data registry. Enrolled patients were followed at regular intervals for 12 months. Preoperative and 12 week postoperative radiographs were reviewed and scored using the RUST criteria. Postoperative time to union was determined by clinical and radiographic measures. Multivariate regressions were conducted to predict time to union using preoperative and postoperative RUST while controlling for treatment method. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was conducted to determine the accuracy of preoperative RUST in predicting failure of treatment. Results/UNASSIGNED:Sixty-eight patients with aseptic tibia fracture nonunion treated operatively were identified. Sixty-one patients achieved union. Mean preoperative RUST was 7.5 (SD 1.4). Mean postoperative RUST was 9.2 (SD 1.4). Multivariate linear regressions demonstrated that preoperative (p = 0.043) and postoperative (p = 0.007) RUST are significant predictors of time to union after tibia fracture nonunion surgery. ROC curve demonstrated preoperative RUST below 7 was a good predictor of developing persistent tibia fracture nonunion (AUC = 0.83, Sensitivity = 1.000, Specificity = 0.745). Conclusions/UNASSIGNED:RUST preoperatively and postoperatively predicts outcome after nonunion surgery. RUST can be used as part of the complete clinical picture to shape patient expectations and guide treatment.

Musculoskeletal infections (MSKI) remain the bane of orthopedic surgery, and result in grievous illness and inordinate costs that threaten healthcare systems. As prevention, diagnosis, and treatment has remained largely unchanged over the last 50 years, a 2nd International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection (ICM 2018, https://icmphilly.com) was completed. Questions pertaining to all areas of MSKI were extensively researched to prepare recommendations, which were discussed and voted on by the delegates using the Delphi methodology. The questions, including the General Assembly (GA) results, have been published (GA questions). However, as critical outcomes include: (i) incidence and cost data that substantiate the problems, and (ii) establishment of research priorities; an ICM 2018 research workgroup (RW) was assembled to accomplish these tasks. Here, we present the result of the RW consensus on the current and projected incidence of infection, and the costs per patient, for all orthopedic subspecialties, which range from 0.1% to 30%, and $17,000 to $150,000. The RW also identified the most important research questions. The Delphi methodology was utilized to initially derive four objective criteria to define a subset of the 164 GA questions that are high priority for future research. Thirty-eight questions (23% of all GA questions) achieved the requisite > 70% agreement vote, and are highlighted in this Consensus article within six thematic categories: acute versus chronic infection, host immunity, antibiotics, diagnosis, research caveats, and modifiable factors. Finally, the RW emphasizes that without appropriate funding to address these high priority research questions, a 3rd ICM on MSKI to address similar issues at greater cost is inevitable.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of medial malleolar fixation with 1 vs 2 screws. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Between April 2013 and February 2017, 196 patients who presented at 2 hospitals within one academic institution with an unstable rotational ankle fracture with a medial fracture and were treated operatively by a trained orthopedic surgeon were identified. These patients' charts were reviewed and their injury, radiographic, surgical, and follow-up data recorded. Medial malleolus fragment size was assessed on the anteroposterior (AP) and lateral views of the initial injury radiograph. Functional outcome was assessed using Maryland Foot Score (MFS). Patients were grouped based upon the number of screws utilized to fox the medial malleolar fragment. Data were assessed using Fisher exact tests and independent t tests with SPSS, version 23. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Out of the 196 patients who met inclusion criteria, 47 patients (24%) were fixed with 1 medial malleolar screw and 149 patients (76%) were fixed with 2 screws. There were no differences among patients who received 1 vs 2 screws with regard to age, gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade, or smoking status. The average malleolar fragment size was smaller in those treated with 1 screw on both the AP and lateral radiographic views than those with 2 screws ( P = .009, P = .001, respectively). There was no difference between groups in ankle dorsiflexion or plantarflexion at 1 year postoperation ( P = .451, P = .581). Patients who received 1 screw did not differ from those who received 2 screws with respect to Maryland Foot Scores ( P = .924). There was no difference in rate of revision surgery or need for hardware removal between groups ( P = .093). Furthermore, time to healing and postoperative complication rate did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:The use of a single screw for medial malleolar fixation provided stable fixation to allow ankle fracture healing, without an increase in complications. This information is especially important in situations when the fragment is too small to accommodate multiple fixation points. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/UNASSIGNED:Level III, retrospective case-control study.