Faculty Bibliography

Introduction/UNASSIGNED:In response to increasing health-care costs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has initiated several programs to transition from a fee-for-service model to a value-based care model. One such voluntary program is Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) which includes all hip and femur fractures that undergo operative fixation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the current cost and resource utilization of operatively fixed (nonarthroplasty) hip and femur fracture procedure bundle patients at a single level 1 trauma center within the framework of a risk stratification tool (Score for Trauma Triage in the Geriatric and Middle-Aged [STTGMA]) to identify areas of high utilization before our hospitals transition to bundle period. Materials and Methods/UNASSIGNED:A cohort of Medicare-eligible patients discharged with the Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) codes 480 to 482 (hip and femur fractures requiring surgical fixation) from a level 1 trauma center between October 2014 and September 2016 was evaluated and assigned a trauma triage risk score (STTGMA score). Patients were stratified into groups based on these scores to create a minimal-, low-, moderate-, and high-risk cohort. Length of stay (LOS), discharge location, need for Intensive Care Unit (ICU)/Step Down Unit (SDU) care, inpatient complications, readmission within 90 days, and inpatient admission costs were recorded. Results/UNASSIGNED:= .029). The mean total cost of admission for the entire cohort of patients was US$25,446 (US$9725), with a nearly US$9000 greater cost for high-risk patients compared to the low-risk patients. High-cost areas of care included room/board, procedure, and radiology. Discussion/UNASSIGNED:High-risk patients were more likely to have longer and more costly admissions with average index admission costs nearly US$9000 more than the lower risk patient cohorts. These high-risk patients were also more likely to develop inpatient complications and require higher levels of care. Conclusion/UNASSIGNED:This analysis of a 2-year cohort of patients who would qualify for the BPCI Advanced hip and femur procedure bundle demonstrates that the STTGMA tool can be used to identify high-risk patients who fall outside the bundle.

Introduction/UNASSIGNED:The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of the admitting service on cost of care for hip fracture patients by comparing the cost difference between patients admitted to the medicine service versus those admitted to a surgical service. Methods/UNASSIGNED:value of <.05 as significant. Results/UNASSIGNED:= .034) compared to patients admitted to the medicine service. Discussions/UNASSIGNED:In our urban safety net hospital, hip fracture patients admitted to medicine service had longer lengths of stay and higher total hospitalization costs than patients who were admitted to surgery service. Conclusions/UNASSIGNED:This study highlights that the admitting service should be an area of focus for hospitals when developing programs to provide effective and cost-conscious care to hip fracture patients.

Patterns of discharge location may be evident based on the "sickness" profile of the patient. This study sought to evaluate the ability of the STTGMA tool, a validated mortality risk index for middle-aged and geriatric trauma patients, to predict discharge location in a cohort of low-energy elderly hip fracture patients, with successful discharge planning measured by readmission rates. Low-energy hip fracture patients aged 55 years and older were prospectively followed throughout their hospitalization. On initial evaluation in the Emergency Department, each patient's age, comorbidities, injury severity, and functional status were utilized to calculate a STTGMA score. Discharge location was recorded with the primary outcome measure of an unsuccessful discharge being readmission within 30 days. Patients were risk stratified into minimal-, low-, moderate-, and high-risk STTGMA cohorts. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant for all statistical tests. 408 low-energy hip fractures were enrolled in the study with a mean age of 81.3±10.6 years. There were 214 (52.5%) intertrochanteric fractures, 167 (40.9%) femoral neck fractures, and 27 (6.6%) subtrochanteric femur fractures. There was no difference in readmission rates within STTGMA risk cohorts with respect to discharge location; however, among individual discharge locations there was significant variation in readmission rates when patients were risk stratified. Overall, STTGMA risk cohorts appeared to adequately risk-stratify readmission with 3.5% of minimal-risk patients experiencing readmission compared to 24.5% of moderate-risk patients. Specific cohorts deemed high-risk for readmission were adequately identified. The STTGMA tool allows for prediction of unfavorable discharge location in hip fracture patients. Based on observations made via the STTGMA tool, improvements in discharge planning can be undertaken to increase home discharge and to more closely track "high-risk" discharges to help prevent readmissions.

Introduction/UNASSIGNED:Frailty in elderly trauma populations has been correlated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The Score for Trauma Triage in the Geriatric and Middle-Aged (STTGMA) is a validated mortality risk score that evaluates 4 major physiologic criteria: age, comorbidities, vital signs, and anatomic injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the addition of additional frailty variables to the STTGMA tool would improve risk stratification of a middle-aged and elderly trauma population. Methods/UNASSIGNED:A total of 1486 patients aged 55 years and older who met the American College of Surgeons Tier 1 to 3 criteria and/or who had orthopedic or neurosurgical traumatic consultations in the emergency department between September 2014 and September 2016 were included. The STTGMAORIGINAL and STTGMAFRAILTY scores were calculated. Additional "frailty variables" included preinjury assistive device use (disability), independent ambulatory status (functional independence), and albumin level (nutrition). The ability of the STTGMAORIGINAL and the STTGMAFRAILTY models to predict inpatient mortality was compared using area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs). Results/UNASSIGNED:There were 23 high-energy inpatient mortalities (4.7%) and 20 low-energy inpatient mortalities (2.0%). When the STTGMAORIGINAL model was used, the AUROC in the high-energy and low-energy cohorts was 0.926 and 0.896, respectively. The AUROC for STTGMAFRAILTY for the high-energy and low-energy cohorts was 0.905 and 0.937, respectively. There was no significant difference in predictive capacity for inpatient mortality between STTGMAORIGINAL and STTGMAFRAILTY for both the high-energy and low-energy cohorts. Conclusion/UNASSIGNED:The original STTGMA tool accounts for important frailty factors including cognition and general health status. These variables combined with other major physiologic variables such as age and anatomic injuries appear to be sufficient to adequately and accurately quantify inpatient mortality risk. The addition of other common frailty factors that account for does not enhance the STTGMA tool's predictive capabilities.

Background/UNASSIGNED:Tibial plateau fractures can be devastating traumatic injuries to the knee, particularly in active athletes. Purpose/Hypothesis/UNASSIGNED:The purpose of this study was to report on the return to participation in recreational athletics after operatively managed tibial plateau fractures. In addition, this study assessed factors associated with the ability to return to participation in recreational athletics after tibial plateau fractures treated with open reduction internal fixation and compared final outcomes between patients who were able to return to recreational athletics and those who could not. The hypothesis was that returning to participation in recreational athletics would be dependent on the time from surgery after operative fixation of tibial plateau fractures. Less severe injuries would be associated with a quicker return to athletics. Study Design/UNASSIGNED:Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods/UNASSIGNED:All tibial plateau fractures treated by 1 of 3 surgeons at a single academic institution over an 11-year period were prospectively followed. Final outcomes were evaluated using the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment at latest follow-up. All complications were recorded at each follow-up. Differences between the groups were compared using Student t tests for continuous variables. Chi-square analysis was used to determine whether differences between categorical variables existed. Logistic regression was performed to assess independent variables associated with returning to participation in recreational athletics. Results/UNASSIGNED:A total of 169 patients who underwent operative management of their tibial plateau fracture reported participation in recreational athletics before their injury. By the 6-month time point, 48 patients (31.6%) had returned to participation in recreational athletics, and at final follow-up (mean, 15 months), 89 patients (52.4%) had returned to participation in recreational athletics. Predictors of returning to recreational athletics included white race, female sex, social alcohol consumption, younger age, increased range of motion (ROM), low-energy Schatzker patterns (I-III), injuries not inclusive of orthopaedic polytrauma or open fractures, and no postoperative complications. White race, social alcohol consumption, and increased ROM were associated with returning to athletics at both 6-month and final follow-up. Lack of a venous thromboembolism was associated with returning to athletics at final follow-up. Patients who returned to recreational athletics had associations with better functional outcomes and emotional status than those who did not. Conclusion/UNASSIGNED:The number of patients who returned to participation in recreational athletics gradually increased over time after operative fixation of tibial plateau fractures. Less severe injuries and a lack of postoperative complications were associated with a quicker return to athletics. Predictors of returning to participation in recreational athletics after operatively managed tibial plateau fractures can be used to target patients at risk of not returning to play to provide interventions aimed at improving their recovery, such as early knee range of motion, muscle strengthening, and participation in low-impact activities.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the presence of fracture site gross motion on physical examination to predict humeral shaft fracture progression to nonunion in patients managed nonoperatively. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Single trauma level 1 institutional center. PATIENTS: Eighty-four consecutive patients undergoing nonoperative treatment of a diaphyseal humeral shaft fracture were identified. The average age of the population was 48.3 years, and 50% of the cohort was men. INTERVENTION: Clinical examination for fracture stability was routinely performed on patients by the treating physicians and documented it in the medical record. Patients were followed until union or surgery for persistent fracture mobility. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Stability was graded if there was motion at the site (1: motion of any kind and 0: moved as a unit). RESULTS: Seventy-three patients (87%) healed their fracture within our study cohort by 6 months postfracture. Of the remaining 11 patients, after discussion with their treating physicians about the option of surgical intervention, 8 chose to undergo open reduction internal fixation at an average of 8 months, 1 proceeded nonsurgical interventions, and 2 were lost of follow-up. If the humeral shaft fracture site was mobile at 6 weeks follow-up visit, it identified future fracture nonunion with 82% sensitivity and 99% specificity (only 1 patient with motion at 6 weeks proceeded to fracture union). CONCLUSION: With a high negative predictive value, clinical examination of fracture motion at 6 weeks should be assessed in every patient to determine which patients should obtain closer follow-up for the risk of nonunion progression. Knowledge of gross fracture motion can be used in the shared decision-making model in counseling about early surgical options. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

BACKGROUND: The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines require residency programs to teach and evaluate residents in six overarching "core competencies" and document progress through educational milestones. In order to assess the progress of orthopaedic interns' skills in performing a history, physical exam, and documentation of the encounter for a standardized patient with spinal stenosis, a Structured Objective Clinical Examination (OSCE) was conducted for 13 orthopaedic intern residents, following a one month boot camp that included communications skills and curriculum in history and physical examination. Interns were objectively scored based upon their performance of the physical exam, communication skills, completeness and accuracy of their electronic medical record (EMR), and their diagnostic conclusions gleaned from the patient encounter. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to meaningfully assess the clinical skills of orthopaedic PGY-1 interns. The findings can be utilized to develop a standardized curriculum for documenting patient encounters and highlight common areas of weakness among orthopaedic interns with regard to the spine history and physical examination and conducting complete and accurate clinical documentation. STUDY SETTING: A major orthopaedic specialty hospital and academic medical center METHODS: 13 PGY-1 orthopaedic residents participated in the OSCE with the same standardized patient presenting with symptoms and radiographs consistent with spinal stenosis. Videos of the encounters were independently viewed and objectively evaluated by one investigator in the study. This evaluation focused on the completeness of the history and the performance and completion of the physical exam. The standardized patient evaluated the communication skills of each intern with a separate objective evaluation. Interns completed these same scoring guides to evaluate their own performance in history, physical examination and communications skills. The interns' documentation in the electronic medical record (EMR) was then scored for completeness, internal consistency, and inaccuracies. RESULTS: The independent review revealed objective deficits in both the orthopaedic interns' history and physical examination, as well as highlighted trends of inaccurate and incomplete documentation in the corresponding medical record. Communication skills with the patient did not meet expectations. Further, interns tended to over-score themselves, especially with regards to their performance on the physical exam (p<.0005). Inconsistencies, omissions, and inaccuracies were common in the corresponding medical notes when compared to the events of the patient encounter. 9/13 interns (69.2%) documented at least one finding that was not assessed or tested in the clinical encounter, and 4/13 interns (30.8%) included inaccuracies in the medical record which contradicted the information collected at the time of the encounter. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study highlighted significant shortcomings in the completeness of the interns' spine history and physical exam, and the accuracy and completeness of their EMR note. The study provides a valuable exercise for evaluating residents in a multifaceted, multi-milestone manner that more accurately documents residents' clinical strengths and weaknesses. The study demonstrates that orthopaedic residents require further instruction on the complexities of the spinal exam. It validates a need for increased systemic support for improving resident documentation through comprehensive education and evaluation modules.

This study was conducted to determine whether proximal humerus fracture patterns as defined by the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) classification and the Neer 4-part system predicted functional outcomes for patients treated with open reduction and internal fixation with locked plates and, if so, which system correlated better with outcomes. During a 12-year period, 213 patients with a displaced proximal humerus fracture who underwent surgical treatment with a locking plate at 1 academic institution were prospectively followed. All patients were treated in a similar way and were followed by the operating surgeon at routine intervals. Functional outcomes were measured with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. Of these patients, 164 were available for analysis. Functional outcomes based on DASH scores did not differ significantly by Neer system, AO/OTA classification, or varus/valgus humeral head alignment at more than 12 months postoperatively. However, patients with Neer 4-part fracture and AO/OTA type 11-C fracture had worse shoulder range of motion in terms of forward elevation and external rotation. Time to healing and complication rates also were not significantly different based on either classification system. Fracture classification can predict shoulder range of motion 12 months after surgical fixation, but its use is limited in predicting functional outcome scores, time to healing, and complication rates. Patients who undergo surgical repair of a proximal humerus fracture can expect good functional results independent of the initial injury pattern, but more severe fracture patterns may lead to decreased shoulder range of motion. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(6):368-374.].

OBJECTIVES: To assess the outcome of patients with hyperextension bicondylar tibial plateau fractures (HEBTPs) and those with other complex tibial plateau fractures. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort design. SETTING: Academic Medical Center. PATIENTS: A total of 84 patients were included in the study. There were 69 patients with 69 knees (82%) that had sustained non-HEBTPs and 15 patients with 15 knees (18%) that had HEBTPs. INTERVENTION: Surgical repair of bicondylar tibial plateau fracture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical and functional outcomes included knee range of motion, postoperative alignment, numerical rating scale pain scores, and Short Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment (SMFA) scores at long-term follow-up. Complications were recorded for both cohorts including infection and posttraumatic osteoarthritis. RESULTS: There was no difference in knee range of motion at 1-year follow-up between hyperextension and nonhypertension patients. Patients with hyperextension mechanisms did however have higher functional (SMFA) scores and a trend of higher pain scores, indicating worsened functional outcomes and were more likely than their nonhyperextension mechanism counterparts to have associated soft-tissue damage and to develop posttraumatic osteoarthritis. CONCLUSIONS: Non-HEBTP and HEBTP fracture patients have similar outcomes in terms of range of motion at approximately 1 year of follow-up, however, differ significantly in terms of functional recovery and the types of complications associated with their injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.