Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:To compare functional outcomes between obese and non-obese patients after intramedullary nail (IMN) fixation of OTA 42A-C tibial fractures. Secondarily, to compare clinical outcomes and union rates between cohorts. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:). Univariate comparisons between cohorts were performed, and multivariable regression was used to adjust for confounders. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:286 patients met inclusion criteria: 60 (21.0%) were obese and 226 (79.0%) were non-obese. The mean follow-up time was 13.60 ± 7.90 months. There were no differences in injury or demographic characteristics, besides a higher rate of diabetes in the obese group (20% vs. 5.3%, p < 0.001). Obesity was associated with lower 3-month (B = -0.352, p = 0.009), 6-month (B = -0.283 p = 0.013) and 12-month (B = -0.181 p = 0.039) FAC scores when controlling for baseline FAC score, age, fracture pattern, diabetes, and open fractures. The obese group was not associated with fracture nonunion (81.7% vs. 90.3%, p = 0.064) and showed no difference in healed-by times (6.28 ± 2.45 [months] vs. 6.13 ± 2.83, p = 0.751). The obese group had a higher rate of amputation (5% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) but no difference in overall complication rate (28.3% vs. 18.0%, p = 0.081). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:Obese patients who undergo intramedullary nail fixation of OTA 42A-C tibial diaphyseal fractures have worse functional ambulatory outcomes compared to their non-obese counterparts.

The gold standard for patella fracture fixation is tension band wiring; however, achieving stable anatomic fixation can be challenging in comminuted patterns. The "star" variable-angle locking patella plate is an alternative fixation construct that is meant to address these limitations by providing multiple fixation points and dorsal cortical stability. The purpose of this study was to analyze the outcomes of patients treated with the variable-angle locking "star" patella plate. A total of 358 patients who underwent repair of a displaced patella fracture over a 10-year period were reviewed. Patients who sustained an isolated orthopaedic trauma association (OTA) 34-C3 patella fracture and underwent open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) with the variable-angle locking star-shaped patella plating system with at least 6 months of follow-up were analyzed. Demographic and treatment characteristics, fracture union, complications, and functional outcome measures as measured by knee range of motion (ROM) were collected retrospectively at standard follow-up intervals. Thirty-seven patients (mean age 60.17 ± 16.72 [standard deviation, SD] years; mean body mass index [BMI] 25.12 ± 5.04 [SD] kg/m²) treated at one multisite, urban, academic institution were identified. All fractures were classified as OTA 34-C3. The mean operating room time (wheels-in wheels-out) was 149.43 ± 50.82 (SD) minutes. One patient (2.7%) developed a fracture-related infection (FRI), two patients (5.4%) had wound complications, and one patient (2.7%) developed a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) following surgery. All fractures healed by 6 months, and no patient underwent removal of symptomatic hardware. Three patients underwent secondary operation; one patient had repeated irrigation and debridement of a confirmed FRI, one manipulation under anesthesia for knee contracture, and one revision ORIF after loss of distal fixation. Patients displayed a mean knee ROM of 106.53 ± 21.64 degrees (SD) and 118.51 ± 16.87 degrees (SD) at the 3- and 6-month points, respectively. The novel locking "star" patella plate appears to be a reliable and safe method of treatment for the most complex patella fractures.

Orthopedic surgery has advanced through the demands of managing complex musculoskeletal trauma on the battlefield. The purpose of this review was to briefly summarize how successive conflicts have shaped principles and practice of orthopedic surgery-from wound management, fracture stabilization, limb salvage, prosthetics, and trauma systems-and to outline possible orthopedic input in future warfare and human exploration. From early empiricism in the Revolutionary War to organized military hospital systems in the Civil War, to the use of antibiotics and internal fixation in World War II, each armed conflict has introduced core orthopedic tenets and innovations. World War I introduced improvements in wound care and early femoral fracture stabilization (Thomas splint), dramatically reducing mortality. World War II brought on the innovation of Küntscher intramedullary nailing and the birth of hand surgery. The Korean and Vietnam wars accelerated evacuation and echeloned care, laying groundwork for damage control orthopedics. In Iraq and Afghanistan, tiered trauma systems and prospective outcomes data reframed limb salvage vs. amputation; contemporary prosthetics (targeted muscle reinnervation, myoelectric control, osseointegration) further expanded function. Future domains-remote warfare and space medicine-pose distinct challenges and research imperatives. Orthopedic surgery's evolution is inseparable from the history of war. Lessons in physiology-first care, principles of bony fixation, wound care, infection control, and multidisciplinary rehabilitation continue to inform modern civilian practice and will be essential for managing complexing injuries in emerging environments.

The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes in patients who sustained isolated lateral column tibial plateau fractures and combined lateral and posterolateral column tibial plateau fractures (AO/OTA 41B3 lateral split-depression fractures). Fractures were classified according to the three-column classification system of tibial plateau fractures. The primary outcome was the difference in Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) function index at 12 months postoperatively between patients with lateral column plateau fractures and patients with combined lateral and posterolateral column plateau fractures. Seventy-eight patients were included (mean age: 48.8 ± 14.1 years). Thirty-two patients (41.0%) were in the isolated lateral column group (L), and 46 patients (59.0%) were in the lateral column plus posterolateral column group (L + PL). At 1 year following injury and fixation, the L + PL group demonstrated significantly worse SMFA function index than the L group (19.1 ± 17.7 vs. 9.1 ± 12.5, p = 0.005). Similarly, the L + PL group was significantly more bothered by the sequelae of their injury compared to the L group at 1 year based on the SMFA bothersome index (20.7 ± 23.7 vs. 8.6 ± 12.3, p = 0.005). Patients with combined lateral and posterolateral column tibial plateau fractures demonstrate worse outcomes compared to isolated lateral column fractures 1 year after fixation. The study provides level III evidence.

PURPOSE/UNASSIGNED:To report the technique and describe the outcomes of the use of a medial support fibular strut construct for treating varus humeral surgical neck nonunions in older patients. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Older patients (≥ 60 years) who presented with a surgical neck varus nonunion initially treated with or without previous surgery were identified. All patients underwent repair with nonunion takedown, anatomic alignment with a plate and screw construct, and medial cortical substitution with an allograft fibular strut and autogenous iliac crest graft. Patients were followed prospectively. Patient demographics, injury and surgery characteristics, radiographic and clinical healing, in-hospital and post-operative complications, and follow-up range of motion were systematically collected and analyzed. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Six patients, mean age 70.5 ± 8.7, who presented with an atrophic humeral surgical neck nonunion with medial calcar deficiency were identified. All six patients (100%) achieved union with an average healing time of 4.5 months. One patient required an early revision due to hardware failure 3 weeks following revision surgery. At the 12-month follow-up, forward elevation of the shoulder averaged 138° ± 33°. Significant functional improvement was observed, with average preoperative SMFA scores of 42.0 ± 11.1 improving to 11.1 ± 12.1 12 months post-operatively. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:The use of a fibular strut construct as a solution for humeral surgical neck nonunion with medial calcar loss demonstrates an alternative treatment for a complex type of proximal humerus nonunion in older populations. Patients who healed experienced high rates of functional recovery, underscoring its effectiveness as a treatment modality.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Functional recovery following non-operative treatment of proximal humerus fractures (PHFs) varies widely, but the relative impact of patient characteristics and medical comorbidities remain unclear. This study aimed to identify factors associated with (1) patient-reported functional recovery following healing as measured by Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores and (2) achieving functional range of shoulder motion (ROM). METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Fractures were classified using the Neer system, and all patients followed a standardized therapy protocol emphasizing early ROM. Functional outcomes were assessed using a self-reported pre-injury DASH estimate and DASH at minimum 6-month follow-up, with recovery quantified as a standardized deviation metric (absolute difference divided by the cohort SD of pre-injury estimates). Functional ROM was defined as ≥120° of forward elevation. Exploratory bivariate analyses were performed, and multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to identify independent associations. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Among 166 patients, multivariable linear regression demonstrated coronary artery disease (CAD; B = 2.64; 95% CI, 0.52-4.75; p = 0.015), hypertension (HTN; B = 1.43; 95% CI, 0.06-2.80; p = 0.041), and race/ethnicity (B = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.08-1.11; p = 0.023) were independently associated with greater standardized DASH deviation; type 2 diabetes (T2DM) was not (p = 0.170). ROM data were available for 129 patients (77.7%). In multivariable logistic regression, no covariate reached statistical significance; HTN demonstrated a trend toward reduced odds of achieving functional ROM (aOR 0.29; 95% CI, 0.07-1.18; p = 0.084). CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:In this exploratory cohort, cardiovascular comorbidities (CAD and HTN) were independently associated with poorer patient-reported functional recovery after non-operative PHF treatment. Race/ethnicity showed an association, but subgroup sizes were small, and estimates should be interpreted cautiously. No independent predictors of functional ROM were identified.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:To assess the concordance between blood culture isolates and intraoperative deep tissue cultures in patients with confirmed fracture-related infection (FRI). DESIGN/METHODS:Retrospective Cohort Study. SETTING/METHODS:Academic Medical Center. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA/UNASSIGNED:This Institutional Review Board-approved study included patients 18 years and older diagnosed with a confirmed FRI according to the FRI Consensus Group criteria who, at time of irrigation and debridement (I&D), underwent deep tissue culture (TC) as well as concurrent blood culture (BC) testing (in the Emergency Department or inpatient setting). The decision to perform BC testing was left to the discretion of the initial treating providers at the time of this presentation. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS/UNASSIGNED:Microbiological data were reviewed from the electronic medical record. Infections were classified as monomicrobial (either gram-positive or gram-negative), polymicrobial, or culture negative. Pathogen concordance between blood and intraoperative tissue cultures was analyzed. RESULTS:84 patients were included with both intraoperative deep TC and concurrent BC. This cohort had a mean age of 56.2 ± 20.3 years and consisted of 33 females (39.3%). BC were never ordered by the orthopedic surgeon. Microbial analysis of deep tissue specimens identified 29 gram-positive infections, 18 gram-negative infections, 33 polymicrobial infections, and 4 culture-negative cases. Of the 84 BC analyzed, 69 (82.1%) were culture-negative and 15 (17.9%) were culture-positive. BC results were discordant with their respective TC isolates in 76 of 84 (90.4%) cases. This discordance in 76 cases was driven by negative BC in the setting of positive TC (69/76, 90.8%), while a smaller proportion reflected growth of different organisms in BC compared to TC (7/76, 9.2%). Concordance was observed in only 8 of 84 (9.6%) cases, in which BC identified at least one pathogen sampled from TC. BC yielded negative culture results 17 times as often as TC. McNemar's test revealed a highly significant difference in culture-positivity rates (χ2=65, p<0.0001), while Cohen's Kappa for agreement was 0.022, indicating minimal agreement between BC and TC results. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that blood cultures were part of some workflows for patients presenting with infections, but they did not reflect the true bony pathogens nor contribute meaningful diagnostic information in most cases of confirmed fracture-related infection (FRI) according to the FRI Consensus Group criteria. While blood culture testing is important in the evaluation of systemic infection from, it does not provide orthopedic surgeons with information that informs the management or treatment of the FRI itself. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:III.

BACKGROUND:Morbidity and mortality following geriatric hip fracture remains high. Increased time from hospital admission to hip fracture surgery is a factor that has been associated with adverse outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with delays to surgery greater than 1 day in geriatric hip fracture patients. The primary aim of this study was to identify and compare comorbidities between patients who underwent surgery within 1 day and those who did not using a large national data base. The null hypothesis was that patients with more acute medical comorbidities would not have a higher association with delays to surgery greater than 1 day. METHODS:Patients over the age of 65 who underwent a surgical repair for a hip fracture from 2005 to 2019 were identified from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database. Patients were grouped into those who had surgery less than 1 day after admission (n = 74,072) and those who had surgery greater than 1 day after admission (n = 21,481). Demographic data and comorbidities were collected and compared. Univariate regressions were performed to assess the effect of comorbidities on risk of surgery more than 1 day after admission. RESULTS:Hip fracture patients who did not undergo surgery within 1 day were older, more likely to be male, non-white, have lower functional status and greater ASA class. These patients had significantly greater preoperative comorbidities such as hypertension, bleeding disorder or anticoagulated status, obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or congestive heart failure (CHF). Patients who were ventilator dependent (OR: 10.09; 95% CI: [6.65, 15.79], p < 0.001), had preoperative transfusions (OR: 3.89; 95% CI: [3.64, 4.16], p < 0.001) or CHF (OR: 2.88, 95% CI: [2.68, 3.09], p < 0.001) had the greatest odds of not having surgery within 1 day. CONCLUSIONS:Hip fracture patients who did not get surgery within 1 day, had a greater preoperative comorbidity profile than those who did. Patients with certain comorbidities such as ventilator dependence, need for preoperative blood transfusion and congestive heart failure had greater odds of having surgery delayed beyond 1 day. Attention should be placed on patients who arrive with these risk factors and clinical pathways should be designed to expedite preoperative medical optimization and surgical treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:III; Retrospective Comparative Study.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:To compare clinical characteristics and outcomes of Maisonneuve fractures, as defined as syndesmotic disruption with or without proximal fibula fracture, to other pronation-external rotation (PER) stage III/IV fractures. METHODS:A retrospective review of an IRB-approved database of ankle fractures from a single orthopedic department identified patients with surgically treated PER stage III/IV fractures, including those meeting radiographic criteria for Maisonneuve fracture. Data collected included patient demographics, injury mechanism, surgical details, and Lauge-Hansen classification. Maisonneuve fractures were compared to other PER III/IV fractures requiring fibular fixation with syndesmotic stabilization. Outcomes included total complications, fracture-related infection, hardware removal, and nonunion. Patients were seen for standard follow up for 12 months post-operatively with clinical healing defined as non-tenderness about the ankle. Statistical analyses included Chi square analysis, ANOVA, and multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS:64 patients with operatively repaired Maisonneuve fractures were identified (mean follow-up of 10 months). These patients were more often male compared to other PER III/IV fractures (p < 0.05). Maisonneuve fractures were associated with a faster time to clinical healing and return to full activity, confirmed on multivariable regression analysis (p < 0.05). No significant differences in complications rates or radiographic parameters at six months or later were observed, as all values remained within accepted clinical ranges. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Maisonneuve fracture patients experience a more rapid clinical recovery based upon painless ankle motion as well as a return to full activity faster than patients with other types of PER III/IV injuries, with comparable complication rates and radiographic outcomes.