Risk Factors of Failure in 228 Periprosthetic Distal Femur Fractures: A Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors of reoperation to promote union or to address deep surgical-site infection (DSSI) in periprosthetic distal femur fractures treated with lateral distal femoral locking plates (LDFLPs). DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten level-I trauma centers. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Patients with Orthopaedic Trauma Association/Association of Osteosynthesis (OTA/AO) 33A or 33C periprosthetic distal femur fractures who underwent surgical fixation between January 2012 and December 2019 exclusively using LDFLPs were eligible for inclusion. Patients with pathologic fractures or with follow-up less than 3 months without an outcome event (unplanned reoperation to promote union or for deep surgical infection) before this time point were excluded. Fracture fixation constructs used medial plates, intramedullary nails, or hybrid fixation constructs were excluded from analysis. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS: To examine the influence of patient demographics, injury characteristics, and features of the fracture fixation construct on the occurrence of unplanned reoperation to promote union or to address a DSSI. RESULTS: There was an 8.3% rate (19/228) of unplanned reoperation to promote union. Predictive factors for the need for reoperation to promote union included increasing body mass index (odds ratio [OR] = 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.16; P = 0.01), increasing number of screws in the distal fracture segment (OR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.06-2.95; P = 0.03), and decreasing proportion of proximal segment screws that are locking (OR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.03-0.70; P = 0.02) There was a 4.8% rate (11/228) of reoperation to address DSSI. There were no statistically significant predictive factors identified as risk factors of the need for reoperation to address DSSI ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 8.3% of periprosthetic distal femur fractures treated at 10 centers with LDFLPs underwent unplanned reoperation to promote union. Increasing patient body mass index and increasing number of screws in the distal fracture segment were found to be predictive factors, whereas increased locking screws in the proximal segment were found to be protective. 4.8% of patients in this cohort underwent reoperation to address DSSI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Secondary Bony Defects after Soft Tissue Reconstruction in Limb-Threatening Lower Extremity Injuries: Does the Approach to Flap Elevation Matter?

BACKGROUND: Limb-threatening lower extremity injuries often require secondary bone grafting after soft tissue reconstruction. We hypothesized that there would be fewer wound complications when performing secondary bone grafting via a remote surgical approach rather than direct flap elevation. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed at a single Level 1 trauma center comparing complications after secondary bone grafting in patients who had undergone previous soft tissue reconstruction after open tibia fractures between 2006 and 2020. Comparing bone grafting via a remote surgical incision versus direct flap elevation, we evaluated wound dehiscence requiring return to the operating room as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were deep infection and delayed amputation. RESULTS: We identified 129 patients (mean age: 40 years, 82% male) with 159 secondary bone grafting procedures. Secondary bone grafting was performed via a remote surgical approach in 54% (n = 86) and direct flap elevation in 46% (n = 73) of cases. Wound dehiscence requiring return to the operating room occurred in one patient in the flap elevation group (1%) and none of the patients in the remote surgical approach. The odds of deep wound infection (OR, 1.77; p = 0.31) or amputation (OR, 1.43; p = 0.73) did not significantly differ between surgical approaches. No significant differences were found in complications between the reconstructive surgeon elevating and re-insetting the flap and the orthopaedic trauma surgeon performing the flap elevation and re-inset. CONCLUSION: Direct flap elevation for secondary bone grafting after soft tissue reconstruction for open tibia fractures did not result in more complications than bone grafting via a remote surgical approach. These findings should reassure surgeons to allow other clinical factors to influence the surgical approach for bone grafting.

The Biomechanical Effects of Intramedullary Fixation to the Level of the Physeal Scar on Distal Tibia Fracture Stability.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether intramedullary nail contact with physeal scar improves construct mechanics when treating distal tibial shaft fractures. METHODS: Axially unstable extra-articular distal tibia fractures were created in 30 fresh frozen cadaveric specimens (15 pairs, mean age 79 years). Specimens underwent intramedullary nailing to the level of the physeal scar locked with one or two interlocks or short of the physeal scar locked with two interlocks (reference group). Specimens were subjected to 800N of axial load for 25,000 cycles. Primary outcomes were stiffness before and after cyclic loading. Secondary outcomes were load to failure, load at 3 mm displacement, plastic deformation, and total deformation. RESULTS: The physeal scar with one interlock cohort demonstrated 3.8% greater stiffness before cycling ( P = 0.75) and 1.7% greater stiffness after cycling ( P = 0.86) compared with the reference group. The physeal scar with two interlocks group exhibited 0.3% greater stiffness before cycling ( P = 0.98) and 8.4% greater stiffness after cycling ( P = 0.41) in relation to the reference group. No differences were identified regarding load to failure or load at 3 mm displacement. In specimens with two interlocks, those in contact with the physeal scar demonstrated significantly less plastic ( P = 0.02) and total ( P = 0.04) deformation. CONCLUSIONS: Constructs ending at the physeal scar demonstrated stiffness and load to failure similar to those without physeal scar contact. Less plastic and total deformation was noted in two-interlock constructs with physeal scar contact, suggesting a possible protective effect provided by the physeal scar. These data argue that physeal scar contact may offer a small mechanical benefit in nailing distal tibia fractures, but clinical relevance remains unknown.

Technical Factors Contributing to Nonunion in Supracondylar Distal Femur Fractures Treated With Lateral Locked Plating: A Risk-Stratified Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify technical factors associated with nonunion after operative treatment with lateral locked plating. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten Level I trauma centers. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Adult patients with supracondylar distal femur fractures (OTA/AO type 33A or C) treated with lateral locked plating from 2010 through 2019. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS: Surgery for nonunion stratified by risk for nonunion. RESULTS: The cohort included 615 patients with supracondylar distal femur fractures. The median patient age was 61 years old (interquartile range: 46 -72years) and 375 (61%) were female. Observed were nonunion rates of 2% in a low risk of nonunion group (n = 129), 4% in a medium-risk group (n = 333), and 14% in a high-risk group (n = 153). Varus malreduction with an anatomic lateral distal femoral angle greater than 84 degrees, was associated with double the odds of nonunion compared to those without such varus [odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-4.2; P = 0.03]. Malreduction by medial translation of the articular block increased the odds of nonunion, with 30% increased odds per 4 mm of medial translation (95% CI, 1.0-1.6; P = 0.03). Working length increased the odds of nonunion in the medium risk group, with an 18% increase in nonunion per 10-mm increase in working length (95% CI, 1.0-1.4; P = 0.01). Increased proximal screw density was protective against nonunion (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.92; P = 0.02) but yielded lower mRUST scores with each 0.1 increase in screw density associated with a 0.4-point lower mRUST (95% CI, -0.55 to -0.15; P < 0.001). Lateral plate length and type of plate material were not associated with nonunion. ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Malreduction is a surgeon-controlled variable associated with nonunion after lateral locked plating of supracondylar distal femur fractures. Longer working lengths were associated with nonunion, suggesting that bridge plating may be less likely to succeed for longer fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Nail Plate Combination Fixation Versus Lateral Locked Plating for Distal Femur Fractures: A Multicenter Experience.

OBJECTIVES: To (1) report on clinical, radiographic, and functional outcomes after nail-plate fixation (NPF) of distal femur fractures and (2) compare outcomes after NPF with a propensity matched cohort of fractures treated with single precontoured lateral locking plates. DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten Level 1 trauma centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients with OTA/AO 33A or 33C fractures. INTERVENTION: Fixation with (1) retrograde intramedullary nail combined with lateral locking plate (n = 33) or (2) single precontoured lateral locking plate alone (n = 867). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The main outcomes of interest were all-cause unplanned reoperation and presence of varus collapse at final follow-up. RESULTS: One nail-plate patient underwent unplanned reoperation excluding infection and 2 underwent reoperation for infection at an average of 57 weeks after surgery. No nail-plate patients required unplanned reoperation to promote union and none exhibited varus collapse. More than 90% were ambulatory with no or minimal pain at final follow-up. In comparison, 7 of the 30 matched lateral locked plating patients underwent all-cause unplanned reoperation excluding infection (23% vs. 3%, P = 0.023), and an additional 3 lateral locked plating patients were found to have varus collapse on final radiographs (10% vs. 0%, P = 0.069). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a high proportion of high-energy, open, and comminuted fractures, no NPF patients underwent unplanned reoperation to promote union or demonstrated varus collapse. Propensity score matched analysis revealed significantly lower rates of nonunion for NPF compared with lateral locked plating alone. Larger studies are needed to identify which distal femur fracture patients would most benefit from NPF. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

A deep surgical site infection risk score for patients with open tibial shaft fractures treated with intramedullary nail.

OBJECTIVES: To identify deep infection risk factors in patients with open tibial shaft fractures and to develop a scoring algorithm to predict the baseline deep infection risk in this patient population. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study conducted at a single academic trauma center identified patients with open tibial shaft fractures treated with intramedullary nail fixation from December 2006 to October 2020. The primary outcome was a deep surgical site infection requiring surgical debridement. The outcome was identified by Current Procedural Terminology codes and confirmed with a medical chart review documenting evidence of a tibial draining wound or sinus tract. RESULTS: Deep surgical site infection occurred in 13% of patients (97/769). Factors that predicted deep surgical site infection were identified. Gustilo-Anderson type IIIB or IIIC was the strongest predictor with a 12-fold increase in the odds of deep infection (OR 11.8, p < 0.001). Additional factors included age >40 years (OR 1.7, p = 0.03), American Society of Anesthesiologists score ≥3 (OR 1.9, p < 0.01), Gustilo-Anderson type IIIA vs. type I or II (OR 2.8, p = 0.004), and gunshot wounds (OR 2.9, p = 0.02). The risk scoring model predicted patients who would develop an infection with an acceptable level of accuracy (AUC 0.79). The risk score categorized patients from a low probability of deep infection 2%-6% with <10 points to high risk (58%-69%) with >40 points. CONCLUSIONS: This risk score model predicts deep postoperative infection in patients with open tibial shaft fractures treated with intramedullary nails. The ability to accurately estimate deep infection risk at the time of presentation might aid patient expectation management and allow clinicians to focus infection prevention strategies on the high-risk subset of this population.

Recurrent Subdural Hematoma: An Institutional Experience.

Background Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common neurosurgical problem, which offers a good outcome following surgery. In many cases, burr hole irrigation and drainage under local anesthesia can provide satisfactory results. However, recurrence can be a cause for concern for both the surgeon and the patient. While recurrence is not a frequent phenomenon, studies have reported rates of up to 31.6%. Aims and objectives In this study, our objective is to examine a comprehensive range of potential risk factors and provide valuable insights into identifying patients at a higher risk of recurrence to aid in surgical decision-making. Methodology This study employed a prospective and retrospective design, conducted between 2017 and 2021, at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research. The study received ethical approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. The research aimed to assess patients who underwent surgery for CSDH, with a particular focus on those who experienced recurrence. Results The average age of patients with recurrence was 71.5 years compared to 65.2 years in the no-recurrence group, but this difference did not show a significant statistical correlation. A significant male predominance was observed, with 27 men and four women affected (out of a total of 147 men and 73 women in the study), resulting in a statistically significant p-value of 0.01. On multivariate analysis, heterogenous subtypes were a significant predictor of recurrence (OR: 8.88, 95% CI: 6.96-16.54, p = 0.01). The mean midline shift in those with recurrence was 11.4 mm compared to 7.09 mm in those without recurrence. This was a statistically significant correlation with a p-value of 0.02. Regarding those with recurrence, 24 patients underwent evacuation using two burr holes, with one placed in the frontal region and another in the parietal region. All of these patients had a subdural drain placed, which was removed on postoperative day 2. The remaining eight patients underwent a mini-craniotomy for evacuation. We had four cases of refractory CSDH, all of whom underwent the second evacuation using burr holes. Three of them underwent evacuation via craniotomy, while the family of the fourth patient did not give consent for the procedure. Conclusion Patient-related factors such as gender, bilateral presentation, and the presence of hypertension and radiological factors such as the presence of heterogenous subtype and a significant midline shift are clues toward a higher chance of recurrence.

Labrune Syndrome: A Rare Leukodystrophy.

Labrune syndrome is a rare neurological disorder, with less than 100 reported cases since its identification. This disorder causes progressive cerebral degeneration. This case report describes a 21-year-old male patient who presented with tonic-clonic seizures. Upon examination, he was found to have symmetrical dense calcifications in the bilateral basal ganglia, thalami, and dentate nuclei, as well as in the white matter of both hemispheres, accompanied by cysts. MRI brain revealed confluent areas of T2/FLAIR hyperintensities involving the deep periventricular white matter in both cerebral hemispheres with sparing of subcortical U-fibres and two cysts in the left frontal and right posterior temporal region. No serologic evidence of a parasitic infection was found. Treatment was directed at addressing symptoms, and surgery was not required as the cysts were not causing a mass effect. The condition is the result of an autosomal mutation in the SNORD118 gene, a non-protein encoding gene that mediates rRNA synthesis.

Is External Beam Radiation Therapy Really Associated With Low Rates of Heterotopic Ossification After Acetabular Surgery?

OBJECTIVES: Describe rate of postoperative heterotopic ossification (HO) after acetabular surgery in patients who received external beam radiation (XRT) as HO prophylaxis. DESIGN: Retrospective. SETTING: Level I trauma center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive series of patients who presented to a single, level I, academic trauma center over a 10-year period (2008-2018) for surgical fixation of an acetabular fracture. Patients eligible for inclusion were those who underwent surgical fixation of an acetabular fracture through a posterior (Kocher-Langenbeck), combined anterior and posterior, or extensile exposure. Patients were excluded if an isolated anterior approach was performed or if an acute total hip arthroplasty was performed at the time of index surgery. INTERVENTION: XRT. MAIN OUTCOME: Severe HO (Brooker class III or IV). RESULTS: The severe HO (Brooker class III or IV) rate for entire cohort was 12% (44 of 361 patients). Of these 44 patients, 30 patients were classified as Brooker III and 14 patients were classified as Brooker IV. The Brooker IV rate for the entire cohort was 4% (14 of 361 patients). Severe HO rates showed a declining trend over the period examined, with a risk reduction of -1.0% per year (95% confidence interval -2.1% to 0.2%; P = 0.10). CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the largest single consecutive series on acetabular fracture patients who received XRT as HO prophylaxis. The overall severe HO rate was 12%, which is similar to other comparably large series data on patients who did not receive XRT after surgical fixation acetabular fractures. Although these data suggest that XRT may not be beneficial when used universally for all patients, comparative studies are required to rule out the benefits of XRT for preventing HO in this population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Predictors of Deep Infection After Distal Femur Fracture: A Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify potentially modifiable risk factors for deep surgical site infection after distal femur fracture. DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten Level-I trauma centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients with OTA/AO 33A or C distal femur fractures (n = 1107). INTERVENTION: Surgical fixation of distal femur fracture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: The outcome of interest was deep surgical site infection. RESULTS: There was a 7% rate (79/1107) of deep surgical site infection. In the multivariate analysis, predictive factors included alcohol abuse [odds ratio (OR) = 2.36; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17-4.46; P = 0.01], intra-articular injury (OR = 1.73; 95% CI, 1.01-3.00; P = 0.05), vascular injury (OR = 3.90; 95% CI, 1.63-8.61; P < 0.01), the use of topical antibiotics (OR = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.25-0.92; P = 0.03), and the duration of the surgery (OR = 1.15 per hour; 95% CI, 1.01-1.30; P = 0.04). There was a nonsignificant trend toward an association between infection and type III open fracture (OR = 1.73; 95% CI, 0.94-3.13; P = 0.07) and lateral approach (OR = 1.60; 95% CI, 0.95-2.69; P = 0.07). The most frequently cultured organisms were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (22%), methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (20%), and Enterobacter cloacae (11%). CONCLUSIONS: Seven percent of distal femur fractures developed deep surgical site infections. Alcohol abuse, intra-articular fracture, vascular injury, and increased surgical duration were risk factors, while the use of topical antibiotics was protective. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Risk Factors for Reoperation to Promote Union in 1111 Distal Femur Fractures.

OBJECTIVES: To identify modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for reoperation to promote union after distal femur fracture. DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten Level-I trauma centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients with OTA/AO 33A or C distal femur fractures (n = 1111). INTERVENTION: Surgical fixation of distal femur fracture. Fixation constructs were classified as lateral plate, dual plate, nail, or nail plate combination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The outcome of interest was unplanned reoperation to promote union. RESULTS: There was an 11% (121/1111) rate of unplanned reoperation to promote union. In the multivariate analysis, predictive factors included body mass index [odds ratio (OR) = 1.18; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-1.32; P < 0.01], intra-articular fracture (OR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.01-2.45; P = 0.04), type III open injury (OR = 2.29; 95% CI, 1.41-3.72; P < 0.01), the presence of medial comminution (OR = 1.85; 95% CI, 1.14-3.06; P = 0.01), and medial translation on postoperative radiographs (OR = 1.23 per one 10th of condylar width; 95% CI, 1.01-1.48; P = 0.03). Construct type was not significantly predictive. CONCLUSIONS: Eleven percent of distal femur fractures underwent unplanned reoperation to promote union. Body mass index, intra-articular fracture, type III open injury, medial comminution, and medial translation on postoperative radiographs were predictive factors. Construct type was not associated with unplanned reoperation; however, this conclusion was limited by small numbers in the dual plate and nail plate groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Patients value their own pain over braking safety when deciding when to return to driving: a discrete choice experiment on lower extremity injuries.

Objective: To quantify patient preferences towards time to return to driving relative to compromised reaction time and potential complication risks. Design: Cross-sectional discrete choice experiment. Setting: Academic trauma center. Patients: Ninety-six adult patients with an operative lower extremity fracture from December 2019 through December 2020. Intervention: None. Main Outcome Measurement: Patient completed a discrete choice experiment survey consisting of 12 hypothetical return to driving scenarios with varied attributes: time to return to driving (range: 1 to 6 months), risk of implant failure (range: 1% to 12%), pain upon driving return (range: none to severe), and driving safety measured by braking distance (range: 0 to 40 feet at 60 mph). The relative importance of each attribute is reported on a scale of 0% to 100%. Results: Patients most valued a reduced pain level when resuming driving (62%), followed by the risk of implant failure (17%), time to return to driving (13%), and braking safety (8%). Patients were indifferent to returning to driving at 1 month (median utility: 28, interquartile range [IQR] -31 to 80) or 2 months (median utility: 59, IQR: 41 to 91) postinjury. Conclusion: Patients with lower extremity injuries demonstrated a willingness to forego earlier return to driving if it might mean a decrease in their pain level. Patients are least concerned about their driving safety, instead placing higher value on their own pain level and chance of implant failure. The findings of this study are the first to rigorously quantify patient preferences toward a return to driving and heterogeneity in patient preferences. Level of Evidence: V.

Association of Radial Head Fracture Treatment With Long-Term Function.

BACKGROUND: Radial head fractures are often associated with poor outcomes. Both open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) and radial head arthroplasty (RHA) might be considered in operative cases. This study aimed to compare long-term patient-reported functional outcomes among patients with operatively treated radial head fractures. METHODS: A cross sectional study conducted at a Level I trauma center was used to identify patients with a radial head fracture who underwent ORIF or RHA between 2006 and 2018, and agreed to complete a survey in 2020. The primary outcome measure was the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) score. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients participated in the study. No significant differences in outcomes were observed between groups. QuickDASH scores were similar for both groups (ORIF: mean = 15.7, SD = 18.4; RHA: mean = 22.8, SD = 18.6; mean difference = 0.2 [-9.0 to 9.3], P = .97). Nineteen (37%) ORIF patients and 12 (48%) RHA patients reported a need for pain medication (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.8 [0.3-2.4], P = .70). Thirteen (25%) ORIF patients and 6 (24%) RHA patients required additional surgery (adjusted OR = 1.7 [0.5-6.2], P = .39). A subgroup analysis of multi-fragmentary fractures revealed similar findings. CONCLUSION: Patient-reported outcomes, which included a subgroup analysis of multi-fragmentary fractures, were similar between ORIF and RHA groups at an average of 7.5 years from surgery. Reconstructing the radial head might not result in worse outcomes than RHA when both options are employed according to the best judgment of the operating surgeon.

Surgical factors associated with symptomatic implant removal after patella fracture.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether certain types of fixation and other factors associated with the fixation could be identified that predict an increased risk of symptomatic implant removal. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at our urban academic level 1 trauma center. Patients aged ≥18 years who underwent operative fixation for patella fracture were included. The primary outcome was symptomatic implant removal after operative fixation. RESULTS: Of the 186 study patients (mean age, 44 [SD 17] years, 65% male), 53 patients (28.5%) underwent symptomatic implant removal. Modifiable risk factors for symptomatic implant removal included the use of Kirschner (k)-wires (OR: 4.93; 95% CI, 1.89-14.10; p < 0.001), and a trend towards significance for implant prominence >5 mm (OR: 2.57; 95% CI, 0.93-7.93; p = 0.07). Symptomatic implant removal was also less likely in patients >45 years of age (OR: 0.14; 95% CI, 0.06-0.34; p < 0.01), of a racial minority (OR: 0.40; 95% CI, 0.17-0.88; p = 0.03), and a body mass index >25 kg/m2 (OR: 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18-0.84; p = 0.02). The final model demonstrated excellent prognostic performance, with an AUC of 0.83 (0.76-0.90). CONCLUSION: We identified both modifiable and non-modifiable factors associated with symptomatic implant removal in patients with patella fractures. Surgeons should be aware that the use of k-wires and any implant prominence exceeding 5 mm might be associated with increased odds of symptomatic implant removal in patients with patella fractures.

A Standardized Protocol for Cervical Spine Evaluation in Children Reduces Imaging Utilization: A Pilot Study of the Pediatric Cervical Spine Clearance Working Group Protocol.

BACKGROUND: Cervical spine injuries (CSI) have the potential to cause severe morbidity in children. Multiple imaging studies are used during evaluation of CSIs but come at a cost, both financially and in radiation exposure. To reduce resource utilization and radiation exposure, we implemented the Pediatric Cervical Spine Clearance Working Group (PCSCWG) standardized protocol (SP) for evaluating CSIs in children. METHODS: Children below 18 years old presenting with concern for CSI at a level 1 pediatric trauma center were reviewed before (July 2015 to May 2016) and after (November 2017 to June 2018) protocol implementation. Demographics, injuries, and imaging utilization were extracted. The primary outcomes were the proportion of patients cleared with clinical exam, and the proportion undergoing x-ray, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance image. The secondary outcome was the estimated difference in imaging charges based on the annual reduction in radiographic studies. RESULTS: During the study 359 children were evaluated for CSIs (248 pre-SP, 111 post-SP). Patients were similar with respect to age, injury severity score, and mechanism of injury. Protocol adherence was 87.4%. The prevalence of CSI was similar in the preprotocol and postprotocol cohorts (2.8% vs. 1.8%, P=0.567). Children treated after protocol implementation were significantly more likely to be cleared by clinical exam (15.3% vs. 43.2%, P<0.001). Significantly fewer children had x-rays (70.2% vs. 55.0%, P=0.005) and computed tomography scans (14.5% vs. 5.4%, P=0.013) in the postprotocol period. There was no difference in the utilization of magnetic resonance image (6.9% vs. 7.2%, P=0.904) or the proportion of children discharged with a cervical collar (10.1% vs. 12.6%, P=0.476). No patients in either group were found to have a previously undiagnosed injury at follow-up. The reduction in radiographic studies translates to an estimated annual reduction in imaging charges of $396,476. CONCLUSIONS: The PCSCWG protocol for evaluating CSIs reduced the number of radiographic studies performed and estimated imaging charges while reliably identifying CSIs.

Transient Global Amnesia in a 60-year-old female with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

This is a case report involving a 60-year-old female who developed transient global amnesia (TGA) after an emotional psychotherapy session in the framework of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She presented to the local emergency room, three days after her psychotherapist appointment, with complaints of memory impairment. She and her husband were worried about acute stroke since it was a sudden memory loss. The patient discussed with her psychotherapist a physical assault that occurred five years ago. Three days after that discussion, the patient developed the memory loss acutely. PTSD is associated with dissociative and retrograde amnesia. This case report demonstrates that PTSD can present with anterograde amnesia in the form of TGA.

Tasks determine what is learned in visual statistical learning.

Visual statistical learning (VSL), the unsupervised learning of statistical contingencies across time and space, may play a key role in efficient and predictive encoding of the perceptual world. How VSL capabilities vary as a function of ongoing task demands is still poorly understood. VSL is modulated by selective attention and faces interference from some secondary tasks, but there is little evidence that the types of contingencies learned in VSL are sensitive to task demands. We found a powerful effect of task on what is learned in VSL. Participants first completed a visual familiarization task requiring judgments of face gender (female/male) or scene location (interior/exterior). Statistical regularities were embedded between stimulus pairs. During a surprise recognition phase, participants showed less recognition for pairs that had required a change in response key (e.g., female followed by male) or task (e.g., female followed by indoor) during familiarization. When familiarization required detection of "flicker" or "jiggle" events unrelated to image content, there was weaker, but uniform, VSL across pair types. These results suggest that simple task manipulations play a strong role in modulating the distribution of learning over different pair combinations. Such variations may arise from task and response conflict or because the manner in which images are processed is altered.

Associating resting-state connectivity with trait impulsivity.

Psychometric research has identified stable traits that predict inter-individual differences in appetitive motivation and approach behavior. Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) scales have been developed to quantitatively assess these traits. However, neural mechanisms corresponding to the proposed constructs reflected in BIS/BAS are still poorly defined. The ventral striatum (VS) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) are implicated in subserving reward-related functions that are also associated with the BAS. In this study, we examined whether functional connectivity between these regions predicts components of these scales. We employed resting-state functional connectivity and BIS/BAS scores assessed by a personality questionnaire. Participants completed a resting state run and the Behavioral Inhibition and Activation Systems (BIS/BAS) Questionnaire. Using resting-state BOLD, we assessed correlations between two basal ganglia ROIs (caudate and putamen) and bilateral OFC ROIs, establishing single subject connectivity summary scores. Summary scores were correlated with components of BIS/BAS scores. Results demonstrate a novel correlation between BAS-fun seeking and resting-state connectivity between middle OFC and putamen, implying that spontaneous synchrony between reward-processing regions may play a role in defining personality characteristics related to impulsivity.

Comparison of arylboron-based nucleophiles in Ni-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling with aryl mesylates and sulfamates.

The efficiency of arylboron-based nucleophiles, boronic acid, potassium trifluoroborate, neopentylglycolboronate, and pinacol boronate in nickel-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions with the two C-O electrophiles, mesylates, and sulfamates was compared. Arylboronic acid is the most reactive and most atom-economic of the four boron species studied. Arylpotassium trifluoroborate cross-couples efficiently only in the presence of water. In the absence of water, aryl neopentylglycolboronate is more efficient, less expensive, and more atom-economic than aryl pinacolboronate.