Open Reduction in Subtrochanteric Femur Fractures Is Not Accompanied by a Higher Rate of Complications.

Backgroundand Objectives: Hip fractures are among the most typical geriatric fractures. Subtrochanteric fractures are considered difficult to treat, and, to date, there is no consensus on the optimal surgical treatment. Materialisand Methods: We analyzed data from the Registry for Geriatric Trauma, which includes patients ≥ 70 years old with hip fractures or periprosthetic fractures requiring surgery (21,734 patients in 2017-2019). For this study, we analyzed only the subgroup of patients with a subtrochanteric fracture. We analyzed the difference between closed and open surgical methods on a range of outcomes, including mortality, mobility, length of acute hospital stay, and the need for surgical revisions. Results: A total of 506 patients with subtrochanteric fractures were analyzed in this study. The median age was 85 years (interquartile range of 81-89). About 21.1% (n = 107) were operated on with a closed technique, 73.3% (n = 371) with open reduction without using a cerclage, and 5.53% (n = 28) with open reduction with the additional use of one or more cerclage wires. A total of 3.56% (n = 18) of the patients had complications requiring operative revision, most commonly soft tissue interventions (open vs. closed reduction-3.26% vs. 4.67%) (p = 0.687). Patients treated with open reduction were significantly more mobile 7 days after surgery (p = 0.008), while no significant effects on mortality (p = 0.312), length of hospital stay (p = 0.968), or surgical complications (p = 0.687) were found. Conclusion: Proper reduction is the gold standard practice for successful union in subtrochanteric fractures. This study shows that open reduction is not associated with a higher complication rate but does lead to increased mobility 7 days after operation. Therefore, in case of doubt, a good reduction should be aimed for, even using open techniques.

Medical and economic consequences of perioperative complications in older hip fracture patients.

Patients suffering from complications during inpatient treatment after hip fracture surgery are associated with a worse mid-term outcome. While surgically treatable complications only delay the healing process, internal complications seem to worsen the outcome in the long run. All complications come with significant increased costs during the hospital stay. PURPOSE: Due to the demographic changes, the importance of hip fractures is still increasing nowadays. Not only surgical but also medical complications represent a major challenge in the treatment of those patients. Nevertheless, only few is known about the functional, medical, and economic consequences of complications. METHODS: A total of 402 hip fracture patients ≥ 60 years were observed prospectively at a German university hospital. Complications were assessed during the inpatient stay and classified by Clavien and Dindo. Afterwards their influence on acute care costs was examined as well as their influence on the mortality, health-related quality of life (HRQL) (EQ5D), functional capacities (Barthel index), and mobility (Tinetti score) in the follow-up periods of 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: Complications that required surgical revision/treatment (type III) were associated with an increased 6 months' mortality, while type II and IV complications did not influence mortality after 6 and 12 months. Six months after surgery, HRQL, Barthel score, and Tinetti score were reduced in patients suffering from all different types of complications. After 12 months however, HRQL, Barthel score, and Tinetti score following type II and IV complications remained reduced, while the scores improved in patients suffering from type III complication. All types of complications led to significantly increased acute care costs. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study emphasize the crucial role of perioperative complications in older patients with hip fractures. Therefore, special attention has to be given to the prevention of those complications, e.g., with orthogeriatric treatment models, which have been shown to be effective in the reduction of complications.

Type of underlying fracture after the surgical treatment of geriatric trauma patients has no effect on mortality during intensive care treatment.

AIM: Due to demographic change, the number of geriatric patients is still rising. Although hip fractures are the subject of current research, little is known about the remaining geriatric trauma entities. The aim of this study was to collect data of the age-related traumatological intensive care unit (ICU) population, its underlying diagnosis, and the influence on mortality and length of stay in the ICU. METHODS: Geriatric trauma patients (aged ≥65 years) treated postoperatively in our surgical ICU were included in this retrospective observational study covering the period 2013-2017. In addition to the underlying fracture entities, patient characteristics, such as age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, length of stay and mortality, were collected to identify possible independent predictive factors for mortality in the ICU using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: During the observation period, 805 (60.5%) patients met the inclusion criteria. 47.6% of the patients suffered from a proximal femoral fracture. The total mortality rate during the stay in the ICU was 7.5%. Significant predictive factors for mortality in the ICU were Charlson Comorbidity Index (P < 0.001) and length of stay (P < 0.001). The different fracture types themselves were not a significant risk factor for mortality (P = 0.862). CONCLUSION: Patients with proximal femoral fractures account for approximately half of the patients in intensive care. The mortality rate of these patients is no higher than that in geriatric trauma patients with other fractures. The progression is essentially influenced by the patient's comorbidities. Nowadays, the focus shifts from trauma care to the therapy of concomitant diseases. Nevertheless, this cohort, when adequately treated, shows a comparatively low mortality rate. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 1120-1125.

Development of the Barthel Index 5 years after hip fracture: Results of a prospective study.

AIM: The importance of proximal femoral fractures is increasing due to demographic change. Despite appropriate care, these are associated with poor results. We are still lagging behind, and require information on the long-term functional outcome of these patients and the predictive factors involved. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2011, 402 patients aged >60 years with hip fractures were included in this prospective observational study. Patients were assessed with the Barthel Index before fracture, at discharge, and 6 months, 1 year and 5 years after surgery. In addition, a variety of parameters (sex, age, fracture type, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, Mini-Mental State Examination, housing situation, occurrence of complications during inpatient stay and type of care) were collected to identify the possible independent predictive factors using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The lowest Barthel Index was found at discharge (66 ± 24) for patients from an acute hospital. The Barthel Index improved within the first 6 months (86 ± 21) and decreased afterwards. The factors associated with a significantly higher point loss of the Barthel Index in the multivariate analysis were age (P-value 0.020), pre-fracture Barthel Index, (P ≤ 0.001), Mini-Mental State Examination (P ≤ 0.001) and type II complications (P = 0.001). The other values showed no significant influence on the Barthel Index. CONCLUSIONS: The present results showed that patients after a hip fracture have a great rehabilitation potential within the first 6 months after the event. More attention should be paid to type II complications and the occurrence of cognitive impairment. Both seem to be a surrogate parameter for the frailty of the patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 809-814.