The devastating effects of humeral nonunion on health-related quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Humeral nonunion is estimated to occur at a rate of 1.1%-25% depending on the fracture location and pattern, mechanism of injury, patient compliance with the immobilization protocol and patient's nutritional status and medical comorbidities. Fracture nonunion can cause chronic pain and limited range of motion and may hinder normal function. There is very little data from the patients' perspective regarding their experience with a humeral nonunion. The aim of this study was to establish health-related quality of life (HRQoL) norms for patients diagnosed with a humeral nonunion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed a prospectively collected database of 185 humeral nonunions seen and treated at our quaternary referral center. We recorded patient characteristics including sex, age, history of infection, previous surgery, associated nerve palsy, handedness, and the anatomic location of the nonunion. At initial clinical evaluation, all patients were asked to complete the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and a time trade-off questionnaire. These scores were compared to other well-known chronic medical conditions' HRQoL scores. RESULTS: The cohort reported an average utility score of 0.55 ± 0.35, average SF-12 Physical Component Summary score of 30.2 ± 7.6, average SF-12 Mental Component Summary score of 42.5 ± 6.1, and average raw DASH score of 69 ± 21, which was worse than the general US population, patients with asthma, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and AIDS. Patients with humeral nonunion are willing to trade 45% of their remaining life to obtain perfect health, and when stratified by handedness, we found that patients with a humeral nonunion of their dominant arm were willing to trade 49.7% compared with 39.7% in patients with a humeral nonunion of their nondominant arm (P = .04). DISCUSSION: The results of our study show that humeral nonunion is a chronic medical condition that has a debilitating effect on patients, both physically and mentally. It is important for orthopedic surgeons to acknowledge these conditions as physically and mentally debilitating to their patients. Our study highlights these physical and mental burdens and helps to quantify humeral nonunion in relation to more well-known chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, AIDS, and stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Humeral nonunions have a devastating effect on a patient's physical and mental health with HRQoL measures lower than patients with other chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, AIDS, and stroke. We found that our patients, on average, would trade approximately 45% of their remaining life span for perfect health.

Addition of a Medial Locking Plate to an In Situ Lateral Locking Plate Results in Healing of Distal Femoral Nonunions.

BACKGROUND: Nonunion of the distal femur after lateral plating is associated with axial malalignment, chronic pain, loss of ambulatory function, and decreased knee ROM. The addition of a medial locking plate with autogenous bone grafting can provide greater stability to allow bone healing and may be used to achieve union in these challenging cases. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We wished to determine (1) the proportion of patients who achieve radiographic signs of osseous union for distal femoral nonunions with an in situ lateral plate after treatment with addition of a medial locking plate and autogenous bone grafting, and (2) the frequency and types of complications associated with this treatment. METHODS: Between 2007 and 2013, we treated 22 patients for 23 distal femoral nonunions, defined as an unhealed fracture with no radiographic signs of osseous union at a mean of 16 months (SD, 13 months) after injury. During that time, we used a treatment algorithm consisting of treatment in one or two stages. The single-stage procedure performed in 16 aseptic nonunions with a stable lateral plate involved addition of a medial locking plate and autogenous bone graft. A two-stage treatment performed in seven nonunions with lateral plate failure involved placement of a new lateral locking plate followed by addition of a medial locking plate with autogenous bone graft at least 2 months after the first procedure. Of the 22 patients treated, 20 had a median followup of 18 months (SD, 6-94 months). We defined osseous union by bridging bone on three of four cortices with absence of a radiolucent line or more than 25% cross-sectional area of bridging bone via CT. RESULTS: Twenty of the 21 nonunions attained radiographic signs of osseous union by 12 months. Six of the 20 patients experienced complications: one patient had a persistent nonunion; four patients underwent removal of symptomatic hardware; and one patient experienced skin breakdown at the bone graft harvest site. CONCLUSIONS: A very high proportion of patients achieve union when using medial locking plates to treat distal femoral nonunions after lateral plating of the original injury. Addition of bone graft, staged reconstruction, and revision of the initial lateral plate is indicated when the nonunion is associated with fatigue failure of the initial lateral plate. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.

Treatment of Infected Forearm Nonunions With Large Complete Segmental Defects Using Bulk Allograft and Intramedullary Fixation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to report the results of a series of infected forearm nonunions treated from 1998 to 2012 using a staged reconstruction technique. METHODS: At a median of 42 months follow-up, 7 patients who had an average segmental defect of 4.9 cm (range, 2.3-10.4 cm) were available for clinical and radiographic evaluation. Treatment consisted of serial debridement, implantation of an antibiotic cement spacer, and staged reconstruction using a bulk radius or ulna allograft with intramedullary fixation. RESULTS: All 7 patients ultimately achieved solid bone union, although 4 patients (57%) required additional surgery, consisting of autologous bone grafting and plating, to achieve healing at 1 of the allograft-host junction sites. No patient had recurrence of infection, and all reported substantial improvement with increased function and decreased pain. CONCLUSIONS: Our approach ultimately resulted in a 100% union rate without recurrence of infection, although many patients may require additional surgery to attain healing at both allograft-junction sites. Using bulk allograft provides the ability to span a large defect while reconstituting the forearm anatomy. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic V.

Challenges in outcome measurement: clinical research perspective.

BACKGROUND: Comparative effectiveness research evaluates treatments as actually delivered in routine clinical practice, shifting research focus from efficacy and internal validity to effectiveness and external validity ("generalizability"). Such research requires accurate assessments of the numbers of patients treated and the completeness of their followup, their clinical outcomes, and the setting in which their care was delivered. Choosing measures and methods for clinical outcome research to produce meaningful information that may be used to improve patient care presents a number of challenges. WHERE ARE WE NOW?: Orthopaedic surgery research has many stakeholders, including patients, providers, payers, and policy makers. A major challenge in orthopaedic surgery outcome measurement and clinical research is providing all of these users with valid information for their respective decision making. At present, no plan exists for capturing data on such a broad scale and scope. WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO?: Practical challenges include identifying and obtaining resources for widespread data collection and merging multiple data sources. Challenges of study design include sampling to obtain representative data, timing of data collection in the episode of care, and minimizing missing data and study dropout. HOW DO WE GET THERE?: Resource limitations may be addressed by repurposing existing clinical resources and capitalizing on technologic advances to increase efficiencies. Increasing use of rigorous, well-designed observational research designs can provide information that may be unattainable in clinical trials. Such study designs should incorporate methods to minimize missing data, to sample multiple providers, facilities, and patients, and to include evaluation of potential confounding variables to minimize bias and allow generalization to broad populations.

Stakeholders in outcome measures: review from a clinical perspective.

BACKGROUND: Modern interest in patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) in orthopaedics dates back to the mid-1980s. While gradual growth of activity in this area has occurred over the past 25 years, the extent to which this research methodology is applied in clinical practice to improve patient care is unclear. WHERE ARE WE NOW?: Historically, clinical research in orthopaedics has focused on the technical success of treatment, and objective indicators such as mortality, morbidity, and complications. By contrast, the PROMs framework focuses on effects of treatment described in terms of relief of symptoms, restoring functional ability, and improving quality of life. PROMs can be used to study the relative effects of disease, injury, and treatment across different health conditions. WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO?: All clinical research should begin with identifying clear and meaningful research questions so that the resources and efforts required for data collection result in useful data. Different consumers of research data have different perspectives on what comprises meaningful information. Involving stakeholders such as patients, providers, payers, and policy-makers when defining priorities in the larger research endeavor is one way to inform what type of data should be collected in a particular study. HOW DO WE GET THERE?: Widespread collection of outcomes data would potentially aid these stakeholders by identifying best practices, benefits and costs, and important patient or practice characteristics related to outcomes. Several initiatives currently underway may help systematic collection of PROMs, create efficient systems, and foster collaborations to provide support and resources to minimize costs.

Utility of Common Biomarkers for Diagnosing Infection in Nonunion.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic utility of leukocyte count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) for distinguishing between septic and aseptic nonunions. DESIGN: A single-gate (cohort) design was used, using 1 set of eligibility criteria applied to a consecutive sample of nonunions. SETTING: Private quaternary referral center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Inclusion criteria were consecutive patients (≥18 years) with a nonunion requiring surgery that allowed for direct or medullary canal tissue sampling from the nonunion site. The cohort included 204 subjects with 211 nonunions. INTERVENTION: Blood samples were drawn for laboratory analysis of WBC, ESR, and CRP before surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The reference standard used to define infection was the fracture-related infection confirmatory criteria. Measures of diagnostic accuracy were calculated. To assess the additional diagnostic gain of each index lab test while simultaneously considering the others, logistic regression models were fit. RESULTS: The prevalence of infection was 19% (40 of 211 nonunion sites). The positive likelihood ratios (95% confidence interval) for WBC, ESR, and CRP were 1.07 (0.38-3.02), 1.27 (0.88-1.82) and 1.57 (0.94-2.60), respectively. Multivariable modeling adjusted for the effect of preoperative antibiotics showed that WBC (P = 0.42), ESR (P = 0.48), and CRP (P = 0.23) were not significant predictors of infection. CONCLUSIONS: In this consecutive sample of 211 nonunions in whom standard clinical practice would be to obtain index lab tests, our findings showed that WBC, ESR, and CRP were not significant predictors of infection. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Efficacy of PRECICE Nail in Treatment of Adult Patients With Posttraumatic Femoral Leg Length Discrepancy.

SUMMARY: Posttraumatic, limb length discrepancy in adults is a challenge to treat, and multiple treatment protocols over the years have shown varying levels of success and complications. Before the introduction of the PRECICE nail in 2011, our preferred method of limb lengthening used an Ilizarov or Taylor Spatial frame. To assess the PRECICE nail, we evaluated the accuracy and complications during treatment in a series of skeletally mature patients with posttraumatic femoral limb length discrepancy. The surgical technique along with a case series of 8 patients are described in detail. On average, the target lengthening for the PRECICE nail was 44 mm, and all patients achieved lengthening within 2 mm and complete bony consolidation. The only observed complication in our series was a broken screw 1 year after the patient started weight-bearing. The PRECICE nail demonstrated promising results and was useful for bone regeneration and consolidation without the need for additional procedures. The rate of complications was low compared with previous methods, making this device an excellent treatment option.

Trauma fellowship impact on trends and complications of operatively treated clavicle fractures in recently trained orthopedic surgeons.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether fellowship training affected trends and complications of operative clavicle fracture treatment in newly trained orthopedic surgeons. METHODS: The American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS) database was utilized to identify cases of open treatment of clavicle fractures submitted by ABOS Part-II Board Certification candidates. From 2005 to 2017, 3148 candidates performed at least one open clavicle fracture treatment. Overall, 6919 cases were included; 3516 of these had over 6 weeks of follow-up. Candidates were divided by fellowship type into 5 groups: Trauma, Sports Medicine, Hand and Upper Extremity or Shoulder, multiple, and other or no fellowship(s). Group differences were analyzed with ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc analysis. Complications, reoperations, nonunion rates, and readmissions between groups were evaluated with Chi-squared test and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Case volume during the study period was significantly higher after 2007. Trauma candidates performed significantly more operations for clavicle fracture per candidate while candidates with other or no fellowship(s) performed significantly fewer operations per candidate. Patients treated by Trauma candidates were significantly older, had significantly fewer early surgical complications and significantly more early medical complications. Nonunion rates were not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION: Candidates treated clavicle fractures surgically more often in 2007 and beyond. Trauma candidates treated older patients, had fewer early surgical complications, and had more medical complications. Reoperation, readmission and nonunion rates were not significantly different between groups.

Treatment of Periprosthetic Nonunions of the Lower Extremity.

Multiple studies have reported nonunion rates of 3% to 17% following peri-prosthetic fractures. Determining management strategies based on the available literature is difficult because existing studies are small and involve heterogeneous treatments and multiple surgeons. The purpose of this study was to describe a consecutive series of patients who presented to the authors' clinic with a periprosthetic nonunion of the lower extremity and to report the methods used to achieve limb salvage and the associated complications. Patients were included if they were indicated for surgery for a nonunion of a periprosthetic fracture of the lower extremity that had previously undergone either closed or open intervention. A total of 26 patients were included in this study. Average follow-up was 58 months. Average age was 69 years, and 77% of the patients were female. Twenty-three patients had periprosthetic nonunions of the femur, with 6 being associated with total hip arthroplasty, 15 with total knee arthroplasty, and 2 with both a total hip arthroplasty and a total knee arthroplasty. Three patients had a periprosthetic nonunion of the tibia associated with a total knee arthroplasty. Limb salvage was successful in 25 of 26 cases. This was achieved by either healing of the nonunion using exuberant fixation with prosthesis revision when necessary (n=20) or resection of the nonunion with placement of a tumor prosthesis (n=5). Four of the 26 patients (15%) incurred at least 1 complication during treatment. Exuberant fixation of the nonunion (with prosthesis revision when necessary) or nonunion resection with placement of a tumor prosthesis was successful in 96% of cases. [Orthopedics. 2020;43(4):209-214.].

Ilizarov distraction before revision hip arthroplasty after resection arthroplasty with profound limb shortening.

We report the results of Ilizarov gradual distraction to regain 6.7 cm of leg length in a severely contracted hip 11 months after a resection arthroplasty. Restoration of leg length allowed revision hip arthroplasty. At 24 months after the revision arthroplasty, the patient is ambulating independently and pain free. The use of Ilizarov gradual distraction restored leg length and facilitated postoperative function.

Immediate Soft-Tissue Reconstruction for Chronic Infected Tibia Nonunions Treated with an Ilizarov Frame.

There are multiple options available for the management of large tibial defects. The Ilizarov frame is one of the most widely used techniques due to the physiological bone growth and the symmetrical distribution of axial forces permitting adequate bone distribution. However, disadvantages still remain including obtaining additional soft-tissue access for defect coverage. We present our experience with soft-tissue reconstruction for chronic infected tibial nonunions using free tissue transfers simultaneously with Ilizarov device placement. A retrospective review was performed from 2014 to 2016 of patients presenting with a chronically infected tibia nonunion and treated by our senior orthopedic and plastic surgeons. Demographic data, comorbidities, intraoperative details and postoperative outcomes were collected. A total of 6 patients were identified with a mean age of 46.2 ± 11.6 years. Complete flap survival and resolved active infection were achieved in 5 of our patients, 4 demonstrated body union on imaging, and all of them reached complete ambulance. Flap revisions with allografting for partial flap loss were performed in 1 patient. Preoperative planning is critical for immediate lower extremity reconstruction in the setting of an Ilizarov frame. From our institutional experience, free tissue transfer can safely be placed after frame placement.

Management of falls after total knee arthroplasty.

This study evaluated 78 patients who fell after total knee arthroplasty. Eight patients (10.3%) had soft-tissue injuries that led to a poor clinical course (deep infection, unplanned return to the operating room, temporary or permanent resection arthroplasty, or knee arthrodesis). Factors related to a poor clinical course included copious bleeding from the surgical wound immediately after falling, falling within 8 weeks of arthroplasty, and rupturing the parapatellar surgical wound and quadriceps repair. Patients who fall and have bleeding from their surgical wound should receive emergency surgical irrigation and debridement. A treatment protocol for patients who fall after total knee arthroplasty is presented.

High Rate of Union for Aseptic Distal Tibial Nonunions in Adults Treated With Slow Gradual Compression via Circular External Fixation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the healing rate of aseptic nonunions of the distal third of the tibia treated with Ilizarov slow gradual compression and deformity correction. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-four consecutive adult patients with 94 distal third tibial aseptic nonunions. INTERVENTION: Ilizarov external fixation and slow gradual compression; most patients also underwent bone grafting, deformity correction, or both before the initiation of compression. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Rate of bony union. RESULTS: Eighty-seven of 94 cases (92.6%) healed after slow gradual compression across the nonunion site with a circular external fixator. Four of the 7 patients who failed treatment healed after additional operative treatment, and the remaining 3 refused further care. CONCLUSIONS: Circular external fixation with slow gradual compression was successful in treating aseptic nonunions of the distal third of the tibia in 92.6% of cases. Careful selection of patients for this treatment method can lead to a high success rate with a relatively low rate of major complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Subtubercle Osteotomy for Medial Compartment Osteoarthritis of the Knee Using Ilizarov Technique: Survival Analysis and Clinical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: High tibial osteotomy with acute correction and internal fixation can be used to correct malalignment and malorientation and reduce symptoms in patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee. To address the inadequacies of this technique, we performed a series of subtubercle tibial osteotomy (STO) procedures using circular ring fixation to correct knee varus malalignment and joint malorientation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the ability of this technique to delay subsequent knee arthroplasty and decrease symptoms. METHODS: Sixty-one patients had a total of 72 STO procedures using the Ilizarov technique to correct a varus deformity of the proximal part of the tibia. Radiographic measurements were performed at the time of presentation and after osseous union and frame removal. Clinical and radiographic variables were compared from presentation to the time of the latest follow-up. We performed a survival analysis, and our primary outcome was the time to conversion to knee arthroplasty. RESULTS: Radiographic measurements, including mechanical axis deviation, medial proximal tibial angle, and joint line congruence angle, significantly improved after deformity correction (p < 0.001 for all). In patients with a preoperative flexion contracture, the proximal posterior tibial angle significantly increased toward normal values (mean, 77.8° pretreatment versus 82.4° posttreatment; p = 0.007). Survival analysis demonstrated a rate of native knee-joint survival without conversion to arthroplasty of 94.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 83% to 98%) at 5 years, 84.0% (95% CI, 69% to 92%) at 10 years, and 51.3% (95% CI, 28% to 71%) at 15 years. In addition, time-trade-off and Brief Pain Inventory outcomes significantly improved (p < 0.001). The complication rate was 8%. CONCLUSIONS: STO procedures using the Ilizarov technique for symptomatic varus knee deformity, performed over the course of 18 years, resulted in high knee survival rates without arthroplasty and significant improvement in clinical status. The STO technique provides several advantages over acute correction with internal fixation through a conventional high tibial osteotomy, including maintenance of the patellofemoral relationship, no retained implants, and accurate coronal and sagittal plane corrections. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Principles of Nonunion Management: State of the Art.

A substantial proportion of fractures can present with nonunion, and the management of nonunion continues to present a challenge for orthopaedic surgeons. A variety of biological, mechanical, patient, and injury factors can contribute to the occurrence of nonunion, and often the cause of nonunion may be multifactorial. Successful management often requires assessment and treatment of more than one of these factors. This article reviews common factors that may contribute to nonunion including infection, impaired biology, and metabolic disorders. In addition, new and evolving strategies for diagnosing the cause and effectively treating nonunion including the diagnosis of infection, metabolic workup, bone grafting, cell-based therapies, and biological adjuvants are reviewed and discussed.

Socio-demographic factors impact time to discharge following total knee arthroplasty.

AIM: To determine social, logistical and demographic factors that influence time to discharge in a short stay pathway (SSP) by following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: The study included primary TKA's performed in a high-volume arthroplasty center from January 2016 through December 2016. Potential variables associated with increased hospital length of stay (LOS) were obtained from patient medical records. These included age, gender, race, zip code, body mass index (BMI), number of pre-operative medications used, number of narcotic medications used, number of patient reported allergies (PRA), simultaneous bilateral surgery, tobacco use, marital status, living arrangements, distance traveled for surgery, employment history, surgical day of the week, procedure end time and whether the surgery was performed during a major holiday week. Multivariate step-wise regression determined the impact of social, logistical and demographic factors on LOS. RESULTS: Eight hundred and six consecutive primary SSP TKA's were included in this study. Patients were discharged at a median of 49 h (post-operative day two). The following factors increased LOS: Simultaneous bilateral TKA [46.1 h longer (P < 0.001)], female gender [4.3 h longer (P = 0.012)], age [3.5 h longer per ten-year increase in age (P < 0.001)], patient-reported allergies [1.1 h longer per allergy reported (P = 0.005)], later procedure end-times [0.8 h longer per hour increase in end-time (P = 0.004)] and Black or African American patients [6.1 h longer (P = 0.047)]. Decreased LOS was found in married patients [4.8 h shorter (P = 0.011)] and TKA's performed during holiday weeks [9.4 h shorter (P = 0.011)]. Non-significant factors included: BMI, median income, patient's living arrangement, smoking status, number of medications taken, use of pre-operative pain medications, distance traveled to hospital, and the day of surgery. CONCLUSION: The cost of TKA is dependent upon LOS, which is affected by multiple factors. The clinical care team should acknowledge socio-demographic factors to optimize LOS.

Exchange nailing of ununited fractures.

Exchange nailing is most appropriate for a nonunion without substantial bone loss. There is no clear consensus regarding the use of exchange nailing in the presence of active, purulent infection. The exchange nail should be at least 1 mm larger in diameter than the nail being removed, and it has been recommended that it be up to 4 mm larger when the nail being removed was greatly undersized. Canal reaming should progress until osseous tissue is observed in the reaming flutes. Exchange nailing is an excellent choice for aseptic nonunions of noncomminuted diaphyseal femoral fractures, with union rates reported to range from 72% to 100%. On the basis of the available literature, exchange nailing cannot be recommended for distal femoral nonunions at this time. Exchange nailing is an excellent choice for aseptic nonunions of noncomminuted diaphyseal tibial fractures, with union rates reported to range from 76% to 96%. On the basis of the available literature, exchange nailing is generally not indicated for humeral nonunions.

Outcomes of tibial nonunion in older adults following treatment using the Ilizarov method.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the functional outcomes of treatment using the Ilizarov method for tibial nonunions in older patients (>60 years of age). DESIGN: Prospective case series. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Twenty-three consecutive patients with an average age of 72 years (61 to 92) who had tibial nonunions for an average duration of 13 months (3 to 46). Fourteen patients had an associated deformity and eight patients had infection. INTERVENTION: Ilizarov deformity correction, compression, or bone transport. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Brief Pain Inventory, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Lower Limb Core Scale, Short Form (SF)-12, quality-adjusted life years. RESULTS: Three patients did not complete treatment: two patients died of cardiovascular disease during the treatment period and one patient demanded early removal of the Ilizarov device against medical advice. All 20 patients who completed treatment achieved bony union. Two of the 20 patients died before final follow-up, one patient was unable to participate in follow-up, and one patient was lost. At an average follow-up of 38 months (18 to 61), all of the remaining 16 patients were bearing full weight. AAOS Lower Limb Core Scale scores improved from 39 to 78 points (P < 0.001), pain intensity decreased from 3.6 to 0.9 (P = 0.001), SF-12 Physical Component Summary scores improved from 26.5 points to 35.3 points (P = 0.030), and SF-12 Mental Component Summary scores improved from 41.6 points to 48.7 points (P = 0.011). The improvement in quality of life is equivalent to 5.3 quality-adjusted life years per patient, which was larger than the average improvement in quality of life following total hip arthroplasty reported in published series. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment using the Ilizarov method restored function and had a profoundly positive effect on quality of life in these elderly patients with tibial nonunions.

Ilizarov treatment of infected nonunions of the distal humerus after failure of internal fixation: an outcomes study.

OBJECTIVE: To report the functional outcomes of Ilizarov treatment of infected nonunion of the distal humerus. DESIGN: Prospective case series. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Between July 1998 and August 2003, 6 consecutive patients (age 33 to 73 years) were referred to us with an infected nonunion of the distal humerus following failure of open reduction and internal fixation. The average time from initial injury to presentation with the nonunion was 27 months (range, 6 to 99 months). The average number of prior surgeries was 2.8 (range, 1 to 4). INTERVENTION: Hardware removal, ulnar nerve neurolysis, 1 stage debridement, autogenous bone grafting, and application of an Ilizarov external fixator with acute compression in the operating room followed by slow gradual compression (0.25-0.50 mm per day) for several weeks postoperatively. MEASUREMENTS: Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire; SF-12 Physical Component Scale (PCS); Brief Pain Inventory; quality-adjusted life years. RESULTS: All patients attained bony union. One patient refractured 3 weeks after removal of the external fixator following a fall and ultimately underwent total elbow arthroplasty. At an average follow-up of 4.1 years (range, 2 to 7 years), none of the remaining 5 patients had undergone any additional surgery on their arm and all were free of infection. For these 5 patients, significant improvements were seen in standardized DASH scores (42% initially to 78% at follow-up, P = 0.017), worst pain intensity ratings (5.4 initially to 0.8 at follow-up, P = 0.007), and SF-12 PCS scores (37 initially to 44 at follow-up, P = 0.041). On average, the pretreatment to posttreatment improvement was equivalent to 3.8 quality-adjusted life years. CONCLUSIONS: Ilizarov treatment of infected distal humeral nonunions that have failed internal fixation restores function, decreases pain, and improves quality of life. The Ilizarov method should be considered a primary treatment option for this disabling and difficult clinical problem.

Metabolic and endocrine abnormalities in patients with nonunions.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether patients with unexplained nonunions, patients with a history of multiple low-energy fractures with at least one progressing to a nonunion, and patients with a nonunion of a nondisplaced pubic rami or sacral ala fracture would have an underlying metabolic or endocrine abnormality that had not been previously diagnosed. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION: From a larger series of 683 consecutive patients with nonunion seen by us between January 1998 and December 2005, 37 patients were referred to 1 of 2 clinically practicing endocrinologists to undergo an evaluation for metabolic and endocrine abnormalities. The screening criteria were: 1) an unexplained nonunion that occurred despite adequate reduction and stabilization (and debridement in initially infected cases) without obvious technical error and without any other obvious etiology; 2) a history of multiple low-energy fractures with at least one progressing to a nonunion; or 3) a nonunion of a nondisplaced pubic rami or sacral ala fracture. RESULTS: In all, 31 of the 37 patients (83.8%, 95% CI: 71.3% to 93.8%) who met our screening criteria had one or more new diagnoses of metabolic or endocrine abnormalities. The most common newly diagnosed abnormality was vitamin D deficiency (25 of 37 patients; 68%). Other newly diagnosed abnormalities included calcium imbalances, central hypogonadism, thyroid disorders, and parathyroid hormone disorders. All newly diagnosed abnormalities were treated medically. Eight patients who underwent no operative intervention following the diagnosis and treatment of a new metabolic or endocrine abnormality achieved bony union in an average of 7.6 months (range, 3 to 12 months) following their first visit to the endocrinologist. CONCLUSIONS: Although our study does not prove a causal link between metabolic and endocrine abnormalities and either the development or healing of nonunions, 84% of the patients who met our screening criteria were found to have metabolic or endocrine abnormalities, and eight of our patients achieved bony union following medical treatment alone. All patients with nonunion who meet our screening criteria should be referred to an endocrinologist for evaluation because they are likely to have undiagnosed metabolic or endocrine abnormalities that may be interfering with bone healing.