Early versus late surgical treatment of pelvic and acetabular fractures a five-year follow-up of 419 patients.

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of pelvic and acetabular fractures is an advanced intervention with a high risk of subsequent complications. These patients are often polytrauma patients with multiple injuries in several organ systems. The optimal timing for the definitive surgery of these fractures has been debated. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the influence of timing of definitive surgery on the rate of unplanned reoperations. Secondary aims included its influence on the occurrence of adverse events and mortality. METHODS: All patients from 18 years with a surgically treated pelvic or acetabular fracture operated at the Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden during 2010 to 2019 were identified and included. Data was collected through review of medical records and radiographs. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors associated with unplanned reoperations and other adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 419 patients with definitive surgical treatment within 1 month of a pelvic (n = 191, 46%) or an acetabular (n = 228, 54%) fracture were included. The majority of the patients were males (n = 298, 71%) and the mean (SD, range) age was 53.3 (19, 18-94) years. A total of 194 (46%) patients had their surgery within 72 h (early surgery group), and 225 (54%) later than 72 h (late surgery group) after the injury. 95 patients (23%) had an unplanned reoperation. There was no difference in the reoperation rate between early (n = 44, 23%) and late (n = 51, 23%) surgery group (p = 1.0). A total of 148 patients (35%) had any kind of adverse event not requiring reoperation. The rate was 32% (n = 62) in the early, and 38% (n = 86) in the late surgery group (p = 0.2). When adjusting for relevant factors in regression analyses, no associations were found that increased the risk for reoperation or other adverse events. The 30-day mortality was 2.1% (n = 4) for the early and 2.2% (n = 5) for the late surgery group (p = 1.0). The 1-year mortality was 4.1% (n = 8) for the early and 7.6% (n = 17) for the late surgery group (p = 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: Early (within 72 h) definitive surgery of patients with pelvic or acetabular fractures seems safe with regard to risk for reoperation, other adverse events and mortality.

Complications after surgical treatment of pelvic fractures: a five-year follow-up of 194 patients.

PURPOSE: Surgical treatment of pelvic fractures is an advanced intervention associated with multiple complications. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the rate of unplanned reoperations after pelvic fracture surgery. Secondary aims included occurrence of other adverse events and mortality. METHODS: All adult patients ≥ 18 years with surgically treated pelvic fracture operated at the Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden between 2010 and 2019 were identified and retrospectively included. Data were collected through review of medical records and radiographs. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors associated with unplanned reoperations and other adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 194 patients were included with mean age (± SD, range) 45.4 (16, 18-83) years. 62% were males (n = 121) and the median (IQR) follow-up time was 1890 (1791) days (4.9 years). Forty-eight patients (25%) had an unplanned reoperation, with infection being the most common cause of reoperation (n = 18, 9.3%). Seventy-eight (40%) patients had an adverse event not requiring reoperation and the most common event was nerve injury (n = 34, 18%). Concomitant abdominal injury was identified as a risk factor for an adverse event (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.3-4.9, p < 0.01). 30-day mortality was 1.5% and 1-year mortality 6.2%. CONCLUSION: The rate of unplanned reoperation after pelvic fracture surgery was high, as was the rate of other adverse events not requiring surgery. No identified risk factor was found to predict further surgery, but concomitant abdominal injury was a risk factor for other adverse events. Mortality was low at both 30 days and 1 year.

Complications after surgical treatment of acetabular fractures: a 5-year follow-up of 229 patients.

PURPOSE: Acetabular fractures are injuries often surgically treated, but the surgical intervention is associated with a high risk of subsequent complications. The primary aim of this study was to explore the rate of reoperations and to identify potential risk factors for reoperation. Secondary aims were other adverse events and mortality. METHODS: Patients ≥ 18 years with a surgically treated acetabular fracture at a single trauma center in Sweden between 2010 and 2019 were retrospectively included. Data were collected through review of medical records and radiographs. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate factors associated with reoperations and other adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 229 patients with a surgically treated acetabular fracture were included, mean age (± SD, range) 60 (19, 19-94) years. The majority of the patients were males (n = 180, 79%), and the median (IQR) follow-up time was 1779 (1906) days (4.9 years). 47 patients (21%) underwent a reoperation. THA as surgical method was associated with a lower reoperation rate compared to ORIF (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.8, p < 0.01). 72 patients (31%) sustained an adverse event not requiring reoperation, and admittance to ICU was associated with an increased risk (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2-5.7, p = 0.02). 30-day mortality was 3.1% and 1-year mortality 5.7%. CONCLUSION: The complication rate after acetabular fracture surgery was high, and surgical treatment with primary THA was associated with a reduced risk for reoperation.

Computed tomography micromotion analysis in the follow-up of patients with surgically treated pelvic fractures: a prospective clinical study.

PURPOSE: High-energy pelvic fractures are complex injuries often requiring surgical treatment. Different radiological methods exist to evaluate the reduction and healing process postoperatively but with certain limitations. The aim of this study was to evaluate Computed Tomography Micromotion Analysis (CTMA) in a clinical setting for follow-up of surgically treated pelvic fracture patients. METHODS: 10 patients surgically treated for a pelvic fracture were included and prospectively followed with Computed Tomography (CT) at 0, 6, 12 and 52 weeks postoperatively. CTMA was used to measure postoperative translation and rotation of the pelvic fracture during the 52 weeks follow-up. Clinical outcomes were collected through the questionnaires EQ-5D index score and Majeed score. RESULTS: 10 patients were included with mean age (± SD, min-max) 52 (16, 31-80) years and 70% (n = 7) were males. The median (IQR, min-max) global translation from 0 to 52 weeks was 6.0 (4.6, 1.4-12.6) millimeters and median global rotation was 2.6 (2.4, 0.7-4.7) degrees. The general trend was a larger translation between 0 and 6 weeks postoperatively compared to 6-12 and 12-52 weeks. For the clinical outcomes, the general trend was that all patients started from high scores which decreased in the first postoperative follow-up and recovered to different extent during the study period. CONCLUSION: CTMA was successfully used in the follow-up of surgically treated pelvic fracture patients. Movement in the pelvic fractures after surgical fixation was largest between 0 and 6 weeks.

Epidemiology and mortality of pelvic and femur fractures-a nationwide register study of 417,840 fractures in Sweden across 16 years: diverging trends for potentially lethal fractures.

Background and purpose - Fractures of the pelvis and femur are serious and potentially lethal injuries affecting primarily older, but also younger individuals. Long-term trends on incidence rates and mortality might diverge for these fractures, and few studies compare trends within a complete adult population. We investigated and compared incidence and mortality rates of pelvic, hip, femur shaft, and distal femur fractures in the Swedish adult population.Patients and methods - We analyzed data on all adult patients ≥ 18 years in Sweden with a pelvic, hip, femur shaft, or distal femur fracture, through the Swedish National Patient Register. The studied variables were fracture type, age, sex, and 1-year mortality.Results - While incidence rates for hip fracture decreased by 18% (from 280 to 229 per 105 person-years) from 2001 to 2016, incidence rates for pelvic fracture increased by 25% (from 64 to 80 per 105 person-years). Incidence rates for femur shaft and distal femur fracture remained stable at rates of 15 and 13 per 105 person-years respectively. 1-year mortality after hip fracture was 25%, i.e., higher than for pelvic, femur shaft, and distal femur fracture where mortality rates were 20-21%. Females had an almost 30% lower risk of death within 1 year after hip fracture compared with males.Interpretation - Trends on fracture incidence for pelvic and femur fractures diverged considerably in Sweden between 2001 and 2016. While incidence rates for femur fractures (hip, femur shaft, and distal femur) decreased or remained constant during the studied years, pelvic fracture incidence increased. Mortality rates were different between the fractures, with the highest mortality among patients with hip fracture.

Manipulation under anesthesia after primary knee arthroplasty in Sweden: incidence, patient characteristics and risk of revision.

Background and purpose - The incidence of manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) after knee arthroplasty surgery has been reported to vary between 0.5% and 10%. We evaluated the incidence of MUA after primary knee arthroplasty in Sweden, the demographics of the patients and the risk of revision. Patients and methods - Between 2009 and 2013, 64,840 primary total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (TKA and UKA) were registered in the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register (SKAR). MUAs performed between 2009 and 2014 were identified through the in- and outpatient registers of the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. Pertinent data were verified through medical records and patient demographics and revisions were obtained from the SKAR. Results - 1,258 MUAs were identified. Of these, 1,078 were 1st-time MUAs, performed within 1 year after the primary knee arthroplasty. The incidence of MUA was 1.7% and the incidence varied between hospitals from 0% to 5%. The majority were performed after TKA (98%), in younger patients (65% < 65 years), women (64%), and relatively healthy persons (88% had ASA ≤ 2). The cumulative risk of revision at 10 years was 10% (95% CI 8.6-12), similar for men and women. Interpretation - In Sweden, MUA is a rather uncommon measure after knee arthroplasty, especially after UKA. The CRR at 10 years was doubled compared to the general knee arthroplasty population. The frequency of the procedure varies between hospitals but in general it is performed more frequently in healthier and younger patients.

Increasing incidence of pelvic and acetabular fractures. A nationwide study of 87,308 fractures over a 16-year period in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Fractures of the pelvis and acetabulum are major injuries, often associated with hospitalization, reduced function and sometimes life-threatening conditions. Current data on nationwide incidence and treatment is sparse. Existing epidemiological studies are either single-centered or investigating only in-patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology and treatment of pelvic and acetabular fractures in a nationwide register study including all adult patients in Sweden during 2001-2016. METHODS: We used the Swedish National Patient Register to collect data on the entire Swedish population aged ≥18 years from 2001 to 2016. Variables included age, gender, fracture type and treatment. RESULTS: We found a total of 87,308 pelvic and acetabular fractures (71% females) in Sweden during the 16-year study period and the incidence increased from 64 to 80 per 100,000 person-years from 2001 to 2016. The incidence of pelvic fractures increased from 58 to 73 per 100,000 person-years and the majority of the patients (74%) were female. The incidence of acetabular fracture increased from 8.7 to 11 per 100,000 person years and the majority of the patients (58%) were male. Only 2.0% of all patients with a pelvic fracture were treated surgically, as compared to 15% for acetabular fractures. The rate of surgical treatment was higher for males compared to females for both pelvic (4.4 and 1.2% respectively) and acetabular (19 and 10% respectively) fractures. CONCLUSION: The incidence of pelvic and acetabular fractures increased markedly in Sweden from 2001-2016. Pelvic fractures were more common among females and acetabular among males. The surgical rate was higher for acetabular compared to pelvic fractures. Major gender differences in treatment choices were found with higherproportion of men treated surgically for both fracture types, and in all age groups.