Results of parallel plate fixation of comminuted intra-articular distal humeral fractures.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the results of parallel plate fixation of comminuted distal humeral fractures in a consecutive series of patients. METHODS: Parallel plate fixation was used in 47 patients (30 women), mean age 60 years (range 18-98 years), with Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen (AO) type C distal humeral fractures during 2007 to 2011. Medical records and radiographs were retrospectively assessed. Thirty-five patients completed Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) outcome measure and the RAND Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) Health Survey. Twenty-seven patients underwent clinical examination, Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) rating, and radiography after 3.9 years (range, 1.6-7.9 years) of follow-up. RESULTS: The mean flexion arc was lower on the affected side vs the unaffected elbow (123° vs 140°, P = .03). The mean MEPS was 88; the result was excellent in 14, good in 8, fair in 3, and poor in 2 patients. DASH results indicated slight impairment of upper extremity function compared with the reference value (26 vs 10, P = .001). RAND SF-36 scores indicated normal quality of life compared with reference values from the Finnish population. Forty-four fractures united uneventfully. One case each of nonunion and malunion occurred. One olecranon osteotomy failed to unite. There were 3 cases of infection. Prominent hardware was a common late problem, and plates often required removal. The complication rate was 7 of 47 (15%); 4 of these patients (9%) required reoperation. The hardware removal rate was 13 of 47 (28%). CONCLUSION: Parallel plate fixation is an effective method to treat comminuted distal humeral fractures. Good elbow function can be restored in most cases with minor impairments that do not worsen quality of life.

Twenty years' experience of type B aortic dissections: a population-based national registry study from Finland.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence, treatment and survival of Stanford type B aortic dissection (BTAD) during 20 years in the Finnish population. METHODS: Data collection was made from the Nationwide Care Register for Health Care, Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare. All patients over 15 years of age with BTAD from 2000 to 2019 were included in the study. A data search of the Registry of Death Cause (Statistic Finland) was carried out to identify the date and cause of death. RESULTS: There were 1742 cases of BTAD during the study period. BTAD represented 45.6% of all aortic dissections leading to hospital admission. Incidence for BTAD was 1.62 per 100 000 inhabitants per year. The median survival was 12.7 years [95% confidence interval (CI) 9.63-14.7], 12.4 years (95% CI 10.5-14.4) and 8.6 years (95% CI 7.5-9.7) for patients treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), surgery and medical treatment (MT), respectively. Survival was significantly better after TEVAR and surgery, compared to MT only (P < 0.001). Age-adjusted survival was significantly better after TEVAR compared to patients treated with MT or surgery (hazard ratio 0.578, 95% CI 0.420-0.794, P < 0.001). Aortic-related death was the most common cause of death in all groups (41%). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of BTAD seems to be similar in the Finnish population compared to other populational studies. Patients treated with TEVAR had significantly better survival compared to other patients. A high risk for late aortic-related death should be recognized in patients with BTAD.

Evolution of high-energy pelvic trauma in southern Finland: a 12-year experience from a tertiary trauma centre.

PURPOSE: We compared incidence, demographics, and injury mechanisms in severely injured patients with and without a pelvic ring fracture treated at a tertiary trauma centre. We also analyzed the changes in injury mechanisms that lead to high-energy pelvic trauma. METHODS: Data on severely injured adult patients (New Injury Severity Score [NISS] ≥16) from Helsinki Trauma Registry over the years 2006-2017 were reviewed. Patients with a pelvic ring fracture (PRF) and those without (N-PRF) were analyzed. Further subgrouping regarding time of the accident (2006-2009, 2010-2013, 2014-2017) was made. A comparison between groups was performed according to age, age > 60, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, injury scoring and mechanism, and 30-day in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: We included 545 PRF and 1048 N-PRF patients. Pelvic ring fracture patients were more likely to be female (39% vs 22%, p < 0.001), to be more severely injured (NISS 35.2 vs 30.4, p < 0.001), injured due to a high fall (41% vs 25%, p < 0.001), to have self-inflicted injuries (23% vs 8%, p < 0.001), and to have higher 30-day in-hospital mortality (13% vs 9%, p = 0.005). During the study period, we noted increasing mean age and proportion of patients aged > 60, improvement in outcome (shown by decreasing 30-day in-hospital mortality rate) in both groups, and a decrease in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) leading to pelvic trauma (30-16%). CONCLUSIONS: High-energy pelvic trauma can no longer be characterized as traffic accident injuries among young men. MVAs leading to pelvic trauma are decreasing and the most common injury mechanism is high fall. The patients are older and often female. Every fourth high-energy pelvic trauma was due to attempted suicide.