Ankle Fracture Epidemiology in the United States: Patient-Related Trends and Mechanisms of Injury.

Current nationwide epidemiological data regarding ankle fractures are scarce. Such information is important towards better quantifying the mortality associated with such injuries, financial impact, as well as the implementation of preventative measures. This study evaluated the epidemiology of ankle fractures that occurred during a 5-year period. Specifically, we evaluated demographics, mechanism of injury, and disposition. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried to identify all patients with ankle fractures that presented to US hospital emergency departments between 2012 and 2016. Census data were used to determine the incidence rates of ankle fractures in terms of age, sex, and race. There was an estimated total of 673,214 ankle fractures that occurred during this period, with an incidence rate of 4.22/10,000 person-years. The mean age of patients with an ankle fracture was 37 ± 22.86 (SD) years; 23.5% of ankle fractures occurred in patients aged 10 to 19 years (7.56/10,000 person-years). In addition, 44% of ankle fractures occurred in men (3.81/10,000 person-years), whereas 56% occurred in women (4.63/10,000 person-years). Data on race/ethnicity were available for 71% of the subjects, with incidence rates of 2.85/10,000 person-years for whites, 3.01/10,000 person-years for blacks, and 4.08/10,000 person-years for others. The most common mechanism of injury was falls (54.83%), followed by sports (20.76%), exercise (16.84%), jumping (4.42%), trauma (2.84%), and other (0.30%). For disposition, 81.84% of patients were treated and released, 1.43% were transferred, 16.01% were admitted, 0.59% were held for observation, and 0.13% left against medical advice. The highest incidence of ankle fractures in men occurred in the 10-to-19-years age group, but women were more commonly affected in all other age groups.

A Systematic Review of the Management of Upper Extremity Orthopaedic Injuries in Epileptic Patients.

Background: During seizures, injury of the upper extremities may occur. Standardized guidelines are deficient for diagnosis and perioperative care. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically screened using predefined search terms. Results: Of the 59 patients included, 36 (61.0%) involved a posterior shoulder dislocation. Associated fractures were observed in 34 (57.6%) cases with surgical procedures performed in 30 (50.8%) patients. Functional outcomes were reported in 44 patients, with over half (23 of 44, [52.2%]) endorsing range of motion deficits. Conclusion: Standardized guidelines, to guarantee timely management of injury in post-seizure patients, are needed with a customized treatment approach that accommodates the various aspects of their condition.

Comparing Relative Value Units among Shoulder Arthroplasty, Hemiarthroplasty, and ORIF for Proximal Humerus Fractures in the Elderly: Which is Most Worth Your Time?

BACKGROUND: Relative value units (RVUs) are assigned to Current Procedural Technology (CPT) codes and give relative economic values to the services physicians provide. This study compared the RVU reimbursements for the surgical options of proximal humerus fractures in the elderly, which include arthroplasty (reverse [RSA] and total [TSA]), hemiarthroplasty (HA), and open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). METHODS: Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, a total of 1,437 patients of at least 65 years of age with proximal humerus fractures between 2008 and 2016 were identified. Of those, 259 underwent RSA/TSA (CPT code 23472), 418 underwent HA (CPT codes 23470 and 23616), and 760 underwent ORIF (CPT code 23615). Univariate analysis compared RVU per minute, reimbursement rate, and the average annual revenue across cohorts based on respective operative times. RESULTS: RSA/TSA generated a mean RVU per minute of 0.197 (SD 0.078; 95%CI [0.188, 0.207]), which was significantly greater than the mean RVU per minute for 23470 HA (0.156; SD 0.057; 95%CI [0.148, 0.163]), 23616 HA (0.166; SD 0.065; 95%CI [0.005, 0.156]), and ORIF (0.135; SD 0.048; 95%CI [0.132, 0.138]; P<0.001). This converted to respective reimbursement rates of $6.97/min (SD 2.78; 95%CI [6.63, 7.31]), $5.48/min (SD 2.05; 95%CI [5.22, 5.74]), $5.83/min (SD 2.28; 95%CI [5.49, 6.16]) and $4.74/min (SD 1.69; 95%CI [4.62, 4.87]). After extrapolation, respective average annual revenues were $580,386, $456,633, $475,077, and $395,608. CONCLUSION: RSA/TSA provides significantly greater reimbursement rates compared to HA and ORIF. Orthopaedic surgeons can use this information to optimize daily procedural cost-effectiveness in their practices.

Management of gunshot wound-related hip injuries: A systematic review of the current literature.

PURPOSE: To propose a gunshot wound-related hip injury algorithm and improve patient outcomes. METHODS: Multiple online databases were queried to identify studies reporting on management of gunshot-wound hip injury. RESULTS: Of 47 papers included, 5 and 14 studies recommended surgical intervention for the treatment of low- and high-velocity gunshot wounds, respectively, and 1 paper advocated the use of prophylactic antibiotics in the treatment of high-velocity injuries. All remaining papers had mixed and conflicting results. CONCLUSION: Various therapeutic strategies have been used for the management of gunshot wound-related hip injuries but further prospective studies are necessary to determine the optimal therapeutic modality.

Radial Nerve Sensory Branch Anatomical Variant: A Case Report and Literature Review.

CASE: Two patients sustained comminuted extra-articular distal humerus fractures. One patient was neurovascularly intact preoperatively. The other patient had a complete radial motor palsy with preserved sensation. Intraoperatively, both exhibited anatomic variants of the radial sensory nerve of the arm that pierced the triceps rather than branching from the distal third of the radial nerve proper, as is traditionally reported. CONCLUSIONS: Although rare, variations in the radial nerve may exist about the distal humerus. Surgeons should be aware of these variations to avoid iatrogenic injury.

New alternate bearing surfaces in total hip arthroplasty: A review of the current literature.

As indications for total hip arthroplasty (THA) have expanded, the incidence of THA has increased among younger patients, who live longer and tend to place more strain on implants via higher activity levels. This demographical shift accentuates the importance of advancing innovation to ensure implant longevity for younger and more active patients. Future innovation, as it pertains to THA components, is likely to focus on modifying implant designs and tribology in conjunction with identification and application of newer biomaterials. By reviewing the literature for development status of various materials and novel design advancements in THA component outside of the standard highly cross-linked polyethylene, this investigation provided an update on the current and future status of design initiatives as they pertain to THA. Though the highlighted alternative bearing surfaces have shown promising in vitro and limited, yet encouraging clinical data, they lack larger and longer-term clinical trial results. Further research and innovation is warranted to identify the optimal bearing surface to most effectively accommodate for the trend of younger and more active patients undergoing THA. Implant longevity is crucial if the clinical success of THA is to be maintained.

Patient report improves posthospital discharge event capture in total joint replacement: a novel approach to capturing all posthospital event data.

INTRODUCTION: Current approaches to quantifying total posthospital complications and readmissions following surgical procedures are limited because the United States does not have a single health care payer. Patients seek posthospital care in varied locations, yet hospitals can only quantify those returning to the same facility. Seeking information directly from patients about health care utilization following hospital discharge holds promise to provide data that is missing for surgeons and health care systems. BACKGROUND: Because total joint replacement (TJR) is the most common and costly elective surgical hospitalization, we examined the concordance between patients' self-report of potential short-term complications and their readmissions and our review of medical records in the initial hospital and surrounding facilities. METHODS: Patients undergoing primary total hip or knee replacement from July 1, 2011, through December 3, 2012, at a large site participating in a national cohort of TJR patients were identified. Patients completed a six-month postoperative survey regarding emergency department (ED), day surgery (DS), or inpatient care for possible medical or mechanical post-TJR complications. We reviewed inpatient and outpatient medical records from all regional facilities and examined the sensitivity, specificity, and positive- and negative predictive values for patient self-report and medical records. FINDINGS: There were 413 patients who had 431 surgeries and completed the six-month questionnaire. Patients reported 40 medical encounters (9 percent) including ED, DS or inpatient care, of which 20 percent occurred at hospitals different from the initial surgery. Review of medical records revealed 9 additional medical encounters that patients had not mentioned including five hospitalizations following surgery and four ED visits. Overall patient self-report of ED, DS, and inpatient care for possible complications was both sensitive (82 percent) and specific (100 percent). The positive predictive value was 100 percent and negative predictive value 98 percent. DISCUSSION: Patient self-report of posthospital events was accurate. Substantial numbers of patients required care at outlying hospitals (not where the TJR occurred). CONCLUSION: Methods that directly engage patients can augment current posthospital utilization surveillance to assure complete data.