Hand Trauma Network in the United States: ASSH Member Perspective Over the Last Decade.

PURPOSE: Upper extremity trauma is common, however the provision of emergency call for hand trauma can be challenging for hospital systems and hand surgeons. Over the past decade, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) has developed the Hand Trauma Network and an Emergency Hand Care Committee to refine care for hand trauma patients. METHODS: The ASSH administered surveys to members about the provision of emergency hand call in 2010 and 2019. Demographic information was collected including surgeon age, years in practice, board certification, practice setting, and ACS trauma level. Other survey questions included willingness and obligation to take call, as well as barriers to providing emergency call. Financial aspects of call were also queried. RESULTS: Survey responses were obtained from 672 surgeons in 2010 and 1005 surgeons in 2019. There was a decrease in surgeons with obligatory hand call from 2010 to 2019 (70% vs 50%, P < .05) and an increase in the number of surgeons not taking hand call in 2019 (34%) compared to 2010 (18%, P < .05). In both surveys, the main barrier for providing hand call was "lifestyle considerations," 39% (2010) and 47% (2019). There was no change in the percentage of surgeons working at facilities that provide 24/7 emergency hand call services or the percentage of hand surgeons paid to take call. CONCLUSIONS: Certain aspects of providing emergency hand surgery care have not changed substantially in the past decade, including the number of centers that provide emergency hand coverage. A greater number of surgeons are not taking any hand call. Further efforts are required to promulgate advances in hand trauma call by the ASSH. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The development of the ASSH Hand Trauma Network has not yet resulted in substantive improvement in the number of facilities that provide emergency hand coverage or the number of hand surgeons providing emergency hand care.

Utilizing a combined hospital and criminal justice database to identify risk factors for repeat firearm injury or violent-crime arrest among firearm victims.

Introduction: Identifying firearm victims with the greatest risk of repeat-firearm exposure and offering interventions has the potential to disrupt recurrent violence. This study explored risk factors associated with repeat violence among survivors of intentional firearm injury in a unique clinical and criminal justice (CJ) dataset. Methods: This study analyzed a retrospective cohort (n = 4058) of persons injured by nonfatal intentional firearm violence from 2013 to 2016 in one metropolitan area. Data were collected from a single level I trauma center, city police records, and state CJ databases from 1948 to 2019. The primary outcome of interest was another firearm injury or violent-crime arrest (defined as a violent or firearm felony offense). Results: Among 4058 nonfatal intentional firearm victims, 1202 (29.6%) individuals had a repeat-firearm injury or violent-crime arrest. In a bivariate analysis, history of mental, physical, and/or emotional abuse (odds ratio [OR], 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40-1.86), mental health diagnosis (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.51-2.35), or illegal substance use (OR, 2.87; 95% CI, 2.48-3.32) was associated with increased risk of repeat-firearm injury or violent-crime arrest. Prior felony arrest (OR, 3.68; 95% CI, 3.19-4.24), prior incarceration (OR, 3.72; 95% CI, 3.04-4.56), prior firearm charge (OR, 4.06; 95% CI, 3.33-4.96), and suspected gang membership (OR, 8.69; 95% CI, 6.14-12.32) demonstrated the greatest association with significant repeat violence. Conclusions: Thirty percent of those who experienced an intentional firearm injury were found to have a repeat-firearm injury or violent-crime arrest multi-disciplinary interventions that address the complex needs of a CJ-involved population are needed to mitigate significant repeat violence.

Initial Experience with the PONTiS Tendon Repair System in Traumatic Upper Extremity Injuries.

BACKGROUND: Tendon injuries of the upper extremity remain a common surgical condition requiring prompt intervention. The authors review their initial experience with the PONTiS flexor tendon repair system, a knotless, multifilament, stainless steel crimp system. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing repair by plastic and orthopedic surgeons with the PONTiS system were reviewed for the period from 2015 to 2017. Multivariate risk and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed to assess risk factors associated with complications. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients, with a mean follow-up of 75 days (range, 0 to 33 months), were identified. The most common demographics showed patients were right-handed (82.9 percent), male (71.4 percent), and laborers (35.7 percent) and sustained laceration injuries (77.1 percent) at zone 2 (27.2 percent). There were, on average, 3.7 tendon injuries per patient. Associated injuries included fractures (21.4 percent), arterial injuries (24.3 percent), and nerve injuries (61.4 percent). Thirteen patients (16.0 percent) developed complications, including adhesions/contracture ( n = 4), rupture ( n = 2), flap ischemia ( n = 2), arterial thrombosis ( n = 1), wound dehiscence ( n = 1), tendon lag ( n = 1), and erosion of the PONTiS system through soft-tissue grafts ( n = 2). Multivariate analysis identified poor soft-tissue coverage (OR, 9.990; p = 0.043) and zone 2 involvement (OR, 7.936; p = 0.016) as risk factors, while epitendinous repairs (OR, 0.096; p = 0.010) were protective against complications. CONCLUSIONS: The PONTiS flexor tendon repair system is rapid, simple to deploy, and advantageous, especially in multiple traumatic tendon injuries. In comparison to traditional suture repair, it has a comparable overall complication profile but superior rupture and tenolysis rates. The authors advise using it with caution in cases with poor soft-tissue coverage to minimize risks of extrusion, and they strongly recommend the use of epitendinous sutures concurrently to limit complications.

Vascular perfusion of a flexor carpi ulnaris muscle turnover pedicle flap for posterior elbow soft tissue reconstruction: a cadaveric study.

PURPOSE: The use of a pedicled flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) muscle proximal turnover flap has been described previously for soft tissue reconstruction at the posterior elbow. Whereas consistent arterial supply to the FCU has been reported, the reliability of distal flap perfusion has not been confirmed. This study evaluated the vascular perfusion of an FCU turnover flap, based on the most proximal primary vascular pedicle that would permit a proximal turnover flap reconstruction to include the olecranon tip. METHODS: In 12 fresh-frozen, proximal humeral human amputation specimens, the FCU flap was elevated from distal to proximal, preserving the most proximal primary vascular pedicle to the muscle belly that would permit flap coverage of the olecranon tip. The axillary artery was injected with India ink after ligation of radial and ulnar arteries at the wrist. After injection, each specimen was sectioned transversely at 0.5-cm increments to assess vascular perfusion of the muscle using loupe magnification. RESULTS: The distance from the olecranon tip to the distal FCU muscle belly was 25.9 cm. The primary vascular pedicle that would facilitate creation of a proximal turnover flap was, on average, 5.9 cm distal to the olecranon tip. Perfusion of FCU muscle as measured distal to this primary pedicle was present in 50% to 100% of the muscle belly at an average of 8.9 cm beyond the pedicle. Perfusion of 25% to 50% of the FCU muscle belly was present at an average of 11.1 cm beyond the pedicle. Perfusion became less consistent (<25%) within the muscle belly at an average distance of 11.6 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a proximally based, pedicled FCU muscle turnover flap provides a reliable option for soft tissue reconstruction at the posterior elbow. We observed consistent arterial perfusion of the muscle flap when preserving a proximal vascular pedicle 5.9 cm distal to the olecranon tip.

Outcome of intramedullary fixation of clavicular fractures.

We conducted a retrospective, single-center (tertiary referral center with associated level I trauma center) review to evaluate the outcome of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with intramedullary (IM) clavicle pin of displaced clavicular fractures. Sixty-eight displaced midshaft clavicle fractures in 68 patients underwent ORIF with IM clavicle pins. Patients were identified through a perioperative database by searching for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Union was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included time to union, pain, incidence of nonunion and delayed union, postoperative range of motion, and incidence of complications. Sixty-six fractures (97%) went on to union. Complications included painful hardware (44%), deep and superficial wound infections (10%), and hardware failure (4%), including pin breakage and extrusion. Postoperative shoulder pain was present in 10% of patients and limited shoulder range of motion in 12%. IM pin fixation can provide good outcomes, even for fractures with a significant amount of shortening and comminution.