Trends in hospital admissions for childhood fractures in England.

Purpose: Fractures to the axial and appendicular skeleton are common in children causing loss of opportunities and disability. There are relatively few studies available to quantify the number of children who have their fractures diagnosed in the emergency department and are then admitted to hospital for ongoing management. The purpose of this study is to explore trends of frequency, types and age of children sustaining fractures who were admitted for intervention to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals. Design: The study uses data from the Hospital Episode Statistics and Office for National Statistics from 2012 to 2019 to calculate the annual incidence of hospital admission for limb, spine, facial and skull fractures per 100 000 children. Results: During 2012-2019, 368 120 children were admitted to English NHS hospitals with a fracture. 256 008 (69.5%) were upper limb fractures, 85 737 (23.3%) were lower limb fractures and 20 939 (5.7%) were skull or facial fractures. The annual incidence of upper limb fractures was highest in children aged 5-9 (348.3 per 100 000 children) and the highest incidence of lower limb fractures was in children aged 10-15 (126.5 per 100 000 children). The incidence of skull and facial fractures in preschool (age 0-4) children has been increasing at a rate of 0.629 per 100 000 children per year. Implications: The annual incidence of hospital admission for fractures in children has been shown to be consistent for several fracture types between 2012 and 2019. An increasing trend of admissions with preschool skull fractures was observed, though the study data do not have sufficient granularity to demonstrate if this is due to changes in practice or to accidental or non-accidental causes.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in hip fracture.

AIMS: Infection after surgery increases treatment costs and is associated with increased mortality. Hip fracture patients have historically had high rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization and surgical site infection (SSI). This paper reports the impact of routine MRSA screening and the "cleanyourhands" campaign on rates of MRSA SSI and patient outcome. METHODS: A total of 13,503 patients who presented with a hip fracture over 17 years formed the study population. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine risk factors for MRSA and SSI. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modelling adjusted for temporal trends in rates of MRSA. Kaplan-Meier estimators were generated to assess for changes in mortality. RESULTS: In all, 6,189 patients were identified before the introduction of screening and 7,314 in the post-screening cohort. MRSA infection fell from 69 cases to 15 in the post-screening cohort (p < 0.001). The ARIMA confirmed a significant reduction in MRSA SSI post-screening (p = 0.043) but no significant impact after hand hygiene alone (p = 0.121). Overall SSI fell (2.4% to 1.5%), however deep infection increased slightly (0.89% to 1.06%). ARIMA showed neither intervention affected overall SSI ("cleanyourhands" -0.172% (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.39% to 0.21); p = 0.122, screening -0.113% per year, (95% CI -0.34 to 0.12); p = 0.373). One-year mortality after deep SSI was unchanged after screening (50% vs 45%; p = 0.415). Only warfarinization (OR 3.616 (95% CI 1.366 to 9.569); p = 0.010) and screening (OR 0.189 (95% CI 0.086 to 0.414); p < 0.001) were significant covariables for developing MRSA SSI. CONCLUSION: While screening and decolonization may reduce MRSA-associated SSI, the benefit to patient outcome remains unclear. Overall deep SSI remains an unsolved problem that has seen little improvement over time. Preventing other hospital-associated infections should not be forgotten in the fight against MRSA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(1):170-177.

CORE-Kids: a protocol for the development of a core outcome set for childhood fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Limb fractures in children are common yet there are few trials that compare treatments for these injuries. There is significant heterogeneity in the outcomes reported in the paediatric orthopaedic literature, which limits the ability to compare study results and draw firm conclusions. The aim of the CORE-Kids Study is to develop a core outcome set for use in research studies of childhood limb fractures. A core outcome set will provide a minimum set of outcomes to be measured in all trials to minimise the heterogeneity of outcomes reported and minimise reporting bias. A core outcome set ensures that outcomes are reported that are relevant to families as well as clinicians. The core outcome set will include additional upper and lower limb modules. METHODS: The development of the core outcome set will require four phases to evaluate:What are the outcomes that are relevant to professionals?What are the outcomes that are relevant to families?What are the most important of these outcomes?Which outcomes should be included in the core outcome set?This will be completed through a systematic review of trials to identify the outcomes domains that are relevant to trialists. A series of semi-structured interviews will be completed with families to identify the outcome domains that are relevant to families. These outcome domains will be used in a three-round Delphi Study to analyse the importance of these outcome domains to a range of stakeholders including parents, clinicians and researchers. Following this, the core outcome set will be decided at a consensus meeting. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been awarded HRA/REC IRAS number 262503. Date of approval 06/08/2019. Dissemination will be through scientific literature and international societies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials Initiative, registration number: 1274. Date of registration 13/12/2018. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018106605.

Two-stage revision surgery for infected total knee replacements: reasonable function and high success rate with the use of primary knee replacement implants as temporary spacers.

Two-stage revision surgery for infected total knee replacements remains the gold standard treatment. Articulating spacers are preferred to static spacers for improved functional outcome. Articulating spacers made of cement can be prone to fracture, may not be suitable for full weight bearing, create abrasion debris and necessitate second-stage revision surgery. An alternative is the use of primary knee replacement implants as temporary spacers. With this technique, implants are loosely cemented into place at time of revision, allow the patient reasonable mobility and an ability to fully weight bear and can obviate the need for second-stage surgery. A retrospective review of all patients undergoing revision for infection over two years was conducted. Patients were clinically assigned to single- or two-stage revision. Patients who had a temporary knee replacement, that is, a primary knee replacement used as an articulating spacer, were identified and contacted to complete an Oxford Knee Score. Time to second stage and recurrence was identified from the notes 23 patients received temporary knee replacements. Of these, one patient died, 13 proceeded to a second-stage revision and nine remain in situ. Median time to second-stage revision was 19 weeks [range 11-27]. No patients had re-infection. Median follow-up for ongoing temporary knee replacements was 43 weeks [range 24-90]. Four temporary implants had survived for longer than 1 year. Median Oxford Knee Score was 26 [23-32] and satisfaction score was 8 out of 10 [8-8]. These early results show that knee replacement implants used as spacers provide a good alternative to cement-based articulating spacers with low re-infection rates. Their additional cost when compared with cement spacers is offset by the fact that many patients achieve adequate function and frail patients can avoid a revision procedure. Level of evidence Case series, Level IV.

Foot drop following closed reduction of a total hip replacement.

Sciatic nerve palsy has been well documented and reported, following primary and revision hip replacement. It can also occur following dislocation of hip replacement. The incidence of sciatic nerve palsy in dislocated hip replacement is <0.1%. However, new onset sciatic nerve palsy following a closed reduction of dislocated hip replacement is even rarer. We describe a case of sciatic nerve palsy from traction injury following closed reduction of a total hip replacement.

Soft tissue releases, bone preservation and patient outcome following revision of the oldest total knee replacement.

The patient had a total knee replacement for arthritis secondary to Stills disease performed 35 years earlier, with 20 years of good function followed by 15 years of progressively worsening knee pain. A revision was completed, which improved the patient's quality of life and objective knee scores, with an increase in Oxford Knee Score from 22 to 42 and American Knee Society Score from 76 to 170. We discuss the technical aspects in revising this knee replacement, which is the oldest that we are aware of. The result has been a good recovery, which is the first available in the literature for future comparison.