An overview of the orthopedic patient profile in the first five days following February 6th, 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake: A single-center experience in the earthquake zone.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the patient profile at a medium-volume hospital located in the earthquake zone among patients who received orthopedic treatment within the first five days after the natural disaster that was considered a major earthquake. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between February 6th, 2023 and February 10th, 2023, a total of 338 patients (156 males, 182 females; mean age: 42.2±9.7 years; range, 0 to 87 years) who received orthopedic treatment in our center were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into four groups according to age as follows: infants (younger than one year of age), children (one to 13 years), adults (14 to 59 years), and elderly (60 years or older). RESULTS: Considering the age distribution, 291 (86%) patients were young adults. A total of 173 orthopedic surgeries were performed, including internal fixation in 63 patients, external fixation in 11 patients, upper/lower extremity fasciotomy in 47 patients, amputation in 39 patients, and soft tissue debridement in 13 patients. CONCLUSION: It is of utmost importance to recognize the principles of emergency fracture fixation and fasciotomy to successfully perform orthopedic surgeries after a natural disaster such as a major earthquake, particularly when the number of earthquake victims is considerably high.

Atypical femoral fracture following zoledronic acid treatment.

A 68-year-old female patient admitted to our clinic with right anterior thigh pain ongoing for six months and which increased in last two months. The patient had no trauma history. The patient had been followed-up for 15 years because of osteoporosis and administrated alendronate and ibandronate treatment for 10 years. Patient had three shots of zoledronate once a year during the last three years. Her pain was increasing when she was walking. Physical examination revealed pain in her right thigh. Radiogram showed thickened lateral cortex of the subtrochanteric area. Magnetic resonance imaging also showed thickening and edema of the same area. These images were correlated with atypical fracture in right femoral subthrochanteric zone. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry revealed that T score was -3.3 in lumbar region and -2.5 in femoral neck. Zoledronate treatment was ended. Prophylactic surgical fixation was performed with titanium elastic nails.