Early Ambulation After Hip Fracture Surgery Is Associated With Decreased 30-Day Mortality.

INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures frequently present in complicated patients and are fraught with high morbidity and mortality rates. Postoperatively, delayed ambulation has been identified as a factor associated with increased mortality, although its magnitude has yet to be quantified. Therefore, this article aims to evaluate mortality after hip fracture surgery because it relates to early postoperative ambulation, taking into account preexisting comorbidity burden. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of patients older than age 65 years who underwent surgical fixation for hip fractures because of a low-energy mechanism. Ambulation during the first 3 postoperative days was recorded along with age and preexisting comorbidity burden (Modified 5-Factor Frailty Index), and 30-day and 1-year mortality statuses were examined. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the association between postoperative ambulation and mortality. RESULTS: Of 485 patients initially identified, 218 met the inclusion criteria. Overall mortality rates were 6.4% at 30 days and 18.8% at 1 year. Two-thirds of patients ambulated in the first 3 postoperative days versus one-third who did not. Patients who did not ambulate had both significantly increased 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR] 4.42, P = 0.010, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] 1.42 to 13.75) and 1-year mortality (OR 2.26, P = 0.022, 95% CI 1.12 to 4.53). After multivariable logistic regression accounting for age and comorbidity status, ambulation remained strongly associated with 30-day (OR 3.87, P = 0.024, 95% CI 1.20 to 12.50) but not 1-year mortality (OR 1.66, P = 0.176, 95% CI 0.80 to 3.48). Although neither were significant at 30 days, both increasing age (OR 1.05, P = 0.020, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.10) and Modified 5-Factor Frailty Index (OR 1.62, P = 0.005, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.26) correlated with increased mortality at 1 year. CONCLUSION: Early ambulation after hip fracture surgery bears a notable, almost four-fold, association with early postoperative mortality independent of age and medical comorbidities. Our results support a growing body of evidence that ambulation is a powerful tool that should continue to be emphasized to optimize mortality in hip fracture patients.

Clinical Correlation of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Open Fracture Classification With Wound Closure and Soft-Tissue Complications in Open Upper Extremity Fractures.

OBJECTIVES: To correlate domains of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Open Fracture Classification (OTA-OFC) in open upper extremity injuries with type of definitive soft-tissue closure, complication rates, and unanticipated return to the operating room for complication. DESIGN: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. SETTING: Level I trauma center. PATIENTS: Two hundred thirty-four consecutive open upper extremity fractures. INTERVENTION: Operative management of open upper extremity fractures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Type of definitive closure, 90-day wound complication, and wound complication necessitating return to the operating room. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty injuries were identified, and 234 had sufficient data for analysis. Eighty-four percent (196/234) of open wounds were closed primarily, 7% (16/234) required a skin graft, and 4% (9/234) required rotational or free flap. Thirteen percent (22/166) of those followed for 90 days had a wound complication, and 50% of those with complication required a return to the OR. All OTA-OFC classifications statistically significantly correlated with type of closure (P < 0.001), with skin having a high correlation (r = 0.79), muscle (r = 0.49) and contamination (r = 0.47) moderate correlations, and arterial (r = 0.32) and bone loss (r = 0.33) low correlations. OTA-OFC muscle classification was predictive of 90-day wound complication (OR 0.31, 95% confidence interval 0.07-0.21). OTA-OFC domains correlated variably with return to the OR. CONCLUSION: OTA-OFC clinically correlates with definitive wound management and 90-day wound complication in open upper extremity fractures. OTA-OFC skin classification has a high correlation with the type of definitive wound closure. OTA-OFC muscle was the only domain that correlated with 90-day wound complication and was predictive of 90-day wound complication. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Do Changes in Pelvic Rotation and Tilt Affect Measurement of the Anterior Center Edge Angle on False Profile Radiographs? A Cadaveric Study.

BACKGROUND: The false profile radiograph assesses acetabular coverage in prearthritic hip conditions. Precise rotation of this radiograph is difficult to obtain, so the clinician must interpret radiographs with nonstandard pelvic rotation or tilt, despite limited evidence of how this may affect the anterior center edge angle measurement. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Does pelvic rotation alter the measurement of the anterior center edge angle on false profile views? (2) Does pelvic tilt alter the measurement of the anterior center edge angle on false profile views? (3) Is there an objective way to assess appropriate pelvic rotation for the false profile view? METHODS: Eight cadaver hips (four female, four male; one hip randomly selected per pelvis) were included in the study. Hips with degenerative changes, evidence of previous fracture or trauma, or previous surgical intervention were excluded. Specimens were between 68 to 92 years of age (median, 76 years). The specimens were fixed to a custom jig, and radiographs were taken at 5° intervals of rotation (45-85°) and 5° intervals of pelvic tilt (+10° to -10°). The primary outcome variable, anterior center edge angle, was measured for each rotation and tilt. RESULTS: Every degree increase in pelvic rotation toward a true lateral resulted in 0.18° increase in the anterior center edge angle (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07-0.29; p = 0.002). For every degree increase in pelvic tilt, the anterior center edge angle increased 0.65° (95% CI, 0.5-0.8; p < 0.001). We verified that standard pelvic rotation of 65° for a false profile radiograph was present when the space between the femoral heads is 66% to 100% of the diameter of the femoral head being imaged. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the anterior center edge angle increases as pelvic tilt increases, with a 6° increase in anterior center edge angle for each 10° increase in pelvic tilt. Since the false profile radiograph is obtained standing, the patient should be counseled to avoid adopting a forced posture, ensuring the radiograph remains an accurate functional representation of the patient's anatomy. In contrast, pelvic rotation did not influence the anterior center edge angle by an important margin, and while we recommend that radiographs continue to be obtained with standardized pelvic rotation, aberrant pelvic rotation will likely not result in a clinically meaningful difference in anterior center edge angle measurements. In the future, studies to identify the specific regions of acetabular anatomy that constitute the radiographic measurement of the anterior center edge angle would enhance current understanding of the associated radiographic anatomy, and consequently improve the ability of the surgeon to treat the specific area of pathology. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In practice, the clinician should pay close attention to pelvic tilt, as a 10° change in tilt may cause 6° of change in the anterior center edge angle. However, false profile radiographs obtained within ± 20° of the targeted 65° of rotation will result in less than 4° change in the anterior center edge angle.

Bone marrow aspirate concentrate with cancellous allograft versus iliac crest bone graft in the treatment of long bone nonunions.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) with cancellous allograft to iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) in the treatment of long bone nonunions. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A single level I trauma center. PATIENTS: 26 patients with long bone diaphyseal or metaphyseal nonunions with defects >2 mm and treated with open repair and BMAC, compared to 25 patients with long bone diaphyseal or metaphyseal nonunions with defects >2 mm and treated with open repair and ICBG. INTERVENTION: Open repair of long bone nonunion using either autologous ICBG or BMAC with cancellous allograft. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Nonunion healing, radiographically measured by the modified Radiographic Union Score for Tibia (mRUST) score. Secondary outcomes included risk factors associated with failed repair. RESULTS: The union rates for the BMAC and ICBG cohorts were 75% and 78%, respectively (P = .8). Infection was the only risk factor of statistical significance for failure. CONCLUSION: In this study, we found no significant difference in union rate for long bone nonunions treated with ICBG or BMAC with allograft. BMAC and allograft led to 75% successful healing in this series. Given the heterogeneity of the control group and loss to follow-up, further prospective investigation should be conducted to more rigorously compare BMAC to ICBG for nonunion treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, retrospective cohort.

Vascular Anatomy of the Medial Femoral Neck and Implications for Surface Plate Fixation.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the inferior retinacular artery (IRA) as encountered from an anterior approach, to define its intraarticular position, and to define a safe zone for buttress plate fixation of femoral neck fractures. METHODS: Thirty hips (15 fresh cadavers) were dissected through an anterior (Modified Smith-Petersen) approach after common femoral artery injection (India ink, blue latex). The origin of the IRA from the medial femoral circumflex artery and the course to its terminus were dissected. The IRA position relative to the femoral neck was described using a clock-face system: 12:00 cephalad, 3:00 anterior, 6:00 caudad, and 9:00 posterior. RESULTS: The IRA originated from the medial femoral circumflex artery and traveled within the Weitbrecht ligament in all hips. The IRA positions were 7:00 (n = 13), 7:30 (n = 15), and 8:00 (n = 2). The IRA was 0:30 anterior to (n = 24) or at the same clock-face position (n = 6) as the lesser trochanter. The mean intraarticular length was 20.4 mm (range 11-65, SD 9.1), and the mean extraarticular length was 20.5 mm (range 12-31, SD 5.1). CONCLUSIONS: The intraarticular course of the IRA lies within the Weitbrecht ligament between the femoral neck clock-face positions of 7:00 and 8:00. A medial buttress plate positioned at 6:00 along the femoral neck is anterior to the location of the IRA and does not endanger the blood supply of the femoral head. The improved understanding of the IRA course will facilitate preservation during intraarticular approaches to the femoral neck and head.

A Novel Indirect Reduction Technique in Ankle Syndesmotic Injuries: A Cadaveric Study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel technique using preoperative computed tomography (CT) to plan clamp tine placement along the trans-syndesmotic axis (TSA). We hypothesized that preoperative CT imaging provides a reliable template on which to plan optimal clamp tine positioning along the TSA, reducing malreduction rates compared with other described techniques. METHODS: CT images of 48 cadaveric through-knee specimens were obtained, and the TSA was measured as well as the optimal position of the medial clamp tine. The syndesmosis was then fully destabilized. Indirect clamp reductions were performed with the medial clamp tine placed at positions 10 degrees anterior to the TSA, along the TSA, and at both 10 and 20 degrees posterior to the TSA. The specimens were then separately reduced using manual digital pressure and palpation alone. CT was performed after each clamp and manual reduction. RESULTS: On average, reduction clamp tines were within 3 ± 2 degrees of the desired angle and within 5% ± 4% of the templated location along the tibial line for all clamp reduction attempts. Palpation and direct visualization produced the overall lowest malreduction rates in all measurements: 4.9% and 3.0%, respectively. Off-axis clamping 10 degrees anterior or 20 degrees posterior to the patient-specific TSA demonstrated an increased overall malreduction rate: 15.8% and 11.3%, respectively. Significantly more over-compression occurred when a reduction clamp was used versus manual digital reduction alone (8.6% vs. 0%). CONCLUSIONS: Reduction clamp placement directly along an optimal clamping vector can be facilitated by preoperative CT measurements of the uninjured ankle. However, even in this setting, the use of reduction clamps increases the risk for syndesmotic malreduction and over-compression compared with manual digital reduction or direct visualization.

Medial Clamp Tine Positioning Affects Ankle Syndesmosis Malreduction.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the position of the medial clamp tine during syndesmotic reduction affected reduction accuracy. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: Urban Level 1 trauma center. PATIENTS: Seventy-two patients with operatively treated syndesmotic injuries. INTERVENTION: Patients underwent operative fixation of their ankle syndesmotic injuries using reduction forceps. The position of the medial clamp tine was then recorded with intraoperative fluoroscopy. Malreduction rates were then assessed with bilateral ankle computerized tomography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: Fibular position within the incisura was measured with respect to the uninjured side to determine whether a malreduction had occurred. Malreductions were then analyzed for associations with injury pattern, patient demographics, and the location of the medial clamp tine. RESULTS: A statistically significant association was found between medial clamp position and sagittal plane syndesmosis malreduction. In reference to anterior fibular translation, there was a 0% malreduction rate in the 18 patients where the clamp tine was placed in the anterior third, a 19.4% malreduction rate in the middle third, and 60% malreduction rate in the posterior third (P = 0.006). In reference to posterior fibular translation, there was a 11.1% malreduction when clamp placement was in the anterior third, a 16.1% malreduction rate in the middle third, and 60% malreduction rate in the posterior third (P = 0.062). There were no significant associations between medial clamp position and coronal plane malreductions (overcompression or undercompression) (P = 1). CONCLUSIONS: When using reduction forceps for syndesmotic reduction, the position of the medial clamp tine can be highly variable. The angle created with off-axis syndesmotic clamping is likely a major culprit in iatrogenic malreduction. Sagittal plane malreduction appears to be highly sensitive to clamp obliquity, which is directly related to the medial clamp tine placement. Based on these data, we recommend placing the medial clamp tine in the anterior third of the tibial line on the lateral view to minimize malreduction risk. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Simulating clamp placement across the trans-syndesmotic angle of the ankle to minimize malreduction: A radiological study.

BACKGROUND: Ankle fractures associated with syndesmotic injury have a poorer prognosis than those without such an injury. Anatomic reduction of the distal tibiofibular joint restores joint congruency and minimizes contact pressures, yet operative fixation of syndesmotic ankle injuries is frequently complicated by malreduction of the syndesmosis. Current methods of assessing reduction have been shown to be inadequate. As such, additional methods to judge the accuracy of syndesmotic reduction are required. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The purposes of our study were (1) to determine the anatomic axis of the syndesmosis, or the trans-syndesmotic angle (TSA), and (2) to describe the intraoperative fluoroscopic appearance of syndesmotic clamp reduction oriented along the anatomic syndesmotic angle. METHODS: Computed tomography (CT) scans of 45 uninjured adult ankles were analyzed to measure the TSA, defined as the angle between the plane of a lateral ankle radiograph and a line drawn perpendicular to the fibular incisura. Three-dimensional reconstructions of CT scans were then used to demonstrate clamp placement collinear with the TSA as would be seen on an intraoperative lateral ankle radiograph. RESULTS: The average TSA measured 21±5° anterior to the plane of a lateral radiograph. When a simulated reduction clamp tine was placed on the fibular ridge and the clamp oriented along the TSA, the medial tine, as seen on a lateral radiograph, was within the anterior one-third of the tibia 93% of the time. It was, on average, 23±7% of the distance from the anterior to the posterior tibial cortex, with tine placement occurring in this range in 73% of ankles. The medial tine rested 53±17% of the distance between the anterior cortices of the tibia and fibula, with 71% of tines placed in this range. CONCLUSIONS: Reduction clamp placement oriented along the TSA has a predictable appearance on lateral ankle imaging and can guide clamp positioning during syndesmotic reduction. With one tine placed on the fibular ridge, placing the medial clamp tine in the anterior third of the tibia, or halfway between the anterior cortices of the tibia and fibula is the most accurate position for reduction in line with the TSA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 (Retrospective diagnostic).

Differential fracture healing resulting from fixation stiffness variability: a mouse model.

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms underlying the interaction between the local mechanical environment and fracture healing are not known. We developed a mouse femoral fracture model with implants of different stiffness, and hypothesized that differential fracture healing would result. METHODS: Femoral shaft fractures were created in 70 mice, and were treated with an intramedullary nail made of either tungsten (Young's modulus = 410 GPa) or aluminium (Young's modulus = 70 GPa). Mice were then sacrificed at 2 or 5 weeks. Fracture calluses were analyzed using standard microCT, histological, and biomechanical methods. RESULTS: At 2 weeks, callus volume was significantly greater in the aluminium group than in the tungsten group (61.2 vs. 40.5 mm(3), p = 0.016), yet bone volume within the calluses was no different between the groups (13.2 vs. 12.3 mm(3)). Calluses from the tungsten group were stiffer on mechanical testing (18.7 vs. 9.7 N/mm, p = 0.01). The percent cartilage in the callus was 31.6% in the aluminium group and 22.9% in the tungsten group (p = 0.40). At 5 weeks, there were no differences between any of the healed femora. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, fracture implants of different stiffness led to different fracture healing in this mouse fracture model. Fractures treated with a stiffer implant had more advanced healing at 2 weeks, but still healed by callus formation. Although this concept has been well documented previously, this particular model could be a valuable research tool to study the healing consequences of altered fixation stiffness, which may provide insight into the pathogenesis and ideal treatment of fractures and non-unions.