Patient Preferences for Operative Versus Nonoperative Treatment of LC1 Pelvis Fracture: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify how patients with lateral compression type 1 (LC1) pelvis fracture value attributes of operative versus nonoperative treatment. DESIGN: Discrete choice experiment. SETTING: Three US Level 1 trauma centers. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Adult survivors of an LC1 pelvis treated between June 2016 and March 2023 were identified from institutional registries. The choice experiment was administered as a survey from March through August 2023. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS: Participants chose between 12 hypothetical comparisons of treatment attributes including operative or nonoperative care, risk of death, severity of pain, risk of secondary surgery, shorter hospital stay, discharge destination, and independence in ambulation within 1 month of injury. The marginal utility of each treatment attribute, for example, the strength of participants' aggregate preference for an attribute as indicated by their survey choices, was estimated by multinomial logit modeling with and without stratification by treatment received. RESULTS: Four hundred forty-nine eligible patients were identified. The survey was distributed to 182 patients and collected from 72 patients (39%) at a median 2.3 years after injury. Respondents were 66% female with a median age of 59 years (IQR, 34-69 years). Before injury, 94% ambulated independently and 75% were working; 41% received operative treatment. Independence with ambulation provided the highest relative marginal utility (21%, P < 0.001), followed by discharge to home versus skilled nursing (20%, P < 0.001), moderate versus severe postdischarge pain (17%, P < 0.001), shorter hospital stay (16%, P < 0.001), secondary surgery (15%, P < 0.001), and mortality (10%, P = 0.02). Overall, no relative utility for operative versus nonoperative treatment was observed (2%, P = 0.54). However, respondents strongly preferred the treatment they received: operative patients valued operative treatment (utility, 0.37 vs. -0.37, P < 0.001); nonoperative patients valued nonoperative treatment (utility, 0.19 vs. -0.19, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: LC1 pelvis fracture patients valued independence with ambulation, shorter hospital stay, and avoiding secondary surgery and mortality in the month after their injury. Patients preferred the treatment they received rather than operative versus nonoperative care.

Fluoroscopic images of the sacroiliac joint alone are unable to identify simulated flexion or extension malreduction of the anterior pelvic ring in AO/OTA 61-B2.3 pelvic injuries.

PURPOSE: Reduction of AO/OTA 61-B2.3 (APC2) pelvic fractures is challenging in the setting of anterior ring comminution. The anterior ring is visually much simpler to evaluate for flexion or extension hemipelvis deformity than the posterior ring, except in the setting of comminution, necessitating some other visual reference to judge hemipelvis reduction. We sought to test whether pelvic inlet and outlet fluoroscopy of the contours of the sacroiliac joint could be used in isolation to judge hemipelvis flexion or extension. METHODS: Symphyseal and anterior SIJ ligaments were cut (6 cadaveric pelvis). The symphysis was held malreduced to produce one centimeter flexion and extension deformity: 1 cm was selected to mimic a maximum clinical scenario. The SIJ was assessed using inlet and outlet fluoroscopy. The scaled width of the SIJ was assessed at the joint apertures and midjoint on both inlet and outlet views. Joint widths in flexion and extension were compared against joint widths measured on the reduced SIJ using paired t-tests. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in the superior (p = 0.227, 0.675), middle (p = 0.203, 0.693), and inferior (p = 0.232, 0.961) SIJ widths between hemipelvis flexion or extension models against reduced SIJ on outlet views. There was no statistical difference in the anterior (p = 0.731, 0.662), middle (p = 0.257, 0.655), and posterior (p = 0.657, 0.363) SIJ widths between flexion or extension models against reduced SIJ on inlet views. CONCLUSION: Inspection of SIJ width on inlet and outlet fluoroscopy cannot detect up to one centimeter of hemipelvis flexion or extension malreduction in the setting of AO/OTA 61-B2.3 (APC2) pelvic fractures with complex anterior injuries.

Identification of subtle residual sacroiliac joint flexion and extension malreductions in AO/OTA 61-C1.2 (APC3) pelvic injuries after provisional anterior ring reduction.

PURPOSE: Hemipelvis reduction in the setting of AO/OTA 61-C1.2 (APC3) pelvic injuries can be challenging. A common strategy is to provisionally reduce or fix the anterior ring prior to definitive fixation of the posterior ring. In this scenario, it is difficult to assess whether residual sacroiliac joint (SIJ) widening is due to hemipelvis flexion/extension or lateral displacement. This simulation sought to identify a radiographic marker for posterior ilium flexion or extension malreduction in the setting of a reduced anterior ring. METHODS: Symphyseal and both anterior and posterior SIJ ligaments were cut in 8 cadaveric pelvis. The symphysis was reduced and wired. One centimeter of posterior flexion or extension at the SIJ was created to mimic the clinical scenario of hemipelvis flexion or extension malreduction, and a lateral compressive force was applied. SIJ widening and the direction of anterior or posterior ileal displacement relative to the contralateral joint were assessed via inlet views. SIJ widening and the direction of cranial or caudal ileal displacement were assessed using outlet views. Comparisons between flexion and extension models used Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: On outlet views, all flexed hemipelvis demonstrated caudal ileal translation at the superior SIJ, in contrast to all extended hemipelvis demonstrated cranial translation (p < 0.0005); the scenarios were easily distinguishable. Conversely, inlet imaging was unable to identify the direction of malreduction. Flexion/extension scenarios resulted in similar amounts of SIJ widening. CONCLUSION: Residual flexion and extension hemipelvis malreductions in APC3 injuries after provisional anterior fixation can be differentiated by the direction of ileal displacement at the superior SIJ on the outlet view.

Femoral Component Design Is Associated With the Risk of Periprosthetic Femur Fracture After Cementless THA in Patients 65 Years or Older.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic femur fracture is a known complication after THA. The associated risk of cementless femoral component design for periprosthetic femur fracture in a registry population of patients older than 65 years has yet to be clearly identified. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Is femoral stem geometry associated with the risk of periprosthetic femur fracture after cementless THA? (2) Is the presence or absence of a collar on cementless femoral implant designs associated with the risk of periprosthetic femur fracture after THA? METHODS: We analyzed American Joint Replacement Registry data from 2012 to March 2020. Unique to this registry is the high use of cementless femoral stems in patients 65 years and older. We identified 266,040 primary cementless THAs during the study period in patients with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis and surgeries linked to supplemental Centers for Medicare and Medicaid data where available. Patient demographics, procedure dates, and reoperation for periprosthetic femur fracture with revision or open reduction and internal fixation were recorded. The main analysis was performed comparing the Kheir and Chen classification: 42% (112,231 of 266,040) were single-wedge, 22% (57,758 of 266,040) were double-wedge, and 24% (62,983 of 266,040) were gradual taper/metadiaphyseal-filling cementless femoral components, which yielded a total of 232,972 primary cementless THAs. An additional analysis compared cementless stems with collars (20% [47,376 of 232,972]) with those with collarless designs (80% [185,596 of 232,972]). A Cox proportional hazard regression analysis with the competing risk of death was used to evaluate the association of design and fracture risk while adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: After controlling for the potentially confounding variables of age, sex, geographic region, osteoporosis or osteopenia diagnosis, hospital volume, and the competing risk of death, we found that compared with gradual taper/metadiaphyseal-filling stems, single-wedge designs were associated with a greater risk of periprosthetic femur fracture (HR 2.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.2 to 3.9]; p < 0. 001). Compared with gradual taper/metadiaphyseal-filling stems, double-wedge designs showed an increased risk of periprosthetic femur fracture (HR 3.0 [95% CI 2.2 to 4.0]; p < 0. 001). Collarless stems showed an increased risk of periprosthetic fracture compared with collared stems (HR 7.8 [95% CI 4.1 to 15]; p < 0. 001). CONCLUSION: If cementless femoral fixation is used for THA in patients 65 years or older, surgeons should consider using gradual taper/metadiaphyseal-filling and collared stem designs because they are associated with a lower risk of periprosthetic femur fracture. Future investigations should compare gradual taper/metadiaphyseal-filling and collared cementless designs with cemented fixation in this population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

Technical Factors Contributing to Nonunion in Supracondylar Distal Femur Fractures Treated With Lateral Locked Plating: A Risk-Stratified Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify technical factors associated with nonunion after operative treatment with lateral locked plating. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Ten Level I trauma centers. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Adult patients with supracondylar distal femur fractures (OTA/AO type 33A or C) treated with lateral locked plating from 2010 through 2019. OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS: Surgery for nonunion stratified by risk for nonunion. RESULTS: The cohort included 615 patients with supracondylar distal femur fractures. The median patient age was 61 years old (interquartile range: 46 -72years) and 375 (61%) were female. Observed were nonunion rates of 2% in a low risk of nonunion group (n = 129), 4% in a medium-risk group (n = 333), and 14% in a high-risk group (n = 153). Varus malreduction with an anatomic lateral distal femoral angle greater than 84 degrees, was associated with double the odds of nonunion compared to those without such varus [odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-4.2; P = 0.03]. Malreduction by medial translation of the articular block increased the odds of nonunion, with 30% increased odds per 4 mm of medial translation (95% CI, 1.0-1.6; P = 0.03). Working length increased the odds of nonunion in the medium risk group, with an 18% increase in nonunion per 10-mm increase in working length (95% CI, 1.0-1.4; P = 0.01). Increased proximal screw density was protective against nonunion (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.92; P = 0.02) but yielded lower mRUST scores with each 0.1 increase in screw density associated with a 0.4-point lower mRUST (95% CI, -0.55 to -0.15; P < 0.001). Lateral plate length and type of plate material were not associated with nonunion. ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Malreduction is a surgeon-controlled variable associated with nonunion after lateral locked plating of supracondylar distal femur fractures. Longer working lengths were associated with nonunion, suggesting that bridge plating may be less likely to succeed for longer fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Acetabular fracture pattern is altered by pre-injury sacroiliac joint autofusion.

PURPOSE: Acetabular fracture shape is determined by the direction of force applied. We perceive an anecdotally observed connection between pre-existing autofused sacroiliac joints (aSIJ) and high anterior column (HAC) injuries. The purpose of this study was to compare variations in acetabular fracture patterns sustained in patients with and without pre-injury sacroiliac (SI) joint autofusion. METHODS: All adult patients receiving unilateral acetabular fixation (level 1 academic trauma; 2008-2018) were reviewed. Injury radiographs and CT scans were reviewed for fracture patterns and pre-existing aSIJ. Fracture types were subgrouped presence of HAC injury (includes anterior column (AC), anterior column posterior hemitransverse (ACPHT), or associated both column (ABC)). ANALYSIS: Logistic regression determined the association between aSIJ and HAC. RESULTS: A total of 371 patients received unilateral acetabular fixation (2008-2018); 61 (16%) demonstrated CT evidence of idiopathic aSIJ. These patients were older (64.1 vs. 47.4, p < 0.01), more likely to be male (95% vs. 71%, p < 0.01), less likely to be smokers (19.0% vs. 44.8%, p < 0.01), and were injured from lower energy mechanisms (21.3% vs. 8.4%, p = 0.01). The most common patterns with autofusion were ACPHT (n = 13, 21%) and ABC (n = 25, 41%). Autofusion was associated with greater odds of patterns involving a high anterior column injury (ABC, ACPHT, or isolated anterior column; OR = 4.97, p < 0.01). After adjusting for age, mechanism, and body mass index, the connection between autofusion and high anterior column injuries remained significant (OR = 2.60, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: SI joint autofusion appears to change mode of failure in acetabular injuries; a more rigid posterior ring may precipitate a high anterior column injury. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic level III.

Post Post-Mobilization Films for LC1 Pelvic Ring Injuries: Follow up Stress Imaging Demonstrates Minimal Utility.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of outpatient postmobilization radiographs in the nonoperative treatment of lateral compression type I (LC1) (OTA/AO 61-B1) pelvic ring injuries. DESIGN: Retrospective series. SETTING: Academic, Level 1 trauma center, 2008-2018. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: A series of 173 patients with nonoperatively treated LC1 pelvic ring injuries was identified. Of these, 139 received a complete set of outpatient pelvic radiographs with which to assess displacement. INTERVENTION: Outpatient pelvic radiographs to assess additional fracture displacement and potential need for surgical intervention. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Rate of conversion to late operative intervention based on radiographic displacement. RESULTS: No patient in this cohort received late operative intervention. A majority of the patients sustained incomplete sacral fractures (82.6%) and unilateral rami fractures (75.1%), and 92.8% demonstrated less than 10 mm of displacement on their final radiographs. CONCLUSIONS: There is a low utility of repeat outpatient radiographs of stable, nonoperative LC1 pelvic ring injuries as they do not undergo late displacement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Delay of fixation increases 30-day complications and mortality in traumatic pelvic ring injuries.

PURPOSE: While decreased time to fixation in femur fractures improves mortality, it remains unclear if the same relationship exists for pelvic fractures. The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) is a data repository for trauma hospitals in the United States (injury characteristics, perioperative data, procedures, 30-day complications), and we used this to investigate early, significant complications after pelvic-ring injuries. METHODS: The NTDB (2015-2016) was queried to capture operative pelvic ring injuries in adult patients with injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 15. Complications included medical and surgical complications, as well as 30-day mortality. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the association between days to procedure and complications after adjusting for demographic characteristics and comorbidities. RESULTS: 2325 patients met inclusion criteria. 532 (23.0%) sustained complications, and 72 (3.2%) died within the first 30 days. The most common complications were deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (5.7%), acute kidney injury (AKI) (4.6%), and unplanned intensive care unit (ICU) admission (4.4%). In a multivariate analysis, days to procedure was independently significantly associated with complications, with an adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.06 (1.03-1.09, P < 0.001), best interpreted as a 6% increase in the odds of complication or death for each additional day. CONCLUSION: Time to pelvic fixation is a significant and modifiable risk factor for major complications and death. This suggests we should prioritize time to pelvic fixation on trauma patients to minimize mortality and major complications.

Radiographic bladder shift is a harbinger of intraoperative blood loss in acetabular surgical fixation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between a novel radiographic measurement on initial AP pelvis radiograph (termed "bladder shift," BS) to intraoperative blood loss (IBL) during acetabular surgical fixation. METHODS: All adult patients receiving unilateral acetabular fixation (Level 1 academic trauma; 2008-18) were reviewed. AP pelvis radiographs were reviewed for visible bladder outlines and then measured to determine the percentage deformation toward the midline. Hemoglobin & hematocrit data were then used to calculate quantitative blood loss between pre- and post- operative blood counts for data analysis. RESULTS: 371 patients with unilateral traumatic acetabular fractures requiring fixation were reviewed; 99 of these had visible bladder outlines, complete blood count and transfusion data (2008-2018; 66% associated patterns). Median bladder shift (BS) was 13.3%. Every 10% of bladder shift was associated with 123 mL greater IBL. Patients with full bladder shift to midline sustained a median 1.5L IBL (interquartile range [IQR] 0.8 to 1.6). Associated patterns had a threefold greater median BS (associated: 16.5% [15.4 to 45.9] vs. elementary: 5.6% [1.1 to 15.4], p < 0.05) and received intraoperative pRBC twice as frequently (57% vs. 24%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Radiographic bladder shift is an easily available visual marker, in patients sustaining acetabular fractures, that may predict intraoperative hemorrhage and need for transfusions.

Outcomes of Fracture Surgery in Patients With Escalating Hemoglobin A1C in the Setting of Unmanaged Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a threshold of elevated hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) above which the complication risk is so high that fracture fixation should be avoided. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Academic Level I trauma center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: A cohort of 187 patients with HbA1c values >7 and operatively treated extremity fractures. INTERVENTION: Surgical fixation of extremity fractures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Rate of major orthopaedic complication (loss of reduction, nonunion, infection, and need for salvage procedure). RESULTS: 34.8% demonstrated HbA1c > 9% and 12.3% with HbA1c > 11. Major complications occurred in 31.4%; HbA1c values were not predictive. We found no evidence of a clinically or statistically significant relationship between HbA1c and risk of major complication. The odds ratio for a one-point increase in HbA1c was 1.006 ( P = 0.9439), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, which reflects the average probability that someone with a major complication will have a higher HbA1c than someone without, was 0.51 (95% confidence interval 0.42-0.61), equivalent to random chance. CONCLUSION: Diabetic patients with fracture demonstrated an extremely high overall rate of complications, with 30.5% experiencing a major complication. However, patients with extreme diabetic neglect did not have higher complication rates after extremity fracture fixation when compared with patients with controlled and uncontrolled diabetes. There was no correlation between rate of complication and level of HbA1c. In addition, there was no difference in complication rate between upper and lower extremity fractures or between fractures treated with open or percutaneous fixation. This suggests that fracture treatment decision-making should not be altered for patients with poor diabetic control, and that surgery is not contraindicated in patients with an extremely high HbA1c. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Reaming the intramedullary canal during tibial nailing does not affect in vivo intramuscular pH of the anterior tibialis.

Many investigations have evaluated local and systemic consequences of intramedullary (IM) reaming and suggest that reaming may cause, or exacerbate, injury to the soft tissues adjacent to fractures. To date, no study has examined the effect on local muscular physiology as measured by intramuscular pH (IpH). Here, we observe in vivo IpH during IM reaming for tibia fractures. Methods: Adults with acute tibia shaft fractures (level 1, academic, 2019-2021) were offered enrollment in an observational cohort. During IM nailing, a sterile, validated IpH probe was placed into the anterior tibialis (<5 cm from fracture, continuous sampling, independent research team). IpH before, during, and after reaming was averaged and compared through repeated measures ANOVA. As the appropriate period to analyze IpH during reaming is unknown, the analysis was repeated over periods of 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15 minutes prereaming and postreaming time intervals. Results: Sixteen subjects with tibia shaft fractures were observed during nailing. Average time from injury to surgery was 35.0 hours (SD, 31.8). Starting and ending perioperative IpH was acidic, averaging 6.64 (SD, 0.21) and 6.74 (SD, 0.17), respectively. Average reaming time lasted 15 minutes. Average IpH during reaming was 6.73 (SD, 0.15). There was no difference in IpH between prereaming, intrareaming, and postreaming periods. IpH did not differ regardless of analysis over short or long time domains compared with the duration of reaming. Conclusions: Reaming does not affect IpH. Both granular and broad time domains were tested, revealing no observable local impact.

Risk of Revision and Complications After Total Hip Arthroplasty for Acute Treatment of Acetabular Fracture.

BACKGROUND: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) for the treatment of acute acetabular fractures may be indicated where there is high risk for failure of open reduction and internal fixation. This study aimed to determine risks of revision and rates of major complications of THA for acute acetabular fractures. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed (all-claims data files of a large national database) by querying International Classification of Disease, 10th revision procedure codes for THA within 14 days of acetabular fracture. We identified all-cause revision and surgical complications including dislocations, mechanical failures (loosenings or broken prostheses), infections, as well as medical complications. Demographic data collected included age, sex, obesity, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Multivariate analyses evaluated the association of revision and major surgical complications after adjusting for demographic characteristics and comorbidities. We identified 956 THAs for the treatment of acute acetabular fracture from 2015 to 2020. Of all acute acetabular fractures treated with THA, 241 were concomitant with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), and 715 were THA-alone. RESULTS: All-cause revision risk was 18.2%, overall major surgical complication rate 26.9%, and medical complication rate was 13.2%. Women were associated with increased risk of revision (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.8; confidence interval (CI) 1.3 to 2.6, P = .001), dislocation (aOR 2.0; CI 1.5 to 3.1, P < .001), mechanical complication (aOR 2.1; CI 1.4 to 3.2, P < .001), and infection (aOR 1.6; CI 1.0 to 2.5, P = .044). CONCLUSION: We noted risk of all-cause revision of 18.2%, overall major surgical complication rate of 26.9%, and overall major medical complication rate of 13.2% for THA as the treatment of acute acetabular fracture. We caution against broad expansion of THA for treatment of acute acetabular fractures. Furthermore, increased risks of revision and complications in women warrant additional investigation into patient and fracture characteristics that may contribute to this finding.

Cemented Femoral Fixation in Total Hip Arthroplasty Reduces the Risk of Periprosthetic Femur Fracture in Patients 65 Years and Older: An Analysis From the American Joint Replacement Registry.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic femur fracture (PPFx) is a devastating complication after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Despite concerns for increased PPFx, cementless fixation predominates in the United States. This study used the American Joint Replacement Registry to compare PPFx risk between cemented and cementless femoral fixation for THA. METHODS: An analysis of primary THA cases in patients aged 65 years and more was performed with the American Joint Replacement Registry data linked to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data from 2012 to 2020. Analyses compared cemented to cementless femoral fixation. We identified 279,052 primary THAs, 266,040 (95.3%) with cementless and 13,012 (4.7%) with cemented femoral fixation. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses evaluated the association of fixation and PPFx risk, while adjusting for sex, age, and competing risk of mortality. Cumulative incidence function survival curves evaluated time to PPFx. RESULTS: Age ≥ 80 years (P < .0001) and women (P < .0001) were associated with PPFx. Compared to cemented stems, cementless stems had an elevated risk of PPFx (Hazards Ratio 7.70, 95% Confidence interval 3.2-18.6, P < .0001). The cumulative incidence function curves demonstrated an increased risk for PPFx across all time points for cementless stems, with equal magnitude of risk to 8 years.` CONCLUSION: Cementless femoral fixation in THA continues to predominate in the United States, with cementless femoral fixation demonstrating increased risk of PPFx in patients aged 65 years or more. Surgeons should consider greater use of cemented femoral fixation in this population to decrease the risk of PPFx.

Distribution of Bacterial Species and Resistance Patterns in Surgical Site Infection after Prior Administration of Vancomycin and Tobramycin Intrawound Powdered Antibiotic Prophylaxis.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the species distribution and resistance patterns of bacterial pathogens causing surgical site infection (SSI) after operative fracture repair, with and without the use of intrawound powdered antibiotic (IPA) prophylaxis during the index surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Academic, level 1 trauma center, 2018-2020. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-nine deep SSIs were identified in a sample of 734 patients with 846 fractures (IPA [n = 320], control [n = 526]; open [n = 157], closed fractures [n = 689]) who underwent orthopaedic fracture care. Among SSIs, 28 (48%) patients received IPA prophylaxis and 25 (42%) of the fractures were open. INTERVENTION: Intrawound powdered vancomycin and tobramycin. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Distribution of bacterial species and resistance patterns causing deep surgical site infections requiring operative debridement. RESULTS: Zero patients developed infections caused by resistant strains of streptococci, enterococci, gram-negative enterics, Pseudomonas , or Cutibacterium species. The only resistant strains isolated were methicillin resistance (19%) and oxacillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (16%). There was no associated statistical difference in the proportion of bacterial species isolated, their resistance profiles, or rate of polymicrobial infections between the IPA and control group. Most (93%) cases using IPAs included vancomycin and tobramycin powders. There were 59 SSIs; 28 (9%) in the IPA cohort and 31 (6%) in the control cohort ( P = 0.13). CONCLUSION: The use of local antibiotic prophylaxis resulted in no measurable increase in the proportion of infections caused by resistant bacterial pathogens after operative treatment of fractures. However, the small sample size and limited time frame of these preliminary data require continued investigation into their role as an adjunct to SSI prophylaxis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Role of single-dose intravenous iron therapy for the treatment of anaemia after orthopaedic trauma: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Orthopaedic trauma and fracture care commonly cause perioperative anaemia and associated functional iron deficiency due to a systemic inflammatory state. Modern, strict transfusion thresholds leave many patients anaemic; managing this perioperative anaemia is an opportunity to impact outcomes in orthopaedic trauma surgery. The primary outcome of this pilot study is feasibility for a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate intravenous iron therapy (IVIT) to improve patient well-being following orthopaedic injury. Measurements will include rate of participant enrolment, screening failure, follow-up, missing data, adverse events and protocol deviation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This single-centre, pilot, double-blind RCT investigates the use of IVIT for acute blood loss anaemia in traumatically injured orthopaedic patients. Patients are randomised to receive either a single dose infusion of low-molecular weight iron dextran (1000 mg) or placebo (normal saline) postoperatively during their hospital stay for trauma management. Eligible subjects include adult patients admitted for lower extremity or pelvis operative fracture care with a haemoglobin of 7-11 g/dL within 7 days postoperatively during inpatient care. Exclusion criteria include history of intolerance to intravenous iron supplementation, active haemorrhage requiring ongoing blood product resuscitation, multiple planned procedures, pre-existing haematologic disorders or chronic inflammatory states, iron overload on screening or vulnerable populations. We follow patients for 3 months to measure the effect of iron supplementation on clinical outcomes (resolution of anaemia and functional iron deficiency), patient-reported outcomes (fatigue, physical function, depression and quality of life) and translational measures of immune cell function. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has ethics approval (Oregon Health & Science University Institutional Review Board, STUDY00022441). We will disseminate the findings through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05292001; ClinicalTrials.gov.

Association between tourniquet use and intraoperative blood loss during below-knee amputation.

BACKGROUND: Despite over 150000 amputations of lower limbs annually, there remains a wide variation in tourniquet practice patterns and no consensus on their necessity, especially among orthopedic patient populations. The purpose of this study was to determine whether tourniquet use in orthopedic patients undergoing below knee amputation (BKA) was associated with a difference in calculated blood loss relative to no tourniquet use. AIM: To determine if tourniquet use in orthopedic patients undergoing BKA was associated with a difference in calculated blood loss relative to no tourniquet use. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of consecutive patients undergoing BKA by orthopedic surgeons at a tertiary care hospital from 2008 through 2018. Blood loss was calculated using a combination of the Nadler equation for preoperative blood volume and a novel formula utilizing preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin levels and transfusions. Univariate and forwards step-wise multivariate linear regressions were performed to determine the association between tourniquet use and blood loss. A Wilcoxon was used to determine the univariate relationship between tourniquet use and blood loss for in the restricted subgroups of patients who underwent BKA for trauma, tumor, and infection. RESULTS: Of 97 eligible patients identified, 67 underwent surgery with a tourniquet and 30 did not. In multivariate regression, tourniquet use was associated with a 488 mL decrease in calculated blood loss (CI 119-857, P = 0.01). In subgroup analysis, no individual group showed a statistically significant decrease in blood loss with tourniquet use. There was no significant association between tourniquet use and either postoperative transfusions or reoperation at one year. CONCLUSION: We found that tourniquet use during BKA is associated with decreased calculated intraoperative blood loss. We recommend that surgeons performing this procedure use a tourniquet to minimize blood loss.

Reliability of Modified Radiographic Union Score for Tibia Scores in the Evaluation of Femoral Shaft Fractures in a Low-resource Setting.

INTRODUCTION: The modified Radiographic Union Score for Tibia (RUST) fractures was developed to better describe fracture healing, but its utility in resource-limited settings is poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the validity of mRUST scores in evaluating fracture healing in diaphyseal femur fractures treated operatively at a single tertiary referral hospital in Tanzania. METHODS: Radiographs of 297 fractures were evaluated using the mRUST score and compared with outcomes including revision surgery and EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D) and visual analog scale (VAS) quality-of-life measures. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating mRUST scores with EQ-5D and VAS scores. Divergent validity was assessed by comparing mRUST scores in patients based on revision surgery status. RESULTS: The mRUST score had moderate correlation (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.40) with EQ-5D scores and weak correlation (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.320) with VAS scores. Compared with patients who required revision surgery, patients who did not require revision surgery had higher RUST scores at all time points, with statistically significant differences at 3 months (2.02, P < 0.05). DISCUSSION: These results demonstrate that the mRUST score is a valid method of evaluating the healing of femoral shaft fractures in resource-limited settings, with high interrater reliability, correlation with widely used quality of life measures (EQ-5D and VAS), and expected divergence in the setting of complications requiring revision surgery.

Collagen X Longitudinal Fracture Biomarker Suggests Staged Fixation in Tibial Plateau Fractures Delays Rate of Endochondral Repair.

OBJECTIVES: To use a novel, validated bioassay to monitor serum concentrations of a breakdown product of collagen X in a prospective longitudinal study of patients sustaining isolated tibial plateau fractures. Collagen X is the hallmark extracellular matrix protein present during conversion of soft, cartilaginous callus to bone during endochondral repair. Previous preclinical and clinical studies demonstrated a distinct peak in collagen X biomarker (CXM) bioassay levels after long bone fractures. SETTING: Level 1 academic trauma facility. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six patients; isolated tibial plateau fractures. INTERVENTION: (3) Closed treatment, ex-fix (temporizing/definitive), and open reduction internal fixation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Collagen X serum biomarker levels (CXM bioassay). RESULTS: Twenty-two men and 14 women (average age: 46.3 y; 22.6-73.4, SD 13.3) enrolled (16 unicondylar and 20 bicondylar fractures). Twenty-five patients (72.2%) were treated operatively, including 12 (33.3%) provisionally or definitively treated by ex-fix. No difference was found in peak CXM values between sexes or age. Patients demonstrated peak expression near 1000 pg/mL (average: male-986.5 pg/mL, SD 369; female-953.2 pg/mL, SD 576). There was no difference in peak CXM by treatment protocol, external fixator use, or fracture severity (Schatzker). Patients treated with external fixation (P = 0.05) or staged open reduction internal fixation (P = 0.046) critically demonstrated delayed peaks. CONCLUSIONS: Pilot analysis demonstrates a strong CXM peak after fractures commensurate with previous preclinical and clinical studies, which was delayed with staged fixation. This may represent the consequence of delayed construct loading. Further validation requires larger cohorts and long-term follow-up. Collagen X may provide an opportunity to support prospective interventional studies testing novel orthobiologics or fixation techniques. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, prospective clinical observational study.

The intersection of fracture healing and infection: Orthopaedics research society workshop 2021.

Infection is a common cause of impaired fracture healing. In the clinical setting, definitive fracture treatment and infection are often treated separately and sequentially, by different clinical specialties. The ability to treat infection while promoting fracture healing will greatly reduce the cost, number of procedures, and patient morbidity associated with infected fractures. In order to develop new therapies, scientists and engineers must understand the clinical need, current standards of care, pathologic effects of infection on fractures, available preclinical models, and novel technologies. One of the main causes of poor fracture healing is infection; unfortunately, bone regeneration and infection research are typically approached independently and viewed as two separate disciplines. Here, we aim to bring these two groups together in an educational workshop to promote research into the basic and translational science that will address the clinical challenge of delayed fracture healing due to infection. Statement of clinical significance: Infection and nonunion are each feared outcomes in fracture care, and infection is a significant driver of nonunion. The impact of nonunions on patie[Q2]nt well-being is substantial. Outcome data suggests a long bone nonunion is as impactful on health-related quality of life measures as a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and fracture-related infection has been shown to significantly l[Q3]ower a patient's quality of life for over 4 years.  Although they frequently are associated with one another, the treatment approaches for infections and nonunions are not always complimentary and cannot be performed simultaneously without accepting tradeoffs. Furthermore, different clinical specialties are often required to address the problem, the orthopedic surgeon treating the fracture and an infectious disease specialist addressing the sources of infection. A sequential approach that optimizes treatment parameters requires more time, more surgeries, and thus confers increased morbidity to the patient. The ability to solve fracture healing and infection clearance simultaneously in a contaminated defect would benefit both the patient and the health care system.