Unplanned emergency department visits within 90 days of hip hemiarthroplasty for osteoporotic femoral neck fractures: Reasons, risks, and mortalities.

Objectives: Bipolar hemiarthroplasty is commonly performed to treat displaced femoral neck fractures in osteoporotic patients. This study aimed to assess the occurrence and outcomes of unplanned return visits to the emergency department (ED) within 90 days following bipolar hemiarthroplasty for displaced femoral neck fractures. Methods: The clinical data of 1322 consecutive patients who underwent bipolar hemiarthroplasty for osteoporotic femoral neck fractures at a tertiary medical center were analyzed. Data from the patients' electronic medical records, including demographic information, comorbidities, and operative details, were collected. The risk factors and mortality rates were analyzed. Results: Within 90 days after surgery, 19.9% of patients returned to the ED. Surgery-related reasons accounted for 20.2% of the patient's returns. Older age, a high Charlson comorbidity index score, chronic kidney disease, and a history of cancer were identified as significant risk factors for unplanned ED visits. Patients with uncemented implants had a significantly greater risk of returning to the ED due to periprosthetic fractures than did those with cemented implants (P = 0.04). Patients who returned to the ED within 90 days had an almost fivefold greater 1-year mortality rate (15.2% vs 3.1%, P < 0.001) and a greater overall mortality rate (26.2% vs 10.5%, P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of identifying risk factors for unplanned ED visits after bipolar hemiarthroplasty, which may contribute to a better prognosis. Consideration should be given to the use of cemented implants for hemiarthroplasty, as uncemented implants are associated with a greater risk of periprosthetic fractures.

Osteoregenerative efficacy of a novel synthetic, resorbable Ca/P/S-based bone graft substitute in intra- and peri-articular fractures: a brief medical image-based report.

BACKGROUND: When a fracture goes into or around a joint, it usually damages the cartilage at the ends of bones and other joint tissue. As a result, the affected joints are prone to traumatic arthritis, leading to stiffness. Repairing bone damage, maintaining joint integrity, and avoiding subchondral and metaphyseal defects caused by comminuted fractures is often a great challenge for orthopedic surgeons. Tissue engineering of synthetic bone substitutes has proven beneficial to the attachment and proliferation of bone cells, promoting the formation of mature tissues with sufficient mechanical strength and has become a promising alternative to autograft methods. The purpose of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the clinical outcome and efficacy of a novel synthetic, highly biocompatible, and fully resorbable Ca/P/S-based bone substitute based on medical image findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A synthetic, inorganic and highly porous Ca/P/S-based bone-substituting material (Ezechbone® Granule, CBS-400) has been developed by National Cheng-Kung University. We collected fourteen cases of complex intra- and peri-articular fractures with Ezechbone® Granule bone grafting between 2019/11 and 2021/11. We studied the evidence of bone healing by reviewing, interpreting and analyzing the medical image recordings. RESULTS: In the present study, CBS-400 was observed to quickly integrate into surrounding bone within three weeks after grafting during the initial callus formation of the early stage of repair. All of these cases healed entirely within three months. In addition, the patient may return to daily life function after 3.5 months of follow-up and rehabilitation treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Ezechbone® Granule CBS-400 was proved capable of promoting bone healing and early rehabilitation to prevent soft tissue adhesions and joint contractures. Moreover, it has a high potential for avoiding ectopic bone formation or abnormal synostosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Institutional Review Board at National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH) approved the study protocol (A-ER-109-031, 3-13-2020).

Aeromonas hydrophilia-infected nonunion of a closed tibial fracture in a healthy adolescent: A case report.

Aeromonas hydrophilia can cause soft tissue infection in both immunocompromised and healthy persons. A healthy 15-year-old adolescent fell into a ditch after a scooter accident and sustained a right distal tibial shaft closed fracture, a right femoral shaft closed fracture, and a dirty laceration over the medial aspect of the distal thigh above the right knee. After empiric antibiotics and radical debridement of the contaminated wound, a femoral interlocking nail and tibial external fixator were applied. However, acute osteomyelitis later presented in his femur and tibia, and Aeromonas hydrophilia grew in cultures from the knee wound and the fracture sites. During the follow-up, his tibia became an infected nonunion, and was successfully treated with the induced membrane technique. In an otherwise healthy patient with a closed fracture, Aeromonas hydrophilia can cause acute osteomyelitis and necrotizing fasciitis by spreading from a nearby contaminated wound. Exposure to water is a risk factor for Aeromonas hydrophilia infection.

Clinical outcomes in distal radial fractures with ipsilateral arteriovenous fistulas.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the effects on arteriovenous fistula (AVF) function and clinical outcomes in patients given cast fixation, external skeletal fixation [ESF], or volar locking plate fixation [VLPF] for an ipsilateral distal radial fracture (DRF). METHODS: Thirteen patients were assigned to the surgery group or the cast group; follow-up was ≥12 months. One-year clinical outcomes and serial AVF function and radiographic outcomes were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: All fractures were union and all AVFs were preserved with continuous hemodialysis. The surgery group had better immediately (radial inclination and articular step-off) and 1-year post-index procedure radiographic findings (radial height, radial inclination, volar tilting, ulnar variance, and articular step-off) and better 1-year functional outcomes (Mayo and QuickDASH score) than did the cast group. The VLPF subgroup had better QuickDASH scores and radiographic outcomes (radial inclination and ulnar variance) than did the ESF subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: One year after the index procedure, none of the treatment affected shunt function in DRFs ipsilateral to AVFs. ESF and VLPF yielded better functional and radiographic outcomes than did cast fixation in patients with ipsilateral DRFs and AVFs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Correction to: Superior biomechanical properties and tying time with the modified Prusik knot and Wittstein suture loop to the Krackow stitch.

Due to an error during the production process, the legend.

Superior biomechanical properties and tying time with the modified Prusik knot and Wittstein suture loop to the Krackow stitch.

INTRODUCTION: The purposes of the study were to compare (1) the biomechanical properties of the modified Prusik knot, Wittstein suture loop, and Krackow stitch fixation, and (2) the knot tying times for tendon graft fixation among the Krackow stitch, modified rolling hitch, modified Prusik knot, and Wittstein suture loop. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, 33 fresh-frozen porcine flexor profundus tendons were randomly divided into three groups of 11 specimens. The experimental procedure was designed to assess elongation of the suture-tendon construct across the modified Prusik knot, Wittstein suture loop, and the Krackow stitch. Multistranded nonabsorbable sutures were used. Each specimen was pre-tensioned to 100 N for three cycles, cyclically loaded to 200 N for 200 cycles, and finally loaded to failure. Elongation, load to failure, and failure mode of each specimen were recorded. Second, the knot tying times for modified rolling hitch, modified Prusik knot, Wittstein suture loop, and Krackow stitch were investigated. The measurements were taken on three different occasions to account for intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility. RESULTS: The elongation after cyclic loading of the modified Prusik knot (22 ± 6%), Wittstein suture loop (25 ± 2%) were significantly smaller than the Krackow stitch (31 ± 5%) (p = 0.001 and 0.003, respectively). The failure loads of three groups were not significantly from one another. Meanwhile, the Krackow stitch group (80.9 ± 16.7 s) had significantly longer average procedure time than the modified rolling hitch group (9.2. ± 1.9 s) (p < 0.001), modified Prusik knot group (9.1 ± 1.8 s) (p < 0.001), and Wittstein suture loop group (9.0 ± 2.2 s) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the Krackow stitch, the modified Prusik knot and Wittstein suture loop had less elongation after cyclic loading and similar ultimate load to failure in this porcine in vitro biomechanical study. Shorter knot tying times were required to complete the modified rolling hitch, modified Prusik knot, and Wittstein suture loop than the Krackow stitch.