Risk of Revision After Hip Fracture Fixation Using DePuy Synthes Trochanteric Fixation Nail or Trochanteric Fixation Nail Advanced: A Cohort Study of 7,979 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Prior reports of the DePuy Synthes Trochanteric Fixation Nail Advanced (TFNA) revealed a potential mode of fatigue failure at the proximal screw aperture following fixation of extracapsular hip fractures. We sought to compare the revision risk between the TFNA and its prior-generation forebear, the Trochanteric Fixation Nail (TFN). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using data from a U.S. integrated health-care system's hip fracture registry. The study sample comprised patients who underwent cephalomedullary nail fixation for hip fracture with a TFN (n = 4,007) or TFNA (n = 3,972) from 2014 to 2019. We evaluated the charts and radiographs for patients who underwent any revision. Multivariable Cox regression was used to evaluate the risk of revision related to the index fracture. RESULTS: At the 3-year follow-up, the cumulative probability of revision related to the index fracture was 1.8% for the TFN and 1.9% for the TFNA. After adjustment for covariates, no difference was observed in revision risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.18 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.80 to 1.75]; p = 0.40) for the TFNA compared with the TFN. The TFNA was associated with a higher risk of revision for nonunion than the TFN (HR, 1.86 [95% CI, 1.11 to 3.12]; p = 0.018). At the 3-year follow-up, implant breakage was 0.06% for the TFN and 0.2% for the TFNA; with regard to aperture failures related to the index fracture, there were 1 failure for the TFN group and 3 failures for the TFNA group. CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort from a U.S. hip fracture registry, the TFNA had an overall revision rate that was similar to that of the earlier TFN, with implant breakage being a rare revision reason for both groups. Chart and radiographic review found that the TFNA was associated with a higher risk of revision for nonunion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Is Anesthesia Technique Associated With a Higher Risk of Mortality or Complications Within 90 Days of Surgery for Geriatric Patients With Hip Fractures?

BACKGROUND: Postoperative mortality and complications after geriatric hip fracture surgery remain high despite efforts to improve perioperative care for these patients. One factor of particular interest is anesthetic technique, but prior studies on this are limited by sample selection, competing risks, and incomplete followup. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Among older patients undergoing surgery for hip fracture, does 90-day mortality differ depending on the type of anesthesia received? (2) Do 90-day emergency department returns and hospital readmissions differ based on anesthetic technique after geriatric hip fracture repairs? (3) Do 90-day Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) outcomes differ according to anesthetic techniques used during hip fracture surgery? METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on geriatric patients (65 years or older) with hip fractures between 2009 and 2014 using the Kaiser Permanente Hip Fracture Registry. A total of 1995 (11%) of the surgically treated patients with hip fracture were excluded as a result of missing anesthesia information. The final study sample consisted of 16,695 patients. Of these, 2027 (12%) died and 98 (< 1%) terminated membership during followup, which were handled as competing events and censoring events, respectively. Ninety-day mortality, emergency department returns, hospital readmission, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), myocardial infarction (MI), and pneumonia were evaluated using multivariable competing risk proportional subdistribution hazard regression according to type of anesthesia technique: general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, or conversion from regional to general. Of the 16,695 patients, 58% (N = 9629) received general anesthesia, 40% (N = 6597) received regional anesthesia, and 2.8% (N = 469) patients were converted from regional to general. RESULTS: Compared with regional anesthesia, patients treated with general anesthesia had a higher likelihood of overall 90-day mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.35; p < 0.001); however, when stratified by before and after hospital discharge but within 90 days of surgery, this higher risk was only observed during the inpatient stay (HR, 3.83; 95% CI, 3.18-4.61; p < 0.001); no difference was observed after hospital discharge (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.94-1.16; p = 0.408). Patients undergoing conversion from regional to general also had a higher overall mortality risk compared with those undergoing regional anesthesia (HR, 1.34; 95% CI 1.04-1.74; p = 0.026), but this risk was only observed during their inpatient stay (HR, 6.84; 95% CI, 4.21-11.11; p < 0.001) when stratifying by before and after hospital discharge. Patients undergoing general anesthesia had a higher risk for all-cause readmission when compared with regional anesthesia (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.19; p = 0.026). No differences according to anesthesia type were observed for risk of 90-day AHRQ outcomes, including DVT/PE, MI, and pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: We found the use of general anesthesia and conversion from regional to general anesthesia were associated with a higher risk of mortality during the in-hospital stay compared with regional anesthetic techniques, but this higher risk did not persist after hospital discharge. We also found general anesthesia to be associated with a higher risk of all-cause readmission compared with regional, but no other differences were observed in risk for complications. Our findings suggest regional anesthetic techniques may be preferred when possible in this patient population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

Impact of Anesthesia on Hospital Mortality and Morbidities in Geriatric Patients Following Emergency Hip Fracture Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of anesthesia type on in-hospital mortality and morbidity for geriatric fragility hip fracture surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Integrates health care delivery system across 38 facilities in the United States. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: We identified 16,695 patients 65 years of age and older who underwent emergent hip fracture repairs between 2009 and 2014 through the Kaiser Permanente hip fracture registry and excluded pathologic or bilateral fractures. INTERVENTION: Hip fracture surgery with general or regional anesthesia. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Data on in-hospital mortality, time to death, discharge disposition, and length of stay (LOS) were analyzed among the following anesthesia types: general anesthesia (GA), regional anesthesia (RA), and intraoperative conversions from regional to general (Cv). RESULTS: Compared with RA, the hazard ratio for GA for in-hospital mortality was 1.38 and 2.23 for the Cv group; the time ratio for GA-associated time to death was 0.97 and 0.89 for the Cv group. The GA-associated time ratio for LOS before discharge was 1.01, and the hazard ratio for home discharge was 0.86, but no significance was found with the Cv group. CONCLUSIONS: RA may offer advantages over GA for fragility hip fracture surgeries when possible. In-hospital mortality, time to death, increased LOS, and discharge to an institute rather than home were all adversely influenced by GA. Furthermore, the previously understudied Cv group demonstrated adverse outcomes for in-hospital mortality and time to death. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.