Improving fragility hip fracture care through data: a multicentre experience from a country with an emerging economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: In low-to-middle-income countries (LMIC), the orthogeriatric model of care is still in its early stages of development. This study describes the initial results of the first online fragility hip fracture database to be setup in the Philippines using a modified minimum common dataset to generate outcomes data based on current hospital practices. METHODS: A multicentre prospective cohort study among 12 Philippine hospitals was conducted from June 2020 to February 2021. Thirty-day mortality, morbidity and mobility were measured. Significant factors associated with mortality were determined. RESULTS: 158 elderly patients with fragility hip fractures were included in the study. Nine patients (5.7%) were confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 infection. Median time of injury to admission was at least 3 days (IQR: 1.0-13.7). Overall, 80% of patients underwent surgical intervention with a median time from admission to surgery of at least 5 days (IQR: 2.5-13.6). Thirty-day mortality and morbidity rates for acute fragility fractures were 3.7%. Factors significantly associated with early mortality were poor prefracture mobility, COVID-19 infection, radiograph of the abnormal chest and conservative treatment. Non-surgical patients had no functional mobility or were wheelchair users and had a significantly higher morbidity rate than surgically treated patients (13.6% vs 1.8%; p=0.031). CONCLUSION: Despite treatment delays unique to an LMIC, short-term outcomes remain favourable for non-COVID-19 fragility hip fracture patients treated with surgery. Prompt admission and multidisciplinary care for elderly hip fracture patients while maintaining protective measures for COVID-19 infection control are recommended. The quality of data collected illustrates how this online database can provide a framework for a sustainable audit or registry as well as provide a platform for the introduction of orthogeriatric concepts at a multiregional scale.

Economic burden and the effects of early versus delayed hospitalization on the treatment cost of patients with acute fragility hip fractures under the UPM-PGH Orthogeriatric Multidisciplinary Fracture Management Model and Fracture Liaison Service.

OBJECTIVES: Fragility hip fractures present not only as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality to the elderly population but also as an important source of financial burden due to staggering costs for treatment. This study is designed to determine the effects of timing of hospitalization to the treatment costs of patients with acute fragility hip fractures. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, the patient database of the University of the Philippines Manila-Philippine General Hospital Orthogeriatric Multidisciplinary Fracture Management Model and Fracture Liaison Service was reviewed to investigate the effects of timing of hospitalization to the treatment cost of patients with acute fragility hip fractures admitted in a tertiary government hospital. The economic burden of this group of patients was also computed. RESULTS: A total of 118 patients were enrolled in the study with 54 patients in the early hospitalization (EH) group (≤ 3 days from injury) and 64 in the delayed hospitalization (DH) group (4-28 days). Median treatment cost is less among the EH group than those who were in the DH group (P = 0.0362). The computed economic burden of patients with acute fragility hip fractures is PhP 1,094,048,363.00 (USD 22,595,007.79) per year in the Philippines. CONCLUSIONS: Fragility hip fractures impose significant financial impact; and therefore, recommend early hospitalization to lessen treatment cost. Future studies should also be undertaken to investigate other interventions that may help alleviate this burden.

Unstable posterior acetabular fractures: Early results of delayed reduction and fracture fixation using the Kocher-Langenbeck approach with trochanteric flip osteotomy

@#<p style="text-align: justify;">Unstable posterior acetabular fractures resulting from high energy trauma present major challenges to any orthopedic surgeon especially if the treatment has been delayed.<br /><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> The purpose of this paper is to describe the early results of delayed treatment of a series of patients with posterior acetabular fractures with concomitant hip dislocations, surgically approached using the Kocher-Langenbeck with a trochanteric flip osteotomy.<br /><strong>METHODS:</strong> Five (5) male patients (mean age 35.6 years, range 23-58 years) who sustained unstable posterior acetabular fractures, underwent surgical treatment using the Kocher-Langenbeck approach with the trochanteric flip osteotomy, during the period of May 2014 to October 2015. Clinical and radiographic evaluations of each patient were performed, while complications were documented.<br /><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Mean follow-up was 8 weeks (range 2-12 weeks). There was adequate exposure of the posterior and superior acetabulum in all patients. Post-operative radiographs in four of five patients were graded "anatomic" while hip range of motion of these four patients averaged 78.7% of the uninjured hip. One patient with "poor" reduction underwent a second operation to reserve a failure of the initial fixation using the same surgical approach. No other complications were reported.<br /><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> This modified approach provides adequate exposure of both posterior and superior acetabulum and also allows inspection of the articular surfaces of both acetabulum and femoral head, which are limited in the standard Kocher-Lagenbeck approach. With excellent exposure, congruent reduction can readily be achieved while permitting early hip range of motion post-surgery.</p>

Comparison of the hybrid locking plate, standard dynamic compression plate, and standard dynamic compression plate augmented with bone cement for fixation of osteoporotic humeral shaft fractures: A cadaveric biomechanical study

BACKGROUND: Studies comparing the relative strength of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) augmented fixation, standard plating and locked compression plate (LCP) system are few. The use of either the bone cement-augmented dynamic compression plate or the Hybrid LCP constructs may provide an additional tool for the treatment of fractures in patients with osteoporosis. METHODS: Eighteen (18) osteoporotic cadaveric humeral bones were assigned randomly to each of three groups (Dynamic Compression Plate [DCP], DCP augmented with bone cement, and the Hybrid LCP system) and tested in anterior-posterior bending and torsion/external rotation. The load to failure values were obtained and the results for each specimen compared. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between the standard DCP and Hybrid LCP group (p-value=0.012), and in the cement-augmented and Hybrid LCP group (p-value=0.099) in torsion/external rotation loading. No significant difference was observed between the standard DCP and bone-cement augmented group (p-value=0.248). No significant difference was observed among the three groups in terms of stiffness (p-value=0.3868) in the four-point anterior-posterior bending modality. Screw pull-out of the implant was observed only in the regular DCP group in torsion/external rotation loading stress. CONCLUSION: Significant differences were seen between the three constructs in torsion/external rotation but not in anterior-posterior four-point bending. Bone failure, but not screw pull-out, was seen in the Hybrid LCP and bone cement-augmented DCP groups in torsion. This study showed that the LCP system and the bone cement-augmented constructs may provide greater screw purchase to the osteoporotic humerus.