Gunshot Fractures of the Forearm: A Multicenter Evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a large series of open fractures of the forearm after gunshot wounds (GSWs) to determine complication rates and factors that may lead to infection, nonunion, or compartment syndrome. DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective review. SETTING: Nine Level 1 Trauma Centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixty-eight patients had 198 radius and ulna fractures due to firearm injuries. All patients were adults, had a fracture due to a firearm injury, and at least 1-year clinical follow-up or follow-up until union. The average follow-up was 831 days. INTERVENTION: Most patients (91%) received antibiotics. Formal irrigation and debridement in the operating room was performed in 75% of cases along with either internal fixation (75%), external fixation (6%), or I&D without fixation (19%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Complications including neurovascular injuries, compartment syndrome, infection, and nonunion. RESULTS: Twenty-one percent of patients had arterial injuries, and 40% had nerve injuries. Nine patients (5%) developed compartment syndrome. Seventeen patients (10%) developed infections, all in comminuted or segmental fractures. Antibiotics were not associated with a decreased risk of infection. Infections in the ulna were more common in fractures with retained bullet fragments and bone loss. Twenty patients (12%) developed a nonunion. Nonunions were associated with high velocity firearms and bone defect size. CONCLUSIONS: Open fractures of the forearm from GSWs are serious injuries that carry high rates of nonunion and infection. Fractures with significant bone defects are at an increased risk of nonunion and should be treated with stable fixation and proper soft-tissue handling. Ulna fractures are at a particularly high risk for deep infection and septic nonunion and should be treated aggressively. Forearm fractures from GSWs should be followed until union to identify long-term complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Aberrant positioning of the ulnar nerve found during carpal tunnel release: A case report.

Aberrant positioning of the ulnar nerve volar to the carpal tunnel is a rare anatomic variation. We present the case of a 55-yearold female with unique ulnar nerve anatomy that was discovered intraoperatively during carpal tunnel release. The ulnar nerve was running directly adjacent to the median nerve in the distal forearm and as the median nerve traversed dorsal to the transverse carpal ligament (flexor retinaculum) to enter the carpal tunnel the ulnar nerve continued directly volar to this structure before angling towards Guyon's Canal. The unique ulnar nerve anatomy was successfully identified, carefully dissected and managed with a successful patient outcome. Variations of the anatomy at the level of the carpal tunnel are rare but do exist. Awareness of these anatomic variations and adequate visualization of the ulnar nerve along with the surrounding structures is crucial to avoid iatrogenic injuries during carpal tunnel release.

Insurance Status Affects Complication Rates After Total Hip Arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have examined the relationship between total hip arthroplasty (THA) and insurance status in small cohorts. This study evaluates the effect of patient insurance status on complications after primary elective THA using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. METHODS: All patients undergoing primary elective THA from 1998 to 2011 were included. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and complications were collected and compared based on insurance type. Multivariable logistic regression and a matched cohort analysis were performed. RESULTS: About 515,037 patients (53.7% Medicare, 40.1% private insurance, 3.9% Medicaid/uninsured, and 2.2% other) were included, who underwent elective THA. Privately insured patients had fewer medical complications (odds ratio, 0.80; P < 0.001), whereas patients with Medicaid or no insurance demonstrated no notable difference (odds ratio, 1.03; P = 0.367) compared with Medicare patients. Similar trends were found for both surgical complications and mortality, favoring lower complication rates for privately insured patients. Furthermore, patients with private insurance tend to go to higher volume hospitals for total hip replacement surgery compared to those with Medicare insurance. DISCUSSION: Patients with government-sponsored insurance (Medicare or Medicaid) or no insurance have higher risk of medical complications, surgical complications, and mortality after primary elective THA compared with privately insured patients. Insurance status should be considered an independent risk factor for stratifying patients before THA procedures.

Regional Variations of Medicare Physician Payments for Hand Surgery Procedures in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Medicare reimbursement is known to exhibit geographic variation for inpatient orthopedic procedures. This study determined whether US geographic variations also exist for commonly performed hand surgeries. METHODS: Using the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data (2012-2013) from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, we analyzed regional physician charges/payments for common outpatient hand surgeries. RESULTS: The most commonly performed procedures in the United States were open carpal tunnel release (n = 21 944), trigger finger release (n = 15 345), endoscopic carpal tunnel release (n = 7106), and basal joint arthroplasty/ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition (n = 2408). A range of average Medicare physician reimbursements existed based on geographic region for basal joint arthroplasty ($669-$571), endoscopic carpal tunnel release ($400-$317), open carpal tunnel release ($325-$261), and trigger finger release ($215-$167). The latter three exhibited statistically significant variation across geographic regions with regard to both charges and physician reimbursement. However, the overall percentage physician reimbursement (70%-79%) to charges was similar across all geographic regions. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, further research is warranted to determine why regional or geographic variations in physician payments exist in the United States for commonly performed hand surgeries.

Insurance Status Affects In-Hospital Complication Rates After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Insurance status has been shown to be a predictor of patient morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of patient insurance status on the in-hospital complication rates following total knee arthroplasty. Data were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2004 through 2011). Patient demographics and comorbidities were analyzed and stratified by insurance type. Analysis was performed with a matched cohort comparing complication rates between patients with Medicare vs private insurance using the coarsened exact matching algorithm and multivariable logistic regression. A total of 1,352,505 patients (Medicare, 57.8%; private insurance, 35.6%; Medicaid/uninsured, 3.1%; other, 3.3%; unknown, 0.2%) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The matched cohort analysis comparing Medicare with privately insured patients showed significantly higher risk of mortality (relative risk [RR], 1.34; P<.001), wound dehiscence (RR, 1.32; P<.001), central nervous system complications (RR, 1.16; P=.030), and gastrointestinal complications (RR, 1.13; P<.001) in Medicare patients, whereas privately insured patients had a higher risk of cardiac complications (RR, 0.93; P=.003). Independent of insurance status, older patients and patients with an increased comorbidity index were also associated with a higher complication rate and mortality following total knee arthroplasty. These data suggest that insurance status may be considered as an independent risk factor for increased complications when stratifying patients preoperatively for total knee replacement. Further research is needed to investigate the disparities in these findings to optimize patient outcomes following total knee arthroplasty. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(3):e340-e347.].

Insurance status affects postoperative morbidity and complication rate after shoulder arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Shoulder arthroplasty is an effective procedure for managing patients with shoulder pain secondary to end-stage arthritis. Insurance status has been shown to be a predictor of patient morbidity and mortality. The current study evaluated the effect of patient insurance status on perioperative outcomes after shoulder replacement surgery. METHODS: Data between 2004 and 2011 were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Analysis included patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty (partial, total, and reverse) procedures determined by International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision procedure codes. The primary outcome was medical and surgical complications occurring during the same hospitalization, with secondary analyses of mortality and hospital charges. Additional analyses using the coarsened exact matching algorithm were performed to assess the influence of insurance type in predicting outcomes. RESULTS: A data inquiry identified 103,290 shoulder replacement patients (68,578 Medicare, 27,159 private insurance, 3544 Medicaid/uninsured, 4009 other). The overall complication rate was 17.2% (n = 17,810) and the mortality rate was 0.20% (n = 208). Medicare and Medicaid/uninsured patients had a significantly higher rate of medical, surgical, and overall complications compared with private insurance using the controlled match data. Multivariate regression analysis found that having private insurance was associated with fewer overall medical complications. CONCLUSION: Private insurance payer status is associated with a lower risk of perioperative medical and surgical complications compared with an age- and sex-matched Medicare and Medicaid/uninsured payer status. Mortality was not statistically associated with payer status. Primary insurance payer status should be considered as an independent risk factor during preoperative risk stratification for shoulder arthroplasty procedures.