Optimizing percutaneous reduction and fixation with guidewire modification in pelvic and acetabular fractures: surgical technique and case series.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive percutaneous screw fixation for pelvic ring and acetabular fractures has become increasingly popular due to its numerous benefits. However, the precise placement of the screw remains a critical challenge, necessitating a modification of the current techniques. This paper introduces a refined technique employing a modified guidewire to enhance the precision and efficiency of percutaneous fixation in pelvic and acetabular fractures. METHODS: This study details the surgical techniques implemented for correcting guidewire misdirection in percutaneous screw fixation and includes a retrospective analysis of patients treated with this modified approach over a three-year period. RESULTS: In this study, 25 patients with pelvic ring and acetabular fractures underwent percutaneous screw fixation. The cohort, predominantly male (23 out of 25), had an average age of 38 years. The majority of injuries were due to traffic accidents (18 out of 25). Types of injuries included pelvic ring (6 cases), acetabular fractures (8 cases), and combined injuries (11 cases). Various screw types, including antegrade and retrograde anterior column screws, retrograde posterior column screws, and lateral compression screws, were used, tailored to each case. Over an average follow-up of 18 months, there were no additional procedures or complications, such as neurovascular injury or hardware failure, indicating successful outcomes in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: This study introduces a simple yet effective method to address guidewire misdirection during percutaneous fixation for pelvic and acetabular fractures, offering enhanced precision and potentially better patient outcomes. Further research with a larger patient cohort is required for a more comprehensive understanding of its efficacy compared to traditional methods. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV. Therapeutic Study (Surgical technique and Cases-series).

Complications of conventional percutaneous sacroiliac screw fixation of traumatic pelvic ring injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to present a thorough overview of the complications associated with conventional percutaneous sacroiliac screw fixation to identify areas for improvement in surgical technique and patient selection. METHODS: PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Embase, Ovid, Cochrane library, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for original human studies reporting on complications of conventional percutaneous sacroiliac fixation in traumatic pelvic ring injuries from January 1, 2000, to April 30, 2022. The main meta-analysis was based on the random effect model to pool all complications reported in the included studies. The results were reported as weighted proportions with 95% confidence intervals. This review was conducted in line with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. RESULTS: A total of 56 studies with 3644 screws (2871 procedures) met the inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 40.5 years. The most frequently reported complications were screw malposition with a weighted proportion of 6% (95% CI: 5-9%) and involved 189 out of 3644 screws, persistent pain following the procedure with a weighted proportion of 3% (95% CI: 2-4%) and affected 98 out of 2871 patients, and nerve injury, which had a weighted proportion of 2% (95% CI: 1-3%) and was observed in 41 out of 2871 procedures. The L5 and S1 nerve roots were more frequently affected. Revision surgery was required for 184 out of 2871 patients with a weighted proportion of 5% (95% CI: 3-7%). The primary reason for the revision was persistent pain after the initial procedure, which affected 74 out of 184 patients, with a weighted proportion of 2.0% (95% CI: 1.2-2.8%). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that screw malposition, the need for revision surgery, persistent pain, and nerve injuries were the most frequent complications following conventional percutaneous sacroiliac screw fixation. However, these results must be interpreted in context due to confounding factors, including the lack of high-quality studies and the absence of uniformity in defining some complications across studies.

Epidemiology of proximal humerus fractures in Qatar.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and treatment options of proximal humerus fractures at a level one trauma center and to compare our data with the current literature. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on all patients diagnosed and treated for proximal humerus fractures at Hamad General Hospital, a level one trauma center, between January 2018 and December 2019. Age, gender, mechanism of injury, fracture classification, mode of treatment, implant type, length of hospital stay, associated injuries and complications were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 190 patients with a mean age of 52.4 years were included; 56.8% were males. The incidence of proximal humerus fracture was 4.1/100,000 per year. Falling from a standing height was the most common cause of injury (50.5%). Additionally, Neer's two-part fracture was found to be the most common type (n = 132, 69%). Forty-one patients (21.3%) had other associated injuries. Most fractures were treated nonoperatively with an arm sling (n = 138, 72.6%). CONCLUSION: In summary, the incidence of proximal humerus fractures during the two-year study period was found to be 4.1 per 100,000 persons per year. Our results showed a lower incidence of proximal humerus fractures with a predominance of males and younger patients in Qatar's population compared to females and older patients in the developed countries. Our results may contribute to the development of effective strategies for preventing and treating proximal humerus fractures, and can provide important data for further high-level clinical research. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Appropriateness of the post-operative rehabilitation of low energy hip fractures in elderly in comparison with the AAOS appropriate use criteria at a level one trauma center.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the appropriateness of the post-operative rehabilitation of low energy hip fractures in the elderly by comparing between the rehabilitations actually provided at level one trauma center and the AAOS Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) recommendations. METHODS: A retrospective review of the medical charts of all patients who underwent surgery for hip fractures followed by post-operative rehabilitation between October 2016 and May 2018. The age, gender, fracture types, four AUC variables including; the surgical approach, pre-operative mobility/functional status, cognitive impairment, and post-operative delirium, and types of post-operative rehabilitation received were collected. The four patient variables were entered into the AUC application to generate the recommended rehabilitation procedures. Afterward, the rate of appropriateness of the treatments and the agreement between the rehabilitations actually provided and the AUC recommendation were measured. RESULTS: Over the study period, a consecutive series of 101 patients were included. The mean age was 75 years. Most of the patients were males (51.5%). Seventeen scenarios were observed in our patients. The most common scenario were patients with low functional/physical demands (48%), intact cognitive function (91%), non-arthroplasty approach (76%), and no post-operative delirium(97%). The overall appropriateness rate of the provided rehabilitation treatments for our patients in comparison with AUC recommendation was appropriate in 356 (48.7%) (P = .001), maybe appropriate in 19 (3%) (P < .001), rarely appropriate in 61 (8.3%) (P = .59), and 40% of rehabilitation procedures were not provided (P < .001). The actual treatment was appropriate and in agreement with the AUC recommendations in (100%) of three procedures (Deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis, pain management, and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility or Skilled Nursing Facility), in (72.2%) of osteoporosis assessment/management, in (63.8%) of outpatient occupational/physical therapy, in (10.2%) of delirium prevention, in (33.3%) of delirium management and in (25%) of home care therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that there is a remarkable variation in the appropriateness of the various post-operative rehabilitation procedures for elderly hip fracture. Additionally, the AUC application was easy to use and simple for identifying post-operative rehabilitation protocols for elderly hip fractures, hence, we recommend to use it in the trauma clinical practice. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.