A comparison of internal fixation and hemiarthroplasty in the management of un- or minimally displaced hip fractures in patients over 60 years old.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of hip fractures in the elderly is increasing. Minimally displaced and undisplaced hip fractures can be treated with either internal fixation or hemiarthroplasty. OBJECTIVES: To identify the revision rate of internal fixation and hemiarthroplasty in patients 60 years or older with Garden I or II hip fractures and to identify risk factors associated with each method. METHOD: A retrospective analysis was conducted from 2 Major Trauma Centres and 9 Trauma Units between 01/01/2015 and 31/12/2020. Patients managed conservatively, treated with a total hip replacement and missing data were excluded from the study. RESULTS: 1273 patients were included of which 26.2% (n = 334) had cannulated hip fixation (CHF), 19.4% (n = 247) had a dynamic hip screw (DHS) and 54.7% (n = 692) had a hemiarthroplasty. 66 patients in total (5.2%) required revision surgery. The revision rates for CHF, DHS and hemiarthroplasty were 14.4%, 4%, 1.2% (p<0.001) respectively. Failed fixation was the most common reason for revision with the incidence increasing by 7-fold in the CHF group [45.8% (n = 23) vs. 33.3% (n = 3) in DHS; p<0.01]. The risk factors identified for CHF revision were age >80 (p<0.05), female gender (p<0.05) and smoking (p<0.05). The average length of hospital stay was decreased when using CHF compared to DHS and hemiarthroplasty (12.6 days vs 14.9 days vs 18.1 days respectively, p<0.001) and the 1 year mortality rate for CHF, DHS and hemiarthroplasty was 2.5%, 2% and 9% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fixation methods for Garden I and II hip fractures in elderly patients are associated with a higher revision rate than hemiarthroplasty. CHF has the highest revision rate at 14.4% followed by DHS and hemiarthroplasty. Female patients, patients over the age of 80 and patients with poor bone quality are considered high risk for fixation failure with CHF. Hemiarthroplasty is a suitable alternative with lowest revision rates. When considering an internal fixation method, DHS is more robust than a screw construct.

Post-Operative Outcomes of Circular External Fixation in the Definitive Treatment of Tibial Plafond Fractures: A Systematic Review.

Tibial plafond fractures (TPFs) are uncommon but potentially devastating injuries to the ankle. Operative treatments include internal and external fixation modalities. This article provides a systematic review of the clinical and functional outcomes of TPFs treated specifically with circular external fixation (CEF). A literature search of medical databases from inception to 13th November 2020 was performed. Original studies written in the English language reporting clinical, radiological, and functional outcome data of TPF treated with CEF were included. Patient demographics, fracture classification, open fractures, post-operative complications, clinical outcomes, radiological outcomes, and functional outcomes were collected. Quality and risk of bias were assessed using standardised scoring tools.In total, 16 studies were included. One prospective randomised study was identified. Collated data of 303 patients were analysed. The mean time to union was 21 weeks. Malunion occurred in 12.4%. The rate of deep infection was 4.8%, but no amputations were recorded. The risk of minor soft tissue infection (including pin-site infections) was 54%. Almost two-thirds achieved good-to-anatomic reduction radiologically. Approximately one-third reported excellent functional outcome scores. The quality of the studies was deemed satisfactory. A moderate risk of bias was acknowledged. This systemic review provides a summary of outcome data regarding CEF as a treatment for TPF. It highlights CEF as an acceptable treatment option with comparable results to that of internal fixation. Further higher-quality evidence is advised.

Ultrasonography for the diagnosis of deltoid injury in supination external rotation ankle fractures - A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Lauge-Hansen supination external rotation (SER)-type ankle fractures are very common and account for up to 75% of all ankle fractures. Assessing deltoid integrity is key for surgical decision making. Ultrasound has been used recently to assess the integrity of the deltoid ligament and differentiate between SER II and SER IV fractures. The aim of this article is to review the literature for studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in this group of patients. METHODS: After registering the protocol with PROSPERO, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar were systematically searched. Studies that satisfied the following inclusion criteria were assessed: (1) Adult patients (>16 years), (2) Acute SER-type ankle fractures assessed within 2 weeks of the injury, (3) Diagnostic accuracy studies. Risk of bias assessment was conducted and a narrative synthesis of the results presented. RESULTS: A total of five studies satisfied our inclusion criteria and were included for review. These had a total of 175 patients studied. All studies showed a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 90-100% for detecting a complete tear of the deltoid. All papers had a significant risk of bias inherent to the design. Only patients undergoing surgery were exposed to the gold standard of operative intervention. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound scan has shown excellent diagnostic accuracy for detecting complete deltoid ruptures in SER ankle fractures. These results however should be interpreted with caution. Perhaps a different approach is needed to assess the efficacy of ultrasound scans in patient with SER type fractures.

Thirty-day mortality and reliability of Nottingham Hip Fracture Score in patients with COVID19 infection.

In March 2020 Coronavisus-19 pandemic led to significant changes in operations in healthcare in the United Kingdom with national lockdown measures imposed to help protect the vulnerable and prevent transmission. Those deemed vulnerable fall into the cohort of patients at risk of fragility fractures such as fracture neck of femur (NOF). British Orthopaedic Association released guidelines advising that NOF fractures should continue to be treated urgently. AIM: Our unit aimed to identify changes in NOF caseload during the national lockdown and identify if Nottingham Hip Fracture Scores (NHFS) were reliable at predicting 30-day mortality in COVID-19 positive patients. METHODS: A retrospective observational study identifying NOF admissions over a 6-week period in 2020 during lockdown period, where demographics, NHFS, and 30-day mortality rates were compared against the same period in 2019. RESULTS: There was a reduction in NOF admissions by 17.8% (55 vs 67). No significant difference in patient demographics between groups. 30-day mortality rates were not significantly increased in 2020 compared with 2019. COVID-19 positive patients had significantly increased 30-day mortality rates (54%, p = 0.001) compared to COVID-19 negative (9.1%, p = 0.395) and 2019 (6%). DISCUSSION: NHFS was not reliable as a predictor for 30-day mortality in COVID-19 positive patients. Our unit reports increased mortality rates in NOF patients with covid-19 infection. This adds to the building evidence that COVID-19 is an independent predictor for mortality in NOF patients irrespective of NHFS. This should be communicated to patients who are admitted to hospital with NOF and units should continue with efforts to prevent hospital acquired COVID-19 infection.

The National Hip Fracture Database is only as good as the data we feed it - significant inaccuracy demonstrated and how to improve it.

INTRODUCTION: The National Hip Fracture Database of England, Wales and Northern Ireland (NHFD) is the largest such database in the world. Data errors in within the NHFD lead to spurious evidence which ultimately informs Orthopaedic, Anaesthetic and Orthogeriatric clinical practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This multi-centre quality improvement study investigated, and sought to improve data inaccuracy within the NHFD. Hip arthroplasty episodes recorded between 2011-2020 were analysed for errors in operation, implant polarity and cementation. RESULTS: Inaccuracies were observed in 20.5% of 3972 data entries. Following the introduction of a hip fracture clinical data administrator in each centre, inaccuracies reduced four-fold (5.2% of 559 data entries). CONCLUSION: We advise caution when utilising NHFD data for research and audit purposes. In order to build a robust, accurate database for future research, we recommend the incorporation of specialist data administrators into the hip fracture multidisciplinary team.

Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumour of the Forearm Presenting as Foreign Body.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (MPNST) is a rare form of soft tissue sarcoma that arises from peripheral nerves, accounting for less than 5% of cases. MPNST most commonly affects trunk and extremities, and It is commonly associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) (40%-50%). We present a case of MPNST in a 52-year-old man with history of well-controlled epilepsy. He presented with a painful and erythematous mass in his left forearm, which was initially diagnosed as an abscess secondary to retained foreign bodies. Despite incision and drainage, he experienced recurrence of this mass two months later. Subsequent debridement, biopsy and histology revealed a high-grade MPNST. This prompted a referral to the regional sarcoma unit. Unfortunately, repeat scans demonstrated rapid progression of disease into the anterior forearm compartment and bony invasion. Despite radiotherapy, the tumour metastasised to his lungs. After undergoing palliative chemotherapy, unfortunately, the patient survived only 14 months from the initial presentation. Our study affirms that all resected tissues should be sent for histological confirmation of the suspected diagnosis. When intraoperative findings do not correlate with the initial presentation, the clinician should have a high index of suspicion for potential malignancy. Finally, it is essential that all patients with soft tissue sarcoma should be referred to the specialist regional soft tissue sarcoma service, to be managed by a specialist sarcoma multidisciplinary team according to guidelines.

Management of hip fractures during the COVID-19 pandemic at a high-volume hip fracture unit in the United Kingdom.

This study aimed to compare the treatment pathway and 30-day outcomes of hip fracture patients admitted during the COVID-19 pandemic with the pre-pandemic period. Three periods were retrospectively analysed: period C = 23/03/2020-11/05/2020, period A = 23/03/2018-11/05/2018, period B = 23/03/2019-11/05/2019. No statistically significant differences in time to surgery, type of treatment, complications, and mortality rates were noted. A significant reduction (p = 0.021) in the time to orthogeriatric assessment and length of inpatient stay (p < 0.001) was found in period C. Institutional adaptions to facilitate prompt treatment in hip fractures during the pandemic resulted in favourable outcomes.

Current State of Undergraduate Trauma and Orthopaedics Training in United Kingdom: A Survey-based Study of Undergraduate Teaching Experience and Subjective Clinical Competence in Final-year Medical Students.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality and duration of trauma and orthopedics (T&O) training in medical schools in United Kingdom (UK), and to evaluate final-year students' self-perceived level of competence in essential T&O skills. DESIGN: This was a survey-based study of final-year medical students that attended 1-day undergraduate T&O courses held between Feb'17 and Feb'19. Outcome measures were duration and perceived quality of undergraduate T&O placements, students' self-rated competence in essential T&O skills, and impact of teaching methods on their subjective future competence. SETTING: Four courses held at education centers in 3 different locations in UK (London, Nottingham, and Leeds) PARTICIPANTS: All 414 course attendees from 13 UK medical schools completed the questionnaire. RESULTS: 19.3% of students had not experienced a placement in T&O. Mean duration of T&O placements was 2.5 weeks. 37.4% described their training as "poor". Majority of students attended 1-5 sessions of: lectures (50.5%), small group teaching (58.7%), trauma meetings (58.7%), clinics (65.7%), and theatres (72.5%). Lowest competency scores were reported in management of T&O emergencies, fracture management, and interpretation of T&O radiographs. Self-rated competence in essential T&O skills was significantly higher in students with previous experience of a T&O placement (p < 0.05). There was a strongly positive correlation between small group teaching attendance and perceived competence in management of T&O patients in different clinical settings (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Medical schools in UK are currently failing to adequately train medical graduates to manage T&O patients, with students reporting low competency scores in all basic T&O skills. To mitigate the current situation, a minimum duration of a T&O placement for all students must be implemented nationally. Educational boards and medical schools must work in collaboration to improve the delivery of undergraduate T&O curriculum, the structure of the clinical T&O placement, and efficacy of the commonly encountered learning environments.

Post-operative outcomes of arthroscopic tarsal coalition resection: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic resection of tarsal coalitions is a relatively new technique. This systematic review aimed to investigate the post-operative complications and functional outcomes in arthroscopic resection of tarsal coalitions. METHODS: PubMed, Medline, Embase and Cochrane library were searched for studies that reported outcomes in arthroscopic resection of tarsal coalitions. RESULTS: 8 studies met the inclusion criteria. Post-operative outcomes were reported in 103 cases. The overall complication rate was 13.6%. Tibial nerve injury was reported in 1 patient. All included studies demonstrated post-operative improvement in functional outcomes. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic resection is a feasible and effective treatment method for symptomatic tarsal coalitions.

Post-operative outcomes of open reduction and internal fixation versus circular external fixation in treatment of tibial plafond fractures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Tibial plafond fractures (TPF) are complex injuries often resulting in poor outcomes. Combination of articular impaction, metaphysealcomminution and soft-tissue injury results in a significant treatment challenge. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare post-operative complications and functional outcomes of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) versus circular external fixation (CEF) for treatment of TPF. METHODS: A comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane library was undertaken. All studies published in English language comparing ORIF with CEF for treatment of TPF were included. RESULTS: 5 comparative studies with 239 fractures met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed no significant difference in rates of non-union, malunion, superficial infection, deep infection, and secondary arthrodesis between the two treatment groups. Significantly higher rate of unplanned metalwork removal (RR 5.68, 95% CI 1.13 to 28.55, p = 0.04) and lower rate of post-traumatic arthritis (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.78, p = 0.003) were found in patients that underwent ORIF. 1 study showed significantly lower functional outcomes scores with CEF (p< 0.05), whereas 3 studies found comparable functional outcomes between the two treatment groups. Overall, there was a preference in treating more severe injuries with CEF. CONCLUSION: CEF and ORIF are both acceptable treatment options for surgical management of TPF, with comparable post-operative complication rates and functional outcomes. This study highlights paucity of high-quality evidence regarding the optimal fixation method for TPF.