COMBINED PLATE VERSUS EXTERNAL FIXATION FOR DISTAL RADIUS FRACTURES.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the functional and radiological results of patients who had intra-articular comminuted distal radius fractures and were operated on with external fixation percutaneous pinning or the volar-dorsal combined plate osteosynthesis. Methods: In this study, 49 patients operated on and followed up for the comminuted distal radius fractures between May 2015 and January 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. The surgical outcomes of the patients, who were operated on with combined dorsal-volar plate osteosynthesis or external fixation percutaneous pinning, were compared in this study. Functional and radiological scores were evaluated and analyzed statistically. Results: There was no statistical difference between external fixation and volar-dorsal combined plate groups regarding the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Mayo scoring system, range of motion, and grip strength values. Discussion: Although the combined volar-dorsal plate osteosynthesis technique had a longer operation time and a more complicated surgical procedure, the combined volar-dorsal plate osteosynthesis had lower complication rates and permitted early mobilization. The combined volar-dorsal plate osteosynthesis could be an alternative to external fixation percutaneous pinning. Level of Evidence III, Therapeutic Studies Investigating the Results of Treatment.

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar os resultados funcionais e radiológicos de pacientes portadores de fraturas intra-articulares cominutivas do rádio distal, operados com fixação externa percutânea ou com osteossíntese volar-dorsal de placa combinada. Método: Foram avaliados 49 pacientes operados e acompanhados por fraturas cominutivas distais do rádio entre maio de 2015 e janeiro de 2019 retrospectivamente. Os resultados cirúrgicos dos pacientes operados com osteossíntese de placa volar-dorsal combinada ou fixação externa percutânea foram comparados. Os escores funcionais e radiológicos foram avaliados e analisados estatisticamente. Resultados: Não houve diferença estatística entre os grupos de fixação externa e placa combinada volar-dorsal em relação ao questionário Deficiências do braço, ombro e mão (DASH), à Escala Visual Analógica (VAS), ao sistema de pontuação Mayo, à amplitude de movimento ou à avaliação de força de preensão. Conclusão: Embora a técnica combinada de osteossíntese da placa volar-dorsal tenha um tempo cirúrgico mais longo e procedimento mais complicado, a osteossíntese combinada da placa volar-dorsal apresentou menores taxas de complicações, permitindo a mobilização precoce. A osteossíntese combinada da placa volar-dorsal pode ser uma alternativa à fixação externa percutânea. Nível de Evidência III, Estudos terapêuticos ­ Investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

Prevalence and Radiological Characteristics of the Fabella in Turkish Population.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate and analyze the prevalence and radiological characteristics of the fabella in the Turkish population, detecting differences between genders by examining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of subjects. METHODS: A total number of 504 patients aged >18 years who were admitted to the orthopedics and traumatology clinic between November 2018 and October 2020 were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Bilateral MRI images that were taken from each patient were randomly selected. Age, sex, laterality (right or left knee), and size of the fabella were retrieved from institutional database records. P-value<0.05 is considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 504 patients were included with 213 males and 291 females. The overall prevalence of fabella was 20.63%. The mean length, thickness, and width of the fabella were 6.05 mm, 4.63 mm, and 5.92 mm, respectively, in the overall population. The fabella was significantly wider, thicker, and longer in males compared to females in the Turkish population. CONCLUSION: This study revealed similar prevalence rates of the fabella in the Turkish population with Caucasian populations and similar size of the fabella in the Asian population. When different prevalence rates and sizes of the fabella among different ethnic populations are considered, it is critical to understand the prevalence or radiological features of the fabella in Turkish subjects to avoid misinterpretation of fabella diseases.

Effect of Weather Conditions on the Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fracture Incidence.

BACKGROUND: Some environmental factors pose as risk factors for children's supracondylar humerus fractures. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between weather conditions and pediatric supracondylar humerus fracture incidence. METHODS: A total of 310 patients aged <16 years, admitted to our hospital with supracondylar humerus fractures, were evaluated. We evaluated patients' age, and also, season, day, and weather conditions. The Turkish State Meteorological Service database was used for meteorological data and data was analysed statistically. RESULTS: Most cases occurred in the spring (28.1%, n=87) and summer (27.1%, n=84). Cases of older children (aged six years and older) with supracondylar humerus fractures were recorded in the summer season, while fracture cases in preschool-aged (younger than six years old) children were seen in the winter season. CONCLUSION: We found that the overall incidence of pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures increased in spring and summer seasons. In addition, the fracture incidence in preschool- and school-aged children differed according to the season and temperature. Hence, the management of these fractures could also include the significance of weather conditions, making preventive measures more critical in the spring and summer seasons.

Effects of social stress and fluoxetine treatment on fracture healing in a rat femur fracture model.

BACKGROUND: Mental stress and depressive disorders have negative effect on bone biology and increase fracture risk. Fluoxetine is a widely used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the treatment of these disorders. We aimed to evaluate the effects of social stress and fluoxetine treatment on fracture healing. METHODS: This study was performed with 32 male Sprague-Dawley® rats. Rats were randomly divided into four groups with eight rats in each group. Social stress regimen was performed in groups 3 and 4 for 15 days. Placebo for groups 1 and 3 and fluoxetine for groups 2 and 4 was administrated. Rat femur open (osteotomy) fracture model was performed. Placebo and fluoxetine were continued to be given to the same groups for four weeks until sacrification of animals. Sacrificed right femurs of subjects were evaluated histologically and radiologically. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using the SPSS 23 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) program. RESULTS: Fracture healing score that evaluates the fracture healing quantitatively based on histological scale and bone mineral density of group 3 were significantly lower than other groups, and there was no significant difference between other groups. Inflammation score of group 2 was significantly lower than group 3. Group 1 had higher new callus formation/original cortex volume than group 2 and group 3. In immunohistochemical evaluation, the H-score of BMP-7/osteoblast in group 3 was lower than in group 1. The H-score of CD34 in group 3 was lower than in group 1. DISCUSSION: The positive and negative effects of fluoxetine, which is used in the treatment of depressive disorders, on wound, tendon, or bone healing have been shown in the literature. In this study, we showed the negative effects of depression on the early stages of fracture healing. Although fluoxetine had no detrimental effect on fracture healing in non-depressive rats, impaired fracture healing was reversed and better radiological and histological findings were obtained in depressive rats treated with fluoxetine. Our findings indicate that fluoxetine, which minimizes the negative effects of social stress on bone healing, can be used safely in the treatment of depressive disorders in patients with fractures.

Clinical usefulness of the Ottawa Ankle Rules in the overweight and obese population following an acute ankle injury: A prospective cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical usefulness of the Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) in overweight and obese patients compared to the general population. METHODS: In this prospective cross-sectional study, 935 adult patients (453 female, 482 male; mean age = 57.2 ± 20.9) admitted to the emergency department following an acute ankle injury (<3 days) secondary to low energy-trauma were included. All the patients were examined based on a standardized protocol, including age, Body-Mass Index (BMI), OAR, and presence of ankle fracture. As accuracy indicators, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of OAR were calculated. RESULTS: Of all patients, 790 (84.5%) were normal weighted, 107 (11.5%) were overweight, and 38 (4%) were obese. While OAR was negative in 58.8% of patients, 41.2% of patients met OAR. The sensitivity of OAR in the normal weighted population was significantly higher than obese and overweight groups (P < 0.01). The specificity of OAR in the normal weighted population was significantly lower than overweight and obese groups (P < 0.01). The accuracy of OAR in the overweight group was 82.7% and significantly higher compared with the normal weighted population (62.8%) (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: We do not recommend OAR as a screening tool to be used safely in patients with higher BMI because of its lower sensitivity in this population. In this specific patient population, these rules should be implemented carefully, and radiography should be evaluated meticulously not to miss a fracture. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Cross Sectional Study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, restriction, and orthopedic trauma: Retrospective observational study.

ABSTRACT: In 2019, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) was reported in Wuhan, China. Governments in various countries had taken many safeguards. This study investigated the incidence of orthopedic trauma in a rural region epidemiologically and guided source distribution and medical professionals to sustain healthcare systems.Between December 2019 and August 2020, 1651 patients admitted to orthopedics and traumatology clinics with trauma were evaluated in this study. Patients were grouped into 3 groups: pre-covid, restriction, and permitted groups. Age, sex, and fracture types of patients were recorded.The number of patients in the pre-covid period was 629 (38.1%), those were 334 (20.2%) in the restriction period, and 688 (41.7%) patients were admitted in the permitted period. A total of 1203 (72.9%) patients with upper extremity fractures, 383 (23.2%) patients with lower extremity fractures, and 65 (3.9%) patients with axial skeleton and pelvic ring fractures were included in the study. The lowest rates were found in the restriction period when all fractures were evaluated according to the admission periods. There were significant differences between admission dates and the fractures (P < .001).In this study, a decrease in orthopedic trauma rates was observed by half in the restriction period compared with the other 2 periods. Public health precautions had led to a reduction in the incidence of orthopedic trauma in all age groups.

The impact of Covid-19 pandemic related lockdown on clubfoot practice: Type of study design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT: We investigated whether the number of pediatric patients with congenital clubfoot treated with the Ponseti method decreased during the Covid-19 pandemic or not in a rural area. So we aimed to guide orthopedic surgeons and health infrastructure for future pandemics to be prepared in hospitals of rural areas for the treatment of children with congenital clubfoot.One hundred and fifty-four patients with clubfoot who were admitted to our clinic were evaluated retrospectively from March 2017 to December 2020. Institutional hospital electronic database was used to detect the number of weeks between the birth and first cast performed in clinic and the number of casts been applied and unilaterality or bilaterality. Patients were divided into four groups, which included pandemic period and three previous years. Recorded data were analyzed statistically to detect if there is a difference between the numbers of the patients in pandemic period and three previous years.The number of patients with clubfoot admitted to our hospital between March 2020 and December 2020 increased by 140% compared to previous year. There was a statistically significant difference between the average number of cast applications of Group 4 and other groups (P <.001). Achilles tenotomy was performed in 44 (61.1%) of 72 patients admitted during the pandemic period. Only 4 (13.3%) out of 30 patients admitted between March 2019 and December 2019 were performed Achilles tenotomy.We detected an increase in the number of clubfoot cases admitted to our rural-based hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic, treated with casting or surgically. We think this is because of preventive measures during the pandemic, which caused parents could not reach urban for treatment.

The effect of different irrigation solutions on fracture healing in a rat femur fracture model.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate and compare radiological, biomechanical, histopathological, histomorphometric and immunohistochemical effects of povidone iodine (PVP-I), hydrogen peroxide (HPO) and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) on fracture healing in their minimum cytotoxic and most efficient concentrations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This experimental animal study, conducted between April 2018 and January 2019, included 48 male Sprague Dawley® rats (aging 9 weeks; weighing 356 g) which were randomly divided into four groups: control (saline), HPO, PVP-I and CHG. Rat model of femoral fracture was established and intramedullary fixation was applied. Solutions were applied to fracture region in determined concentration and time, and all subjects were sacrificed on Day 28. Extracted femurs were investigated radiologically by micro-computed tomography. Then, all groups were divided into two random groups to be evaluated biomechanically, histopathologically, histomorphometrically and immunohistochemically. RESULTS: In histopathological evaluation, inflammation score of CHG group was significantly lower than other groups, and inflammation score of PVP-I group was significantly lower than control and HPO groups (p<0.05). Biomechanically, flexural strength (σbend) (megapascal) values of CHG and control groups showed similar results, but there was no significant difference between all groups (p>0.05). In immunohistochemical localization of bone morphogenic protein (BMP)-4, osteoblast and chondroblast histoscores (H-scores) of HPO group were significantly lower than other groups, and chondroblast H-score in CHG group was lower than control and PVP-I groups (p<0.05). In immunohistochemical localization of BMP-7, osteoblast H-score was significantly higher in CHG group than other groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: We determined that CHG 0.05% solution had no negative effect on the fourth week of fracture healing histopathologically, immunohistochemically and biomechanically, and is an alternative irrigative to normal saline.

Effects of different vardenafil doses on bone healing in a rat fracture model.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the radiological, biomechanical, histopathological, histomorphometric, and immunohistochemical effects of different doses of vardenafil on fracture healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-one rats were divided into three groups. Group V5 was given 5 mg/kg/day of vardenafil; Group V10 was given 10 mg/kg/day of vardenafil; and the control group was given the same volume of saline. Six rats from each group were sacrificed on Day 14 (early period) and the remaining rats were sacrificed on Day 42 (late period). Callus/femoral volume and bone mineral density were measured using micro-computed tomography. Five femurs from each group in the late period were examined by biomechanical tests. In addition to the histopathological and histomorphometric evaluations, immunohistochemical analyses were performed to examine the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), transforming growth factor-3 (TGF-ß3), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) proteins. RESULTS: Both doses of vardenafil increased primary bone volume and maximal bone fracture strength in late period, compared to the control group (p<0.05). Histological healing scores of vardenafil groups were significantly higher in early period (p<0.001). While cartilaginous callus/total callus ratio in early period was higher, callus diameter/femoral diameter ratio in late period was lower in vardenafil groups (p<0.01). The NF-κB immunopositivity in V10 group decreased in early period, compared to control group (p<0.001). The TGF-ß3 and iNOS immunopositivity increased in both V5 and V10 groups, compared to the control group in early period, but returned to normal in late period. CONCLUSION: During the first period of fracture healing process in which vasodilation is mostly required with increasing inflammation, vardenafil has ameliorating effects on the bone union and supports fracture healing.

Combined plate versus external fixation for distal radius fractures / Placa combinada versus fixação externa para fraturas do rádio distal

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study aimed to compare the functional and radiological results of patients who had intra-articular comminuted distal radius fractures and were operated on with external fixation percutaneous pinning or the volar-dorsal combined plate osteosynthesis. Methods: In this study, 49 patients operated on and followed up for the comminuted distal radius fractures between May 2015 and January 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. The surgical outcomes of the patients, who were operated on with combined dorsal-volar plate osteosynthesis or external fixation percutaneous pinning, were compared in this study. Functional and radiological scores were evaluated and analyzed statistically. Results: There was no statistical difference between external fixation and volar-dorsal combined plate groups regarding the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Mayo scoring system, range of motion, and grip strength values. Discussion: Although the combined volar-dorsal plate osteosynthesis technique had a longer operation time and a more complicated surgical procedure, the combined volar-dorsal plate osteosynthesis had lower complication rates and permitted early mobilization. The combined volar-dorsal plate osteosynthesis could be an alternative to external fixation percutaneous pinning. Level of Evidence III, Therapeutic Studies Investigating the Results of Treatment.

RESUMO Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar os resultados funcionais e radiológicos de pacientes portadores de fraturas intra-articulares cominutivas do rádio distal, operados com fixação externa percutânea ou com osteossíntese volar-dorsal de placa combinada. Método: Foram avaliados 49 pacientes operados e acompanhados por fraturas cominutivas distais do rádio entre maio de 2015 e janeiro de 2019 retrospectivamente. Os resultados cirúrgicos dos pacientes operados com osteossíntese de placa volar-dorsal combinada ou fixação externa percutânea foram comparados. Os escores funcionais e radiológicos foram avaliados e analisados estatisticamente. Resultados: Não houve diferença estatística entre os grupos de fixação externa e placa combinada volar-dorsal em relação ao questionário Deficiências do braço, ombro e mão (DASH), à Escala Visual Analógica (VAS), ao sistema de pontuação Mayo, à amplitude de movimento ou à avaliação de força de preensão. Conclusão: Embora a técnica combinada de osteossíntese da placa volar-dorsal tenha um tempo cirúrgico mais longo e procedimento mais complicado, a osteossíntese combinada da placa volar-dorsal apresentou menores taxas de complicações, permitindo a mobilização precoce. A osteossíntese combinada da placa volar-dorsal pode ser uma alternativa à fixação externa percutânea. Nível de Evidência III, Estudos terapêuticos - Investigação dos resultados do tratamento.