Screw-blade fixation systems for implant anchorage in the femoral head : Horizontal blade orientation provides superior stability

Objectives: Despite continual improvement in the methods and devices used for treatment of proximal femoral fractures, unacceptably high failure rates remain. Novel screw-blade implant systems, combining a lag screw with a blade – the latter adding rotational stability to the femoral head – offer improvement of osseous purchase, especially in osteoporotic bone. The aim of this study was to compare biomechanically the head element (HE) anchorage of two screw-blade implant systems differing in blade orientation in the femoral head – vertical versus horizontal. Methods: Twenty paired human cadaveric femoral heads were assigned to four groups (n = 10), implanted with either Rotationally Stable Screw-Anchor HE (RoSA-HE, vertical blade orientation) or Gamma3 Rotation Control Lag Screw (Gamma-RC, horizontal blade orientation) in center or off-center position, and biomechanically tested until failure under progressively increasing cyclic loading at 2 Hz. Results: Cycles to failure and failure load were significantly higher for Gamma-RC versus RoSA-HE in center position and not significantly different between them in off-center position, p = 0.03 and p = 0.22, respectively. In center position, the progression of both rotation around implant axis and varus deformation over time demonstrated superiority of the implant with horizontal versus vertical blade orientation. Compared with center positioning, off-center implant placement led to a significant decrease in stiffness, cycles to failure and failure load for Gamma-RC, but not for RoSA-HE, p < 0.01 and p = 0.99, respectively. Conclusion: Horizontal blade orientation of screw-blade implant systems demonstrates better anchorage in the femoral head versus vertical blade orientation in center position. As the stability of the implant system with horizontal blade orientation drops sharply in off-center position, central insertion is its placement of choice

Trochanteric Femur Fractures: Application of Skeletal Traction during Surgery Does Not Alter Soft-Tissue Microcirculation

Background and Objectives: Wound infections provoked by alterations in microcirculation are major complications in the treatment of trochanteric femur fractures. Surgical fracture fixation on a traction table is the gold standard for treatment, but the effect on tissue microcirculation is unknown. Microcirculation could be impaired by the pull on the soft-tissue or by a release of vasoactive factors. We hypothesized that intraoperative traction impairs soft-tissue microcirculation. Materials and Methods: In 22 patients (14 women, eight men), average age 78 years (range 36–96 ± 14), with trochanteric femur fractures, non-invasive laser-Doppler spectrophotometry was used to assess oxygen saturation, hemoglobin content, and blood flow in the skin and subcutaneous tissue before and after application of traction. Measurements were recorded in nine locations around the greater trochanter at a depth of 2, 8, and 15 mm before and after fracture reduction by traction. Results: No differences were found in any depth with traction compared to without (oxygen saturation: p = 0.751, p = 0.308, and p = 0.955, haemoglobin content: p = 0.651, p = 0.928, and p = 0.926, blood flow: p = 0.829, p = 0.866, and p = 0.411). Conclusion: In this pilot study, the application of traction does not affect skin and subcutaneous microcirculation in the surgery of proximal femur fractures

Current Management of Hip Fracture

This Special Issue, entitled “Current Management of Hip Fracture”, ran in the Medicina journal of MDPI’s “Surgery” section, reports the findings of international studies regarding different aspects in the treatment of patients suffering a proximal femur fracture [...

Gender-specific differences in severely injured patients between 2002 and 2011: data analysis with matched-pair analysis

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies reported divergent results concerning the effect of gender on patient outcome after severe injury. Results suggest that women have better outcomes because they have lower rates of sepsis and multi-organ failure. The objective of this analysis was to study gender differences in a Level 1 trauma center in Germany. METHODS: Patients who were admitted to hospital between 2002 and 2011 with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥16 were included. Data were collected from the Trauma Registry of the German Society for Trauma Surgery and from hospital records. The effects of gender on a variety of parameters were investigated. To eliminate the influence of differences in ISS, an analysis of groups with similar ISS was performed. Also, a matched-pair analysis of 422 patients was performed. RESULTS: A total of 962 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mortality rate was lower in male patients (25.4% versus 36.59%). Female patients had more severe head injuries, received less fluid volume and had a lower rate of sepsis. Men were more frequently involved in motorcycle accidents and sustained more penetrating trauma. Women were more frequently involved in pedestrian accidents and sustained more falls from under 3 m. The effects of gender were reduced when the data were analyzed by matching ISS. The mortality rate was significantly different in the ISS 26 to 35 group but in mostly all groups, the mortality rate was higher in women. In the matched-pair analysis, the rate of sepsis and the length of the ICU stay were significantly lower in women and the mortality rate showed no significant difference (28.1% for male patients versus 33.01% for female patients). Women died after an average of 5.22 days, and men died after an average of 9.02 days. CONCLUSIONS: Gender-based differences in patient outcome after severe trauma were observed in this study. Women are more likely to die in the first days after trauma. Upon extended hospital stay, women had a better survival rate because they had a lower rate of sepsis. No significant differences in mortality rate could be found, but there was a trend towards a higher rate in female patients

Prehospital Volume Therapy as an Independent Risk Factor after Trauma

Background. Prehospital volume therapy remains widely used after trauma, while evidence regarding its disadvantages is growing. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the volume administered in a prehospital setting as an independent risk factor for mortality. Material and Methods. Patients who met the following criteria were analyzed retrospectively: Injury Severity Score = 16, primary admission (between 2002 and 2010), and age = 16 years. The following data had to be available: volume administered (including packed red cells), blood pressure, Glasgow Coma Scale, therapeutic measures, and laboratory results. Following a univariate analysis, independent risk factors for mortality after trauma were investigated using a multivariate regression analysis. Results. A collective of 7,641 patients met the inclusion criteria, showing that increasing volumes administered in a prehospital setting were an independent risk factor for mortality (odds ratio: 1.34). This tendency was even more pronounced in patients without severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) (odds ratio: 2.71), while the opposite tendency was observed in patients with TBI. Conclusions. Prehospital volume therapy in patients without severe TBI represents an independent risk factor for mortality. In such cases, respiratory and circulatory conditions should be stabilized during permissive hypotension, and patient transfer should not be delayed

Medical and economic consequences of perioperative complications in older hip fracture patients

Patients suffering from complications during inpatient treatment after hip fracture surgery are associated with a worse mid-term outcome. While surgically treatable complications only delay the healing process, internal complications seem to worsen the outcome in the long run. All complications come with significant increased costs during the hospital stay.!##!Purpose!#!Due to the demographic changes, the importance of hip fractures is still increasing nowadays. Not only surgical but also medical complications represent a major challenge in the treatment of those patients. Nevertheless, only few is known about the functional, medical, and economic consequences of complications.!##!Methods!#!A total of 402 hip fracture patients ≥ 60 years were observed prospectively at a German university hospital. Complications were assessed during the inpatient stay and classified by Clavien and Dindo. Afterwards their influence on acute care costs was examined as well as their influence on the mortality, health-related quality of life (HRQL) (EQ5D), functional capacities (Barthel index), and mobility (Tinetti score) in the follow-up periods of 6 and 12 months.!##!Results!#!Complications that required surgical revision/treatment (type III) were associated with an increased 6 months' mortality, while type II and IV complications did not influence mortality after 6 and 12 months. Six months after surgery, HRQL, Barthel score, and Tinetti score were reduced in patients suffering from all different types of complications. After 12 months however, HRQL, Barthel score, and Tinetti score following type II and IV complications remained reduced, while the scores improved in patients suffering from type III complication. All types of complications led to significantly increased acute care costs.!##!Conclusions!#!The results of the present study emphasize the crucial role of perioperative complications in older patients with hip fractures. Therefore, special attention has to be given to the prevention of those complications, e.g., with orthogeriatric treatment models, which have been shown to be effective in the reduction of complications

Which factors influence treatment decision in fragility fractures of the pelvis? - results of a prospective study

Background!#!The aim of the present study was to describe specific characteristics of patients suffering from pelvic fragility fractures and evaluate factors that might influence treatment decisions which may optimize treatment pathways and patient mobility in the future.!##!Methods!#!A prospective study with patients suffering from fractures of the pelvis and aged 60 years or above was performed between 2012 and 2016. Data acquisition took place at admission, every day during hospitalization and at discharge.!##!Results!#!One hundred thirty-four patients (mean age of 79.93 (± 7.67) years), predominantly female (84%), were included. Eighty-six patients were treated non-operatively. Forty-eight patients underwent a surgical procedure. The main fracture types were B2 fractures (52.24%) and FFP IIb fractures (39.55%). At the time of discharge, pain level (NRS) could be significantly reduced (p &amp;lt;  0.001). Patients who underwent a surgical procedure had a significantly higher pain level on day three and four compared to the non-operative group (p = 0.032 and p = 0.023, respectively). Significant differences were found in the mobility level: patients treated operatively on day four or later were not able to stand or walk on day three as compared to non-operatively treated patients. Regarding B2 fractures, a significantly higher mobility level difference between time of admission and discharge was found in patients treated with a surgical procedure compared to patients treated non-operatively (p = 0.035).!##!Conclusions!#!Fracture type, mobility level and pain level influence the decision to proceed with surgical treatment. Especially patients suffering from B2 fractures benefitted in terms of mobility level at discharge when treated operatively.!##!Level of evidence!#!II

Enhanced prehospital volume therapy does not lead to improved outcomes in severely injured patients with severe traumatic brain injury

Abstract Background Whether enhanced prehospital volume therapy leads to outcome improvements in severely injured patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of prehospital volume therapy on the clinical course of severely injured patients with severe TBI. Methods Data for 122,672 patients from TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU) was analyzed. Inclusion criteria were defined as follows: Injury Severety Score (ISS) ≥ 16, primary admission, age ≥ 16 years, Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) head ≥3, administration of at least one unit of packed red blood cells (pRBCs), and available volume and blood pressure data. Stratification based on the following matched-pair criteria was performed: group 1: prehospital volumes of 0-1000 ml; group 2: prehospital volumes of ≥1501 ml; AIS head (3, 4, 5 + 6 and higher than for other body regions); age (16-54, 55-69, ≥ 70 years); gender; prehospital intubation (yes/no); emergency treatment time +/− 30 min.; rescue resources (rescue helicopter, emergency ambulance); blood pressure (20-60, 61-90, ≥ 91 mmHg); year of accident (2002-2005, 2006-2009, 2010-2012); AIS thorax, abdomen, and extremities plus pelvis. Results A total of 169 patients per group fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Increasing volume administration was associated with reduced coagulation capability and reduced hemoglobin (Hb) levels (prothrombin ratio: group 1: 68%, group 2: 63.7%; p ≤ 0.04; Hb: group 1: 11.2 mg/dl, group 2: 10.2 mg/dl; p ≤ 0.001). It was not possible to show a significant reduction in the mortality rate with increasing volumes (group 1: 45.6, group 2: 45.6; p = 1). Conclusions The data presented in this study demonstrates that prehospital volume administration of more than 1500 ml does not improve severely injured patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI)

The Influence of Malnutrition Measured by Hypalbuminemia and Body Mass Index on the Outcome of Geriatric Patients with a Fracture of the Proximal Femur

Background and Objectives: Fractures of the proximal femur are a life-changing and life-threatening event for older people. Concomitant malnutrition has been described as an independent risk factor for complications and mortality. Therefore, we examined the influence of albumin and body mass index (BMI) as parameters for the nutritional state on the outcome after geriatric hip fracture surgery. Materials and Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from hospital information systems, and complications and all other parameters were obtained from patient charts. We included patients aged 70 years or above with a fracture of the proximal femur. We excluded periprosthetic and peri-implant fractures and patients with a missing BMI or albumin value. Results: Patients with a BMI below 20 kg/m2 were more likely to be female but did not differ from the normal BMI group in terms of baseline parameters. Patients with hypoalbuminemia had a higher ASA grade and Charlson Comorbidity Index, as well as a lower hemoglobin value and prothrombin time compared to those with normal albumin values and low BMI. Hypoalbuminemia was associated with significantly increased rates of complications (57.9% vs. 46.7%, p = 0.04) and mortality (10.3% vs. 4.1%, p = 0.02). Blood loss and transfusion rates were higher in the hypoalbuminemia group. Patients with a BMI below 20 kg/m2 had a higher risk of intraoperative cardiac arrest (2.6% vs. 0.4%, p = 0.05) but did not show higher mortality rates than patients with a BMI above 20 kg/m2. However, the outcome parameter could not be confirmed in the regression analysis. Conclusions: Hypoalbuminemia might be an indicator for more vulnerable patients with a compromised hemoglobin value, prothrombin time, and ASA grade. Therefore, it is also associated with higher mortality and postoperative complications. However, hypoalbuminemia was not an independent predictor for mortality or postoperative complications, but low albumin values were associated with a higher CCI and ASA grade than in patients with a BMI below 20 kg/m2