Bias towards dementia: Are hip fracture trials excluding too many patients?: A systematic review

Patients with hip fractures are older and often present many co-morbidities, including dementia. These patients cannot answer quality of life questionnaires and are generally excluded from trials. We hypothesized that a significant number of patients are being excluded from these studies and this may impact outcomes. This was a two part study; the first analyzing databases of two ongoing large- scale multi-centred hip fracture trials and the second being a systematic review. The FAITH and HEALTH studies were analyzed for exclusion incidence directly related to dementia. The second part consisted of a systematic search of all relevant studies within the last 20 years. In the FAITH study, a total of 1690 subjects were excluded, 375 (22.2%) of which were due to dementia or cognitive impairment. In the HEALTH study, 575 were excluded with dementia/cognitive impairment representing 207 patients (36%). Following the systematic review, 251 articles were identified 17 of which were retained. The overall prevalence of dementia was 27.9% (range 2–51%). Only two studies compared demented and non-demented groups. In these studies significant increases in both mortality and complications were found. In summary, when investigating hip fractures, choosing appropriate objective endpoints is essential to ensure results are also applicable to patients with dementia

Effect of CAM boot immobilization on weightbearing stability in syndesmotic injuries

Category: Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Ankle injuries are one of the most frequent traumas of the lower limb. They typically involve the lower lateral ligaments of the ankle, but the syndesmosis is also affected in up to 18% of cases. The degree of instability of syndesmotic joint depends on which ligaments are affected. Adequate management of syndesmotic injuries is crucial to avoid long term complications. The primary goal of our study was to evaluate the effect of simulated weightbearing on syndesmotic instability resulting from isolated AiTFL injury and from combined AiTFL/IOL injuries. The secondary goal was to evaluate the effect of a controlled ankle motion walking boot on syndesmosis stability following injury. We hypothesized that the CAM boot would prevent significant instability even in two ligaments injuries. Methods: Ten cadaveric specimens were dissected to expose the syndesmosis to create progressive iatrogenic syndesmosis ruptures. Uninjured syndesmoses were compared to isolated AiTFL and combined AiTFL/IOL ruptures. The specimens were fitted in a custom-made device to allow stabilization of the leg and apply a reproducible axial load (AL) of 750 N, equivalent to the weight of a 168-pound person. For each specimen and injury pattern, CT-scan images were obtained with and without AL, and with a CAM boot under AL. Distal tibio-fibular relationship was evaluated in three planes using a previously validated measurement system developed on CT. Wilcoxon tests for paired samples and non-parametric data were done to compare the different conditions. Results: For our first objective, when comparing ankles with isolated AiTFL to combined AiTFL/IOL rupture with and without AL, the only significant difference was an increase in internal rotation between the incisura and a line drawn in the axis of the fibula. Even with minimal statistical differences, it appears that axial loading does not impact syndesmotic stability apart from a slight increase in internal rotation with a single or two-ligament injury. As for our second end point, with the CAM orthopedic boot, no significant widening of the syndesmosis happened when either one or both ligaments were sectioned, in an axial loading state. We therefore confirmed our hypothesis that even with two syndesmotic ligament injuries, axial loading in a CAM boot does not affect distal tibio-fibular anatomy. Conclusion: This study reveals that weight bearing without rotational force does not affect the stability of the syndesmosis. Incomplete syndesmotic injuries can likely be treated with nonoperative treatment in a CAM boot and weight bearing as tolerated. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm these findings

Radius of curvature of the radial head matches the capitellum: a magnetic resonance imaging analysis

Background: The purpose of this study is to utilize elbow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to compare the radius of curvature (ROC) of the radial head peripheral cartilaginous rim and the cartilage contour of the capitellum to evaluate if the radial head could be a suitable osteochondral autograft for capitellar pathology. Methods: All patients who underwent an MRI of the elbow over a three-year period were reviewed. Patients with the following diagnoses were excluded: osteochondritis dissecans, osteomyelitis, tumor, and osteoarthritis. The radius of curvature of the radial head (RhROC) was measured on the axial oblique MRI sequence. The radius of curvature of the capitellum (CapROC) was measured on sagittal oblique MRI sequences, the width of the articular surface of the capitellum on coronal MRI sequences and the radial head height (RhH) and capitellar vertical height on sagittal oblique sequences. All measurements were obtained at the midpoint of the radiocapitellar joint. Spearman's coefficient was used to assess the correlation between ROC measurements. Results: Eighty-three patients were included with a mean age of 43 +/− 17 years (57 males and 26 females, 51 right and 32 left elbows). The median RhROC and CapROC measurements were 12.3 mm (interquartile range [IQR] 1.6) and 11.9 mm (IQR 1.7), respectively. The median difference was 0.3 mm (IQR = 0.6; CI 95% = [0.24, 0.46]; P < .001). A strong positive correlation was found between RhROC and CapROC (ρ = 0.89; r2 = 0.819; P < .001). Ninety-four percent (78/83) of patients had a median difference between the RhROC and CapROC of less than or equal to 1 mm, and 63% (52/83) were within 0.5 mm. The inter-rater and intra-rater reliability for RhROC and CapROC was good, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.89, ICC = 0.87, and ICC = 0.96, ICC = 0.97, respectively. RhH was 10.6 ± 1.3 mm, and the width of the articular surface of the capitellum was found to be 13.8 ± 1.6 mm. Conclusion: The ROC of the convex peripheral cartilaginous rim of the radial head is similar to the ROC of the capitellum. In addition, the RhH was approximately 78% of the capitellar articular width. Based on this imaging analysis, the radial head could prove to be a robust local osteochondral autograft with a similar cartilage contour in the reconstruction of the capitellum in complex intra-articular distal humerus fractures with associated radial head fractures and in the setting of “kissing lesions” of the radiocapitellar joint. Furthermore, an osteochondral plug harvested from the “safe zone” of the peripheral cartilaginous rim of the radial head could be utilized to treat isolated osteochondral lesions of the capitellum