Orthopedic Treatment of the Traumatized Lower Extremity

This chapter provides an overview of the orthopedic management of the severely traumatized lower extremity and discusses the role of the orthopedist in the team approach to devastating injuries. It deals with a section on evaluation and management, and describes special problems facing the surgeon treating the severely traumatized limb, and provides techniques of fixation and reconstruction. The severely traumatized lower extremity presents a complex problem that often requires the skills of surgeons familiar with orthopedic, soft tissue, and microvascular techniques. Once the initial stabilization and evaluation have occurred, the orthopedist must determine whether an operative emergency exists. By far, the most common operative emergency the orthopedist will see in the setting of lower extremity trauma is an open fracture. Fractures of the metaphysis and articular surface of the distal femur present a challenge to the orthopedic surgeon. Injuries of the distal femur usually benefit from the robust soft-tissue envelope of the thigh, making the need for flap coverage rare

Cost of Treatment for Proximal Humerus Fractures: An Acute and 90-Day Cost Evaluation

The purpose of this study was to examine the 90-day costs of three common surgical treatments for proximal humerus fractures and compare the costs associated with the initial day and subsequent 89 days of care. This was conducted through a retrospective review of a national database examining patients who suffered proximal humerus fractures. Patients were stratified by type of surgical procedure performed, hemiarthroplasty (HA), reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA), and open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). RSA was the most costly procedure for the same-day and 90-day costs (p < 0.001). Mean initial day reimbursement costs were significantly different among treatment groups, with the highest costs seen with RSA ($16,151), followed by HA ($9,348), and ORIF ($6,745). Subsequent 89-day reimbursement costs were not significantly different for RSA, HA, and ORIF (p = 0.112). The 90-day costs for the surgical treatment of proximal humerus fractures are driven by the initial day costs. RSA was associated with the highest cost, followed by HA and ORIF

Trends in surgical management of proximal humeral fractures in the Medicare population: a nationwide study of records from 2009 to 2012

Surgical management of proximal humeral fractures has reportedly increased in recent years. Much of this growth relates to a growing elderly population, together with the introduction of modern implants, such as locking plates and, recently, introduction of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). This study evaluated trends in surgical management of proximal humeral fractures from 2009 to 2012 by analyzing the use of hemiarthroplasty (HA), RSA, and osteosynthesis (open reduction with internal fixation [ORIF]) within the Medicare patient population. We retrospectively reviewed a comprehensive Medicare patient population database within the PearlDiver supercomputer (Warsaw, IN, USA) for proximal humeral fractures treated with HA, RSA, or ORIF. Total use, annual utilization rates, age, and gender were investigated. Within the study period, 32,150 proximal humeral fractures were treated operatively, with no significant change in annual volume (P = .119). The percentage of fractures treated surgically decreased significantly from 16.2% to 13.9% (P < .001). The utilization rate decreased significantly for HA from 52% to 39% (P < .001), increased significantly for RSA from 11% to 28% (P < .001), and did not change significantly for ORIF (P = .164). The utilization rate of RSA nearly tripled for patients older than 65 years (11% to 29%) and doubled for patients younger than 65 (6% to 12%). From 2009 to 2012, utilization rates of ORIF remained fairly constant. HA remains the most commonly used surgical treatment for proximal humeral fractures in the Medicare population, but its use has declined significantly. This decline has been offset by a corresponding increase in RSA

Morbid obesity and 1-year costs after elbow dislocation

Morbid obesity has been linked with serious associated injuries following dislocations of the knee. While similar devastating injuries have been observed following elbow dislocations in the obese, no study to date has characterized the financial impact of elbow dislocations in the morbidly obese population. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of morbid obesity on 1-year costs related to elbow dislocation. A retrospective query of the Medicare Standard Analytic Files database was performed for patients sustaining elbow dislocation from 2005 to 2014. 1-year reimbursement costs from the initial open or closed reduction procedures were compared for morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) patients versus those without morbid obesity (BMI < 40 kg/m2). Cohorts were matched based on age and gender. Total reimbursement costs associated with a diagnosis of elbow dislocation and/or reduction were analyzed. We identified 182 morbidly obese patients and 422 patients without morbid obesity who underwent open or closed reduction for elbow dislocation. 102 patients with 1-year cost data remained in each cohort after matching. Mean 1-year reimbursement costs related to elbow dislocation were significantly greater in morbidly obese patients ($6227.43 vs$4225.71, p = 0.006). 1-year costs related to elbow dislocation are significantly higher in morbidly obese patients. The increased costs likely reflect the complexity of managing dislocations in the obese population. Difficulties maintaining closed reduction, longer and more challenging surgeries with a higher likelihood on intra- and post-operative complications, and a higher risk of peri-operative medical complications may all contribute to these increased costs

Comorbidity effects on shoulder arthroplasty costs analysis of a nationwide private payer insurance data set

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of common medical comorbidities on the reimbursements of different shoulder arthroplasty procedures. We conducted a retrospective query of a single private payer insurance claims database using PearlDiver (Warsaw, IN, USA) from 2010 to 2014. Our search included the Current Procedural Terminology codes and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), hemiarthroplasty, and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). Medical comorbidities were also searched for through International Classification of Diseases codes. The comorbidities selected for analysis were obesity, morbid obesity, hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cirrhosis, depression, and chronic kidney disease (excluding end-stage renal disease). The reimbursement charges of the day of surgery, 90-day global period, and 90-day period excluding the initial surgical day of each comorbidity were analyzed and compared. Statistical analysis was conducted through analyses of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test. Comorbidities did not have a significant effect on same-day reimbursements but instead caused a significant effect on the subsequent 89-day (interval) and 90-day reimbursements in the TSA and RSA cohorts. For TSA and RSA, the highest reimbursement costs during the 90-day period after surgery were seen with the diagnosis of hepatitis C, followed by atrial fibrillation and later chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For hemiarthroplasty, the same was true in the following order: hepatitis C, cirrhosis, and atrial fibrillation. Shoulder arthroplasty reimbursements are significantly affected by comorbidities at time intervals following the initial surgical day