Carbon-fibre plates for traumatic and (impending) pathological fracture fixation: where do we stand? A systematic review

BackgroundCarbon-fibre (CF) plates are increasingly used for fracture fixation. This systematic review evaluated complications associated with CF plate fixation. It also compared outcomes of patients treated with CF plates versus metal plates, aiming to determine if CF plates offered comparable results. The study hypothesized that CF plates display similar complication rates and clinical outcomes as metal plates for fracture fixation.MethodsThe study adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The following databases were searched from database inception until June 2023: PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Emcare, Academic Search Premier and Google Scholar. Studies reporting on clinical and radiological outcomes of patients treated with CF plates for traumatic fractures and (impending) pathological fractures were included. Study quality was assessed, and complications were documented as number and percentage per anatomic region.ResultsA total of 27 studies of moderate to very low quality of evidence were included. Of these, 22 studies (800 patients, median follow-up 12 months) focused on traumatic fractures, and 5 studies (102 patients, median follow-up 12 months) on (impending) pathological fractures. A total of 11 studies (497 patients, median follow-up 16 months) compared CF plates with metal plates. Regarding traumatic fractures, the following complications were mostly reported: soft tissue complications (52 out of 391; 13%) for the humerus, structural complications (6 out of 291; 2%) for the distal radius, nonunion and structural complication (1 out of 34; 3%) for the femur, and infection (4 out of 104; 4%) for the ankle. For (impending) pathological fractures, the most frequently reported complications were infections (2 out of 14; 14%) for the humerus and structural complication (6 out of 86; 7%) for the femur/tibia. Comparative studies reported mixed results, although the majority (7 out of 11; 64%) reported no significant differences in clinical or radiological outcomes between patients treated with CF or metal plates.ConclusionThis systematic review did not reveal a concerning number of complications related to CF plate fixation. Comparative studies showed no significant differences between CF plates and metal plates for traumatic fracture fixation. Therefore, CF plates appear to be a viable alternative to metal plates. However, high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with long-term follow-up are strongly recommended to provide additional evidence supporting the use of CF plates.Level of evidence: III, systematic review.Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitatio

Complications of patients with bone tumors treated with carbon-fiber plates: an international multicenter study

Carbon-fiber (CF) plates are a promising alternative to metal plates. However, reported experience in orthopaedic oncology remains limited. The aim of this study was to identify complications of patients with bone tumors treated with CF plates. Between February 2015 and May 2021, 13 centers retrospectively registered patients with bone tumors that were reconstructed using CF plates. Complications were identified, and timing and etiology of complications were noted. Similar complications were tabulated and classified based on mechanical, non-mechanical and paediatric complications. Mechanical complications included: (1) aseptic loosening or graft-host non-union, and (2) structural complications. Non-mechanical complications included: (3) soft tissue complications, (4) infection and (5) tumor progression. Specific paediatric complications included (6) growth arrest resulting in longitudinal or angular deformity. Ninety-six patients were included with a median follow-up time of 35 months. In total, 22 (23%) patients had complications. Mechanical complications included: 1 (1%) aseptic loosening, 2 (2%) non-unions, and 7 (7%) structural complications. Non-mechanical complications included 1 (1%) soft tissue complication, 4 (4%) infections and 5 (5%) tumor progressions. Paediatric complications occurred in 2 (2%) patients. This study suggests CF plates are safe to use in demanding reconstructions after bone tumor resections, presenting a seemingly low complication profile

Complications of patients with bone tumors treated with carbon-fiber plates: an international multicenter study

Carbon-fiber (CF) plates are a promising alternative to metal plates. However, reported experience in orthopaedic oncology remains limited. The aim of this study was to identify complications of patients with bone tumors treated with CF plates. Between February 2015 and May 2021, 13 centers retrospectively registered patients with bone tumors that were reconstructed using CF plates. Complications were identified, and timing and etiology of complications were noted. Similar complications were tabulated and classified based on mechanical, non-mechanical and paediatric complications. Mechanical complications included: (1) aseptic loosening or graft-host non-union, and (2) structural complications. Non-mechanical complications included: (3) soft tissue complications, (4) infection and (5) tumor progression. Specific paediatric complications included (6) growth arrest resulting in longitudinal or angular deformity. Ninety-six patients were included with a median follow-up time of 35 months. In total, 22 (23%) patients had complications. Mechanical complications included: 1 (1%) aseptic loosening, 2 (2%) non-unions, and 7 (7%) structural complications. Non-mechanical complications included 1 (1%) soft tissue complication, 4 (4%) infections and 5 (5%) tumor progressions. Paediatric complications occurred in 2 (2%) patients. This study suggests CF plates are safe to use in demanding reconstructions after bone tumor resections, presenting a seemingly low complication profile.Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitatio

Characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients with left‐sided infective endocarditis complicated by heart failure: a substudy of the ESC‐EORP EURO‐ENDO (European infective endocarditis) registry

International audienc

International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium report, data summary of 50 countries for 2010-2015: Device-associated module

•We report INICC device-associated module data of 50 countries from 2010-2015.•We collected prospective data from 861,284 patients in 703 ICUs for 3,506,562 days.•DA-HAI rates and bacterial resistance were higher in the INICC ICUs than in CDC-NHSN's.•Device utilization ratio in the INICC ICUs was similar to CDC-NHSN's. Background: We report the results of International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) surveillance study from January 2010-December 2015 in 703 intensive care units (ICUs) in Latin America, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific. Methods: During the 6-year study period, using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC-NHSN) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infection (DA-HAI), we collected prospective data from 861,284 patients hospitalized in INICC hospital ICUs for an aggregate of 3,506,562 days. Results: Although device use in INICC ICUs was similar to that reported from CDC-NHSN ICUs, DA-HAI rates were higher in the INICC ICUs: in the INICC medical-surgical ICUs, the pooled rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection, 4.1 per 1,000 central line-days, was nearly 5-fold higher than the 0.8 per 1,000 central line-days reported from comparable US ICUs, the overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia was also higher, 13.1 versus 0.9 per 1,000 ventilator-days, as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection, 5.07 versus 1.7 per 1,000 catheter-days. From blood cultures samples, frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas isolates to amikacin (29.87% vs 10%) and to imipenem (44.3% vs 26.1%), and of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (73.2% vs 28.8%) and to imipenem (43.27% vs 12.8%) were also higher in the INICC ICUs compared with CDC-NHSN ICUs. Conclusions: Although DA-HAIs in INICC ICU patients continue to be higher than the rates reported in CDC-NSHN ICUs representing the developed world, we have observed a significant trend toward the reduction of DA-HAI rates in INICC ICUs as shown in each international report. It is INICC's main goal to continue facilitating education, training, and basic and cost-effective tools and resources, such as standardized forms and an online platform, to tackle this problem effectively and systematically