Comparison of complication profiles for femoral neck, intertrochanteric, and subtrochanteric geriatric hip fractures

One-Year Functional Outcomes Following Geriatric Hip Fracture: A Prospective Cohort Analysis

OBJECTIVE

With the characteristics of population change, geriatric hip fracture is increasing, accompanied by high morbidity and mortality rates. However, limited research has thoroughly investigated the postsurgery functional outcomes of hip fractures in the elderly population.

METHODS

This study included 993 patients who underwent hip fracture surgery, drawn from a prospective cohort in China. Demographic and clinical data were collected for all participants. The cohort was randomly divided into training and validation sets (8:2). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to identify predictive factors for hip function at 12 months postoperatively. A nomogram was developed using R software and evaluated using concordance index (C-indexes), area under the curve (AUC), decision curve analysis (DCA), and calibration curves.

RESULTS

Patients were divided into training (n = 794) and validation set (n = 199). Eight independent predictive variables for the poor functional outcome (Harris Hip Score < 80) after hip fracture include age (odds ratio [OR], 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.12), hypertension history (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.50-4.23), fracture type (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.17-0.48), blood transfusion (OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.35-3.94), baseline PARKER score (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75-0.97), adverse events occurred within 12 months postoperatively (OR, 5.49; 95% CI, 2.30-13.08), transfer to the rehabilitation institution (OR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.51-6.88), and time from surgery to weight-bearing (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03). The nomogram demonstrated excellent predictive ability in the training set (AUC = 0.853, [95% CI: 0.816-0.890]). Furthermore, according to the calibration curve, the model's prediction and actual observation were in good consistency, and the DCA curve demonstrated good clinical usefulness.

CONCLUSIONS

This study developed a personalized, predictive nomogram with eight risk factors for predicting 1-year functional outcomes in geriatric patients with hip fractures. Our model facilitates the early identification of high-risk patients and enables surgeons to implement timely preventive interventions.

Trends, Predictors, and Potential Disparities of Palliative Care Utilization Among Older Adults With Hip Fractures: A Retrospective Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample, 2016-2020

Objectives: To assess the trends in palliative care consultation utilization and identify associated factors among older adults hospitalized with hip fractures in the United States between 2016 and 2020. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Inpatient Sample from 2016 to 2020. The study included patients aged 65 and older admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of hip fracture. We identified palliative care consultations using ICD-10 code Z51.5. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of palliative care utilization, adjusting for demographics, clinical variables, and hospital characteristics. Results: A total of 293,749 admissions for hip fractures were identified, of which 9546 (3.2%) had palliative care consultations. A consistent upward trend was seen in the proportion of patients receiving palliative care consultations across all fracture types. Patients of color (Black: odds ratio [OR] = 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65-0.83; Hispanic: OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.60-0.75 compared to White), those in lower-income quartiles (lowest: OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.76-0.87 compared to highest), smaller hospital size (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.79-0.89 compared to large), and rural hospital (OR = 0.63, 95% Cl: 0.59-0.68, compared to urban teaching) were associated with fewer palliative care consultations. Conclusion: The number of palliative care consultations during hip fracture hospital admission was low, although the proportion increased over time. Significant disparities were observed and further research should explore barriers to palliative care access and develop strategies to enhance its delivery across diverse healthcare settings.

Deep learning for automated hip fracture detection and classification : achieving superior accuracy

Aims

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a deep learning-based model for classification of hip fractures to enhance diagnostic accuracy.

Methods

A retrospective study used 5,168 hip anteroposterior radiographs, with 4,493 radiographs from two institutes (internal dataset) for training and 675 radiographs from another institute for validation. A convolutional neural network (CNN)-based classification model was trained on four types of hip fractures (Displaced, Valgus-impacted, Stable, and Unstable), using DAMO-YOLO for data processing and augmentation. The model's accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, Intersection over Union (IoU), and Dice coefficient were evaluated. Orthopaedic surgeons' diagnoses served as the reference standard, with comparisons made before and after artificial intelligence assistance.

Results

The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, IoU, and Dice coefficients of the model for the four fracture categories in the internal dataset were as follows: Displaced (1.0, 0.79, 1.0, 0.70, 0.82), Valgus-impacted (1.0, 0.80, 1.0, 0.70, 0.82), Stable (0.99, 0.95, 0.99, 0.83, 0.89), and Unstable (1.0, 0.98, 0.99, 0.86, 0.92), respectively. For the external validation dataset, the sensitivity and specificity were as follows: Displaced (0.83, 0.94), Valgus-impacted (0.89, 0.90), Stable (0.88, 0.95), and Unstable (0.85, 0.99), respectively. The overall means (Micro AVG and Macro AVG) for the external dataset were Micro AVG (0.83 (SD 0.05), 0.96 (SD 0.01)) and Macro AVG (0.69 (SD 0.02), 0.95 (SD 0.02)), respectively.

Conclusion

Compared to human diagnosis alone, our study demonstrates that the developed model significantly improves the accuracy of detecting and classifying hip fractures. Our model has shown great potential in assisting clinicians with the accurate diagnosis and classification of hip fractures.

Prevalence of complications in older adults after hip fracture surgery : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims

Older adults with hip fractures are at high risk of experiencing complications after surgery, but estimates of the rate of specific complications vary by study design and follow-up period. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the prevalence of complications in older adults after hip fracture surgery.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and CENTRAL databases were searched from inception until 30 June 2023. Studies were included if they reported prevalence data of complications in an unselected, consecutive population of older adults (aged ≥ 60 years) undergoing hip fracture surgery.

Results

A total of 95 studies representing 2,521,300 patients were included. For surgery-specific complications, the 30-day prevalence of reoperation was 2.31%, surgical site infection 1.69%, and deep surgical site infection 0.98%; the 365-day prevalence of prosthesis dislocation was 1.11%, fixation failure 1.77%, and periprosthetic or peri-implant fracture 2.23%. For general complications, the 30-day prevalence of acute kidney injury was 1.21%, blood transfusion 25.55%, cerebrovascular accident 0.79%, lower respiratory tract infection 4.08%, myocardial infarction 1.98%, urinary tract infection 7.01%, and venous thromboembolism 2.15%.

Conclusion

Complications are prevalent in older adults who have had surgery for a hip fracture. Studies reporting complications after hip fracture surgery varied widely in terms of quality, and we advocate for the routine monitoring of complications in registries and clinical trials to improve the quality of evidence.

Total femoral spanning for distal femur "fragility" fractures utilising nail-plate fixation "short-term experience of a district general hospital"

PURPOSE

Our primary objective was to investigate the time to radiological union following linked nail-plate fixation of distal femur "fragility" fractures. Secondary objectives were to evaluate all-cause reoperations, 90-day mortality, rate of blood transfusion and the impact on quality of life.

METHODS

In this retrospective study of all adults (≥ 65 years) with native or periprosthetic distal femur fragility fractures, underwent a linked nail-plate fixation, data were retrieved on fracture classifications, clinical frailty score, blood transfusion, length of hospital stay, 90-day mortality, time to radiological union, overall complication rates and EuroQoL-5D.

RESULTS

In total, 18 out of 23 patients completed sequential follow-up. Radiological union was observed in 14 patients (median 143 days; range 42-414). Three patients underwent reoperations. There were no implant failures or a subsequent periprosthetic fractures. Ninety-day mortality was 17.4%. Eighteen patients required blood transfusion. The QoL was significantly lower after index surgery (0.875 vs. 0.684; p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Based on our observation, with short-term follow-up, the linked nail-plate yields optimal stability to allow immediate weight bearing, in a cohort with moderate frailty. It is reproducible, with variable radiological union rates. The concept of "total femoral spanning" reduces the risk of subsequent periprosthetic fractures. The additional intervention has increased the rates of allogenic blood transfusion. There is significant impact on overall QoL, with almost 50% being more dependent in self-care.

Pertrochanteric hip fracture is associated with mobility decline and poorer physical performance 4 to 6 months post-hip fracture

BACKGROUND

To study the effect of hip fracture type on physical performance, functional ability and change in mobility four to six months after the injury.

METHODS

A total of 1331 patients out of consecutive 2052 patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent hip fracture surgery were included in the study. Patient information was collected on admission, during hospitalization, by phone interview and at the geriatric outpatient clinic 4 to 6 months after the fracture. Of the 1331 eligible patients, Grip strength, Timed Up and Go -test (TUG), Elderly Mobility Scale (EMS), mobility change compared to pre-fracture mobility level, Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) were used to determine physical performance and functional ability. Logistic regression was used for the analyses which was adjusted for gender, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, diagnosis of cognitive disorder, pre-fracture living arrangements, mobility and need of mobility aid.

RESULTS

Patients with pertrochanteric hip fracture had an EMS lower than 14 (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.38, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.00-1.90), TUG time ≥ 20 s (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.22-2.33) and they had declined in mobility (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.20-2.09) compared to femoral neck fracture patients 4 to 6 months post-hip fracture in multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses. Grip strength and functional ability (IADL, BADL) 4 to 6 months after hip fracture did not differ between fracture types. There were no statistically significant differences in physical performance in patients with a subtrochanteric fracture compared to patients with a femoral neck fracture.

CONCLUSIONS

Pertrochanteric hip fracture independently associated with poorer physical performance 4 to 6 months post hip fracture compared to other hip fracture types. Pertrochanteric hip fracture patients should be given special attention in terms of regaining their previous level of mobility.

Spinal Dexamethasone Effect on Cognitive Disorders After Hip Surgery

Background

Proximal femoral fractures (PrFF) are one of the most common causes of emergency admission in the elderly population. The majority of patients have pre-existing conditions that get worsened by unplanned surgery.

Objective

Purpose of this article was to evaluate if a is single shot of dexamethasone with levobupivacaine administered intrathecally reduces postoperative pain and cognitive complications in patients with proximal femoral fractures.

Methods

The study was performed at a level II trauma center which is a part of a teaching hospital with a catchment population of around 300,000 patients, the first author's affiliation. Around 500 PrFF are performed yearly in the center. All participants gave oral and written informed consent before randomization.

Results

In total, 60 patients with a PrFF, ASA status 2 or 3 were randomized into two groups for spinal anaesthesia as DLSA study group (received 8 mg of dexamethasone and 12.5 mg of 0.5 % levobupivacaine) or LSA control group (received 12.5 mg of 0,5 % levobupivacaine). Postoperative cognitive disturbance was evaluated using simplified Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) scale, pain intensity was measured using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and blood samples for defining cortisol concentrations were taken before and after the surgical procedure. The primary outcomes were effects of intrathecal dexamethasone on plasma cortisol affecting cognitive disturbances. Secondary outcomes included pain scores and length of hospital stay. The DLSA group demonstrated a reduced incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), p=0.043, longer analgesia duration, p<0.001, decreased cortisol levels and shorter hospitalization p=0.045. Intrathecal dexamethasone was the only significant predictor of postoperative delirium, OR 7.76, p=0.019.

Conclusion

Single shot intrathecal administration of dexamethasone with levobupivacaine used in anaesthesia for proximal femoral fractures reduces the stress response by decreasing plasma cortisol concentrations prolonging analgesia. Complications such as delirium and POCD occurred with significantly lower frequency allowing better postoperative rehabilitation and shortening the hospitalization.

Mortality and Complications Following Early Conversion Arthroplasty for Failed Hip Fracture Surgery

BACKGROUND

Hip fracture in older patients leads to high morbidity and mortality. Patients who are treated surgically but fail acutely face a more complex operation with conversion total hip arthroplasty (THA). This study investigated mortalities and complications in patients who experienced failure within one year following hip fracture surgery requiring conversion THA.

METHODS

Patients aged 60 years or more undergoing conversion THA within one year following intertrochanteric or femoral neck fracture were identified and propensity-matched to patients sustaining hip fractures treated surgically but not requiring conversion within the first year. Patients who had two-year follow-up (91 conversions; 247 comparisons) were analyzed for 6-month, 12-month, and 24-month mortalities, 90-day readmissions, surgical complications, and medical complications.

RESULTS

Nonunion and screw cutout were the most common indications for conversion THA. Mortalities were similar between groups at 6 months (7.7% conversion versus 6.1% nonconversion, P = .774), 12 months (11% conversion versus 12% nonconversion, P = .999), and 24 months (14% conversion versus 22% nonconversion, P = .163). Survivorships were similar between groups for the entire cohort and by fracture type. Conversion THA had a higher rate of 90-day readmissions (14% versus 3.2%, P = .001), and medical complications (17% versus 6.1%, P = .006). Inpatient and 90-day orthopaedic complications were similar.

CONCLUSION

Conversion THA for failed hip fracture surgery had comparable mortality rates to hip fracture surgery, with higher rates of perioperative medical complications and readmissions. Conversion THA following hip fracture represents a potential "second hit" that both surgeons and patients should be aware of with initial decision-making.

Fat Embolism Syndrome and in-Hospital Mortality Rates According to Patient Age: A Large Nationwide Retrospective Study

Introduction

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a rare life-threatening condition that can develop after traumatic orthopedic injuries. Controversy remains concerning the epidemiology in the elderly population. Therefore, this study aims to report FES related to in-hospital mortality stratified by age.

Methods

A retrospective trauma cohort study was conducted using data from the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) from 2007 to 2014. All FES cases were included in the study with the diagnosis of FES (ICD9 958.1). Death on arrival cases were excluded. Patients were stratified by age cohort: less than 40 (G1), 40–64 (G2), and greater than 65 (G3) years of age. The primary outcome evaluated was in-hospital mortality. Multivariable regression models were performed to adjust for potential confounders.

Results

Between 2007 and 2014, 451 people from a total of 5,836,499 trauma patients in the NTDB met the inclusion criteria. The incidence rate was 8 out of 100,000. The inpatient mortality rate was 11.8% for all subjects with the highest mortality rate of 17.6% in patients over 65. Multivariable analyses demonstrated that age greater than 65 years was an independent predictor of mortality (aOR 24.16, 95% CI 3.73, 156.59, p=0.001), despite higher incidence and injury severity of FES among patients less than 40. No significant association with length of hospital stay, length of intensive unit care, or length of ventilation use was found between the groups. Subgroup analysis of the elderly population also showed a higher mortality rate for FES in femoral neck fracture patients (18%) than other femoral fractures (14%).

Conclusion

In this retrospective cohort analysis, old age (≥ 65 years) was found to be an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality among fat embolism syndrome patients. Elderly patients specifically with femoral neck fractures should be monitored for the development of FES.

Long-term follow-up results of medial opening wedge high tibia osteotomy with a pre-countered non-locking steel plate

INTRODUCTION

This retrospective study investigated the long-term follow-up results of medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) with a pre-countered non-locking steel plate implant (Puddu plate = PP) used for medial knee osteoarthrosis (OA) treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Consecutive 70 MOWHTOs (66 patients) were performed between 01.01.2004 and 31.12.2008 with the mean follow-up time of 11.4 (SD 4.5; range 1.2-16.1) years. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate the cumulative survival of the implant in terms of age (< 50 years old and ≥ 50 years old) and gender. Adverse events were studied and Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate risk factors [age, gender, body mass index (BMI), preoperative mechanical axis, severity of OA, use of bone grafting or substitution and undercorrection of mechanical axis from varus to valgus] for revisions.

RESULTS

The estimates for the cumulative survival with no need for TKA after MOWHTO were 86% at 5 years, 67% at 10 years and 58% at 16.1 years (SE 0.6, CI 95% 11.1-13.5). A total of 33/70 (47%) adverse events occurred and 38/70 (54%) knees required some revision surgery during the follow-up. Cox regression did not show any statistically significant risk factors for revision.

CONCLUSIONS

The PP has feasible MOWHTO results with a cumulative survival of 67% at 10 years with no need for conversion to TKA. Many adverse events occurred and revision rate due to any reason was high. Age or gender did not have statistically significant differences in terms of survival.