Recovery Curve for Patients With Pilon Fractures Using Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System

Recovery Curves for Lisfranc ORIF Using PROMIS Physical Function and Pain Interference

OBJECTIVES

To determine the postoperative trajectory and recovery of patients who undergo Lisfranc open reduction and internal fixation using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical function (PF) and pain interference (PI).

METHODS

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Level 1 trauma center.

PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA

Patients who underwent Lisfranc open reduction and internal fixation between January 2002 and December 2022 with documented PROMIS PF and/or PI scores after surgery.

OUTCOME MEASURES AND COMPARISONS

PROMIS PF and PI were mapped over time up to 1 year after surgery. A subanalysis was performed to compare recovery trajectories between high-energy and low-energy injuries.

RESULTS

A total of 182 patients were included with average age of 38.7 (SD 15.9) years (59 high-energy and 122 low-energy injuries). PROMIS PF scores at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 weeks were 30.2, 31.4, 39.2, 43.9, and 46.7, respectively. There was significant improvement in PROMIS PF between 6 and 12 weeks ( P < 0.001), 12-24 weeks ( P < 0.001), and 24-48 weeks ( P = 0.022). A significant difference in PROMIS PF between high and low-energy injuries was seen at 0 week (28.4 vs. 31.4, P = 0.010). PROMIS PI scores at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 weeks were 62.2, 58.5, 56.6, 55.7, and 55.6, respectively. There was significant improvement in PROMIS PI 0-6 weeks ( P = 0.016). A significant difference in PROMIS PI between high-energy and low-energy injuries was seen at 48 weeks with scores of (58.6 vs. 54.2, P = 0.044).

CONCLUSIONS

After Lisfranc open reduction and internal fixation, patients can expect improvement in PF up to 1 year after surgery, with the biggest improvement in PROMIS PF scores between 6 and 12 weeks and PROMIS PI scores between 0 and 6 weeks after surgery. Regardless the energy type, Lisfranc injuries seem to regain comparable PF by 6-12 months after surgery. However, patients with higher energy Lisfranc injuries should be counseled that these injuries may lead to worse PI at 1 year after surgery as compared with lower energy injuries.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Early posterior column internal fixation: A staged treatment of type C3 tibial pilon fracture

Pilon fractures represent a challenging subset of tibial fractures. The management of AO/OTA Type C3 fractures remains complex due to associated complications and lack of clear guidelines for surgical timing and methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate two staged treatment strategies for AO/OTA Type C3 tibial pilon fractures. The study focused on assessing surgical difficulty, complications, and patient prognosis. One group of patients received early internal fixation of the fibula and tibial posterior column combined with external fixation, while the other group received external fixation alone in the first stage. Patients who received early internal fixation of the fibula and tibial posterior column combined with external fixation had better outcomes, including lower rate of allogeneic bone grafting (67.74 % versus 94.64 %), reduced incidence of wound delay and skin necrosis (3.23 % versus 21.43 %), shorter surgical time (133.06 ± 23.99 min versus 163.04 ± 26.83 min), shorter hospital stay (13.77 ± 2.53 days versus 18.25 ± 3.67 days), and higher AOFAS (83.05 ± 8.68 versus 79.36 ± 8.92). Additionally, avoiding fibular shortening was shown to be crucial in preventing prolonged surgery and improving patient function. The study demonstrated that the staged treatment approach with early internal fixation led to shorter operative times, improved ankle function, and reduced complications, including a lower risk of infection. The findings support the use of this treatment to optimize outcomes in AO/OTA Type C3 pilon fractures.

Deep Surgical Site Infection after Fracture Has a Profound Effect on Functional Outcomes

Background

Fracture-related infection is one of the most challenging complications in orthopaedic trauma surgery. However, the effect of infection on functional and pain-related outcomes has not been well established. The aims of this study were to evaluate functional recovery for patients with fracture and a deep surgical site infection compared with patients with fracture without infection and to evaluate whether pain severity, social support, and preinjury mental health have a moderating effect on the magnitude and direction of the relationship between deep surgical site infection and functional recovery.

Methods

This is a secondary retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected data from the VANCO trial (Local Antibiotic Therapy to Reduce Infection After Operative Treatment of Fractures at High Risk of Infection) and the OXYGEN (Supplemental Perioperative Oxygen to Reduce Surgical Site Infection After High Energy Fracture Surgery) trial. In this study, 2,116 patients with tibial plateau, pilon, or calcaneal fractures at high risk for infection were included. Patients were divided into cohorts of patients who experienced a deep surgical site infection and those who did not. The primary outcome measure was the functional outcome using the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12).

Results

After controlling for covariates, deep surgical site infection was independently associated with functional outcome, with a 3.3-point reduction in the VR-12 Physical Component Score, and pain severity was independently associated with functional outcome, with a 2.5-point reduction in the VR-12 Physical Component Score. Furthermore, the Brief Pain Inventory pain severity demonstrated an important moderating effect on the relationship between infection and functional outcome. In patients with lower pain scores, infection had a large negative impact on functional outcome, whereas, in patients with higher pain scores, infection had no significant impact on functional outcome. Furthermore, the functional outcome in the entire cohort remains at only 61% of baseline.

Conclusions

This study documents the negative impact of postoperative infection on functional recovery after injury, as well as the novel finding of pain severity as an important moderating factor. This study emphasizes not only the importance of developing effective interventions designed to reduce postoperative infection, but also the role that factors that moderate pain severity plays in limiting recovery of physical function.

Level of evidence

Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.