Background and objectives The mortality after hip, proximal femur, fractures in elderly patients has steadily declined in the last decade in the United Kingdom as a result of implementing of multiple protocols focusing on prompt multidisciplinary pre- and post-operative optimization and reducing time to surgery. The pinnacle of these protocols is the development of the best practice tariff as an incentive program for hospitals that meet set criteria by the National Health Service (NHS) England in managing these injuries. Until the time of writing this paper, there was no parallel program for the management of fractures involving distal femur in the elderly. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of distal femur fractures in elderly patients against proximal femur fractures regarding post-injury mortality, the prevalence of surgical treatment and time delay till surgery. Methods A retrospective study of all patients above the age of 60 admitted to Queens Hospital Burton between 2010 and 2014 with fractures involving distal end of the femur. Patient data were assessed for demographic criteria, co-morbidities as per Charleston Comorbidities Index, type of management, time-lapse before surgery and 30-day, six-month and one-year mortality. Results were compared to an age-matched control group of patients with proximal femur fractures randomly selected during the same time window. Results The main demographic criteria such as age, gender, and Charleston Comorbidities Index were similar in both groups. There were more patients treated non-operatively in the distal femur group than in the proximal femur group (15% vs 4%). Time to surgery was statistically significantly longer in distal femur group compared to the proximal femur (49.130 hours vs 34.075 hours, P = 0.041). The mortality in distal femur group was higher at all times (9.68% at 30 days, 20.32% at six months and 34.41% at one year) when compared to that in the proximal femur group (6.99% at 30 days, 14.52% at six months, 21.51% at one year). Conclusion The distal femoral fractures showed higher mortality at 30 days, six months and one year compared to the proximal femur group. This could be partly influenced by the implementation of best practice tariff in the proximal femur fracture group reflected in less time to surgery, pre- and post-operative multidisciplinary approach and more frequent operative management.
Background. Fractures of the hand are the most common fractures in the skeletal system and phalangeal fractures constitute about 46% of all hand fractures. Operative treatment of unstable phalangeal fractures should aim at anatomic fracture reduction and stable fixation that allows early mobilization of the affected finger’s joints . This study evaluates the results of fixation of unstable shaft fractures of finger proximal or middle phalanges using a non-spanning external minifixator. Material and methods. 32 men and 8 women aged 17 to 60 (median, 31.25) years suffering from fractures of 44 phalanges in 40 hands were included in the study. Four of the fractured phalanges were middle phalanges and 40 were proximal phalanges .All fractures were fixed using a mini external fixator. All procedures were done under regional anaesthetic block. The fixator was applied after closed reduction of fractures. Additional procedures included wound debridement in open fractures, and tendon repair was needed in 4 cases. We excluded fractures where intraarticular fracture extension mandates open reduction and internal fixation. Results. At the end of the follow-up period (mean follow-up 11.5 months), patients were assessed clinically and radiologically. 26 fingers (59.1 %) had “excellent” results , 14 fingers (31.8 %) had “good” results and 4 fingers (9.1%) had “poor” results as their P.I.P. flexion ranges were < 80˚. Conclusion. External fixation of displaced phalangeal shaft fractures is an effective method of treatment in terms of a minimally invasive technique with rigid fracture fixation allowing early mobilization after surgery.
Background. Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in both athletes and the general population. A major problem accompanying ankle injury is the high rate of recurrence, with about 20% of acute ankle sprain patients developing chronic ankle instability. Unlike acute ankle sprain, chronic ankle instability usually needs surgical intervention. Various anatomic reconstruction techniques using the ruptured ends of the ligaments to restore stability have gained popularity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional results of the treatment of chronic lateral ankle instability with anatomic repair of the injured ligaments and reinforcement with polyester tape. Material and methods. A prospective study of 30 consecutive patients who underwent anatomic reconstruction of the lateral ligaments using transosseous suturing and augmentation using a polyester tape done at a single centre by a single surgeon from 2016 to 2017. All patients were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Score (AOFAS) and Free Online Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) were recorded and used for results analysis. Results. At 12 months’ follow-up, the AOFAS had improved from mean 52.47 ± 2.06 to 91.0 ± 6.03 (p< 0.001) .The FAAM mean score had improved from mean 55.21± 1.9 to 90.43 ± 4.02 Conclusion. The ankle ligament reconstruction with additional polyester tape augmentation is an effective technique in treating chronic ankle instability with a satisfactory surgical outcome.
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