Early Active Mobilization Versus Cast Immobilization in Operatively Treated Ankle Fractures A Prospective Analysis of Early Functional Recovery

Purpose:  

A prospective trial was undertaken to assess if early postoperative mobilization improved functional outcome compared to traditional cast immobilization following open reduction and internal fixation of Weber “B” ankle fractures.     

Computer-Controlled Cooling in Operatively Treated Ankle or Hindfoot Fractures: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

Ankle and hindfoot fractures are often associated with a considerable amount of pain and need for systemic analgesics. Cooling devices have been developed to reduce swelling, pain, analgesics need, and complications. The primary aim was to examine the effect of cooling versus no cooling on pain levels in adult patients treated operatively for an ankle or hindfoot fracture. Secondary aims were to assess the effect of cooling on (1) analgesics use, (2) patient satisfaction, (3) hospital length of stay (HLOS), (4) the rate of complications, and (5) the rate of secondary interventions. In this single center, retrospective case-control study patients who used a computer-controlled cooling device before and after surgery of an ankle or hindfoot fracture between January 1, 2015 and January 1, 2017 were included. Matched patients without using cooling served as control. Patient, injury and treatment characteristics, pain scores and analgesics use during hospital admission were extracted from patient's medical files. Pain scores in the cooling group (18 patients) did not statistically differ from the non-cooling group (17 patients). After surgery, less patients in the cooling group used paracetamol (p = .041), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (p = .006). Patient satisfaction of both groups was eight out of ten points. The total HLOS was 14 days (P₂₅-P₇₅ 9.0-17.3) in the cooling group and 9 days (P₂₅-P₇₅ 5.0-16.5) in the non-cooling group. This was mostly contributable to the difference in preoperative HLOS (8 days; P₂₅-P₇₅ 4.8-13.0 versus 4 days; P₂₅-P₇₅ 2.0-7.0) and time to surgery (13.5 days; P₂₅-P₇₅ 9.3-16.3) versus 8 days; P₂₅-P₇₅ 2.5-12.0). Complications and revision surgery did not differ. Patients with ankle or hindfoot fractures seem to benefit from computer-controlled cooling, since equal pain sensation is feasible with less analgesics postoperatively, whereas rates of complications and revision surgeries were comparable in both groups. Patients were highly satisfied with cooling.     

Early Results of Scapular Fractures Treated Operatively at a Level One Trauma Center

Abstract Introduction: Certain scapular fractures are best treated with open reduction to restore form and function to the glenohumeral joint. The purpose of this study was to review the results of operative treatment of scapular fractures at a level one trauma center. Patients and Methods: Twenty-one cases of operatively treated scapular fractures over a four-year period were identified after a database query. Nine patients had inadequate follow-up and one had a reinjury excluding a total of ten patients from our analysis. This left 11 patients (eight male and three female) with displaced scapular neck and glenoid fractures who were the subjects of this retrospective study. There were no ipsilateral clavicular fractures. The average age was 33.8 years (range, 22–49). Fixation was achieved using titanium 3.5 reconstruction plates and screws in all cases. Three plates were used in one patient and two in the other ten patients. Functional outcomes were assessed by the UCLA shoulder scoring scale at a mean follow-up of 24.0 months. Results: At latest follow-up, nine of the patients had returned to work. Two patients had excellent results, six had good results, two had fair results, and one patient had a poor result. The poor result was associated with a suprascapular neuropathy diagnosed preoperatively. The average UCLA score was 29.1 out of 35 points. Discussion: Open reduction and internal fixation is associated with anatomic reduction, a low complication rate, and satisfactory functional results at short-term follow-up.     

Impacted Fractures of the Femoral Neck Treated by Early Mobilization and Weight-Bearing

Among 280 patients with femoral neck fractures 46 were classified as having impacted fractures according to the criteria mentioned below. The treatment of patients with impacted femoral neck fractures was determined to be mobilization with partial weight-bearing from the first day of admission. Among the 42 patients successful in immediate mobilization there were eight whose fractures disimpacted. Three cases of avascular necrosis were recorded but no cases of non-union. In order to determine the predictive signs of secondary dislocation the X-ray findings were subjected to statistical analysis. The inclination of the fracture line, dislocation into a valgus or varus position and the presence of retroversion did not influence the tendency to disimpaction. More than 80 per cent of the fractures healed without disimpaction.     

Below-Knee Cast Immobilization for Distal Tibial Physeal Fractures

Distal tibial physeal injuries are one of the most commonly reported fractures in children. Traditionally, treatment recommendations consist of utilization of a long leg cast for initial immobilization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of below-knee cast immobilization in the closed treatment of distal tibial physeal fractures. We reviewed all patients with distal tibial physeal fractures treated with below-knee immobilization at our tertiary care facility between January 2002 and September 2015. Radiographs were analyzed for displacement and angulation at the time of injury, after closed reduction and/or casting, and at completion of immobilization to evaluate for loss of reduction. In total, 120 fractures (120 patients) were reviewed with 63 (52.5%) extra-articular fractures and 57 (47.5%) intra-articular fractures. The mean initial displacement was 4 mm (range 0-26 mm) with 34 patients having greater than 2 mm of displacement at presentation. Closed reduction was performed on 33 (27.5%) patients with the remaining 87 (72.5%) receiving immobilization alone without formal reduction. All fractures successfully healed with only 2 (1.67%) patients experiencing a loss of reduction. Both patients that lost reduction had undergone an initial closed reduction. No nondisplaced fractures lost reduction. These findings suggest that below-knee immobilization is an effective alternative in the treatment of both nondisplaced and displaced distal tibial physeal fractures, including those with intra-articular involvement, as well as those undergoing closed reduction. This creates an opportunity to provide increased patient mobility and early knee range of motion.     

Operatively Treated Talus Fractures: Complications and Survivorship in a Large Patient Sample

Talus fractures are relatively uncommon; however, the sequelae of talus fractures can cause significant morbidity. Although avascular necrosis has been a consistently reported complication, the reported rates of subsequent arthrodesis have varied widely. The purpose of the present study was to report the complications in a large patient sample of operatively treated talus fractures and to describe the survivorship of open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of the talus. Patients undergoing talus ORIF for closed or open fractures from 2007 to 2011 were identified in the United Healthcare System database by International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, code 825.21 and Current Procedural Terminology codes 28445, 28436, and 28430. Patients with a nonoperative talus fracture or isolated osteochondral defect were excluded, leaving 1527 patients in the final analysis. We also identified patients who had required subsequent subtalar, pantalar, and tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodeses using Current Procedural Terminology codes 28725, 28705, and 28715, respectively. Complications and demographic data were recorded. Of the 1527 patients, 29 (1.9%) had undergone subsequent arthrodesis within 4 years; 64 patients (4.2%) developed wound complications that did not require surgical intervention, 11 patients (0.7%) were readmitted, 204 (13.3%) presented to the emergency department (ED), and 96 (6.3%) underwent operative irrigation and debridement (I&D). The overall complication rate was 19.5%. Patients aged >34 years had a significantly greater rate of ED visits (54.7%, p?=?.015) and overall complications (56.8%, p?<?.001). In conclusion, ORIF of talus fractures has good survivorship when considering the failure of initial surgery or the requirement for secondary arthrodesis. Medical complications and hospital readmission were relatively rare; however, ED visits and infection requiring I&D were relatively common after ORIF of talus fractures.     

Univalve Split Plaster Cast for Postoperative Immobilization in Foot and Ankle Surgery

Casting is an important part of the postoperative treatment in foot and ankle surgery. Applying a split plaster cast allows for swelling while maintaining surgical correction and alignment. Resecting approximately a 1-in. portion of the plaster cast dorsally and anteriorly maintains stable structural support of the cast while relieving the pressure caused by swelling. We describe a technique for applying a plaster below the knee cast, with a univalve dorsal split, to provide support, while allowing for edema and access to anterior postoperative dressings.     

Early Protected Weightbearing After Ankle Fractures in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus

The traditional protocol for treatment after ankle fracture in the diabetic patient involves a period of prolonged non-weightbearing to reduce the incidence of complications. The goal of the present study was to identify the risk factors and complications associated with early protected weightbearing after closed ankle fractures in patients with diabetes. The data from 73 diabetic patients with operatively and nonoperatively treated ankle fractures were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were allowed to begin protected weightbearing in a cast or removable boot at 2 weeks after the index injury or surgery. The mean follow-up period was 51 (range of 26 to 480) weeks. Complications occurred in 25% of the operative cases and 8% of the nonoperative cases. In both categories, the complication rate was less than that from existing reports using prolonged non-weightbearing. Wound dehiscence was the most common complication in the operatively treated patients (18.8%). A statistically significant difference was found in the complications rates for the patients aged >60 years (p = .0403). No statistically significant differences were identified according to hemoglobin A1c, the presence of peripheral neuropathy, smoking status, fracture type, or the presence of end-stage renal disease. The results of the present study suggest that early protected weightbearing after closed ankle fractures in diabetic patients is fairly safe, with an acceptable complication rate. However, the patients selected for early weightbearing had low comorbidity profiles, which might have accounted, in part, for the low complication rate.     

Retrospective Population-Based Cohort Study of Incidence,Complications, and Survival of 202 Operatively Treated Periprosthetic Femoral Fractures

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to investigate the population and primary total hip arthroplasty (THA)-based incidences, fracture types, complications, and survival of operatively treated periprosthetic femoral fracture (PFF).MethodsThis retrospective study reviewed 202 cases of operatively treated PFFs in a study period from January 2004 to December 2016. The Vancouver classification was used to classify PFFs.ResultsThe incidence of PFF related to 1000 primary THAs per year was 2.7 (standard deviation 1.0, range 0.9-4.5) at a defined hospital district area during the study period. The mean population-based incidence of operatively treated PFFs raised from 1.6 to 4.5 per 100,000 person-years during the study period. The B1-type fracture was the most common fracture type in 71 of 202 (35%) of these PFFs. The cumulative incidence of re-revision was 10.9% at 1 year and 15.6% at 15 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.9-21.0). The cumulative incidence for other major complications was 6.4% at 1 year and 9.9% at 15 years (95% CI 5.9-15.0). The cumulative incidence of death after PFF was 7.4% at 1 year and 56.3% at 15 years (95% CI 41.3-68.8) during the follow-up time from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2019.ConclusionThis country-specific study showed a 3-fold increasing trend in the incidence of operatively treated PFFs from 2004 to 2016 per 1000 THAs. The Vancouver type B1 fracture was the most common type. A high number of complications were associated with PFFs and 7.4% of the patients had died within 1 year after PFF surgery.     

Early Protected Weightbearing after Open Reduction Internal Fixation of Ankle Fractures

The present retrospective study assessed the complications and loss of reduction in 126 patients aged 16 years or older who bore weight in a short leg cast within 15 days after surgical repair of acute unilateral closed ankle fractures from January 1997 to December 2003. Fracture reduction was assessed on immediate postoperative and weightbearing digital radiographs at least 6 weeks after surgery. The medical records were reviewed for postoperative complications. Complete radiographs were available for 81 patients. The mean follow-up period was 171 (range 42 to 1275) days. The mean patient age was 50 years. Patients began walking an average of 8 days after surgery. From the medical record review, no cases of malunion or nonunion occurred. A total of 14 complications developed in 12 (9.5%) of 126 patients, including a delay in wound healing in 6, nerve paresthesia in 5, and hardware migration in 1. The patients aged 60 years or older had a slightly greater overall complication rate (6 of 38, p = .18). Patients who walked on postoperative day 1 had slightly more wound problems (2 of 19, p = .36). Of the 81 ankle fracture radiographs, 80 (98.8%) showed no displacement in fracture reduction on the final follow-up examination. One patient had a 2-mm loss of fracture reduction and was allowed to walk on postoperative day 1 (p = .09). These results support early protected weightbearing after operative treatment of closed isolated lateral malleolar and bimalleolar ankle fractures without syndesmotic involvement in patients of all ages.