J. Lawrence Marsh

Posttraumatic osteoarthritis : A first estimate of incidence, prevalence, and burden of disease

Although posttraumatic osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and important entity in orthopedic practice, no data presently exist regarding its prevalence or its relative burden of disease. A population-based estimate was formulated, based on one large institutions experience in terms of its fraction of patients with OA presenting to lower-extremity adult reconstructive clinics with OA of posttraumatic origin. The relative proportion of these patients undergoing total joint replacement provided a basis for extrapolating institutional experience with posttraumatic OA to a populationwide estimate because the numbers of lower-extremity total joint arthroplasty procedures performed were reliably tabulated both within the institution and populationwide. By this methodology, approximately 12% of the overall prevalence of symptomatic OA is attributable to posttraumatic OA of the hip, knee, or ankle. This corresponds to approximately 5.6 million individuals in the United States being affected by posttraumatic OA sufficiently severe to have caused them to present for care by an orthopedic lower-extremity adult reconstructive surgeon. Further, based on the relative prevalence of OA versus rheumatoid arthritis, and their relative impacts as assessed by the SF-36 (Short-Form 36) lower-extremity physical composite scores, about 85.5% of the societal costs of arthritis are attributable to OA. The corresponding aggregate financial burden specifically of posttraumatic OA is

Tibial plafond fractures: How do these ankles function over time?

3.06 billion annually, or approximately 0.15% of the total U.S. health care direct cost outlay.

High-energy fractures of the tibial plateau. Knee function after longer follow-up.

Background: The intermediate outcome of fractures of the tibial plafond treated with current techniques has not been reported, to our knowledge. The purpose of this study, performed at a minimum of five years after injury, was to determine the effect of these fractures on ankle function, pain, and general health status and to determine which factors predict favorable and unfavorable outcomes.Methods: Fifty-six ankles (fifty-two patients) with a tibial plafond fracture were treated with a uniform technique consisting of application of a monolateral hinged transarticular external fixator coupled with screw fixation of the articular surface. Thirty-one patients with thirty-five involved ankles returned between five and twelve years after the injury for a physical examination, assessment of ankle pain and function with the Iowa Ankle Score and Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale, assessment of general health status with the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and radiographic examination of the ankle.Results: Arthrodesis had been performed on five of the forty ankles for which the outcome was known at a minimum of five years after the injury. Other than removal of prominent screws (two patients), no other surgical procedure had been performed on any patient. The average Iowa Ankle Score was 78 points (range, 28 to 96 points). The scores on the SF-36 and Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale demonstrated a long-term negative effect of the injury on general health and on ankle pain and function when compared with those parameters in age-matched controls. The degree of osteoarthrosis was grade 0 in three ankles, grade 1 in six, grade 2 in twenty, and grade 3 in six. The majority of patients had some limitation with regard to recreational activities, with an inability to run being the most common complaint (twenty-seven of the thirty-one patients). Fourteen patients changed jobs because of the ankle injury. Fifteen ankles were rated by the patient as excellent; ten, as good; seven, as fair; and one, as poor. Nine patients with previously recorded ankle scores had better scores after the longer follow-up interval. The patients perceived that their condition had improved for an average of 2.4 years after the injury.Conclusions: Although tibial plafond fractures have an intermediate-term negative effect on ankle function and pain and on general health, few patients require secondary reconstructive procedures and symptoms tend to decrease for a long time after healing.Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series [no, or historical, control group]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Locked plating of distal femur fractures leads to inconsistent and asymmetric callus formation.

Background: Studies of the long-term outcomes of treatment of fractures of the tibial plateau have included wide mixtures of fracture types and mostly low-energy split and split-depression fractures. The long-term results of treatment of high-energy intra-articular proximal tibial fractures are unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the function of the knee and the development of arthrosis at a minimum of five years after injury in a consecutive series of patients in whom a high-energy fracture of the tibial plateau had been treated with a uniform technique of external fixation.Methods: Between July 1988 and December 1994, thirty patients with a total of thirty-one fractures of the tibial plateau were treated with a monolateral external fixator and limited internal fixation of the articular surface. Follow-up data on twenty-four knees in twenty-three patients were obtained at a mean of ninety-eight months. Twenty patients (twenty knees) returned specifically for the study, at which time they completed an Iowa Knee Score questionnaire and a Short Form-36 (SF-36) general health survey, a physical examination was performed, and weight-bearing radiographs were made. The results of the SF-36 evaluations for fourteen patients and the Knee Scores for twelve were compared with those obtained five years previously, at two to four years after the injury.Results: After healing, no patient required a secondary reconstructive procedure. The range of motion of the knee averaged 3° of extension to 120° flexion, which was an average of 87% of the total arc of the contralateral knee. The average Iowa Knee Score was 90 points (range, 72 to 100 points). For twelve patients, the Iowa Knee Score previously recorded at two to four years averaged 92 points, as did the score at the time of the latest follow-up. Thirteen patients rated their outcome as excellent; six, as good; and three, as fair. Fifteen patients were working, and ten of them were performing strenuous labor. Radiographs showed no evidence of arthrosis in fourteen knees, grade-1 arthrosis in three, grade-2 in three, and grade-3 in two. Compared with the radiographic appearance two to four years after injury, there was no evidence of progression of arthrosis in eighteen knees and one grade of progression in four. The SF-36 subscale scores were similar to those of age-matched controls. The fourteen patients who had previous SF-36 scores had no deterioration of these scores.Conclusions: Patients with a high-energy fracture of the tibial plateau treated with external fixation have a good prognosis for satisfactory knee function in the second five years after injury. The knee joint cartilage appears to be tolerant of both the injury and mild-to-moderate residual articular displacement, which was associated with a low rate of severe arthrosis.

Far cortical locking can improve healing of fractures stabilized with locking plates.

Objectives: Locked plating constructs may be too stiff to reliably promote secondary bone healing. This study used a novel imaging technique to quantify periosteal callus formation of distal femur fractures stabilized with locking plates. It investigated the effects of cortex-to-plate distance, bridging span, and implant material on periosteal callus formation. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: One Level I and one Level II trauma center. Patients: Sixty-four consecutive patients with distal femur fractures (AO types 32A, 33A-C) stabilized with periarticular locking plates. Intervention: Osteosynthesis using indirect reduction and bridge plating with periarticular locking plates. Main Outcome Measurement: Periosteal callus size on lateral and anteroposterior radiographs. Results: Callus size varied from 0 to 650 mm2. Deficient callus (20 mm2 or less) formed in 52%, 47%, and 37% of fractures at 6, 12, and 24 weeks postsurgery, respectively. Callus formation was asymmetric, whereby the medial cortex had on average 64% more callus (P = 0.001) than the anterior or posterior cortices. A longer bridge span correlated minimally with an increased callus size at Week 6 (P = 0.02), but no correlation was found at Weeks 12 and 24 postsurgery. Compared with stainless steel plates, titanium plates had 76%, 71%, and 56% more callus at Week 6 (P = 0.04), Week 12 (P = 0.03), and Week 24 (P = 0.09), respectively. Conclusions: Stabilization of distal femur fractures with periarticular locking plates can cause inconsistent and asymmetric formation of periosteal callus. A larger bridge span only minimally improves callus formation. The more flexible titanium plates enhanced callus formation compared with stainless steel plates.

Evidence-based assessment of acute pain in older adults: Current nursing practices and perceived barriers

BACKGROUND Locked bridge plating relies on secondary bone healing, which requires interfragmentary motion for callus formation. This study evaluated healing of fractures stabilized with a locked plating construct and a far cortical locking construct, which is a modified locked plating approach that promotes interfragmentary motion. The study tested whether far cortical locking constructs can improve fracture-healing compared with standard locked plating constructs. METHODS In an established ovine tibial osteotomy model with a 3-mm gap size, twelve osteotomies were randomly stabilized with locked plating or far cortical locking constructs applied medially. The far cortical locking constructs were designed to provide 84% lower stiffness than the locked plating constructs and permitted nearly parallel gap motion. Fracture-healing was monitored on weekly radiographs. After the animals were killed at week 9, healed tibiae were analyzed by computed tomography, mechanical testing in torsion, and histological examination. RESULTS Callus on weekly radiographs was greater in the far cortical locking constructs than in the locked plating constructs. At week 9, the far cortical locking group had a 36% greater callus volume (p = 0.03) and a 44% higher bone mineral content (p = 0.013) than the locked plating group. Callus in the locked plating specimens was asymmetric, having 49% less bone mineral content in the medial callus than in the lateral callus (p = 0.003). In far cortical locking specimens, medial and lateral callus had similar bone mineral content (p = 0.91). The far cortical locking specimens healed to be 54% stronger in torsion (p = 0.023) and sustained 156% greater energy to failure in torsion (p < 0.001) than locked plating specimens. Histologically, three of six locked plating specimens had deficient bridging across the medial cortex, while all remaining cortices had bridged. CONCLUSIONS Inconsistent and asymmetric callus formation with locked plating constructs is likely due to their high stiffness and asymmetric gap closure. By providing flexible fixation and nearly parallel interfragmentary motion, far cortical locking constructs form more callus and heal to be stronger in torsion than locked plating constructs.

Delayed union and nonunions: epidemiology, clinical issues, and financial aspects.

Objectives:To report data on current nurse practice behaviors related to evidence-based assessment of acute pain in older adults, perceived stage of adoption of pain assessment practices, and perceptions of barriers to optimal assessment in this population. Methods:Medical records from 709 older adult patients hospitalized with hip fractures from 12 acute care settings were abstracted for nurse assessment practices during the first 72 hours after admission. Questionnaires sent to nurses on study units regarding perceived stage of adoption and barriers to assessment in older adults. Results:Data revealed several areas in which pain assessment practices were not optimal. Pain was not routinely assessed every 4 hours, and pain location was assessed even less frequently. Pain behaviors were assessed more in patients with a diagnosis of dementia compared to those without dementia, but the frequency of pain behavior assessments was low. Pain was not routinely assessed within 60 minutes of administering an analgesic. Nurses reported not using optimal pain assessment practices even when they were aware of and persuaded that those practices were desirable. In addition, nurses reported that difficulty communicating with patients created the greatest challenge in managing pain. Conclusions:Our data suggest that pain is not being assessed and reassessed in a manner that is consistent with current practice recommendations in older adult patients with pathologic processes that highly suggest the presence of acute pain.

Unilateral External Fixation for Severe Pilon Fractures

Fracture healing is a critically important clinical event for fracture patients and for clinicians who take care of them. The clinical evaluation of fracture healing is based on both radiographic findings and clinical findings. Risk factors for delayed union and nonunion include patient dependent factors such as advanced age, medical comorbidities, smoking, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory use, various genetic disorders, metabolic disease and nutritional deficiency. Patient independent factors include fracture pattern, location, and displacement, severity of soft tissue injury, degree of bone loss, quality of surgical treatment and presence of infection. Established nonunions can be characterised in terms of biologic capacity, deformity, presence or absence of infection, and host status. Hypertrophic, oligotrophic and atrophic radiographic appearances allow the clinician to make inferences about the degree of fracture stability and the biologic viability of the fracture fragments while developing a treatment plan. Non-unions are difficult to treat and have a high financial impact. Indirect costs, such as productivity losses, are the key driver for the overall costs in fracture and non-union patients. Therefore, all strategies that help to reduce healing time with faster resumption of work and activities not only improve medical outcome for the patient, they also help reduce the financial burden in fracture and non-union patients.

Effects of Construct Stiffness on Healing of Fractures Stabilized with Locking Plates

Twenty-one patients with severe tibial plafond fractures were treated by unilateral large screw external fixation. In 15 patients, this was combined with limited internal fixation. The fractures were classified according to the methods of Ovadia and Beals. 12 There were nine type lll, four type IV, and eight type V fractures, and according to the methods of Rüedi and Allgöwer, nine type II and 12 type III fractures. Seven fractures were open. In five fractures, no attempt was made at articular reconstruction due to severe comminution. Four of these fractures required ankle arthrodeses and one type IIIB fracture received a late amputation. All other fractures healed. There were no cases of wound infection, skin slough, or osteomyelitis. Large screw external fixation in the talus and calcaneus was not associated with significant early or late complications. The less extensive tissue dissection in an area prone to wound complications may account for the low rates of infections, wound complications, and nonunion.

Current and Future Use of Surgical Skills Training Laboratories in Orthopaedic Resident Education: A National Survey

The benefits of locked-plate fixation, which include improved fixation strength in osteoporotic bone1-3 and the ability to provide a more biologically friendly fixation construct4,5, have led to the rapid adoption of this technology. Biological fixation of comminuted fractures with locking plates relies on secondary fracture-healing by callus formation6,7, which is stimulated by interfragmentary motion in the millimeter range8,9. Secondary bone-healing can be enhanced by active or passive dynamization10,11. Conversely, bone-healing can be suppressed by rigid fracture fixation aimed at preventing interfragmentary motion12. Biomechanical studies have suggested that locked-plate constructs are stiff and suppress interfragmentary motion to a level that may be insufficient to reliably promote secondary fracture-healing1,13-15. Recent clinical studies substantiate the concern that the inherently high stiffness of locked-plate constructs suppresses callus formation, contributing to a nonunion rate of up to 19% seen with periarticular locking plates16,17. Deficient healing may also contribute to late hardware failures seen with locking plates18-20 since, in the absence of osseous union, constructs remain load-bearing and eventually fail by hardware fatigue or loss of fixation. This paper summarizes a line of research that addresses two questions of critical importance when using locked-plate constructs: 1. Does the high stiffness of locked-plate constructs suppress callus formation and fracture-healing? 2. Can a stiffness-reduced locked-plate technique, termed far cortical locking , improve fracture-healing, compared with standard locked plating, by providing flexible fixation and parallel interfragmentary motion? First, we will present the findings of biomechanical and clinical studies of the effect of construct stiffness on interfragmentary motion and fracture-healing with locking plates. Subsequently, studies that describe the function, benefits, and clinical application of far cortical locking are …