Robert J. Brumback

Pelvic ring disruptions: Effective classification system and treatment protocols

From January 1, 1985, to September 10, 1988, 210 consecutive patients with high-energy pelvic ring disruptions (exclusive of acetabular fractures) were admitted to a statewide referral center for adult multiple trauma. They were treated by one of four attending orthopaedic traumatologists per protocol as determined by their injury classification and hemodynamic status; the injury classification system was based on the vector of force involved and the quantification of disruption from that force, i.e., lateral compression, anteroposterior compression, vertical shear, and combined mechanical injury. Of the 210 patients, 162 had complete charts: 126 (78.0%) were admitted directly from the scene, 110 (67.9%) were injured in motor vehicle or motorcycle accidents, 25 (15.0%) were admitted in shock (blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg), the average Glasgow Coma Score was 13.2, and the average Injury Severity Score was 25.8. Treatment of the pelvic fracture included the following methods (alone or in combination): acute external fixation (45.0; 28.0%), open reduction/internal fixation (22; 13.5%), acute arterial embolization (11; 7.0%), and bedrest (68; 42.0%). Overall blood replacement averaged 5.9 units (lateral compression, 3.6 units; anteroposterior compression, 14.8 units; vertical shear, 9.2 units; combined mechanical, 8.5 units). Overall mortality was 8.6% (lateral compression, 7.0%; anteroposterior, 20.0%, vertical shear, 0%; combined mechanical, 18.0%). The cause of death was associated with the pelvic fracture in less than 50%; no patient with an isolated or vertical shear pelvic injury died. We conclude that the predictive value of our classification system (incorporating appreciation of the causative forces and resulting injury patterns) and our classification-based treatment protocols reduce the morbidity and mortality related to pelvic ring disruption.

Conversion of External Fixation to Intramedullary Nailing for Fractures of the Shaft of the Femur in Multiply Injured Patients

Background: From 1989 to 1997, 1507 fractures of the shaft of the femur were treated with intramedullary nailing at The R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Fifty-nine (4 percent) of those fractures were treated with early external fixation followed by planned conversion to intramedullary nail fixation. This two-stage stabilization protocol was selected for patients who were critically ill and poor candidates for an immediate intramedullary procedure or who required expedient femoral fixation followed by repair of an ipsilateral vascular injury. The purpose of the current investigation was to determine whether this protocol is an appropriate alternative for the management of fractures of the femur in patients who are poor candidates for immediate intramedullary nailing. Methods: Fifty-four multiply injured patients with a total of fifty-nine fractures of the shaft of the femur treated with external fixation followed by planned conversion to intramedullary nail fixation were evaluated in a retrospective review to gather demographic, injury, management, and fracture-healing data for analysis. Results: The average Injury Severity Score for the fifty-four patients was 29 (range, 13 to 43); the average Glasgow Coma Scale score was 11 (range, 3 to 15). Most patients (forty-four) had additional orthopaedic injuries (average, three; range, zero to eight), and associated injuries such as severe brain injury, solid-organ rupture, chest trauma, and aortic tears were common. Forty fractures were closed, and nineteen fractures were open. According to the system of Gustilo and Anderson, three of the open fractures were type II, eight were type IIIA, and eight were type IIIC. Intramedullary nailing was delayed secondary to medical instability in forty-six patients and secondary to vascular injury in eight. All fractures of the shaft of the femur were stabilized with a unilateral external fixator within the first twenty-four hours after the injury; the average duration of the procedure was thirty minutes. The duration of external fixation averaged seven days (range, one to forty-nine days) before the fixation with the static interlocked intramedullary nail. Forty-nine of the nailing procedures were antegrade, and ten were retrograde. For fifty-five of the fifty-nine fractures, the external fixation was converted to intramedullary nail fixation in a one-stage procedure. The other four fractures were associated with draining pin sites, and skeletal traction to allow pin-site healing was used for an average of ten days (range, eight to fifteen days) after fixator removal and before intramedullary nailing. Follow-up averaged twelve months (range, six to eighty-seven months). Of the fifty-eight fractures available for follow-up until union, fifty-six (97 percent) healed within six months. There were three major complications: one patient died from a pulmonary embolism before union, one patient had a refractory infected nonunion, and one patient had a nonunion with nail failure, which was successfully treated with retrograde exchange nailing. The infection rate was 1.7 percent. Four other patients required a minor reoperation: two were managed with manipulation under anesthesia because of knee stiffness, and two underwent derotation and relocking of the nail because of rotational malalignment. The rate of unplanned reoperations was 11 percent. The average range of motion of the knee was 107 degrees (range, 60 to 140 degrees). Conclusions: We concluded that immediate external fixation followed by early closed intramedullary nailing is a safe treatment method for fractures of the shaft of the femur in selected multiply injured patients.

Intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures. Part II: Fracture-healing with static interlocking fixation

A consecutive, prospective series of ninety-seven patients who had 100 fractures of the femoral shaft that were treated with static interlocking nailing was analyzed to determine the incidence of union of the fracture without planned conversion from static to dynamic intramedullary fixation as a technique to stimulate healing of the fracture. Eighty-four patients (eighty-seven fractures) were studied through union of the fracture (average follow-up, fourteen months). Eighty-five (98 per cent) of the eighty-seven fractures healed with static interlocking fixation. Two patients needed conversion from static to dynamic interlocking fixation because of inadequate fracture-healing; both progressed to uneventful union. The time to full weight-bearing (average, eleven weeks) was individualized for each patient and depended on the cortical contact of the major fragments, the presence of bridging callus as seen on radiographs, and the extent of other injuries of the ipsilateral lower extremity. No deformation or failure of the static interlocking device developed after early walking with weight-bearing, but fatigue failure of one nail occurred in a non-ambulatory patient who had an intracranial injury. Pain related to soft-tissue irritation by the prominent heads of the interlocking screws, clinically presenting as bursitis or snapping of the iliotibial band, was severe enough in six patients to necessitate removal of either the proximal or the distal screw after union of the fracture. We concluded that static interlocking of intramedullary nails in femoral shaft fractures does not appreciably inhibit the process of healing of the fracture, and that routine conversion to dynamic intramedullary fixation, although occasionally necessary, need not be performed.

Acute and definitive management of traumatic osteocutaneous defects of the lower extremity

Twenty-two lower extremity osteocutaneous defects resulting from high-energy trauma were managed from the onset of injury to rehabilitation by a collaborative effort between orthopedic and plastic surgeons. Emergency debridement of devitalized soft tissue and bone, external fracture stabilization, and serial debridements prepared the wound for closure with predominantly free-muscle transfers performed an average of 17 days (range 3 to 43 days) after injury. Cancellous or vascularized fibula grafting, depending on defect size, was performed an average of 9 weeks (range 6 to 16 weeks) after muscle flap closure. In this group of patients, whose average injury severity score was 18 (range 9 to 45) and whose average segmental bone defect was 8 cm (range 3 to 18 cm), the average time after injury to full weight bearing was 61 weeks (range 39 to 120 weeks). The early infection rate was 14 percent. Two extremities were amputated. There have been no chronic infections. Follow-up has ranged from 9 to 34 months.

Adult respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and mortality following thoracic Injury and a femoral fracture treated either with intramedullary nailing with reaming or with a plate : A comparative study

Multiply injured patients (an Injury Severity Score of 17 points or more) who were admitted to one of two level-I regional trauma centers between 1983 and 1994 because of a fracture of the femoral shaft with a thoracic injury (an Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 2 points or more) or without a thoracic injury were studied retrospectively. The patient populations and the protocols for the treatment of trauma were similar at the two centers; however, the centers differed with regard to the technique that was used for acute stabilization of the fracture of the femoral shaft. At Center I intramedullary nailing with reaming was used in 217 (95 per cent) of the 229 patients, whereas at Center II a plate was used in 206 (92 per cent) of the 224 patients. This difference was used to investigate the effect of acute femoral reaming on the occurrence of adult respiratory distress syndrome in multiply injured patients who had a chest injury. Three groups of patients were evaluated: those who had both a fracture of the femur and a thoracic injury, those who had a fracture of the femur but no thoracic injury, and those who had a thoracic injury without a fracture of the femur or the tibia. The third group was studied at each center to determine if there was a difference between the institutions with regard to the rate of adult respiratory distress syndrome. Patients who had diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, hepatic or renal failure, or an immunosuppressive condition were excluded from the study. The records were abstracted to determine the Injury Severity Score, Abbreviated Injury Scale score, and Glasgow Coma Score for each patient. Requirements for fluid resuscitation were calculated for the first twenty-four hours; these included the number of units of packed red blood cells, fresh-frozen plasma, and platelets that were transfused and the volume of crystalloid that was used. The duration of intubation, the duration of hospitalization, and the occurence of adverse outcomes (death, multiple organ failure, adult respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and pulmonary embolism) were determined for each patient. The groups of patients were analyzed as a whole and then were stratified into subgroups (according to whether or not they had a thoracic injury and whether the Injury Severity Score was less than 30 points or 30 points or more) to determine if the type of fixation of the femoral fracture affected the rate of adult respiratory distress syndrome or mortality. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. The over-all occurrence of adult respiratory distress syndrome in the 453 patients who had a femoral fracture was only 2 per cent (ten patients). The rates of adult respiratory distress syndrome for the patients who had a thoracic injury but no femoral fracture (eight [6 per cent] of 129 patients at Center I, compared with ten [8 per cent] of 125 patients at Center II) did not differ between centers, suggesting that the institutions were comparable in their treatment of multiply injured patients. The occurrence of adult respiratory distress syndrome in the patients who had a femoral fracture without a thoracic injury did not differ substantially according to whether the fracture had been treated with a nail (118 patients) or a plate (114 patients). Likewise, the frequency of adult respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, failure of multiple organs, or death for the patients who had a femoral fracture and a thoracic injury was similar regardless of whether nailing with reaming (117 patients) or a plate (104 patients) had been used. The use of intramedullary nailing with reaming for acute stabilization of fractures of the femur in multiply injured patients who have a thoracic injury without a major comorbid disease does not appear to increase the occurrence of adult respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary embolism, failure of multiple organs, pneumonia, or death.

Acute compartment syndrome of the thigh. A spectrum of injury

Twenty-one compartment syndromes of the thigh in seventeen patients were identified for retrospective review. Ten of the compartment syndromes were associated with an ipsilateral femoral fracture; five of these femoral fractures were open. In five patients, the syndrome followed femoral intramedullary stabilization. The remaining eleven syndromes followed blunt trauma to the thigh, prolonged compression by body weight, or vascular injury. The patients who were awake and alert at the time of the examination complained of intense pain in the thigh, and they had neuromuscular deficits. For the patients who could not cooperate with a subjective physical examination because they were under general anesthesia or because of associated injuries, the measurement of compartment pressure assumed a more important diagnostic role. All of the patients had tense swelling of the involved thigh. The predisposing risk factors for the development of compartment syndromes of the thigh, which are common in the multiply injured population, include: systemic hypotension, a history of external compression of the thigh, the use of military antishock trousers, coagulopathy, vascular injury, and trauma to the thigh, with or without a fracture of the femur. In approximately one-half of these patients, a crush syndrome developed, with myoglobinuria, renal failure, and collapse of multiple organ systems. Eight patients (47 per cent) died as a result of multiple injuries. Of the nine patients (ten compartment syndromes) who survived, infection developed at the site of the fasciotomy in six. Follow-up examination revealed marked morbidity, including sensory deficit and motor weakness of the lower extremity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Compartment syndrome in open tibial fractures.

A retrospective review of the cases of 180 patients who had 198 acute open fractures of the tibial shaft and were admitted to a multiple-trauma referral center over a three-year period revealed an incidence of accompanying compartment syndrome of 9.1 per cent (eighteen fractures in sixteen patients). Each of the eighteen compartment syndromes was documented by measurements of intracompartmental pressure that were obtained by the saline-injection technique, and all were treated by four-compartment fasciotomy. The incidence of compartment syndrome was found to be directly proportional to the degree of injury to soft tissue and bone; this complication occurred most often in association with a comminuted, grade-III open injury to a pedestrian. The physician must maintain a high index of suspicion to detect a compartment syndrome in the patient who has multiple trauma, as its clinical signs and symptoms may be masked by a closed injury of the head or the need for ventilatory support or prolonged anesthesia for other surgical procedures.

Complications of reamed intramedullary nailing of the tibia

Summary A retrospective review of 60 acute fractures of the tibia treated with reamed intramedullary nailing was undertaken to document the spectrum of complications associated with this procedure. Forty-five tibial fractures were followed to radiographic union; follow-up averaged 25 months (range, 10–63 months). Complications were categorized into intraoperative, early postoperative, and late postoperative groups. Intraoperative complications occurred in 6 of the 60 (10%) fractures and included propagation of the tibial fracture into the insertion site of the nail in four cases. In each of two other fractures, at least one of the proximal interlocking screws was documented to have poor bony purchase. These complications did not affect final fracture alignment or clinical result. Early complications included soft-tissue complications, complications of fixation, and neurologic complications. Four patients developed hematomas at the nail insertion site. Eight fractures were stabilized in greater than 5° of varus or valgus. Neurologic deficits directly related to the procedure were documented in 18 patients (30%). The majority were minor sensory neuropraxias of the peroneal nerve. Sixteen (89%) of these nerve palsies were transient, resolving within 3–6 months. Two patients had persistent nerve deficits at 1-year follow-up. In the late complications group, 10 of the 45 (22%) tibial fractures followed to union developed patellar tendinitis. Nonunion developed in two fractures, both of which required additional surgical procedures to obtain fracture union. Two deep infections occurred, both of which resolved after local wound care, fracture union, and nail removal. Overall, 26 of the 45 tibial fractures available for follow-up (58%) developed some complication attributable to the procedure. The majority of these complications were minor and did not affect the long-term clinical result. However, the operative surgeon needs to be aware of the significant potential for complications with this procedure.

Intramedullary stabilization of humeral shaft fractures in patients with multiple trauma

Sixty-one patients with multiple injuries, which included sixty-three fractures of the humeral diaphysis, were treated by intramedullary stabilization of the fracture with Rush rods or Ender nails. Portals of entry allowing antegrade or retrograde insertion or insertion at the epicondyles were used. For most of the patients, closed intramedullary fixation of the fracture was performed within twenty-four hours of the injury. Adequate follow-up studies were obtained for fifty-six patients (fifty-eight fractures). Stabilization by antegrade insertion gave excellent results if the portal of entry did not violate the rotator cuff. Symptoms of impingement in the shoulder and pain associated with an incorrect position of the portal for antegrade insertion required early removal of the device. Each fracture that was treated with fixation through the epicondylar portal had a poor result, and this technique is not recommended. Retrograde insertion, with the portal of entry located proximal to the olecranon fossa, yielded excellent results. Care must be taken to prevent encroachment on the olecranon fossa, which can result in a block to extension of the elbow. The surgical technique of closed fixation by retrograde insertion is presented. Immediate closed intramedullary stabilization of the fractured humeral shaft resulted in a 94 per cent rate of union and a 62 per cent rate of excellent clinical results. This technique is particularly applicable to patients with multiple trauma, as it minimizes loss of blood and the risk to neurovascular structures while providing stability for mobilization and aggressive pulmonary physiotherapy. In our opinion, however, isolated fractures of the humeral shaft should be treated by non-operative methods.

Intramedullary nailing of open fractures of the femoral shaft.

The cases of eighty-six patients in whom eighty-nine open fractures of the femoral shaft had been treated by intramedullary nailing with reaming were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-seven fractures were classified as grade-I open fractures; sixteen, as grade-II open fractures; and forty-six, as grade-III open fractures. Immediate intramedullary nailing was done for fifty-six fractures, and delayed stabilization (five to seven days after delayed closure of the wound) was done for thirty-three fractures. A prerequisite for immediate intramedullary nailing was that irrigation and debridement of the open wound be done within eight hours after injury. All fractures healed in an average of 5.2 months. No infections occurred in the sixty-two grade-I, grade-II, or grade-IIIA open fractures, regardless of whether immediate or delayed intramedullary nailing was performed. Of the twenty-seven grade-IIIB fractures, infection developed in three: in one after immediate intramedullary nailing and in two after delayed intramedullary nailing. We concluded that, if a thorough and timely debridement can be accomplished, immediate intramedullary nailing of grade-I and grade-II open fractures of the femoral shaft does not increase the risk of postoperative infection. Selected patients who have a grade-III open fracture may be candidates for immediate intramedullary stabilization, depending on the degree of the patients associated injuries and the extent of disruption and contamination of the soft tissues of the thigh.