Patient Mortality in Geriatric Distal Femur Fractures.

Objectives: To estimate 1-year mortality rates in elderly patients who undergo operative treatment for distal femur fractures and identify potential risk factors for mortality.

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Level 1 and Level 2 trauma centers.

Early prediction of tibial and femoral fracture healing: Are we reliable?

Introduction: To evaluate the ability of orthopaedic trauma subspecialists to predict early bony union in femoral and tibia shaft fractures.

Materials And Methods: Eight orthopaedic trauma subspecialists prospectively predicted the probability of bony union at 6 and 12 weeks post-operatively for an aggregate of 48 femoral and tibial shaft fractures treated at a Level 1 trauma centre. An additional orthopaedic trauma subspecialist was blinded to treating surgeon and adjudicated healing at 18 weeks.

Biomechanical analysis of augmented plate fixation for the treatment of vertical shear femoral neck fractures.

Objectives: To compare the strength of augmented versus nonaugmented fixation techniques for stabilizing vertical shear femoral neck fractures.

Methods: Two surgical screw constructs were tested with and without augmentation using 40 composite femurs: (1) 7.3-mm cannulated screws placed in an inverted triangular configuration and (2) 135-degree dynamic hip screw (DHS).

Appropriateness of patient transfer with associated orthopaedic injuries to a Level I trauma center.

Objective: To prospectively evaluate the appropriateness, indications, risk factors, and epidemiology of patients with orthopaedic injuries transferred to a Level I trauma center.

Design: Prospective data were supplemented through chart review on all patients transferred to a Level I trauma center with orthopaedic injuries (n = 546) from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2007. The accepting orthopaedic trauma surgeon evaluated the appropriateness of transfer by visual analog scale.

Depression in orthopaedic trauma patients. Prevalence and severity.

Background: There is a known connection between physical injury and disability and emotional distress. Several investigators have shown a relationship between trauma, depression, and poor outcomes. The literature on trauma and depression is limited with regard to clarifying the relationship between the degree of injury and depression and the relationship between physical function of patients with less severe injuries and depression.

Complications associated with the posterolateral approach for pilon fractures.

Objective: To review the complication rates of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of tibial pilon fractures using the posterolateral approach.

Design: Retrospective review.

Setting: Two level I trauma centers.