Background: The aim of this study was to develop an accurate and clinically relevant prediction model for 30-day mortality following hip fracture surgery.
Methods: A previous study protocol was utilized as a guideline for data collection and as the standard for the hip fracture treatment. Two prospective, detailed hip fracture databases of 2 different hospitals (hospital A, training cohort; hospital B, testing cohort) were utilized to obtain data. On the basis of the literature, the results of a univariable analysis, and expert opinion, 26 candidate predictors of 30-day mortality were selected. Subsequently, the training of the model, including variable selection, was performed on the training cohort (hospital A) with use of adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression. External validation was performed on the testing cohort (hospital B).
Results: A total of 3,523 patients were analyzed, of whom 302 (8.6%) died within 30 days after surgery. After the LASSO analysis, 7 of the 26 variables were included in the prediction model: age, gender, an American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 4, dementia, albumin level, Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living total score, and residence in a nursing home. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the prediction model was 0.789 in the training cohort and 0.775 in the testing cohort. The calibration curve showed good consistency between observed and predicted 30-day mortality.
Conclusions: The Rotterdam Hip Fracture Mortality Prediction-30 Days (RHMP-30) was developed and externally validated, and showed adequate performance in predicting 30-day mortality following hip fracture surgery. The RHMP-30 will be helpful for shared decision-making with patients regarding hip fracture treatment.
Level of evidence: Prognostic Level II . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Background: Risk factors for gluteal tears include age-related deterioration, female sex, and increased body mass index. As the literature that supports the sagittal relationship between the lumbar spine and the hip is increasing, there may be a parallel relationship between the perturbations in spinopelvic alignment caused by lumbar spine disease and gluteal muscle tears. Because no prior studies other than single-institution series have reported on this phenomenon, we investigated spine-abductor syndrome at the population level.
Methods: This study utilized TriNetX, a federated research network that continuously aggregates deidentified electronic health record data from >92 million patients across the United States. The relative risks of gluteal tear encounter diagnoses and procedures were calculated for patients with and without the following characteristics: age ≥45 years, female sex, obesity, lumbar spine diagnoses, lumbar spine injections, and lumbar spine surgery. Utilizing the Cox proportional hazard model, we also analyzed gluteal tear-free survival over a period of ≥10 years in subgroups of patients who had been diagnosed with lumbar pathology, had been administered a lumbar injection, or had received lumbar surgery.
Results: Of the 8,475,800 patients who had received lumbar spine diagnoses, undergone lumbar injections, and/or undergone lumbar surgeries, 458,311 patients (5.4%) had gluteal tears, representing a relative risk of 13.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]:13.6 to 13.6). After controlling for age, sex, and obesity, survival analysis showed markedly increased hazard ratios (HRs) for patients having a gluteal tear encounter diagnosis in the intervening 13 years (2010 to 2023) if they had had a previous lumbar spine pathology encounter diagnosis (HR: 4.8, 95% CI: 4.5 to 5.1), had undergone lumbar spine injections (HR: 7.7, 95% CI: 6.2 to 9.5), or had undergone lumbar spine surgery (HR: 6.6, 95% CI: 5.3 to 8.1) in 2010.
Conclusions: These findings suggest a strong association between lumbar spine pathology and abductor tears. Further biomechanical and neuroanatomic studies may elucidate the effects of lumbar spine disease in relation to gluteal tears. Additionally, there may be a need to optimize diagnostic protocols for lateral hip pain in patients with a history of lumbar spine disease.
Level of evidence: Prognostic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Background: The financial and resource burden of management of olecranon fractures in the elderly is likely to increase with an aging population. There is limited evidence guiding treatment choice in this cohort. This study aimed to determine whether operative treatment of displaced olecranon fractures in elderly patients provides superior 12-month functional outcomes compared to nonoperative treatment.
Methods: A multicenter pragmatic randomized controlled trial was conducted across 24 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand. Patients aged ≥75 years presenting with an acute (within 14 days), displaced, closed, isolated olecranon fracture were included. Operative treatment involved reduction and stabilization using tension band wiring or plate fixation. Nonoperative treatment consisted of a sling for comfort and early movement as tolerated. The primary outcome was the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were the DASH score at 3 months and pain, quality of life, Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), active elbow range of motion, and complication rate at 3 and 12 months. Data were analyzed based on an intention-to-treat principle, with sensitivity analyses using as-treated groups.
Results: Sixty participants were randomized, 27 to the operative group (mean age and standard deviation [SD], 83 ± 5.8 years; 22 [81%] females) and 33 to the nonoperative group (mean age, 82 ± 4.5 years; 23 [70%] females), with no significant difference in baseline characteristics. There was no significant difference (mean difference, -6.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -14.9 to 1.8; p = 0.12) in the mean DASH scores at 12 months (the primary outcome) between the operative (12.3 ± 14) and nonoperative (18.9 ± 18) groups. Although active elbow extension was significantly superior in the operative group at 12 months, no other secondary outcome differed significantly between groups at 12 months.
Conclusions: The study found no significant difference in DASH scores at 12 months between the operative and nonoperative groups. This supports nonoperative treatment as a reasonable option for displaced stable olecranon fractures in elderly patients.
Level of evidence: Therapeutic Level I . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Abstract: Published in 2003 by the Institute of Medicine, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care placed an unprecedented spotlight on disparities in the U.S. health-care system. In the 2 decades since the publication of that landmark report, disparities continue to be prevalent and remain an important significant national concern. This article synthesizes the evolution, current state, and future of racial and ethnic disparities in the use of elective total joint replacement surgeries. We contextualize our impressions with respect to the recommendations of the Unequal Treatment Report.
Background: Limb-salvage surgery for malignant bone tumors can be associated with considerable perioperative blood loss. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to assess the safety and efficacy of the intraoperative infusion of tranexamic acid (TXA) in children and adolescents undergoing limb-salvage surgery.
Methods: All participants were <18 years of age at the time of surgery and diagnosed with a malignant bone tumor of the femur that was treated with resection and reconstruction with a megaprosthesis. Exclusion criteria included anatomic locations other than the femur, reconstruction with a vascularized fibular graft, and a previous history of deep venous thrombosis, coagulopathy, or renal dysfunction. Participants were randomly allocated to either the TXA group (a preoperative loading dose infusion of 10 mg/kg of TXA followed by a continuous infusion of 5 mg/kg/hr until the end of surgery) or the placebo group (the same dosage but with TXA substituted with an infusion of normal saline solution). Intraoperative and perioperative blood loss were calculated with use of the hemoglobin balance method. Perioperative blood loss at postoperative day 1 and at discharge from the hospital were calculated. The total volumes of blood transfused intraoperatively and postoperatively were recorded. A statistical comparison between the groups was performed for blood loss and blood transfusion as well as for possible independent variables other than TXA, including age, body mass index, histopathologic diagnosis, tumor volume, preoperative hemoglobin level, type of resection, and the duration of surgery.
Results: A total of 48 participants, with a mean age of 12.5 ± 3.44 years (range, 5 to 18 years) and a male-to-female ratio of 1.18, were included. All participants were Egyptians by race and ethnicity. There were no minor or major drug-related adverse events. There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to intraoperative blood loss (p = 0.0616) or transfusion requirements (p = 0.812), but there was a significant difference in perioperative blood loss at postoperative day 1 (p = 0.0144) and at discharge from the hospital (p = 0.0106) and in perioperative blood transfusion (p = 0.023).
Conclusions: TXA can be safely infused intraoperatively in children and adolescents undergoing limb-salvage surgery, and it contributes significantly to the reduction of perioperative blood loss and transfusion requirements.
Level of evidence: Therapeutic Level I . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Background: Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is a painful condition that can impair a patient's quality of life. If nonoperative measures fail, progressively more invasive treatment options may be required. This clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided leukocyte-rich platelet-rich plasma (LR-PRP) injections in the treatment of refractory GTPS caused by bursitis and/or gluteal tendinopathy.
Methods: An ethically approved, adequately powered, double-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to evaluate the clinical outcomes in randomized LR-PRP and placebo groups using the International Hip Outcome Tool-12 (iHOT-12), a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, the modified Harris hip score (mHHS), the EuroQol 5-Dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire, and the presence or absence of complications. All injections were performed under ultrasound guidance into the trochanteric bursa and gluteus medius tendon.
Results: The final analysis included 79 patients (39 in the LR-PRP and 40 in the placebo group; 73 female and 6 male; all Caucasian). Both the LR-PRP and the placebo group generally had improvement from baseline that was maintained to 12 months. The only deterioration in scores compared to baseline was seen in the LR-PRP group for the iHOT-12 at 12 months, the EQ-5D index at 3 and 6 months, and the EQ-5D VAS at all follow-up time points. However, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups at any follow-up point (p > 0.05). A multivariable linear regression model, with adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and preoperative baseline score, did not reveal any significant associations between iHOT-12 and EQ-5D score gains at 12 months and treatment.
Conclusions: This randomized trial found no significant difference in outcomes between LR-PRP and placebo for the treatment of greater trochanteric pain up to 6 months following the intervention. As a result, we do not support the routine use of PRP for the treatment of this condition.
Level of evidence: Therapeutic Level I . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.