1. Fix or Replace? Patient Preferences for the Treatment of Geriatric Lower Extremity Fractures: A Discrete Choice Experiment.
- Author
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Richards JT, O'Hara NN, Healy K, Zingas N, McKibben N, Benzel C, Slobogean GP, O'Toole RV, and Sciadini MF
- Abstract
Introduction: When considering treatment options for geriatric patients with lower extremity fractures, little is known about which outcomes are prioritized by patients. This study aimed to determine the patient preferences for outcomes after a geriatric lower extremity fracture., Materials and Methods: We administered a discrete choice experiment survey to 150 patients who were at least 60 years of age and treated for a lower extremity fracture at a Level I trauma center. The discrete choice experiment presented study participants with 8 sets of hypothetical outcome comparisons, including joint preservation (yes or no), risk of reoperation at 6 months and 24 months, postoperative weightbearing status, disposition, and function as measured by return to baseline walking distance. We estimated the relative importance of these potential outcomes using multinomial logit modeling., Results: The strongest patient preference was for maintained function after treatment (59%, P < .001), followed by reoperation within 6 months (12%, P < .001). Although patients generally favored joint preservation, patients were willing to change their preference in favor of joint replacement if it increased function (walking distance) by 13% (SE, 66%). Reducing the short-term reoperation risk (12%, P < .001) was more important to patients than reducing long-term reoperation risk (4%, P = .33). Disposition and weightbearing status were lesser priorities to patients (9%, P < .001 and 7%, P < .001, respectively)., Discussion: After a lower extremity fracture, geriatric patients prioritized maintained walking function. Avoiding short-term reoperation was more important than avoiding long-term reoperation. Joint preservation through fracture fixation was the preferred treatment of geriatric patients unless arthroplasty or arthrodesis provides a meaningful functional benefit. Hospital disposition and postoperative weightbearing status were less important to patients than the other included outcomes., Conclusions: Geriatric patients strongly prioritize function over other outcomes after a lower extremity fracture., Competing Interests: N. N. O’Hara receives stock or stock options from Arbutus Medical, Inc. unrelated to this research. G. P. Slobogean receives research funding from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, and serves as a paid consultant for Smith and Nephew and Zimmer, all unrelated to this research. R. V. O’Toole serves as a paid consultant for Stryker, receives stock options from Imagen, and receives royalties from Lincotek, all unrelated to this research. M. F. Sciadini serves as a paid consult for Globus Medical and Stryker, receives stock options from Stryker, and receives royalties from Globus Medical, all unrelated to this research. The remaining authors report no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024.)
- Published
- 2024
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