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Deltoid ligament reconstruction following type B ankle fractures continues to generate a vivid discussion amongst trauma surgeons. There is a difference of opinion as to whether operative or non operative treatment should prevail. We therefore conducted a prospective comparative cohort study to determine whether it is necessary to routinely repair the injured deltoid ligaments. 41 Type B ankle joint fracture patients were enrolled, all the patients were associated with deltoid ligament ruptures and lateral/posterior-lateral dislocation of talus. After fixation of the lateral malleolus fracture, 12 patients were treated by superficial deltoid ligaments repairing, 16 patients with deep components augmentation, 13 patients had no direct surgical intervention. In the deep components group, the planter and the dorsi flexion was 3.2° (0-10°) and 8.8° (0-15°) less than the normal side. In the superficial components group, plantar and dorsi flexion was 0.8° (0-5°) and 4.2° (0-15°) less than the normal side. In the non-repairing group, the plantar and dorsi flexion was 2.4° (0-10°) and 5.6° (0-20°) less than the normal side. Overall, no significant statistical difference was observed comparing the 3 groups. In addition, no statistically significant inter-group differences were evident in terms of measurement of the ankle medial clear space and the clinical and functional outcomes recorded. In conclusion, the results of this study do not support routine exposure and repairing of the injured deltoid ligaments.

There is little information on the cost and outcome of different treatments for femoral neck fractures. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of internal fixation compared with hemiarthroplasty (HA) for elderly patients with displaced femoral neck fractures.A total of 121 patients ≥ 65 years old were divided into internal fixation (n = 58) or HA group (n = 63). Clinical outcome was evaluated by the EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) score at 3, 12, and 24 months. The total costs including medical and non-medical expense were collected through hospitalisation information, cost diaries, and telephone interviews. A cost-utility analysis of the total costs in combination with quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) calculated by EQ-5D and survival time was conducted. Results were expressed in incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).The mean EQ-5D index score in the HA group were higher at the early follow-up (p0.05). At 24 months there were no differences in EQ-5D between the 2 treatment groups (p0.05). Over the 2-year period, patients treated with HA gained 0.09-0.10 more QALYs than those treated with internal fixation, while the mean total costs for internal fixation (CNY 55,676) were significantly lower than for HA (CNY 80,297) (P0.001). ICER indicated that internal fixation may be more cost-effective than HA.HA is associated with better outcome than internal fixation in the treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures in elderly patients. However, internal fixation may be more cost-effective because of less total cost.

To establish a preoperative deep venous thrombosis predictor score for patients with fresh lower extremity fractures by statistical analysis.From January 2011 to December 2012, 1 705 patients with fresh lower extremity fractures were admitted to department of orthopaedic trauma, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital. They were randomly divided into two groups, the group 1 (n = 879) was used to screen risk factors and derived a predictive models based on logistic regression, the group 2 (n = 826) validated the models.Among the patients, there were 1 106 male and 599 female patients, with an average age of (50 ± 18) years.Variables related to preoperative deep venous thrombosis were age, length of time before surgery, cause of injury, low/high-energy injury, location of injury, history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and D-Dimer. The scores based on OR were: age ≤ 35 years: 1 point,35-65 years: 4 points, ≥ 65 years: 6 points; length of time before surgery,8 days:1 point, ≥ 8 days:2 points;low-energy injury:1 point, high energy injury:3 points;location of injury, foot and ankle:1 point, calf:3 points, around the knee: 5 points, femoral diaphysis and proximal femur:7 points, pelvis and acetabulum:4 points, ≥ 2 sites:6 point;history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, yes:2 points, no:1 point. D-Dimer600 µg/L:1 point, ≥ 600 µg/L:3 points. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.79, critical point 15.5 points, sensitivity was 77.00%, specificity was 68.17%.The score can predict the preoperative deep venous thrombosis for patients with fresh lower extremity fractures, but limited.

Background: Old pelvis fractures are among the most challenging fractures to treat because of their complex anatomy, difficult-to-access surgical sites, and the relatively low incidence of such cases. Proper evaluation and surgical planning are necessary to achieve the pelvic ring symmetry and stable fixation of the fracture. The goal of this study was to assess the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques for surgical management of old pelvic fractures. Methods: First, 16 dried human cadaveric pelvises were used to confirm the anatomical accuracy of the 3D models printed based on radiographic data. Next, nine clinical cases between January 2009 and April 2013 were used to evaluate the surgical reconstruction based on the 3D printed models. The pelvic injuries were all type C, and the average time from injury to reconstruction was 11 weeks (range: 8-17 weeks). The workflow consisted of: (1) Printing patient-specific bone models based on preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans, (2) virtual fracture reduction using the printed 3D anatomic template, (3) virtual fracture fixation using Kirschner wires, and (4) preoperatively measuring the osteotomy and implant position relative to landmarks using the virtually defined deformation. These models aided communication between surgical team members during the procedure. This technique was validated by comparing the preoperative planning to the intraoperative procedure. Results: The accuracy of the 3D printed models was within specification. Production of a model from standard CT DICOM data took 7 hours (range: 6-9 hours). Preoperative planning using the 3D printed models was feasible in all cases. Good correlation was found between the preoperative planning and postoperative follow-up X-ray in all nine cases. The patients were followed for 3-29 months (median: 5 months). The fracture healing time was 9-17 weeks (mean: 10 weeks). No delayed incision healing, wound infection, or nonunions occurred. The results were excellent in two cases, good in five, and poor in two based on the Majeed score. Conclusions: The 3D printing planning technique for pelvic surgery was successfully integrated into a clinical workflow to improve patient-specific preoperative planning by providing a visual and haptic model of the injury and allowing patient-specific adaptation of each osteosynthesis implant to the virtually reduced pelvis.

Early and accurate assessment of unstable pelvic fractures decreases mortality and morbidity by improving the outcomes of closed reduction surgery. In some circumstances (such as in developing countries or in acute trauma), accurate computed tomography (CT) 3D reconstructions are difficult to obtain and plain radiography must be relied upon for surgical planning. Therefore, a simulation model of pelvic displacement was evaluated as a basis for improving the assessment of pelvic fracture displacement from plain radiography images. The simulated model was based on a modified anteroposterior (AP) view of the pelvis constructed using anatomical data. Plain radiography imaging data of sagittal 20 ° hemipelvic rotation, similar to that observed in trauma, was obtained from the simulated model and were compared with normal pelvic rings from 10 cadaveric specimens (actual model). For each data set, the anterior superior iliac spine and ipsilateral pubic symphysis were measured on both sides. There was no significant difference between pelvic sides in the simulated and actual models (P = 0.870). Furthermore, no significant difference was found between the rotational degree of each pelvis based on calculated or simulated degrees and the 20 ° rotational angle (P = 0.322). A simulation model based on plain radiography of pelvic displacement could contribute to the optimal surgical management of unstable pelvic fractures without relying on CT.