Injury
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Fractures of the proximal femur constitute a major public health problem, with an annual incidence in Spain of 7.6 cases per 1000 inhabitants over 65 years of age. Hip fractures are frequent in elderly patients, related to osteoporosis and with low energy trauma, which means that they can be considered a geriatric syndrome. Simultaneous ipsilateral extra- and intra-articular hip fractures are considered as very rare are, and generally speaking, classified as extra- or intra-capsular fractures. Moreover, there is no consensus with regard to treatment of these concomitant fractures. ⋯ The incidence of concomitant ipsilateral extra- and intra-capsular fractures of the proximal femur must be taken into account in patients over 65 years of age. It is clinically relevant to identify these concomitant fractures in order to arrive at a correct diagnosis, which will facilitate preoperative planning and the choice of the best treatment to achieve a better outcome. Misdiagnosis may cause further problems, such as fixation failures, disability and, in a worst case scenario, an increased risk of death. Therefore, a good and complete preoperative study is important, along with both good quality X-ray projections and 2D and 3D Ct-Scans in case of doubt.
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Increased mortality rates have been reported for emergency admissions during weekends and outside office hours. Research on the weekend effect in hip fracture patients is however limited and demonstrates conflicting results. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of weekend admission and weekend surgery on 30-day and 1-year mortality following hip fracture surgery. ⋯ There was no weekend effect for hip fracture patients in our study. These results indicate an adequate level of perioperative care outside weekday office hours within our health care system.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Femoral nerve block in a representative sample of elderly people with hip fracture: A randomised controlled trial.
The number of elderly people with hip fracture and dementia is increasing, and many of these patients suffer from pain. Opioids are difficult to adjust and side effects are common, especially with increased age and among patients with dementia. Preoperative femoral nerve block is an alternative pain treatment. ⋯ Patients with hip fracture, including those with dementia, who received femoral nerve block had lower pain scores and required less opioids before surgery compared with those receiving conventional pain management. Femoral nerve block seems to be a feasible pain treatment for elderly people, including those with dementia.
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Comparative Study
Does restoration of leg length and femoral offset play a role in functional outcome one year after hip hemiarthroplasty?
The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between specific joint biomechanical parameters and 1year functional outcome scores in elderly patients receiving hemiarthroplasty in the setting of intracapsular hip fractures. ⋯ Our study was unable to demonstrate a significant relationship between leg length or femoral offset restoration and the patient's ultimate functional recovery. Arthroplasty surgeons performed better in restoring leg length, but no associated functional advantage was seen.
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Fixation strength of constructs placed across the pubic symphysis after injury is dependent on screw length, maximisation of which requires knowledge of the bony anatomy. The aim of this study was to describe the ideal angle of drilling to achieve maximal safe screw placement within the pubic body. Furthermore, the influences of age and gender on the skeletal topography were investigated. ⋯ The anatomy of this region is reliable in terms of angles and sizes; a drill angle of 55° with respect to the operating table will allow maximal screw length, which should be in the region of 55mm. The mean width of the pubic body should allow for placement of a 3.5 or 4.5mm diameter screw.