Injury
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Review
Postoperative management considerations of the elderly patient undergoing orthopaedic surgery.
The elderly population is rapidly increasing, corresponding to an increase in orthopaedic surgical procedures for this group of patients. Current guidelines mostly concentrate on the patient's age when considering surgical fitness in the elderly. However, patient frailty may be a more significant factor when assessing postoperative risk in surgical management. In this article, we will analyse some of the factors associated with the postoperative care of the geriatric population after orthopaedic surgery. ⋯ There is a higher rate of postoperative complications in the surgical management of the elderly, and thus, special considerations following orthopaedic surgery in this patient group are necessary. Determining patient frailty based on clinical judgment using specific postoperative considerations could be a more reliable method in determining the surgical risk in the elderly patient. Additionally, more attention needs to be diverted towards early mobilization and patient education, as these factors can significantly help to avoid some of the postoperative complications that seem to affect the geriatric population.
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Intraoperative imaging has been advanced substantially over the last decades. It supports localization of the region of interest, verification of the preoperatively classified fracture pattern, identification of correct insertion point of the implant, placement of instruments and fixation material, and verification of correct fracture reduction and implant positioning. ⋯ Additional options such as perioperative virtual planning, simulation, and surgical training, 3D printing techniques and 3D augmented reality visualization may potentially open new windows to improve surgical results in fracture care. This manuscript presents an update on current and upcoming imaging techniques in orthopaedic and trauma surgery focusing on technical advances for decreasing malreduction, malalignment, and malposition, as well as tips and tricks for daily surgical practice in order to improve clinical outcomes and patients' and surgeons' safety.
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Intra-articular fractures are a unique subset of fractures as they involve a varying extent of damage to cartilage. The impact of this articular fracture causes significant microscopic and macroscopic changes, as well as biomechanical irregularities, which can lead to further cartilage damage, and ultimately cascade down the dreaded path to arthritis. ⋯ A comprehensive literature review was carried out to create a best available evidence guide to the acceptability of upper extremity and lower extremity articular fracture reductions. Ultimately, a perfect anatomic reduction is the best strategy to minimize abnormal loading and wear patterns, however this should be balanced with the realistic factors of each individual case, such as the level of difficulty, joint involved, surgical timing, and patient activity levels.
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Patients with hip fractures are typically elderly individuals with several co-morbidities. Upon admission to the hospital, they often present with acute pain, electrolyte disturbances, anaemia, coagulopathy, and delirium. ⋯ The balance between the number of clinical tests and optimisation, which may (i.e., fewer complications and better survival) or may not (i.e., more complications and increased mortality due to unnecessary surgical delay) benefit the patient, has been a preoperative challenge. This summary will review existing clinical guidelines and relevant selected studies to evaluate the extent of preoperative optimisation needed prior to hip fracture surgery.
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In May 2017 the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR) was published to replace the current Medical Device Directive (MDD) and the Active Implantable Medical Device Directive (AIMDD). After a transition period of 3 years (ending May 2020) the MDR will apply in the European Union (EU). With this new legislative framework, the requirements for placing new medical devices and keeping existing medical devices on the EU market will become more stringent. ⋯ Since 2000 there has been a significant increase in the quantity and quality of publications in the fields of orthopaedic and orthopaedic trauma surgery. However, there is still a large number of medical devices without direct clinical data which rely on market experience and the established level of a specific technology or a group of devices. Due to this fact, and the fact that the new MDR is requiring sufficient clinical data for devices which shall stay on the market after May 2020, there is an increasing need for new clinical data sources reflecting the real-world use of medical devices.