J Bone Joint Surg Br
-
J Bone Joint Surg Br · Mar 2006
Management of severe open tibial fractures: the need for combined orthopaedic and plastic surgical treatment in specialist centres.
Although it is widely accepted that grade IIIB open tibial fractures require combined specialised orthopaedic and plastic surgery, the majority of patients in the UK initially present to local hospitals without access to specialised trauma facilities. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of patients presenting directly to a specialist centre (primary group) with that of patients initially managed at local centres (tertiary group). We reviewed 73 consecutive grade IIIB open tibial shaft fractures with a mean follow-up of 14 months (8 to 48). ⋯ At review, 67% of patients had returned to employment, with a further 10% considering a return after rehabilitation. The times to union, infection rates and Enneking limb reconstruction scores were not statistically different between the primary and tertiary groups. The increased complications and revision surgery encountered in the tertiary group suggest that severe open tibial fractures should be referred directly to specialist centres for simultaneous combined management by orthopaedic and plastic surgeons.
-
J Bone Joint Surg Br · Mar 2006
Multicenter StudyDo clinical presentation and pre-operative quality of life predict satisfaction with care after total hip or knee replacement?
We conducted a multicentre cohort study of 228 patients with osteoarthritis followed up after total hip or knee replacement. Quality of life and patient satisfaction were assessed by self-administered questionnaires. Patient satisfaction was the dependent variable in a multivariate linear regression model. ⋯ Only pre-operative bodily pain (p<0.01) and pre-operative social functioning (p<0.05) influenced patient satisfaction with care. The pre-operative health-related quality of life and patient characteristics have little effect on inpatient satisfaction with care. This suggests that the impact of the care process on satisfaction may be independent of observed and perceived initial patient-related characteristics.
-
J Bone Joint Surg Br · Mar 2006
Influence of the design of the prosthesis on the outcome after hemiarthroplasty of the shoulder in displaced fractures of the head of the humerus.
We reviewed 39 patients with displaced three- and four-part fractures of the humerus. In 21 patients (group A) we had used an anatomical prosthesis for the humeral head and in 18 (group B) an implant designed for fractures. When followed up at a mean of 29.3 months after surgery the overall Constant score was 51.9 points; in group A it was 51.5 and in group B 52.4 points. ⋯ The functional outcome was significantly better in patients with complete or partial healing of the tuberosities (p=0.022). The specific trauma prosthesis did not lead to better healing of the tuberosities. The difference in clinical outcome obtained by the two designs did not reach statistical significance.