Volume 24 · Issue 05 · 2021

There are currently no clear guidelines for use of pan- or selective CT in elderly trauma patients and this subject matter remains controversial. The aim of this study is to compare the outcome of elderly trauma patients in a level 1 trauma centre who required a pan- or selective CT scan on admission.

The Trauma Audit Research Network database was reviewed to identify eligible patients (≥65 years) over a one-year period, from January 2018 to January 2019. Patients’ demographics, mechanism of injury, injury severity score, length of hospital stay (LOS), mortality and type of CT scans done were recorded. The inclusion criteria were elderly patients ≥65 years involved in acute trauma setting (less than one day between incident and emergency department presentation and blunt mechanism of injury). Exclusion criteria were patients <65 years, perforating mechanism of injury and patients with delayed presentation more than one day after the incident, and patients who have not got any CT scan at presentation. Statistical analyses were undertaken on SPSS (version 25.0; IBM, New York, USA).

In total, 481 patients with the mean age of 80.8 years were evaluated (48.6% male). Among them 232 cases were multiple injuries while 249 were single system injuries. And 235 patients (48.8%) underwent pan-CT in whom 66.8% were multiple injuries; 246 (51.1%) did selective CT scan in whom 69.5% were single system injuries. In multiple injury patients, performing a pan-CT scan on presentation was associated with shorter LOS compared to those who had a selective CT, in which 76.4% patients spent < 21 days in the pan-CT group compared to 16.0% for those investigated by selective CT scan (p < 0.001); and 2.5% spent > 60 days in pan-CT group compared to 64% in selective CT group (p < 0.0001). Performing pan-CT was also associated with lower need to repeat CT (p < 0.01). In patients with a single system injury, no differences were found in LOS or the need to repeat CT if either pan-CT or selective CT were requested.

We recommend doing pan-CT scan in all elderly patients with multiple system injuries as it decreases the LOS and the need for another CT during hospital stay. No difference in LOS or the need to repeat another CT if pan-CT or selective CT were requested initially in single system injuries. Although age and injury severity score are poor predictors for the need to do pan-CT, the mechanism of injury may be helpful.

Blunt thoracic injuries are common among elderly patients and may be a common cause of morbidity and death from blunt trauma injuries. We aimed to examine the impact of chest CT on the diagnosis and change of management plan in elderly patients with stable blunt chest trauma. We hypothesized that chest CT may play an important role in providing optimal management to this subgroup of trauma patients.

A retrospective analysis was performed on all the admitted adult blunt trauma patients between January 2014 and December 2018. Stable blunt chest trauma patients with abbreviated injury severity (AIS) < 3 for extra-thoracic injuries confirmed with chest X-ray (CXR) and chest CT on admission or during hospitalization were included in the study. The AIS is an international scale for grading the severity of anatomic injury following blunt trauma. Primary outcome variables were occult injuries, change in management, need for surgical procedures, missed injuries, readmission rate, intensive care unit (ICU) and length of hospital stay.

There are 473 patients with blunt chest trauma included in the study. The study patients were divided into two groups according to the age range: group 1: 289 patients were included and aged 18-64 years; group 2: 184 patients were included and aged 65-99 years . Elderly patients in group 2 more often required ICU admission (11.4% vs. 5.2%), had a longer length of ICU stay (days) (median 11 vs. 6, p = 0.01), and the length of hospital stay (days) (median 14 vs. 6, p = 0.04). Injuries identified on chest CT has led to a change of management in 4.4% of young patients in group 1 and in 10.9% of elderly patients in group 2 with initially normal CXR. Chest CT resulted in a change of management in 12.8% of young patients in group 1 and in 25.7% of elderly patients in group 2 with initially abnormal CXR.

Chest CT led to a change of management in a substantial proportion of elderly patients. Therefore, we recommend chest CT as a first-line imaging modality in patients aged over 65 years with isolated blunt chest trauma.

The injury severity score (ISS) and new injury severity score (NISS) have been widely used in trauma evaluation. However, which scoring system is better in trauma outcome prediction is still disputed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the value of the two scoring systems in predicting trauma outcomes, including mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and ICU length of stay.

The data were collected retrospectively from three hospitals in Zhejiang province, China. The comparisons of NISS and ISS in predicting outcomes were performed by using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves and Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics.

A total of 1825 blunt trauma patients were enrolled in our study. Finally, 1243 patients were admitted to ICU, and 215 patients died before discharge. The ISS and NISS were equivalent in predicting mortality (area under ORC curve [AUC]: 0.886 vs. 0.887, p = 0.9113). But for the patients with ISS ≥25, NISS showed better performance in predicting mortality. NISS was also significantly better than ISS in predicting ICU admission and prolonged ICU length of stay.

NISS outperforms ISS in predicting the outcomes for severe blunt trauma and can be an essential supplement of ISS. Considering the convenience of NISS in calculation, it is advantageous to promote NISS in China’s primary hospitals.

Triceps tendon avulsion (TTA) is an uncommon injury, and there are no classifications or treatment guidelines available. This study aims to describe a clinicoradiological classification and treatment algorithm for traumatic TTA in adults. The functional outcome of surgical repair has been evaluated too.

A retrospective analysis of adult patients with traumatic TTA treated in our institution between January 2012 and December 2017 was done. We only included complete TTA injuries. Children below 15 years, with open injuries, associated fractures, or partial TTA were excluded. The data were obtained from hospital records. The intraoperative findings were correlated with the clinicoradiological presentation for classifying TTA. The functional outcome was analyzed using the Mayo Elbow Performance index and Hospital for Special Surgery elbow score. ANOVA test was used to assess the statistical significance.

There were 15 patients included, 11 males and 4 females. The mean age was (31.5 ± 9.15) years, and the mean follow-up was (22.4 ± 8.4) months. Fall on outstretched hand was the mode of injury. In 6 patients, diagnosis was missed on the initial visit. TTA were classified as Type I: palpable soft-tissue defect without bony mass; Type II: palpable soft-tissue defect with a wafer-thin/comminuted bony fragment on X-ray; Type III: palpable soft-tissue defect with a bony mass and a large bony fragment on X-ray without extension to the articular surface; and Type IV: an olecranon fracture with less than 25% of the articular surface. An algorithm for treatment was recommended, i.e. transosseous suture repair/suture anchor for Type I, transosseous suture repair for Type II, and tension band wiring or steel wire sutures for Types III and IV. All the patients achieved good to excellent outcome: the mean Mayo Elbow Performance index was 100 and Hospital for Special Surgery score was 98.26 ± 2.60 on final follow-up.

Our clinicoradiological classification and treatment algorithm for TTAs is simple. Surgical treatment results in excellent functions of the elbow. Since it is a single-center study involving a very small number of cases, a multicenter study with a larger number of patients is required for external validation of our classification and treatment recommendations.

Low-velocity penetrating brain injury (LVPBI) caused by foreign bodies can pose lifethreatening emergencies. Their complexity and lack of validated classification data have prevented standardization of clinical management. We aimed to compare the trans-base and trans-vault phenotypes of LVPBI to help provide guidance for clinical decision-making of such injury type.

A retrospective study on LVPBI patients managed at our institution from November 2013 to March 2020 was conducted. We included LVPBI patients admitted for the first time for surgery, and excluded those with multiple injuries, gunshot wounds, pregnancy, severe blunt head trauma, etc. Patients were categorized into trans-base and trans-vault LVPBI groups based on the penetration pathway. Discharged patients were followed up by outpatient visit or telephone. The data were entered into the Electronic Medical Record system by clinicians, and subsequently derived by researchers. The demography and injury characteristics, treatment protocols, complications, and outcomes were analyzed and compared between the two groups. A t-test was used for analysis of normally distributed data, and a Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametric data. A generalized linear model was further established to determine whether the factors length of stay and performance scale score were influenced by each factor.

A total of 27 LVPBI patients were included in this analysis, comprised of 13 (48.1%) trans-base cases and 14 (51.9%) trans-vault cases. Statistical analyses suggested that trans-base LVPBI was correlated with deeper wounds; while the trans-vault phenotype was correlated with injury by metal foreign bodies. There was no difference in Glasgow Coma Scale score and the risk of intracranial hemorrhage between the two groups. Surgical approaches in the trans-base LVPBI group included subfrontal (n = 5, 38.5%), subtemporal (n = 5, 38.5%), lateral fissure (n = 2, 15.4%), and distal lateral (n = 1, 7.7%). All patients in the trans-vault group underwent a brain convex approach using the foreign body as reference (n = 14, 100%). Moreover, the two groups differed in application prerequisites for intracranial pressure monitoring and vessel-related treatment. Trans-base LVPBI was associated with higher rates of cranial nerve and major vessel injuries; in contrast, trans-vault LVPBI was associated with lower functional outcome scores.

Our findings suggest that trans-base and trans-vault LVPBIs differ in terms of characteristics, treatment, and outcomes. Further understanding of these differences may help guide clinical decisions and contribute to a better management of LVPBIs.

To describe and assess the repair technique and perioperative management for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak resulting from extensive anterior skull base fracture via extradural anterior skull base approach.

This was a retrospective review conducted at the Department of Neurosurgery of the Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital from January 2015 to April 2020. Patients with traumatic CSF rhinorrhea resulting from extensive anterior skull base fracture treated surgically via extended extradural anterior skull base approach were included in this study. The data of medical and radiological records, surgical approaches, repair techniques, peritoperative management, surgical outcome and postoperative follow-up were analyzed. Surgical repair techniques were tailored to the condition of associated injuries of the scalp, bony and dura injuries and associated intracranial lesions. Patients were followed up for the outcome of CSF leak and surgical complications. Data were presented as frequency and percent.

Thirty-five patients were included in this series. The patients’ mean age was 33 years (range 11-71 years). Eight patients were treated surgically within 2 weeks; while the other 27 patients, with prolonged or recurrent CSF rhinorrhea, received the repair surgery at 17 days to 10 years after the initial trauma. The mean overall length of follow-up was 23 months (range 3-65 months). All the patients suffered from frontobasal multiple fractures. The basic repair tenet was to achieve watertight seal of the dura. The frontal pericranial flap alone was used in 20 patients, combined with temporalis muscle and/or its facia in 10 patients. Free fascia lata graft was used instead in the rest 5 patients. No CSF leak was found in all the patients at discharge. There was no surgical mortality in this series. Bilateral anosmia was the most common complication. At follow-up, no recurrent CSF leak or meningitis occurred. No patients developed mucoceles, epidural abscess or osteomyelitis. One patient ultimately required ventriculoperitoneal shunt because of progressive hydrocephalus.

Traumatic CSF rhinorrhea associated with extensive anterior skull base fractures often requires aggressive treatment via extended intracranial extradural approach. Vascularized tissue flaps are ideal grafts for cranial base reconstruction, either alone or in combination with temporalis muscle and its fascia—fascia lata sometimes can be opted as free autologous graft. The approach is usually reserved for patients with traumatic CSF rhinorrhea in complex frontobasal injuries.

Spinal injuries resulting in neurological damage cause significant morbidity. Swift neurosurgical intervention can mitigate negative outcomes. However, variable mechanisms of injury may be associated with inappropriate transport (IAT), which may delay necessary surgical interventions. Patients with near shore spinal injuries (NSSI) presented with unique mechanisms, so we investigated factors associated with IAT in patients with NSSI.

We performed a multicenter retrospective study of all adult patients transported from a beach resort to 3 hospitals for suspected NSSI between 2006 - 2017. We excluded patients transferred to other facilities, and those not injured in the water. Primary outcome was IAT, defined as patients with NSSI requiring transfer to another trauma center. To avoid heterogeneity in our analysis, we further excluded patients without NSSI who were inappropriately transported to a level I trauma center. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess association of independent variables (such as demographic, environmental, and clinical factors) with outcome.

We analyzed 278 patients with suspected NSSI, and found 14 (5.0%) had IAT. Compared to appropriately transported patients, diving was associated with higher percentages of IAT (28.6% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.014) and more were transported by air (50.0% vs. 20.6%, p = 0.01). In multivariable regression, patients’ oxygenation saturation (odds ratio [OR] = 0.8, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 077-0.98) and diving (OR= 7.5, 95% CI: 1.2-46) were significantly associated with IAT.

Rate of IAT for patients with NSSI was low. However, first responders and emergency medicine providers should be aware that diving is associated with a higher likelihood of IAT.

The use of tourniquet in orthopedic surgery facilitates operation by establishing a bloodless surgical field. However, many complications following the use of tourniquets have been reported. Tourniquet pain is the most common complication. This study aimed to find the actual incidence of pain associated with tourniquet use in orthopedic surgery and the various factors.

It is a prospective observational study conducted on 132 consecutive cases. Patients aged 18-70 years with musculoskeletal problems of the forearm and leg requiring surgery were included in the study. Patients with open injuries or contraindications such as diabetes mellitus, compromised circulatory states, neurological deficit, compartment syndrome and unable to give informed consent were excluded. The parameters assessed included duration of tourniquet use, tourniquet pressure, type of anesthesia, any interval release of the tourniquet and reapplication after a reperfusion period, whether upper or lower limb surgery, severity of tourniquet pain, timing of tourniquet release and complications. Chi-square and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test were used for data analysis.

In upper limb surgeries, if duration of surgery was less than 60 min, 14 (51.8%) cases experienced tourniquet pain and 13 (48.1%) had no pain, and if duration of surgery was more than 60 min, 24 (60.0%) had pain and 16 (40.0%) experienced no pain. In lower limb surgeries if duration of surgery was less than 60 min, 2 (7.7%) experienced pain and 24 (92.3%) had no pain, and if duration of surgery was more than 60 min, 14 (35.8%) experienced pain and 25 (64.8%) had no pain. Degree of tourniquet pain increases with the duration of surgery. Statistically, there was significant association between tourniquet inflation time and tourniquet pain in both upper and lower limbs (p = 0.034 and 0.024, respectively)

Incidence of tourniquet pain was in direct proportion to the duration of tourniquet use and was higher in cases with regional anesthesia. Other risk factors assessed including tourniquet pressure, upper or lower limb surgery, tourniquet release time and interval had no significant contribution to the incidence or severity of tourniquet pain.

In the surgical treatment of paediatric forearm fractures, plate-screw and titanium elastic nails are used. During the transformation of ligamento-osseous structures from adolescence form into adult form, more stable fixation is required. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of locked intramedullary nail fixation in adolescent forearm fractures.

A retrospective examination was made on 36 adolescent patients who underwent surgery with locked intramedullary nail fixation due to a forearm fracture. The included patients were in the adolescent age group (12-17 years), did not meet conservative follow-up criteria and had unstable fractures (>10° angulation and <50% cortex continuity after plaster casting). Patients were excluded from the study if they were aged >18 years or <12 years, had Gustilo-Anderson type 2/3 open fractures, multi-trauma, history of physeal injuries or could not be contacted during follow-up. Patients’ age, gender, body mass index, affected side, and the pronation and supination values during follow-up were noted. Functional evaluation of the patients was performed with disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand score and the surgical outcomes were evaluated according to the Price criteria. The time to union, infection during follow-up, re-fracture and vascular nerve damage were also examined. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 Windows package program software.

The patients comprised 30 males and 6 females (ratio, 5:1) with a mean age of (14.7 ± 2.1) years (range, 12-18 years). According to the Price criteria, the results of 33 patients were excellent, 3 were good and there were no moderate or poor cases. The mean disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand score was 11.2 ± 6.1 (range, 4-28). The mean time to union was (8.7 ± 2.2) weeks (range, 6-14 weeks), while patients aged >15 years had prolonged time to union ([11.1 ± 1.8] weeks). There were no non-unions, re-fractures or infections. No complications were observed during implant removal. None of the patients had sensorial radial nerve injury or tendon damage.

The locked intramedullary nailing technique, which is minimally invasive and provides biological fixation, was found to be successful and safe in the treatment of adolescent forearm fractures.

Comminuted intraarticular distal radial fractures are difficult to treat conservatively and require operative treatment. This study compared the functional outcomes between variable angle volar plating and external fixator with K-wire augmentation in open reduction and internal fixation.

A total of 62 adult patients with comminuted intraarticular distal radius fracture were randomized into 2 groups: volar plate group and external fixator group. These patients aged between 18 and 60 years had unilateral fractures, and agreed to be included in the study. Patients with a history of fracture, bilateral fracture, associated other injuries, delayed injury for more than 2 weeks, open fracture, pre-existing arthrosis or disability, psychiatric illness and pathological fracture were excluded. Patients were followed up at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. The assessment of pain, functional activity, range of motion and grip strength was done at each stage of follow-up. The pain and functional activities were assessed by patient rated wrist evaluation (PRWE) score and disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) score.

Patients in volar plate group had superior PRWE score and DASH score at each stage of follow-up. At 1 year follow-up, the mean PRWE score were 7.48 for volar plate group and 7.35 for external fixator group; while the mean DASH score was 4.65 for volar plate group and 5.61 for external fixator group. They had better flexion and extension range of movement. They also had better pronation and supination range of motion at initial follow-up, however the difference get attenuated by 1 year. Volar plate group had significantly better grip strength than external fixator group. Complication rates were higher in external fixation group.

Fixation with variable angle volar plate results in early wrist mobilization, better range of movement, less pain and disability and early return of function.