Search

Femoral neck fractures in the young patient require prompt anatomic reduction and stabilization to preserve the vascular supply to the femoral head and minimize future need for arthroplasty. Secondary to unique biomechanical and vascular considerations, these injuries are prone to nonunion.A 29-year-old male with a chronic femoral neck fracture nonunion who experienced successful fracture healing and symptom resolution following Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) administration.Femoral neck nonunion in young patients is a challenging problem with treatment strategies aimed at improving the biological and biomechanical fracture environment. While the use of both vascularized and nonvascularized bone grafting has shown promising results, they have high complication rates and substantial donor site morbidity. BMAC has demonstrated multiple uses throughout orthopedic surgery and may result in an improved fracture healing environment with minimal patient morbidity.The success of the BMAC procedure for this patient is promising and may be considered in similar patients, with or without revision internal fixation methods.

There is limited long-term epidemiological data focused on concussions in the United States.The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried from 1997 to 2019 for concussion diagnoses. National incidence rates, stratified by age and sex, were estimated. Injury mechanisms were ranked.From 1997 to 2019, there was a 3-fold increase in the diagnosis of concussion from 82,103 (95% CI 77,650-86,555) in 1997 to 261,722 (95% CI 212,156-311,288) in 2019 (p0.001). Fall-related head-injury mechanisms were most common in very young (5 year old) and older (65 year old) patients. Sports-related injuries were most common in those age 5-24 years old.It remains unclear if the observed two-decade rise in reported concussions represents a true increase in incidence or is indicative of improvements in early detection, diagnosis, and treatment during this time period. Common injury mechanisms described highlight the need for improved age-specific safety recommendations.

OBJECTIVEOptimal patient selection for upper-thoracic (UT) versus lower-thoracic (LT) fusion during adult spinal deformity (ASD) correction is challenging. Radiographic and clinical outcomes following UT versus LT fusion remain incompletely understood. The purposes of this study were: 1) to evaluate demographic, radiographic, and surgical characteristics associated with choice of UT versus LT fusion endpoint; and 2) to evaluate differences in radiographic, clinical, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes following UT versus LT fusion for ASD.METHODSRetrospective review of a prospectively collected multicenter ASD database was performed. Patients with ASD who underwent fusion from the sacrum/ilium to the LT (T9–L1) or UT (T1–6) spine were compared for demographic, radiographic, and surgical characteristics. Outcomes including proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK), reoperation, rod fracture, pseudarthrosis, overall complications, 2-year change in alignment parameters, and 2-year HRQOL metrics (Lumbar Stiffness Disability Index, Scoliosis Research Society-22r questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Index) were compared after controlling for confounding factors via multivariate analysis.RESULTSThree hundred three patients (169 LT, 134 UT) were evaluated. Independent predictors of UT fusion included greater thoracic kyphosis (odds ratio [OR] 0.97 per degree, p = 0.0098), greater coronal Cobb angle (OR 1.06 per degree, p < 0.0001), and performance of a 3-column osteotomy (3-CO; OR 2.39, p = 0.0351). While associated with longer operative times (ratio 1.13, p < 0.0001) and greater estimated blood loss (ratio 1.31, p = 0.0018), UT fusions resulted in greater sagittal vertical axis improvement (−59.5 vs −41.0 mm, p = 0.0035) and lower PJK rates (OR 0.49, p = 0.0457). No significant differences in postoperative HRQOL measures, reoperation, or overall complication rates were detected between groups (all p > 0.1).CONCLUSIONSGreater deformity and need for 3-CO increased the likelihood of UT fusion. Despite longer operative times and greater blood loss, UT fusions resulted in better sagittal correction and lower 2-year PJK rates following surgery for ASD. While continued surveillance is necessary, this information may inform patient counseling and surgical decision-making.

Adult spinal deformity (ASD) is a challenging problem for spine surgeons given the high risk of complications, both medical and surgical. Surgeons should have a high index of suspicion for medical complications, including cardiac, pulmonary, thromboembolic, genitourinary and gastrointestinal, renal, cognitive and psychiatric, and skin conditions, in the perioperative period and have a low threshold for involving specialists. Surgical complications, including neurologic injuries, vascular injuries, proximal junctional kyphosis, durotomy, and pseudarthrosis and rod fracture, can be devastating for the patient and costly to the health-care system. Mortality rates have been reported to be between 1.0% and 3.5% following ASD surgery. With the increasing rate of ASD surgery, surgeons should properly counsel patients about these risks and have a high index of suspicion for complications in the perioperative period.