Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to evaluate prognostic factors that affected the patients' early (<30 days) and late (six months, one year, and overall) postoperative mortality following hip fracture surgery.
Materials and Methods
This retrospective study included 515 patients older than 75 years old with surgically treated osteoporotic hip fracture. The demographic data, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, type of anesthesia, duration of hospital stay, and history of intensive care unit (ICU) stay were collected. An analysis of laboratory values was also performed to determine their relationship with mortality. The primary outcome was survival, determined as the time from the surgery to death or the end of the study. The patients were divided into four groups according to survival time: at the first month, six months, first year, and overall survival. An analysis of demographic and laboratory values was performed to determine their validity as prognostic factors for each group.
Results
Postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) level showed an independent association with a poor survival at the first month. ASA classification, admission to the ICU, and preoperative CRP levels showed an independent association with a poor survival for the first six months. Preoperative CRP level showed an independent association with a poor survival for the first year. ASA classification, admission to the ICU, and the preoperative CRP levels showed an independent association with a poor overall survival.
Conclusion
CRP level, a high ASA classification, and postoperative ICU admission were related to poorer overall survival rate following hip fracture surgery in the elderly.
Background
Because of the broad anatomic variation in the course of the axillary nerve, several cadaveric studies have investigated the acromion-axillary nerve distance and its association with the humeral length to predict the axillary nerve location. This study aimed to analyze the acromion-axillary nerve distance (AAND) and its relation to the arm length (AL) in patients who underwent internal plate fixation for proximal humerus fractures.
Methods
The present prospective study involved 37 patients (15 female, 22 male; the mean age = 51 years, age range 19–76) with displaced proximal humerus fractures treated by open reduction and internal fixation. After anatomic reduction and fixation were achieved, the following parameters were measured in each patient before wound closure without making an extra incision or dissection: (1) the distance from the anterolateral edge of the acromion to the course of the axillary nerve was recorded as the acromion-axillary nerve distance and (2) the distance from the anterolateral edge of the acromion to the lateral epicondyle of the humerus was recorded as arm length. The ratio of AAND to AL was then calculated and recorded as the axillary nerve index (ANI).
Results
The mean AAND was 6 ± 0.36 cm (range 5.5–6.6), and the mean arm length was 32.91 ± 2.9 cm (range 24–38). The mean axillary nerve ratio was 0.18 ± 0.02 (range 0.16 to 0.23). There was a significant moderate positive correlation between AL and AAND (p = 0.006; r = 0.447). The axillary nerve location was predictable in only 18% of the patients.
Conclusion
During the anterolateral deltoid-splitting approach to the shoulder joint, 5.5 cm from the anterolateral edge of the acromion could be considered a safe zone to prevent possible axillary nerve injury.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.