Long-bone fractures in persons with spinal cord injury
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BORIS DOI
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
25987003
Description
STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective data analysis.
OBJECTIVES
To document fracture characteristics, management and related complications in individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).
SETTING
Rehabilitation centre for SCI individuals.
METHOD
Patients' records were reviewed. Patients with traumatic SCI and extremity fractures that had occurred after SCI were included. Patient characteristics, fractured bone, fracture localisation, severity and management (operative/conservative), and fracture-related complications were extracted.
RESULTS
A total of 156 long-bone fractures in 107 SCI patients (34 women and 73 men) were identified. The majority of patients were paraplegics (77.6%) and classified as American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A (86.0%). Only the lower extremities were affected, whereby the femur (60.9% of all fractures) was fractured more frequently than the lower leg (39.1%). A total of 70 patients (65.4%) had one fracture, whereas 37 patients (34.6%) had two or more fractures. Simple or extraarticular fractures were most common (75.0%). Overall, 130 (83.3%) fractures were managed operatively. Approximately half of the femur fractures (48.2%) were treated with locking compression plates. In the lower leg, fractures were mainly managed with external fixation (48.8%). Conservative fracture management was applied in 16.7% of the cases and consisted of braces or a well-padded soft cast. Fracture-associated complications were present in 13.5% of the cases but did not differ significantly between operative (13.1%) and conservative (15.4%) fracture management.
CONCLUSION
SCI was associated with simple or extraarticular fractures of the distal femur and the lower leg. Fractures were mainly managed operatively with a low complication rate.
Retrospective data analysis.
OBJECTIVES
To document fracture characteristics, management and related complications in individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).
SETTING
Rehabilitation centre for SCI individuals.
METHOD
Patients' records were reviewed. Patients with traumatic SCI and extremity fractures that had occurred after SCI were included. Patient characteristics, fractured bone, fracture localisation, severity and management (operative/conservative), and fracture-related complications were extracted.
RESULTS
A total of 156 long-bone fractures in 107 SCI patients (34 women and 73 men) were identified. The majority of patients were paraplegics (77.6%) and classified as American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A (86.0%). Only the lower extremities were affected, whereby the femur (60.9% of all fractures) was fractured more frequently than the lower leg (39.1%). A total of 70 patients (65.4%) had one fracture, whereas 37 patients (34.6%) had two or more fractures. Simple or extraarticular fractures were most common (75.0%). Overall, 130 (83.3%) fractures were managed operatively. Approximately half of the femur fractures (48.2%) were treated with locking compression plates. In the lower leg, fractures were mainly managed with external fixation (48.8%). Conservative fracture management was applied in 16.7% of the cases and consisted of braces or a well-padded soft cast. Fracture-associated complications were present in 13.5% of the cases but did not differ significantly between operative (13.1%) and conservative (15.4%) fracture management.
CONCLUSION
SCI was associated with simple or extraarticular fractures of the distal femur and the lower leg. Fractures were mainly managed operatively with a low complication rate.
Date of Publication
2015-09
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Language(s)
en
Contributor(s)
Frotzler, A | |
Cheikh-Sarraf, B | |
Pourtehrani, M | |
Krebs, J |
Additional Credits
Series
Spinal cord
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
ISSN
1362-4393
Access(Rights)
restricted