scholarly journals ASSERT (Acute Sacral inSufficiEncy fractuRe augmenTation): Perceptions in the Assessment and Treatment of Pubic Rami and Sacral Fragility Fractures Amongst Healthcare Professionals in Geriatric Medicine and Surgery—A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215145932110267
Author(s):  
Opinder Sahota ◽  
Paul Leighton ◽  
Maribel Cameron ◽  
Rachael Taylor ◽  
Terence Ong ◽  
...  

Background: Pubic rami fragility fractures are common in older people and result in significant morbidity and increased mortality. Co-existing fractures of the sacrum are common, but routinely missed. The aim of the study was to explore the perceptions in the assessment and treatment of pubic rami and sacral fragility fractures amongst healthcare professionals. Methods: We interviewed 14 participants about their experience in the assessment and treatment of patients presenting with pubic rami fragility fractures. Data was analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Results: The majority of patients presenting with a pubic rami fragility fracture were managed by geriatricians. However, many of the geriatricians were not aware that these fractures have a high association with co-existing sacral fragility fractures. Furthermore, they were not aware of the limitations of standard x-ray imaging, nor of the potential benefits of surgical intervention for sacral fragility fractures. Spinal surgeons recommended that early, more specialist imaging in patients with pubic rami fragility fractures failing to mobilize, would change clinical management, if found to have a coexisting sacral fragility fracture, amenable to surgical intervention. Conclusions: The awareness, assessment and management of sacral fragility fractures in patients presenting with pubic rami fragility fractures is poor amongst healthcare professionals in geriatric medicine. Spinal surgeons in this study advocate early further imaging and surgical intervention in patients confirmed to have a concomitant sacral fragility fracture who are failing to mobilize.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Opinder Sahota ◽  
Paul Leighton ◽  
Maribel Cameron ◽  
Rachael Taylor ◽  
Terence Ong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Pubic rami fragility fractures are common in older people and result in significant morbidity and increased mortality. Co-existing fractures of the sacrum are common, but routinely missed. The aim of the study was to explore the perceptions in the assessment and treatment of pubic rami and sacral fragility fractures amongst healthcare professionals. Methods: We interviewed 14 participants about their experience in the assessment and treatment of patients presenting with pubic rami fragility fractures. Data was analysed using an inductive thematic approach.Results: The majority of patients presenting with a pubic rami fragility fracture were managed by geriatricians. However, many of the geriatricians were not aware that these fractures have a high association with co-existing sacral fragility fractures. Furthermore, they were not aware of the limitations of standard x-ray imaging, nor of the potential benefits of surgical intervention for sacral fragility fractures. Spinal surgeons recommended that early, more specialist imaging in patients with public rami fragility fractures failing to mobilise, would change clinical management, if found to have a coexisting sacral fragility fracture, amenable to surgical intervention. Conclusions: The awareness, assessment and management of sacral fragility fractures in patients presenting with pubic rami fragility fractures is poor amongst healthcare professional in geriatric medicine. Spinal surgeons in this study advocate early further imaging and surgical intervention in patients confirmed to have a concomitant sacral fragility fracture who are failing to mobilise.


Author(s):  
Terence Ong ◽  
Syed Ajmal bin Syed Ali ◽  
Opinder Sahota

Introduction: There is a lack of robust data on hospitalised acute vertebral fragility fractures. This analysis aimed to report on the number of hospitalised vertebral fragility fractures treated in a large UK teaching hospital. This information would support better design of hospital services and resource allocation to manage this group of patients. Method: Patients aged 50 years and over hospitalised with a vertebral fragility fracture from 1/2/2016 to 31/1/2017 were identified from radiology and hospital records. Patients sustaining vertebral fractures due to either major trauma or malignancy were excluded. Data was collected on patient demographics, fracture details, hospitalisation details and health outcomes. Results: 208 patients with acute vertebral fragility fractures were hospitalised over a 12 month period. The mean(SD) age was 80.5(11) years, of which 68% were female. 94% presented to the Emergency Department (ED) as their first point of contact of which 70% were subsequently hospitalised. Two-thirds presented with a single level vertebral fracture predominantly around the thoracolumbar region. The majority (87%) were non-operatively managed by general physicians of which most were under Geriatric Medicine. The median length of stay was 12 (IQR 6-20) days and in-patient mortality was 3%. 52% of patients went on to have a bone health assessment. Conclusion: We have reported on the number of patients presenting to hospital with an acute vertebral fragility fracture over 12 months. This helps identify resources needed to design hospital services to manage them adequately.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 62-66
Author(s):  
Nathan K. Wool ◽  
Shannon Wilson ◽  
Alexander C.M. Chong ◽  
Bradley R. Dart

Introduction. Metabolic bone disease is a malady that causessignificant morbidity and mortality to a patient who has sustaineda fragility fracture. There is currently no protocol toprevent secondary fragility fracture at our institution. The objectiveof this study was to create an appropriate protocol forimplementing clinical pathways for physicians to diagnose andtreat osteoporosis and fragility fractures by educating patients. Methods. A multidisciplinary team created an appropriateprotocol that could be implemented in an inpatient setting.A thorough literature review was conducted to evaluatepotential barriers and efficacious methods of protocol design. Results. A bone health improvement protocol was developed.Any patient over the age of 50 who sustains a fracture from lowenergy trauma, such as a fall from standing or less, should beconsidered to place into this protocol. These patients receivededucation on metabolic bone disease, a prescription for highdose vitamin D therapy, and laboratory testing to determinethe etiology of their metabolic bone disease. Continuity of careof these patients with their primary care provider was providedfor further management of their metabolic bone disease andevaluation of their disease after discharged from the hospital. Conclusion. Comprehensive secondary prevention should consistof osteoporosis assessment and treatment together with afall risk assessment. With this protocol, secondary fragility fracturespotentially could be prevented. KS J Med 2017;10(3):62-66.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e032111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawn van Berkel ◽  
Terence Ong ◽  
Avril Drummond ◽  
Paul Hendrick ◽  
Paul Leighton ◽  
...  

IntroductionPelvic fragility fractures (PFF) are common in older people and associated with a significant burden of mortality and morbidity. This is related to the challenges of appropriate pain control and early mobilisation. The current standard for treatment of PFF is non-surgical management. Minimally invasive surgical techniques for sacral fracture stabilisation have been shown to improve outcomes in terms of pain control and mobility, and they are safe. Randomised controlled trials are required before recommendations can be made for surgical management of PFF to become the new standard of care. This feasibility study will explore several uncertainties around conducting such a trial.Methods and analysisASSERT (Acute Sacral inSufficiEncy fractuRe augmenTation) is a single-site randomised controlled, parallel-arm, feasibility trial of surgical stabilisation versus non-surgical management of acute sacral fragility fractures in people aged 70 years and over. Patients will be randomised to either surgical or non-surgical group on a 1:1 ratio. Follow-up of participants will occur at 2, 4 and 12 weeks with safety data collected at 52 weeks. Primary objectives are to determine feasibility and design of a future trial, including outcomes on recruitment, adherence to randomisation and safety. This will be supplemented with a qualitative interview study of participants and clinicians. Secondary objectives will inform study design procedures to determine clinical and economic outcomes between groups, including scored questionnaires, analgesia requirements, resource use and quality of life data. Data analysis will be largely descriptive to inform outcomes and future sample size.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was granted by the North East Newcastle and North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee (reference 18/NE/0212). ASSERT was approved and sponsored by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (reference 18HC001) and the Health Research Authority (reference IRAS 232791). Recruitment is ongoing. Results will be presented at relevant conferences and submitted to appropriate journals on study completion.Trial registration numberISRCTN16719542; Pre-results.


2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (01) ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
D. B. Lee ◽  
P. J. Mitchell

SummaryIndividuals who have suffered fractures caused by osteoporosis – also known as fragility fractures – are the most readily identifiable group at high risk of suffering future fractures. Globally, the majority of these individuals do not receive the secondary preventive care that they need. The Fracture Liaison Service model (FLS) has been developed to ensure that fragility fracture patients are reliably identified, investigated for future fracture and falls risk, and initiated on treatment in accordance with national clinical guidelines. FLS have been successfully established in Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and Oceania, and their widespread implementation is endorsed by leading national and international osteoporosis organisations. Multi-sector coalitions have expedited inclusion of FLS into national policy and reimbursement mechanisms. The largest national coalition, the National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA) in the United States, provides an exemplar of achieving participation and consensus across sectors. Initiatives developed by NBHA could serve to inform activities of new and emerging coalitions in other countries.


Author(s):  
Manuel Sterneder ◽  
Patricia Lang ◽  
Hans-Joachim Riesner ◽  
Carsten Hackenbroch ◽  
Benedikt Friemert ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Fragility fractures of the pelvis (FFP) encompass two fracture entities: fracture after low-energy trauma and insufficiency fracture without trauma. It is unclear whether the two subgroups differ in terms of diagnosis and therapy. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate insufficiency fractures with regard to defined parameters and to compare specific parameters with the fractures after low-energy trauma. Patients and Methods In the period from 2008 to 2017, 203 patients with FFP were recorded at our clinic (Level 1 Trauma Centre DGU, SAV approval). Of these, 25 had an insufficiency fracture and 178 had a pelvic ring fracture after low-energy trauma. Epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic parameters were examined. Results There was a relative increase in the insufficiency fracture within the FFP (2008 – 2009: 5.0% vs. 2015 – 2017: 17.8%). In these patients, osteoporosis tended to be more pronounced than in patients after low-energy trauma (t-value: − 3.66 vs. − 3.13). The diagnosis of insufficiency fractures showed increased use of MRI and DECT (60.9% vs. 26.0%) and a high proportion of type IV fractures after FFP (40.0% vs. 7.9%). In terms of therapy, surgical treatment of the insufficiency fracture was sought more often (68,2% vs. 52,1%), with a tendency towards increased use of combined osteosynthesis procedures (14.3% vs. 7.6%). Conclusion We were able to show that as the number of cases increases, the insufficiency fracture becomes more important within FFP. If these patients tend to have more pronounced osteoporosis, particular attention should be paid to the diagnosis and adequate therapy of the osteoporosis, especially in the case of an insufficiency fracture. In addition to the increased diagnostic testing using MRI and DECT to detect oedema and the increased surgical therapy for this type of fracture, it is also noteworthy that the insufficiency fracture can cause higher-grade fractures after FFP.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 294.2-294
Author(s):  
D. Ciardo ◽  
P. Pisani ◽  
F. A. Lombardi ◽  
R. Franchini ◽  
F. Conversano ◽  
...  

Background:The main consequence of osteoporosis is the occurrence of fractures due to bone fragility, with important sequelae in terms of disability and mortality. It has been already demonstrated that the information about bone mass density (BMD) alone is not sufficient to predict the risk of fragility fractures, since several fractures occur in patients with normal BMD [1].The Fragility Score is a parameter that allows to estimate skeletal fragility thanks to a trans-abdominal ultrasound scan performed with Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry (REMS) technology. It is calculated by comparing the results of the spectral analysis of the patient’s raw ultrasound signals with reference models representative of fragile and non-fragile bones [2]. It is a dimensionless parameter, which can vary from 0 to 100, in proportion to the degree of fragility, independently from BMD.Objectives:This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Fragility Score, measured during a bone densitometry exam performed with REMS technology at lumbar spine, in identifying patients at risk of incident osteoporotic fractures at a follow-up period of 5 years.Methods:Caucasian women with age between 30 and 90 were scanned with spinal REMS and DXA. The incidence of osteoporotic fractures was assessed during a follow-up period of 5 years. The ability of the Fragility Score to discriminate between patients with and without incident fragility fractures was subsequently evaluated and compared with the discriminatory ability of the T-score calculated with DXA and with REMS.Results:Overall, 533 women (median age: 60 years; interquartile range [IQR]: 54-66 years) completed the follow-up (median 42 months; IQR: 35-56 months), during which 73 patients had sustained an incident fracture.Both median REMS and DXA measured T-score values were significantly lower in fractured patients than for non-fractured ones, conversely, REMS Fragility Score was significantly higher (Table 1).Table 1.Analysis of T-score values calculated with REMS and DXA and Fragility Score calculated with REMS. Median values and interquartile ranges (IQR) are reported. The p-value is derived from the Mann-Whitney test.Patients without incident fragility fracturePatients with incident fragility fracturep-valueT-score DXA[median (IQR)]-1.9 (-2.7 to -1.0)-2.6 (-3.3 to -1.7)0.0001T-score REMS[median (IQR)]-2.0 (-2.8 to -1.1)-2.7 (-3.5 to -1.9)<0.0001Fragility Score[median (IQR)]29.9 (25.7 to 36.2)53.0 (34.2 to 62.5)<0.0001By evaluating the capability to discriminate patients with/without fragility fractures, the Fragility Score obtained a value of the ROC area under the curve (AUC) of 0.80, higher than the AUC of the REMS T-score (0.66) and of the T-score DXA (0.64), and the difference was statistically significant (Figure 1).Figure 1.ROC curve comparison of Fragility Score, REMS and DXA T-score values in the classification of patients with incident fragility fractures.Furthermore, the correlation between the Fragility Score and the T-score values was low, with Pearson correlation coefficient r=-0.19 between Fragility Score and DXA T-score and -0.18 between the Fragility Score and the REMS T-score.Conclusion:The Fragility Score was found to be an effective tool for the prediction of fracture risk in a population of Caucasian women, with performances superior to those of the T-score values. Therefore, this tool presents a high potential as an effective diagnostic tool for the early identification and subsequent early treatment of bone fragility.References:[1]Diez Perez A et al. Aging Clin Exp Res 2019; 31(10):1375-1389.[2]Pisani P et al. Measurement 2017; 101:243–249.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihan Kim ◽  
Sami Lee ◽  
Sung Soo Kim ◽  
Jong-Pyo Lee ◽  
Jong Sung Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The present study examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the risk for fragility fractures in postmenopausal Korean women. Methods Among subjects who participated in the 4th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2008–2009), 2114 women ≥ 40 years of age were included. BMI was based on standards set by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity, as follows: < 18.5 kg/m2, underweight; 18.5 ≤ to < 25 kg/m2, normal weight; and ≥ 25 kg/m2, obese. Subjects were also divided into three groups according to the location of fragility fracture: spine, hip, or wrist. Results The mean (± SD) rate of fragility fracture was significantly different among the three groups: 5.9 ± 2.9% (underweight), 1.1 ± 0.3% (normal weight), and 3.0 ± 0.7% (obese) (p = 0.001). After correcting for age, family history, and treatment history of osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, smoking and drinking status, and level of exercise, multivariable regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio for fragility fracture in the underweight group was 5.48 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.80–16.73] and 3.33 (95% CI 1.61–6.87) in the obese group. After subdividing fragility fractures into vertebral and non-vertebral, the odds ratio for vertebral fracture in the underweight group was 5.49 (95% CI 1.31–23.09) times higher than that in the normal weight group; in the obese group, the non-vertebral fracture odds ratio was 3.87 (95% CI 1.45–10.33) times higher. Analysis of non-vertebral fractures in the obese group revealed an odds ratio for fracture 22.05 (95% CI 1.33–365.31) times higher for hip fracture and 3.85 (95% CI 1.35–10.93) times higher for wrist fracture. Conclusions Obesity and underweight increased the risk for fragility fractures in postmenopausal Korean women.


2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 859-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elie F. Berbari ◽  
Souha S. Kanj ◽  
Todd J. Kowalski ◽  
Rabih O. Darouiche ◽  
Andreas F. Widmer ◽  
...  

Abstract These guidelines are intended for use by infectious disease specialists, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, radiologists, and other healthcare professionals who care for patients with native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO). They include evidence and opinion-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of patients with NVO treated with antimicrobial therapy, with or without surgical intervention.


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