Increasing hip fracture volume following repeated lockdowns: an Irish multicentre study of periods pre-Covid, during Covid lockdown and following vaccination

Trends in the surgical management of proximal humerus fractures in Ireland from 2009 to 2022: An increasing usage of reverse shoulder arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Proximal humeral fractures are a common injury accounting for a significant workload across orthopaedic departments. Though often managed non-operatively, surgical management is indicated for a proportion of patients.

AIMS

The aim of this study is to examine the trends in the management of proximal humeral fractures within Ireland over the past 13 years.

METHODS

A retrospective review of Irish Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) data was performed between January 2009 and December 2022. Information regarding demographics including age and gender, along with procedure type were collated after patients with proximal humerus fractures, were identified using relevant ICD 10 codes.

RESULTS

Demographic details remained stable with females and those within the 55-69 year age bracket accounting for the highest proportion of patients. The mean annual number of procedures performed across the study period was 365 (273-508), with an increase from 288 cases in 2009 to 441 in 2022. Open reduction and internal fixation were the most common procedures accounting for 76.4% of cases. There has been a rising usage of total shoulder arthroplasty for fixation with an increase from < 5 cases in 2016 to 84 in 2022. A decrease in the usage of hemiarthroplasty and closed reduction internal fixation was also observed.

CONCLUSIONS

There has been an increasing volume of operatively managed proximal humeral fractures in Ireland, which sustained despite the 2015 publication of the highly publicised PROPHER trial. The increasing utilisation of total shoulder arthroplasty in acute trauma management is notable and necessitates appropriate training for trauma theatre personnel.

Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on DXA waiting lists and osteoporosis prescription trends in England 2019-2023

This study uses NHS waiting times and osteoporosis medication community prescription datasets to assess the impact of COVID-19 on DXA waits and osteoporosis medication patterns in England. Results show significant increases in DXA waiting list times and variation in prescription rates. Investment is needed to improve waiting list times.

PURPOSE

This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on DXA scan waiting lists, service recovery and osteoporosis medication prescriptions in the NHS following the March 2020 national lockdowns and staff redeployment.

METHODS

Data from March 2019 to June 2023, including NHS digital diagnostics waiting times (DM01) and osteoporosis medication prescriptions from the English Prescribing Dataset (EPD), were analysed. This encompassed total waiting list data across England's seven regions and prescribing patterns for various osteoporosis medications. Analyses included total activity figures and regression analysis to estimate expected activity without COVID-19, using R for all data analysis.

RESULTS

In England, DXA waiting lists have grown significantly, with the yearly mean waiting list length increasing from 31,851 in 2019 to 65,757 in 2023. The percentage of patients waiting over 6 weeks for DXA scans rose from 0.9% in 2019 to 40% in 2020, and those waiting over 13 weeks increased from 0.1% in 2019 to 16.7% in 2020. Prescription trends varied, with increases in denosumab, ibandronic acid and risedronate sodium and decreases in alendronic acid, raloxifene hydrochloride and teriparatide. A notable overall prescription decrease occurred in the second quarter of 2020.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 has significantly increased DXA scan waiting lists with ongoing recovery challenges. There is a noticeable disparity in DXA service access across England. Osteoporosis care, indicated by medication prescriptions, also declined during the pandemic. Addressing these issues requires focused investment and effort to improve DXA scan waiting times and overall access to osteoporosis care in England.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Prevalence, Mortality, and Associated Risk Factors for Mortality in Patients with Hip Fractures: A Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess (1) the prevalence of COVID-19 in patients with hip fracture; (2) the mortality rate of patients with hip fracture associated with COVID-19; (3) risk factors associated with mortality in patients with hip fracture; and (4) the effects of COVID-19 on surgical outcomes of patients with hip fracture.

DESIGN

Meta-analysis.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Patients with hip fractures during COVID-19.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were systematically reviewed. The outcomes included the prevalence of COVID-19, case fatality rate, 30-day mortality, cause of death, risk factors associated with the mortality of patients with hip fracture, time to surgery, surgical time, and length of hospitalization. Risk ratio or weight mean difference with 95% confidence intervals were used to pool the estimates.

RESULTS

A total of 60 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled estimate showed that the prevalence of COVID-19 was 21% in patents with hip fractures. Patients with hip fracture with COVID-19 had an increased 30-day mortality risk compared with those without the infection. The main causes of death were respiratory failure, COVID-19-associated pneumonia, multiorgan failure, and non-COVID-19 pneumonia. The hospitalization was longer in patients with COVID-19 when compared with those without the infection, but was shorter in patients during the pandemic period. The surgery time and time to surgery were not significantly different between patients during or before the pandemic period and in those with or without COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The 30-day mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with hip fracture with COVID-19 infection than those without. Patients with COVID-19 had a higher all-cause mortality rate than those without. This information can be used by the medical community to guide the management of patients with hip fracture with COVID-19.