Hand Trauma Care in the United States: A Literature Review

What a Ratchet! A Gripping Case Report of an Entrapped Finger with an Unyielding Wrench

Finger entrapment with rings or ring-like objects is an uncommon possible hand emergency. In cases in which noncutting removal is ineffective, ring cutters or dental drills with carbide or diamond burs have been successfully used. However, objects composed of hard metallic alloys, such as lug nuts or wrenches, are often resistant to such equipment. In these instances, larger diameter metal cutting burrs or rasps may be more advantageous. Due to their increased size and cutting power, these tools are better suited to handle the toughness of hard metals. In this case report, we present the effective and efficient removal of a stainless steel wrench from an entrapped digit using a helicoidal rasp. Availability of this instrument within orthopedic departments may prevent the delays often described in the treatment of finger entrapment when traditional cutting equipment fails.

Hand and Wrist trauma: Antimicrobials and Infection Audit of Clinical Practice (HAWAII ACP) protocol

Aims

Hand trauma, consisting of injuries to both the hand and the wrist, are a common injury seen worldwide. The global age-standardized incidence of hand trauma exceeds 179 per 100,000. Hand trauma may require surgical management and therefore result in significant costs to both healthcare systems and society. Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common following all surgical interventions, and within hand surgery the risk of SSI is at least 5%. SSI following hand trauma surgery results in significant costs to healthcare systems with estimations of over £450 per patient. The World Health Organization (WHO) have produced international guidelines to help prevent SSIs. However, it is unclear what variability exists in the adherence to these guidelines within hand trauma. The aim is to assess compliance to the WHO global guidelines in prevention of SSI in hand trauma.

Methods

This will be an international, multicentre audit comparing antimicrobial practices in hand trauma to the standards outlined by WHO. Through the Reconstructive Surgery Trials Network (RSTN), hand surgeons across the globe will be invited to participate in the study. Consultant surgeons/associate specialists managing hand trauma and members of the multidisciplinary team will be identified at participating sites. Teams will be asked to collect data prospectively on a minimum of 20 consecutive patients. The audit will run for eight months. Data collected will include injury details, initial management, hand trauma team management, operation details, postoperative care, and antimicrobial techniques used throughout. Adherence to WHO global guidelines for SSI will be summarized using descriptive statistics across each criteria.

Discussion

The Hand and Wrist trauma: Antimicrobials and Infection Audit of Clinical Practice (HAWAII ACP) will provide an understanding of the current antimicrobial practice in hand trauma surgery. This will then provide a basis to guide further research in the field. The findings of this study will be disseminated via conference presentations and a peer-reviewed publication.

Reduced Access to Acute Hand Care and Potential Role of Telemedicine in Tennessee During the COVID Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

Previous studies have identified that there is limited, although expanding, access to acute hand care in Tennessee. Because of the rapid changes that occurred in health delivery and access during the coronavirus disease pandemic, we reassessed access to acute hand care, with particular interest in the utilization of telemedicine to assess if this increased access.

METHOD

We surveyed Tennessee hospitals listed by the Tennessee Hospital Association on their management of hand trauma and availability of telemedicine programs. Census data including population demographics such as race, age, income, and county size were merged with the survey data. Descriptive analysis was performed comparing the 2021 cohort with the historic 2018 cohort and between counties that had hand care versus counties that had no hand care.

RESULT

Survey response rate was 71.4% (n = 80 of 112). Telemedicine was used in 80% of the hospitals for other specialties but was not used for hand care. Overall, counties that offered hand trauma care reduced from 60% to 26% from 2018 to 2021 ( P < 0.001). This change was associated with a significant reduction of acute hand care among counties that were classified micropolitan (from 56.3% to 6.7%, P < 0.01). Percentage of hand specialists on staff and 24/7 specialists availability remained low and were similar to the availability in 2018.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a decrease of acute hand care access in Tennessee during the coronavirus disease pandemic despite widespread utilization of telemedicine for other specialty consults. Expansion of telemedicine in acute hand care, targeted to micropolitan areas, may help to reduce variability in access to care.

Intraoperative Challenges in Hand Surgery

A wide array of intraoperative issues can arise during surgery involving the hand and upper extremity. An understanding of the common pitfalls within hand surgery may help practicing hand surgeons circumvent such issues. Within this manuscript, we first identify problems with the increasingly popular technique of wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT). Achieving appropriate hemostasis and anesthetic can be bothersome, especially for procedures proximal to the distal palmar crease. We discuss our local anesthetic timing and concentrations to help mitigate such issues, as well as other problems that may arise in WALANT procedures. There also lies a barrier in connecting the traumatized patient to care in the outpatient/ambulatory setting. Additionally, the polytraumatized patient increases the complexity of care coordination for not just the hand surgeon, but all surgical providers involved. The order in which multidisciplinary surgical procedures are performed is influenced by both the complexity of the patient's case as well as the institution's current protocol. All academic institutions are faced with challenges in providing optimal intraoperative education to trainees. We acknowledge that there should be a balance between the attending surgeon executing key portions of the procedure and the trainee gaining the appropriate hands-on experience. This manuscript elaborates on the issues of intraoperative education provided to residents and anecdotal methods that may help overcome such challenges. Resources within hand surgery can often be limited and become particularly problematic in the operative setting. Specific examples include but are not limited to the lack of dedicated teams, inability to obtain appropriate intraoperative imaging, access to appropriate hardware, and intraoperative complications in an ambulatory surgery center setting.

Review of Replantation Services from a Level One Trauma Center in India

The aim of this article is to examine the elements that contribute to effective operation of a specialized replantation center and to provide readers with a general idea of the outcome of replantation services in India. A dedicated high-volume center coupled with a sound referral system is the backbone of replantation services in a country. A retrospective study was done on all patients who visited a level 1 trauma center in India from November 1, 2017, to December 31, 2018, for various amputations. The medical records and digital pictures of these patients were extracted from the records and analyzed. During the study period, 77 replants were performed on 63 patients at our center. Males were 68% of the study, mostly belonging to the 20 to 40 years age group (63%). Thirty-four percent of cases were smokers. Agricultural injuries (49%) were the most common cause of amputation. Finger replantation was the most common type of replantation (82%). The rate of successful replantation was highest for scalp (100%) followed by hand (71%) and thumb (67%). Setting up dedicated replantation services is essential, especially in highly populated areas. Manpower, resources, and a protocol-led approach help in achieving optimum results. A multidisciplinary team approach with round-the-clock availability plays a vital role in intraoperative decision-making and planning postoperative rehabilitation.

Revenue Generation and Follow-up for a Hand Trauma Program for Emergency Department Patients in an Inner-City Metropolitan Area

BACKGROUND

Although hand trauma care has proved to be profitable, loss of trauma patients from a system may lead to revenue loss. Our study aimed to (1) elucidate the economic effect of hand trauma programs, (2) quantify the potential fiscal effect of loss of follow-up, and (3) determine factors contributing to leakage of patients from the healthcare system.

METHODS

Revenue data were retrospectively extracted for all adult hand trauma patients within a multicenter healthcare system from 2014 to 2018. Demographic and encounter factors were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank-sum test for differences in continuous variables, Pearson chi square test for categorical variables, and odds ratios. A follow-up model was created using logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 56,995 (31% new, 69% established) hand trauma encounters were recorded. Follow-up was markedly affected by many factors, including new vs. established patients. Of the 17,748 new patients, 8638 (48.6%) returned for subsequent care, generating $34M. The patients who did not return may have lost $176M for the system.

CONCLUSIONS

Many factors lead to loss of follow-up. Understanding these factors can help target efforts to minimize leakage of hand trauma patients. Hand trauma introduces new patients to hospitals, generating notable revenue. Leakage of hand trauma patients has substantial revenue losses.

The Effect of Joining the ASSH Hand Trauma Center Network on the Volume and Severity of Pediatric Hand Trauma Transfers

Purpose

The purpose of our study was to evaluate how the volume and severity of pediatric hand trauma is affected after enrollment into the American Society for Surgery of the Hand Trauma Center Network.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review using the patient database from our affiliated level-I pediatric trauma center. With this patient database, we compiled all emergent hand trauma transfers from February 2018 to January 2022. We compared the monthly volume, Injury Severity Score, and quarterly payor status between hand trauma transfer patients before and after enrollment into the Hand Trauma Center Network in February 2019.

Results

The average number of monthly transfers increased after joining the Hand Trauma Center Network compared with the years after February 2019. Additionally, the percentage of patients using commercial insurance increased after joining the Hand Trauma Center Network when compared with that before February 2019. Lastly, the percentage of patients using Medicaid decreased after February 2019.

Conclusions

Based on our findings, we believe that new institutions and providers can expect anywhere from a 10% to a 60% increase in hand trauma burden without a significant change in the severity of the trauma cases after joining the network.

Type of study/level of evidence

Prognostic IV.

Radial Artery Pseudoaneurysm From a Squirrel Bite

Radial artery pseudoaneurysm is a rarelimb-threatening complication that occurs from vascular procedures and direct trauma. We present a rare case of a 74-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with a squirrel bite to her right wrist. Although initially benign-appearing, computed tomography angiography of the right upper extremity showed a pseudoaneurysm at the distal radial artery. The patient was successfully treated with careful compression and rapid resolution was confirmed with an arterial right upper extremity ultrasound that visualized a formed thrombus. Emergency providers should have a high index of suspicion for radial artery pseudoaneurysms in the setting of animal bites to the wrist.

A National Survey of Hand Surgeons: Understanding the Rural Landscape

BACKGROUND

Twenty percent of the US population is described as being rural and may have limited access to hand surgeons, especially on an emergency basis. Little is known about case type, call hours, employment status, and other relevant details of rural hand surgery.

METHODS

We surveyed members of the American Society of Surgery for the Hand to begin to describe the problem.

RESULTS

There were 471 responses from 2256 members surveyed with 387 completing 100% of questions asked. Ninety (19%) identified themselves as primarily located in a rural population and 381 (81%) in a metropolitan region. In our study, rural hand surgeons were more likely to be employed by a community hospital, followed by independent private practice, multispecialty group, academics, and then locum tenens. Rural surgeons' practices were 80% solely hand surgery, while metropolitan surgeons' practices were 89% (P < .01). Metropolitan surgeons felt that of the transfers from rural facilities, 46% did not need emergency hand care and that 60% of the time, there was not actually a need for specialty hand surgery care.

CONCLUSIONS

Our survey begins to shed light on the details of rural hand surgery practice. We found that rural surgeons are more likely to be employed in community hospitals and take more call. When available, hand surgery specialists could prevent unnecessary transfer of patients to metropolitan areas. More work needs to be done to describe the differences between rural and metropolitan hand surgery practices as well as create rural hand surgeons.

Assessment of Telemedicine and Phone Consultation Effects on Rate of Hand Transfers to Trauma Centers and Specialty Services Referrals

BACKGROUND

Telemedicine consultation can increase patients' access to subspecialty care and decrease the number of unnecessary hospital transfers. In 2014, the Arkansas Hand Trauma Telemedicine Program (AHTTP) was established to extend specialized hand care throughout Arkansas. The purpose of this study is to assess whether transfers are affected when consultation with a hand specialist is performed by phone compared with using a live audiovisual consultation.

METHODS

We reviewed data from the first year of the AHTTP. Data collection included type of consultation (telephone only or live audiovisual), need for transfer, and type of transfer (general orthopedic or hand specialist).

RESULTS

In 2014, the first year of AHTTP there were 331 hand injuries identified; of those, 298 used the AHTTP with 195 (65%) using telemedicine and 103 (35%) using phone consultation only. The use of video when compared with phone consultation did not significantly affect the decision to transfer (P = .42) or alter the rate of transfer for general orthopedic or hand specialist care (P = .25).

CONCLUSIONS

The assessment of both phone and telemedicine modalities showed that there was no significant difference in transfer rates for either consultation, highlighting that communication with a hand surgeon was the key to accurate assessment of the need for transfer.

Role of Health Equity Research and Policy for Diverse Populations Requiring Hand Surgery Care

Health equity requires allocation of resources to eliminate the systematic disparities in health, imposed on marginalized groups, which adversely impact outcomes. A socioecological approach is implemented to elucidate the role of health equity research and policy for underrepresented minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Through investigation of the individual, community, institution, and public policy, we investigate problems and propose solutions to ensure fair and just treatment of all patients requiring hand surgery.

Surprise Out-of-Network Bills for Hand and Upper Extremity Trauma Patients

PURPOSE

Patients may receive surprise out-of-network bills even when they present to in-network facilities. Surprise bills are common following emergency care. We sought to characterize and determine risk factors for surprise billing in hand and upper extremity trauma patients in the emergency department (ED).

METHODS

We used IBM MarketScan data to evaluate hand and upper extremity trauma patients who received care in the ED from 2010 to 2017. Our primary outcome was the surprise billing incidence, defined as encounters in in-network EDs with out-of-network claims. We used descriptive and bivariate analyses to characterize surprise billing and used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate independent factors associated with surprise billing.

RESULTS

Of 710,974 ED encounters, 97,667 (14%) involved surprise billing. The incidence decreased from 26% in 2010 to 11% in 2017. Mean coinsurance payments were higher for surprise billing encounters and had double the growth from 2010 to 2017 compared to those without surprise billing. Receiving care from different provider types-especially therapists, radiologists, and pathologists, as well as hand surgeons-was associated with significantly higher odds of surprise billing. Transfer to another facility was not significantly associated with surprise billing.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the incidence of surprise billing decreased, more than 10% of patients treated in an ED for hand trauma remain at risk. Coinsurance for surprise billing encounters increased by twice as much as encounters without surprise billing. Patients requiring services from therapists, radiologists, pathologists, and hand surgeons were at greater risk for surprise bills. The federal No Surprises Act, passed in 2020, targets surprise billing and may help address some of these issues.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Many hand and upper extremity patients requiring ED care receive surprise bills from various sources that result in higher out-of-pocket costs.

The impact of socioeconomic status on hand injury severity

Socioeconomic status (SES) is an important factor affecting different aspects of human health, including self-care and healthcare service use. The relation between SES and hand injury severity is not well defined; therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the relation between SES and hand injury severity. This cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study included 215 patients with hand injury. Demographic, clinical, and SES-related factors were collected by questionnaire. Injury severity was assessed on Hand Injury Severity Score (HISS). Statistical analysis used the Student t-test, chi-square test and a multinomial regression model to calculate the odds ratio (OR) of each predictive factor. Mean age was 38.02 ± 13.49 years (range, 12-80 years). 73.5% of the participants were men. Patients with low SES were significantly more likely to develop severe hand injury (OR = 5.25 and 9.25 at HISS levels 3 and 4, respectively). In addition, there was a significant association between being born in rural areas and severe (HISS level 3, OR = 2.63) or major (HISS level 4, OR = 2.63) hand injury. Also, major (HISS level 4) hand injuries were significantly more prevalent in patients living in rural areas (OR = 4.23) and those injured in road accidents (OR = 1.98) or practicing sports (OR = 3.51). The study concluded that patients with low SES were 5-10-fold more likely to suffer from severe and major hand injuries, and thus provided valuable information for Iranian policymakers to take preventive measures for hand injuries. It is recommended to improve postoperative care in patients with low SES who underwent hand surgery, take the necessary measures to decrease the incidence of road accident injuries, facilitate early referral of patients with hand injury to trauma centers, and improve postoperative follow-up until full recovery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Hand Call Practices and Satisfaction: Survey Results From Hand Surgeons in the United States

PURPOSE

To describe current hand call practices in the United States (US) and identify aspects of call practices that lead to surgeon satisfaction.

METHODS

An anonymous survey was administered to practicing members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and responses were filtered to US surgeons taking hand call. Hand call was considered: (A) hand-specific call including replantation or microvascular services or (B) hand-specific call without replantation or microvascular responsibilities. Data were collected pertaining to practices, compensation, assistance, frequency, and satisfaction. Descriptive analyses were performed and regionally subdivided. Pearson correlations were used to determine aspects of a call that influenced surgeon satisfaction.

RESULTS

A total of 662 US hand surgeons from 49 states responded. Among the respondents, 38% (251) participate in replantation or microvascular call, 34% (225) participate in hand-specific call excluding replantation, and 28% (186) do not participate in hand-specific call. Of those practicing hand call (476), 60% take 6 or fewer days of call per month, 62% have assistance with staffing consultations, 65% have assistance with surgical procedures, and 49% are financially incentivized to take call. More than half (51%) reported that they have a protected time for call aside from their elective practice, and 10% of the surgeons reported that they have a dedicated operating room (OR) time after a call to care for cases. Two percent reported that the day following call is free from clinical duties. Only 46% of the surgeons were satisfied with their call schedule, with the top concerns among unsatisfied respondents relating to pay, OR availability, and burnout. The factors correlating to surgeon satisfaction included less frequent call, assistance with performing consultations and surgery, pay for call, and OR availability.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of US hand surgeons are not satisfied with their current call practices, with frequent concerns relating to pay, OR availability, and burnout.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

These findings may promote awareness regarding aspects of hand call that correlate with surgeon satisfaction and highlight practice patterns that may reduce burnout.

Analysis of Strengths in Exposure to Cases During Plastic and Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Fellowships

INTRODUCTION

Prospective residents interested in hand surgery must decide to apply for hand surgery fellowships sponsored by different specialties. This study compares case volumes reported during plastic surgery and orthopaedic hand surgery fellowships.

METHODS

The American Council for Graduate Medical Education case logs of accredited hand surgery fellowships were analyzed for hand surgery cases (2012 to 2013 to 2020 to 2021). The reported case volume was compared by specialty. Temporal trends were described, intrapathway variabilities calculated, and interpathway differences calculated with Student t -tests.

RESULTS

Two hundred plastic surgery (13%) and 1,323 orthopaedic (87%) hand surgery fellows were included. The number of orthopaedic hand surgery fellowships increased from 58 in 2012 to 2013 to 70 in 2020 to 2021 (21% increase), whereas the number of plastic surgery fellowships was stable at 16. Orthopaedic hand surgery fellows reported more hand surgery cases (764 ± 22 versus 628 ± 226), arthroscopy cases (53 ± 54 versus 23 ± 38), and miscellaneous hand surgery cases (42 ± 23 versus 31 ± 18) than plastic surgery hand fellows. Plastic surgery hand fellows reported more cases in wound closure with graft, wound reconstruction with flap, nerve injury, and vascular repair. Overall, orthopaedic surgery offered more experience in 15 case categories (58%), while plastic surgery offered more experience in five case categories (19%). Six case categories (23%) had no difference between specialties.

DISCUSSION

Although orthopaedic hand surgery fellowship affords more cases overall, plastic surgery hand fellowships have unique strengths in wound reconstruction with grafts and flaps, nerve injury, and vascular repair. Ultimately, results from this study create a benchmark to improve future training opportunities for hand surgery fellows and orthopaedic surgery residents.

Multi-staged management of a mangled, exploded hand crush injury with long-term outcome: the critical link between surgery and therapy

A 38-year-old right-hand dominant man sustained a severe, work-related left-hand crushing injury. A multi-staged approach to salvage was employed in conjunction with aggressive hand therapy involvement for a successful, functional outcome. Now at approximately 5 years postinjury, the patient can perform daily activities, coaches sports and has returned to and maintained his full-time work position. Mangled, severe hand crush injuries warrant immediate treatment to debride non-salvageable tissues, stabilise and revascularise the hand in an effort to maximise reconstructive potential and functional capacity. It is critical to recognise that these cases require multiple stages of operative reconstruction with direct and ongoing involvement of hand therapy and pending degree of injury, rehabilitation often lasting months to years.

Trends in upper extremity injuries presenting to emergency departments during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Level of evidence

The Curtis Hand Injury Matrix Score: Determining the Need for Specialized Upper Extremity Care

PURPOSE

Given the limited impact of transfer guidelines and the lack of comparative metrics for upper extremity trauma, we introduced the Curtis Hand Injury Matrix (CHIM) score to evaluate upper extremity injury acuity from the specialist perspective. Our goal was to evaluate the CHIM score as an indicator of complexity and specialist need by correlating the score with arrival mode, length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, and procedure location.

METHODS

We identified all hand and upper extremity emergency room visits at our institution in 2018 and 2019. On initial evaluation, our institution's hand surgery team assigned each patient an alphanumeric score with a number (1-5) and letter (A-H) corresponding to injury severity and pathology, respectively. Patients were divided into 5 groups (1-5) with lower scores indicating greater severity. We compared age, LOS, discharge disposition, procedure location, transfer status, and arrival mode between groups and assessed the relationships between matrix scores and discharge disposition, procedure performed, and LOS.

RESULTS

There were 3,822 patients that accounted for 4,026 upper extremity evaluations. There were significant differences in LOS, discharge dispositions, procedure locations, transfer status, and arrival modes between groups. Patients with more severe scores had higher rates of admission and more operating room procedures. Higher percentages of patients who arrived via helicopter, ambulance, or transfer had more severe scores. Patients with more severe scores were significantly more likely to have a procedure, hospital admission, and longer hospital stay.

CONCLUSIONS

The CHIM score provides a framework to catalog the care and resources required when covering specialized hand and upper extremity calls and accepting transfers. This clinical validation supports considering broader use.

TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic IV.

Can Open Hand Injuries Wait for Their Surgery in a Tertiary Hospital?

Objective  Open hand injuries are routinely admitted and planned for surgery acutely, competing with other surgical emergencies. This retrospective study aims to evaluate if a delay in timing to surgery for open hand injuries led to an increased rate of infection. Materials and Methods  All patients who sustained open hand injuries and underwent semi-emergent day surgery from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016 were included. Outcome of postoperative infection was analyzed against demographic data, injury details, and delay from trauma to therapy. Results  There were 232 cases (91% males) included, with 92.0% performed under local anesthesia. Deep seated postoperative infection was seen in 1.3%, which was not significantly associated with delay to surgery. Conclusion  We had comparable infection rates as compared with published literature. Delayed timing of surgical treatment in open hand injuries was not associated with increased rates of deep-seated infection. Managing open hand injuries as semi-emergent surgeries may be acceptable given the low infection rates.

A Magnetized Brace Designed to Elevate the Extremity after Hand Trauma and Surgery

Hand elevation is a common recommendation for the treatment of hand injuries to combat development of painful swelling. However, noncompliance with elevation after hand procedures is common, and this is due in part to the lack of acceptable orthotics to assist in this elevation. Conventional slings are often not recommended due to potential shoulder morbidity. Additionally, the standard sling design allows for the hand to fall in a dependent position below the level of the heart. Herein described is a brace that uses magnetic technology designed to provide support for hand elevation that is intuitive to use. The simple design promotes elevation and also allows patients to easily exit the elevated position for shoulder ranging and activities of daily living with the hand as needed. Patient satisfaction data are presented. This brace may increase compliance for elevation after hand injuries and surgical procedures.

The trend of treatment and conveyance system for upper extremity replantation in Japan: A nationwide population-based study from the Japan trauma data bank

BACKGROUND

In Japan, microsurgical skill development and a system to transfer patients to an appropriate hospital for upper extremity amputation have been promoted; however, information about trends of replantation is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to clarify the trends in the treatment for upper extremity amputation using the Japan Trauma Data Bank (JTDB).

METHODS

Data derived from JTDB (2004-2015) were used to quantify trends in the volume of replantation for upper extremity amputation including finger amputation. Trauma was diagnosed based on the Abbreviated Injury Scale code; a subgroup of patients who underwent replantation was delineated. We investigated patient demographics, infection rate, and characteristics of treating facilities.

RESULTS

A total of 1240 patients underwent upper extremity amputation. Among these, 510 (41.1%) underwent replantation, and the rate of replantation did not change over the study period. The average age of patients who underwent or did not undergo replantation was 45.5 and 47.2 years, respectively. The proportion of the patients who were transferred to another hospital for treatment significantly decreased between 2004 (28.5%) and 2015 (16.3%) (P < 0.01). Time taken for transfer from the accident site to hospitals increased. The rate of patients who underwent replantation differed among different hospitals; however, higher-volume hospitals were more likely to perform replantation.

CONCLUSION

The rate of patients transferred to another hospital decreased between 2004 and 2015; however, the rate of patients who underwent replantation remained unchanged. This suggests that the number of patients who were transported directly from the accident site to an appropriate hospital has increased, whereas the indication for care in each hospital remains unchanged. Common criteria for amputations are needed to address the differing rates of replantation among hospitals.

Association of Interfacility Transfer and Patient and Hospital Characteristics With Thumb Replantation After Traumatic Amputation

IMPORTANCE

Given that 40% of hand function is achieved with the thumb, replantation of traumatic thumb injuries is associated with substantial quality-of-life benefits. However, fewer replantations are being performed annually in the US, which has been associated with less surgical expertise and increased risk of future replantation failures. Thus, understanding how interfacility transfers and hospital characteristics are associated with outcomes warrants further investigation.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association of interfacility transfer, patient characteristics, and hospital factors with thumb replantation attempts and success.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study used data from the US National Trauma Data Bank from 2009 to 2016 for adult patients with isolated traumatic thumb amputation injury who underwent revision amputation or replantation. Data analysis was performed from May 4, 2020, to July 20, 2020.

EXPOSURES

Interfacility transfer, defined as transfer of a patient from 1 hospital to another to obtain care for traumatic thumb amputation.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Replantation attempt and replantation success, defined as having undergone a replantation without a subsequent revision amputation during the same hospitalization. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of interfacility transfer, patient characteristics, and hospital factors with replantation outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 3670 patients included in this analysis, 3307 (90.1%) were male and 2713 (73.9%) were White; the mean (SD) age was 45.8 (16.5) years. A total of 1881 patients (51.2%) were transferred to another hospital; most of these patients were male (1720 [91.4%]) and White (1420 [75.5%]). After controlling for patient and hospital characteristics, uninsured patients were less likely to have thumb replantation attempted (odds ratio [OR], 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47-0.78) or a successful replantation (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.49-0.84). Interfacility transfer was associated with increased odds of replantation attempt (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.13-1.59), with 13% of the variation at the hospital level. Interfacility transfer was also associated with increased replantation success (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.03-1.47), with 14% of variation at the hospital level.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cross-sectional study, interfacility transfer and particularly hospital-level variation were associated with increased thumb replantation attempts and successes. These findings suggest a need for creating policies that incentivize hospitals with replantation expertise to provide treatment for traumatic thumb amputations, including promotion of centralization of replantation care.

Trends in Digital Replantation: 10 Years of Experience at a Large Canadian Tertiary Care Center: Les tendances de la replantation digitale : dix ans d'expérience d'un grand centre canadien de soins tertiaires

BACKGROUND

Since 1965, the practice of digital replantation has seen great technical strides and become commonplace worldwide. However, some American authors have recently reported declining rates of replantation. We set out to characterize the patient population and describe treatment patterns from 2005 to 2016 at a large Canadian regional replantation center.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort of all patients undergoing digital replantation and revascularization from 2005 to 2016 was identified. Data were collected on demographics, injuries, procedures, and outcomes. Descriptive statistics were performed, followed by a comparison of two 5-year periods to evaluate temporal trends.

RESULTS

A total of 234 patients were treated with 146 replantation and 204 revascularization procedures. Patients were largely male, healthy, and worked as manual labourers. Overall, the failure rate of individual repairs was 28.7%. Over time, there was a trend toward more crush or avulsion and multidigit injuries, and surgeries performed after 2011 were significantly longer. There was a significant downward trend in the number of patients treated at our center each year. Additionally, there was a statistically significant decrease in the proportion of replanted to revised digits in multidigit cases.

DISCUSSION

Our observation of declining replantation rates is in line with recent American observations. The reason for this is not obvious but may represent a change in injury characteristics or surgeon attitudes.

CONCLUSION

We suspect that these changes represent a change in workplace safety and injury characteristics, but further studies are needed to assess patient and surgeon treatment decisions.

Treatment of volar defects of the finger using dorsal digital-metacarpal flap versus free medial plantar artery flap: a comparative study

Background

The treatment of defects on the volar surface of the finger has been scarcely reported, and its utility for digital resurfacing remains unclear. This study compared the outcomes of free medial plantar artery flap (MPAF) and dorsal digital–metacarpal flap (DDMF) in finger reconstruction.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included 24 patients with soft-tissue defects on the volar surface of the finger from March 2014 to March 2017. The patients were divided into two groups: the MPAF group and the DDMF group. The operation time, complications, such as flap necrosis, graft loss, infection, paresthesia, and donor-site morbidity, as well as two-point discrimination (2-PD) were carefully recorded. The Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire was used for conduct follow-up assessment.

Results

After more than 12 months of follow-up, the MPAF group had a longer operative time compared with DDMF group, but there was no significant difference between postoperative complications and 2-PD test result in patients without nerve injury. And in terms of overall function, Modified VSS score and 2-PD test (the patients with nerve injury), There were relatively obvious statistical differences, MPAF was superior to DDMF (p < 0.005).

Conclusion

MPAF and DDMF are reliable for reconstruction of the volar surface of the finger; however, MPAF offers better functional outcomes and is associated with a lower incidence of postoperative complications.

Trends in the Management of Traumatic Upper Extremity Amputations

PURPOSE

Treatment for upper extremity amputations includes revision amputation or attempted replantation. The rate of digital replantation has been declining in the United States. Prior studies discovered the presence of socioeconomic disparities associated with these injuries. The goals of this study were to investigate yearly trends of traumatic upper extremity amputations and evaluate the presence of disparities with access to care in these injuries.

METHODS

The 2008 to 2014 New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) inpatient and outpatient databases were utilized to identify patients who had traumatic upper extremity amputations. We queried the database for patient characteristics, resource utilization characteristics, insurance status, major in-hospital complications, and mortality. Patients at low-, medium-, and high-volume institutions were compared. We performed multivariable logistic regressions for the binary variable replantation (yes/no) controlling for age, sex, race, insurance status, amputation level, admission hour, and comorbidities.

RESULTS

A total of 2,492 patients met our inclusion criteria: 92.1% sustained digital amputations and 7.9% sustained arm amputations. The annual rate of inpatient finger amputations decreased significantly (1.9 per 100,000 people in 2008 vs 1.4 per 100,000 people in 2014) during the study period while that of outpatient finger amputations increased significantly (12.0 per 100,000 people in 2008 vs 15.5 per 100,000 people in 2014). Multivariable analysis demonstrated incrementally lower odds for replantation with increasing age and increased odds for replantation in patients with private insurance (odds ratio, 1.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-2.50). The number of replantation surgeries at medium-volume institutions decreased by 45% while remaining steady in low- and high-volume institutions.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings corroborate the findings of other studies that underscore the existence of disparities with respect to insurance status in these injuries. Replantations occur more frequently at high-volume hospitals and are more common in younger patients with private insurance. This finding suggests that patients with traumatic amputations may benefit from treatment at high-volume institutions. Further research to help improve access to such institutions is warranted.

TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic II.

A Call to Arms: Emergency Hand and Upper-Extremity Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose

Limited data exist regarding volumetric trends and management of upper-extremity emergencies during periods of social restriction and duress, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. We sought to study the effect of shelter-in-place orders on emergent operative upper-extremity surgery.

Methods

All patients undergoing emergent and time-sensitive operations to the finger(s), hand, wrist, and forearm were tracked over an equal number of days before and after shelter-in-place orders at 2 geographically distinct Level I trauma centers. Surgical volume and resources, patient demographics, and injury patterns were compared before and after official shelter-in-place orders.

Results

A total of 58 patients underwent time-sensitive or emergent operations. Mean patient age was 42 years; mean injury severity score was 9 and median American Society of Anesthesiologist score was 2. There was a 40% increase in volume after shelter-in-place orders, averaging 1.4 cases/d. Indications for surgery included high-energy closed fracture (60%), traumatic nerve injury (19%), severe soft tissue infection (15%), and revascularization of the arm, hand, or digit(s) (15%). High-risk behavior, defined as lawlessness, assault, and high-speed auto accidents, was associated with a significantly greater proportion of operations after shelter-in-place orders (40% vs 12.5%; P < .05). Each institution dedicated an average of 3 inpatient beds and one intensive care unit-capable bed to upper-extremity care daily. Resources used included an average of 115 minutes of daily operating room time and 8 operating room staff or personnel per case.

Conclusions

Hand and upper-extremity operative volume increased after shelter-in-place orders at 2 major Level I trauma centers across the country, demanding considerable hospital resources. The rise in volume was associated with an increase in high-risk behavior.

Type of study/level of evidence

Therapeutic IV.

Navigating the Intersection of Evidence and Policy in Hand Surgery Practice

Collaboration with organizations beyond the clinical setting is necessary to identify safety hazards that contribute to the high incidence and severity of hand conditions. Hand surgeons are acutely aware of obstacles patients face while navigating the health care system. Advocacy efforts encourage the development of equitable insurance policies and improve health resource allocation so that hand surgeons can treat a larger patient population. Participation in quality initiatives supports the development of evidence-based clinical guidelines. Further evidence must be generated to ensure that surgeons remain proficient in the latest techniques and uphold high standards of care as hand surgery procedures evolve.

The Effects of Medicaid Expansion on Triage and Regional Transfer After Upper-Extremity Trauma

PURPOSE

Underinsured hand trauma patients are more likely to be transferred to quaternary care centers, which burdens these patients and centers. By increasing insurance coverage, care for less severe upper-extremity injuries may be available closer to patients' homes. We evaluated whether the 2014 expansion of Medicaid in Maryland under the Affordable Care Act decreased the number of uninsured upper-extremity trauma patients and the volume of unnecessary emergency trauma visits at our hand center.

METHODS

We identified all upper-extremity trauma patients between 2010 and 2017 at our hand trauma referral center. Injury severity was classified based on the need for subspecialty care. Bivariate relations between insurance status and demographic covariates, including injury type and distance, both before and after Medicaid expansion were evaluated. We used patient-level and multinomial logistic regression models to evaluate changes in payer and transfer appropriateness.

RESULTS

We studied 12,009 acute upper-extremity trauma patients. With Medicaid expansion, the percentage of trauma patients with Medicaid coverage increased from 15% to 24%, with a decrease in uninsured from 31% to 24%. After Medicaid expansion, non-transfer patient appropriateness decreased and appropriateness of transfers remained consistent across all payers. The average distance patients traveled for care remained similar before and after expansion.

CONCLUSIONS

Medicaid expansion significantly decreased the proportion of uninsured upper-extremity trauma patients. We identified no significant changes in the distances these patients traveled for specialized care. In addition, the appropriateness of transferred patients did not change significantly after expansion, whereas appropriateness of nontransferred patients actually declined after Medicaid expansion.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study indicates no notable change in adherence to transfer guidelines after expansion, and a possible increase in use of emergency services by newly insured patients.

The Role of the Hand Surgeon in Microsurgery in Brazil

Objective  This study evaluates the conditions for microvascular procedures found by hand surgeons in Brazilian clinical practices.

Methodology  A prospective, observational, and analytical primary clinical research conducted during the 37 ^th Brazilian Congress of Hand Surgery, from March 30 ^th to April 1 ^st , 2017, in Belo Horizonte, in which physicians answered 12 closed, objective, multiple-choice questions regarding their geographic region, type of institution (public or private), microsurgical training, time of experience, technical conditions, the availability of a standby team for emergencies and compensation.

Results  The study analyzed 143 hand surgeons; among them, 65.7% participants were based at the Southeast region, 13.3% in the Northeast region, 11.9% in the South region, 6.3% in the Central-West region and 2.8% in the North region. Regarding the time of experience, 43.4% of the hand surgeons had less than 5 years, 16.8% had 5 to 10 years, 23.8% 10 to 20 years, and 23% had more than 20 years of practice in microvascular surgery. Seven percent of the surgeons had no training in microvascular surgery; for 63.6%, training occurred during medical residency, whereas 30.8% were trained in another institution, and 7.7% in another country. Among these surgeons, 76.9% worked at both private and public hospitals, 14.7% at private hospitals and 5.6% at public hospitals. Regarding compensation, 1.8% of the surgeons considered it adequate, and 98.2%, inadequate in public hospitals, whereas 5.0% considered it adequate, and 95.0%, inadequate in private hospitals.

Conclusion  This research shows that most surgeons were trained in microsurgery, had never performed reattachments, and considered that compensation is inadequate; moreover, standby teams were not available. There are few, unevenly distributed hand surgeons with microsurgical ability in emergency settings, and their compensation is low.

An In-Depth Review of Physician Reimbursement for Digit and Thumb Replantation

PURPOSE

To examine physician and hospital reimbursement for digit and thumb replantation compared with revision amputation.

METHODS

Using the 2009-2016 Truven Health MarketScan Research Databases, we identified patients with a digit or thumb amputation. Following application of our inclusion and exclusion criteria, we divided patients into replantation and revision amputation groups. We extracted the mean physician and hospital reimbursement associated with each patient encounter. For comparison, we examined the work Relative Value Unit (wRVU) and Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for the respective procedures in addition to several common hand surgery procedures.

RESULTS

We identified 51,716 patients. Following application of our inclusion and exclusion criteria, 219 replantation and 6,209 revision amputation patients were included in our analysis. For replantation, the mean physician and hospital reimbursements ranged from $3,938 to $7,753 and $30,683 to $56,256, respectively. For revision amputation, the mean physician and hospital reimbursements ranged from $1,030 to $1,206 and $2,877 to $4,188, respectively. On multivariable analysis, hospitals performing replantation earned $37,788 more per case compared with revision amputation. Using the wRVU and MPFS data, we determined that replantation reimburses at $78/wRVU compared with higher earnings for revision amputation ($108), carpal tunnel release ($101), cubital tunnel release ($97), trigger finger release ($116), open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) distal radius fracture ($87), flexor tendon repair ($98), extensor tendon repair ($122), repair of digital nerve ($89), and ORIF articular fracture ($82), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Low physician reimbursement for replantation compared with less complex hand procedures makes it difficult to recruit and retain hand surgeons for this purpose. By understanding the wRVU and MPFS system, hand surgeons and professional societies can explore ways to promote change in the way replantation is valued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as well as by hospital administrators.

TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Economic/Decision Analysis III.

A Decade of Progress Toward Establishing Regional Hand Trauma Centers in the United States

Although upper extremity amputations have become less common in the workplace because of improvements in safety and equipment, the American health system's ability to provide emergent microvascular care for these injuries remains highly fragmented, inconsistent, overburdened, and at times unavailable. Over the past decade, hand surgeons have worked to improve this disparity within health systems. This article discusses the need for emergent microsurgical treatment, barriers encountered in improving access to care, and a description of current and future efforts of developing a sustainable network of highly specialized regional hand trauma centers.

Revascularization and Replantation in the Hand: Presurgical Preparation and Patient Transfer

Replantation of a digit or hand is most successful when performed at a specialized, high-volume center. However, most patients with amputations initially present to local hospitals. Therefore, patients amenable to replantation frequently require expedited transfer to a tertiary center. To maximize success of digit replants, health care providers from both the referring and the referral hospital must be facile and expeditious at transferring the injured patient. The critical aspects of triage include assessment of the injury, patient communication, interfacility communication, preparation of the amputated part and patient, and a timely transfer.

Hand Surgeons and Orthopedic Trauma Surgeons Call Coverage of Acute Upper Extremity Injuries: Where Should the Line Be Drawn?

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of consensus as to which subspecialty service should cover acute upper extremity injuries in the emergency department (ED). The purpose of the present study is to understand how upper extremity injuries are currently triaged to specialists and to assess the current opinion among hand and orthopedic trauma specialists as to how these injuries should be best triaged based on injury location and severity.

METHODS

The American Association for Hand Surgery (AAHS) membership and Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) membership were surveyed using a 28-item online questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 103 responses from the AAHS and 114 responses from the OTA were received. Nearly 50% of the respondents report no formal anatomic line as to how upper extremity injuries are triaged to specialists from the ED. Approximately 57% of the AAHS respondents feel that hand call should begin at the distal radius or proximal, while 71% of the OTA respondents feel that hand call should begin at the radiocarpal joint or distal. There was increasing agreement that more complex injuries be assigned to the hand surgeon.

CONCLUSIONS

There is agreement that proximal to the elbow, the trauma consultant should be called, and distal to the distal radius, the hand consultant should be called. However, there is a lack of agreement as to who should be responsible for call between the elbow and the hand. To optimize patient care, better allocate consultant resources, and minimize conflict between consultants, establishing anatomic guidelines for consultation should be considered.

Annual Hospital Volume and Success of Digital Replantation

BACKGROUND

Digital replantation attempt and success rates have been declining in the United States. Regionalization of digit replantation has been proposed as a solution to improve both attempt and success rates of these procedures. There is limited information about which criteria could establish a hospital as a center specialized for digit replantation. The authors analyzed hospital replantation volume and patient factors associated with successful thumb/finger replantation.

METHODS

A retrospective study using data from the 2008 to 2012 State Inpatient Databases of the Health Care Cost and Utilization Project from five states (New York, California, North Carolina, Utah, and Florida) was performed. The generalized estimating equation method was used to examine the association between patient characteristics and hospital volume and success of thumb/finger replantation. A receiver operating characteristic curve and Youden's J statistic were used to determine annual hospital replantation volume cutoff levels for success rates.

RESULTS

There were 3417 digit amputation injuries, with 631 replantation attempts (18 percent) and with an overall thumb/finger replantation success rate of 70 percent. The hospital annual replantation volume increased the odds of success (OR, 1.06; 95 percent CI, 1.02 to 1.10). The annual hospital volume of three replantations was needed to achieve a success rate of 70 percent.

CONCLUSIONS

Practice patterns demonstrate that hospitals with higher annual volume have greater success. Identifying high-volume centers and regionalization of digit replantation should be considered a priority.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, III.

A Population-Based Study of Replantation After Traumatic Thumb Amputation, 2007-2012

PURPOSE

The recommended surgical treatment after thumb amputation is replantation. In the United States, fewer than 40% of thumb amputation injuries are replanted, and little is known about factors associated with the probability of replantation. We aimed to investigate recent trends and examine patient and hospital characteristics that are associated with increased probability of attempted thumb replantation. We hypothesized that higher-volume teaching hospitals and level-I trauma centers attempted more replantations.

METHODS

We used 2007-2012 data from the National Trauma Data Bank. Our final sample included 2,206 traumatic thumb amputation patients treated in 1 of 365 centers during the study period. First, we used a 2-level hierarchical logistic model to estimate the odds of replantation. In addition, we used a treatment effect estimation method, with the inverse propensity score weighting to examine the difference in thumb replantation if the only variation among patients was their presumptive payer.

RESULTS

There was a higher probability of attempted replantation at teaching hospitals than nonteaching hospitals (odds ratio [OR], 1.40). Patients were less likely to undergo replantation at a level II (OR, 0.53) or a level III (OR, 0.33) trauma center. The uninsured were less likely to undergo replantation (OR, 0.61) than those with private insurance.

CONCLUSIONS

Having insurance coverage and being treated in a high-volume, teaching, level-I trauma hospital increased the odds of replantation after traumatic thumb amputation. Regionalization may lead to a higher number of indicated cases of replantation actually being attempted.

TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic II.