Strategies of Osteosynthesis: Problems and Perspectives

Abstract

Background. Urgent osteosynthesis requires number of organizational, material, technical and staff resources. Aim of the study to determine advantages and disadvantages of existing strategies for osteosynthesis basing on literature data and comparative analysis of organization of osteosynthesis on the first day after injury and at a later time. Methods. Data were collected through review of medical records from first half of 2021 calendar year and consist of the patients have been treated by different types of osteosynthesis on the first day after admission to the hospital and later. Average length of hospital stay (LOS) for surgical procedures and duration of the operative time were compared. Results. In total 266 osteosynthesis of the extremities immediately after admission to the hospital were performed in the first half of 2021 in 260 patients. The most frequently performed ankle fractures fixation (20.7%) and clavicle fractures surgical repairment (13.9%). Cases of early infections complications and no revision surgeries required due to unstable fixation after urgent osteosynthesis were excluded. In the same period 659 delayed osteosynthesis were performed. Mean value of inpatient day in patients, who underwent urgent surgery, was 8.4016.67 days, while patients, who underwent delayed surgery, spent significantly greater (p0.05) amount of time in the hospital 12.986.28 days in average. Discussion. Three strategies of osteosynthesis exist: urgent surgeries, delayed surgeries in daytime in operating rooms for planned surgeries and combination of these approaches. Urgent osteosynthesis surgeries do not lead to infectious complications or unstable fixation, what makes them viable option while choosing treatment tactics in case of some injuries. Precise determination of patient groups according to fracture pattern and its localization, that can be operated on in urgent manner, is necessary. Moreover, introduction of urgent osteosynthesis requires serious organizational measures. It is also necessary to perform economical assessment of described approach. Only after solving these questions, it will be possible to make final conclusions about optimal strategy for performing osteosynthesis.