Injury
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EQ-5D and SF-36 are two questionnaires used to measure health related quality of life (HRQoL). The responsiveness of these instruments has previously been evaluated in elderly populations with hip fracture but not in a younger population. The purpose was to evaluate the responsiveness of SF-36 and EQ-5D in a younger population with femoral neck fracture. ⋯ The effect sizes and the ability to follow and predict the external standard indicates that both EQ-5D and SF-36 have good internal and external responsiveness in this younger population with femoral neck fracture. The generic HRQoL questionnaires were superior to a hip-specific instrument in predicting the patients' subjective feelings of an improved state of health. EQ-5D is simple to administer and shows similar responsiveness as SF-36 and may be sufficient to use as an outcome measure in clinical trials.
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Multicenter Study
Incidence and risk factors for removal of an internal fixation following surgery for ankle fracture: A retrospective cohort study of 997 patients.
Implant removal in ankle fractures treated by open reduction and fixation is often based on diffuse complaints. This study determined the incidence of implant removal and identified risk factors for two principal causes for removal: complaints and surgical site infection (SSI). ⋯ In total 17% of patients had implant removal after open reduction and fixation; the majority because of subjective complaints. The risk factors for implant removal were different for removal due to complaints than for those removed due to infection. This information may be used to inform patients about the risk and risk factors for future implant removal.
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Multicenter Study
Geriatric distal femur fracture: Are we underestimating the rate of local and systemic complications?
Low energy distal femur fractures often occur in a fragile elderly population that is prone to local and systemic complications following operative treatment of extremity fractures. The nonunion rate and early complication rate following laterally based locked plating in this specific fracture are not well described. ⋯ Level III prognostic.