OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WITH ORTHOPAEDIC TRAUMA ADMITTED TO LEVEL 1 TRAUMA CENTRES

• Published in: ANZ journal of surgery 2006-07, Vol.76 (7), p.600-606
• Main Authors: Urquhart, Donna M, Williamson, Owen D, Gabbe, Belinda J, Cicuttini, Flavia M, Cameron, Peter A, Richardson, Martin D, Edwards, Elton R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; musculoskeletal; Musculoskeletal System - injuries; orthopaedic; outcome; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Patient Admission - statistics & numerical data; registry; Retrospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; trauma; Trauma Centers - statistics & numerical data; Trauma Severity Indices; Victoria - epidemiology; Wounds and Injuries - epidemiology; Wounds and Injuries - therapy
• ISSN: 1445-1433; 1445-2197
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1445-2197.2006.03785.x

Background:  Although orthopaedic trauma results in significant disability and substantial financial cost, there is a paucity of large cohort studies that collectively describe the functional outcomes of a variety of these injuries. The current study aimed to investigate the outcomes of patients admitted with a range of orthopaedic injuries to adult Level 1 trauma centres. Methods:  Patients were recruited from the Victorian Orthopaedic Trauma Outcomes Registry (VOTOR), which included all patients with orthopaedic trauma admitted to the two adult Level 1 trauma centres in Victoria (Australia). Patients were categorised into three groups; isolated orthopaedic injuries, multiple orthopaedic injuries and orthopaedic and other injuries. Demographic and injury data were collected from the medical record and hospital/trauma databases, and functional outcome instruments were given at 6 months post‐injury. Results:  Of the 1303 patients recruited for VOTOR over a 12‐month period, 1181 patients were eligible for the study and a response rate of 75.6% was obtained at 6 months post‐injury. Patients reported ongoing pain (moderate‐severe: 37.2%), disability (79.5%) and inability to return to work (35.2%). Poorer outcomes were evident in patients with orthopaedic and other injuries than those with single or multiple orthopaedic injuries alone. Conclusion:  A large percentage of patients have ongoing pain and disability and a reduced capacity to return to work 6 months after orthopaedic trauma. Further research into the long‐term outcomes of patients with orthopaedic injuries is required to identify patient subgroups and specific injuries and procedures that result in high morbidity.