Logo image
Measurement of Severity of Injury After Articular Fracture and Correlation with Post-Traumatic Arthritis Development
Book chapter

Measurement of Severity of Injury After Articular Fracture and Correlation with Post-Traumatic Arthritis Development

Donald D Anderson and J. Lawrence Marsh
Post-Traumatic Arthritis, pp.305-315
Springer US
01/01/2015
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4899-7606-2_24

View Online

Abstract

The severity of the initial injury to the articular surface and the supporting bone and surrounding soft tissue envelope is one of the most important factors in determining patient outcome after articular fractures. Injury severity strongly influences clinical decision-making during treatment and is an important predictor of patient outcome months and years after injury. Injury severity is often assessed on plain radiographs by casually labeling fractures as “high” or “low” energy, but energy is a mechanical entity that can be formally quantified. The CT-based methods described in this chapter make it possible to supplement these qualitative terms used to describe fracture severity with objectively measured quantities. CT-based fracture severity metrics have been shown to correlate with the opinions of experienced clinicians. For distal tibia fractures there appears to be a threshold for fracture severity, above which PTOA is much more likely to develop. Objectively quantifying acute fracture severity holds promise to improve clinical research by identifying who is at risk for PTOA development and set the stage for meaningful trials of new biologic agents to preserve articular surfaces. It will also improve patient care by guiding treatment and providing risk stratification and determining prognosis.
Post-traumatic arthritis development Objective CT analysis Articular fracture severity Joint trauma Mechanical loading

Details

Metrics

79 Record Views
Logo image