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PURPOSE: European training pathways for surgeons dedicated to treating severely injured and critically ill surgical patients lack a standardized approach and are significantly influenced by diverse organizational and cultural backgrounds. This variation extends into the realm of mentorship, a vital component for the holistic development of surgeons beyond mere technical proficiency. Currently, a comprehensive understanding of the mentorship landscape within the European trauma care (visceral or skeletal) and emergency general surgery (EGS) communities is lacking. This study aims to identify within the current mentorship environment prevalent practices, discern existing gaps, and propose structured interventions to enhance mentorship quality and accessibility led by the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ESTES). METHODS: Utilizing a structured survey conceived and promoted by the Young section of the European Society of Trauma and Emergency Surgery (yESTES), we collected and analyzed responses from 123 ESTES members (both surgeons in practice and in training) across 20 European countries. The survey focused on mentorship experiences, challenges faced by early-career and female surgeons, the integration of non-technical skills (NTS) in mentorship, and the perceived role of surgical societies in facilitating mentorship. RESULTS: Findings highlighted a substantial mentorship experience gap, with 74% of respondents engaging in mostly informal mentorship, predominantly centered on surgical training. Notably, mentorship among early-career surgeons and trainees was less reported, uncovering a significant early-career gap. Female surgeons, representing a minority within respondents, reported a disproportionately poorer access to mentorship. Moreover, while respondents recognized the importance of NTS, these were inadequately addressed in current mentorship practices. The current mentorship input of surgical societies, like ESTES, is viewed as insufficient, with a call for structured programs and initiatives such as traveling fellowships and remote mentoring. CONCLUSIONS: Our survey underscores critical gaps in the current mentorship landscape for trauma and EGS in Europe, particularly for early-career and female surgeons. A clear need exists for more formalized, inclusive mentorship programs that adequately cover both technical and non-technical skills. ESTES could play a pivotal role in addressing these gaps through structured interventions, fostering a more supportive, inclusive, and well-rounded surgical community.

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Fracture healing and nonunion development are influenced by a range of biological factors. Adequate amino acid concentrations, especially arginine, are known to be important during normal bone healing. We hypothesize that bone arginine availability in autologous bone marrow grafting, when using the reamer-irrigator-aspirator (RIA) procedure, is a marker of bone healing capacity in patients treated for nonunion. Seventeen patients treated for atrophic long bone nonunion by autologous bone grafting by the RIA procedure were included and divided into two groups, successful treatment of nonunion and unsuccessful, and were compared with control patients after normal fracture healing. Reamed bone marrow aspirate from a site distant to the nonunion was obtained and the amino acids and enzymes relevant to arginine metabolism were measured. Arginine and ornithine concentrations were higher in patients with successful bone healing after RIA in comparison with unsuccessful healing. Ornithine concentrations and arginase-1 expression were lower in all nonunion patients compared to control patients, while citrulline concentrations were increased. Nitric oxide synthase 2 (Nos2) expression was significantly increased in all RIA-treated patients, and higher in patients with a successful outcome when compared with an unsuccessful outcome. The results indicate an influence of the arginine-nitric oxide metabolism in collected bone marrow, on the outcome of nonunion treatment, with indications for a prolonged inflammatory response in patients with unsuccessful bone grafting therapy. The determination of arginine concentrations and Nos2 expression could be used as a predictor for the successful treatment of autologous bone grafting in nonunion treatment.

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OBJECTIVE: To gain more insights in the medium-term patient-reported quality of life (QoL), activities of daily living (ADL), and number of complications in trauma patients with an acetabular fracture (AF), a pelvic fracture (PF), and those with a surgically combined pelvic and AF (PAF). DESIGN: Retrospective single-center study. SETTING: Level I academic trauma center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: 51 trauma patients with PF, AF, or PAF who were surgically treated between 2014 and 2017. INTERVENTION: Open reduction and internal fixation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome measures are patient-reported outcome questionnaire, which includes 2 items, the QoL, as measured with the Short Form-12, and the ADL, as measured with the Lower Extremity Functional Scale. The secondary outcome parameter was the occurrence of complications during a follow-up of at least 2 years. RESULTS: The mean physical component score (PCS) of the QoL (P = 0.03) and the ADL (P = 0.03) were significantly higher in patients with AF compared with patients with PF. The incidence of the overall postoperative complications did not significantly differ between the PF, AF, and PAF groups (P = 0.28). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that the PCS of the QoL and the ADL in surgically treated trauma patients with PF were significantly lower compared with patients with AF. No significant differences were found in overall complication rate between the PF, AF, and PAF groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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PURPOSE: The section for the skeletal trauma and sport's injuries of the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ESTES) appointed a task force group to reach a consensus among European countries on proximal humeral fractures. MATERIAL/METHODS: The task force group organized several consensus meetings until a paper with final recommendations was confirmed during the ESTES Executive Board meeting in Berlin on 25 October 2018. CONCLUSION: The Recommendations compare conservative and four possible operative treatment options (ORIF, nailing, hemi- and total reverse arthroplasty) and enable the smallest common denominator for the surgical treatment among ESTES members.

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Ankle fractures are among the most common lower limb fractures. Associations between postoperative radiographic results and clinical outcome have been found, but less is known about the relevant ankle biomechanics. This study analyzed ankle kinematics, radiographic findings, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) in patients treated for ankle fractures. The hypothesis was that patients after ankle fracture surgery had less flexion/extension in the ankle compared to healthy subjects and that fracture severity had significant influence on kinematics and patient satisfaction. Thirty-three patients (n = 33 feet) operated for ankle fractures were recruited. Ankle kinematics were analyzed using the Oxford Foot model, and results were compared with an age-matched healthy control group (11 patients, 20 feet). In addition, patients were divided by fracture (severity) classification and kinematic results were correlated with PROM and radiographic findings. Patients treated for ankle fracture showed lower walking speed (p < 0.001) when asked to walk in preferred normal speed. When compared at equal speed, significantly less range of motion (ROM) between the hindfoot and tibia in the sagittal plane (flexion/extension) during loading and push-off phases (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001) was found in patients after ankle fractures compared to healthy subjects. Lowest ROM and poorest PROM results were found for patients with trimalleolar ankle fractures. There was a significant correlation between ROM (flexion/extension) during the push-off phase and SF-36 physical functioning (r2 = 0.403, p = 0.027) and SF-36 general health (r2 = 0.473, p = 0.008). Fracture severity was significantly correlated with flexion/extension ROM in the ankle during both loading and push-off phases (r2 = -0.382, p = 0.005, and r2 = -0.568, p < 0.001) and was also significantly correlated with PROM. This study found that patients with ankle fractures had significantly altered ankle kinematics compared to healthy subjects. The poorest results were found among patients with trimalleolar fractures. Weak to strong significant correlations were found between fracture severity, ankle kinematics, and PROM. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Orthopaedic Research® Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society. J Orthop Res 37:1658-1666, 2019.

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Background Fractures of the proximal humerus are among the most common long-bone fractures and present unique challenges to surgeons. Traditional internal fixation methods, such as intramedullary nails, are associated with drawbacks such as an inability to fully fill the trabecular space and a limited ability to utilize supplemental hardware in many cases. We evaluated the safety and effectiveness of a novel fracture fixation device that utilizes a light-cured monomer to stabilize the fracture in a cohort of patients suffering from humerus fractures. Methods We prospectively collected data from patients being treated surgically for humerus fractures. Fractures were treated using the photodynamic bone stabilization system (PBSS) consisting of a balloon and light-cured monomer. Patients were evaluated at 7-14, 30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 days post-procedure. Primary outcomes included normal and complete radiographic fracture healing. Secondary outcomes included pain (via visual analog scale), function (via the disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) and constant shoulder scales), and the rate of complications. Results A total of 33 patients were included in the intent-to-treat analysis (mean age: 76.6 yrs). Of these patients, 88% demonstrated normal radiographic healing at their 90-, 180-, and 360-day visits. Complete radiographic healing was observed in 81%, 88%, and 96% of patients at 90, 180, and 360 days, respectively. Pain scores decreased significantly at day seven when compared with baseline (28.2+20.9 vs.53.6+32.2, p<0.001) and continued to decrease at the 90-day (24.7+15.5, p<0.001), 180-day (17.8+12.5, p<0.001) and 360-day (6.6+6.7, p<0.001) evaluations. DASH scores demonstrated statistically significant improvements over baseline (65.5+31.5) at 90 (37.0+14.9, p<0.001), 180 (30.6+15.7, p<0.001), and 360 days (23.9+15.0, p<0.001) post-procedure. The procedure-related event rate was 36.4%, with 5 (11.4%) device-related adverse events reported at the one-year follow-up. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the ability of a novel internal fixation device to safely and effectively treat fractures of the humerus in the elderly population.

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BACKGROUND: Calcaneal fractures are associated with substantial morbidity and socioeconomic impact, frequently leading to limited functional outcome and high economic costs. The Oxford foot model (OFM) has been reported as a valid addition to the biomechanical examination of the foot. The aim of our study was to analyze the gait of patients after operative repair of a calcaneal fracture in relation to functional outcome and radiographic findings. METHODS: Thirteen patients with a calcaneal fracture underwent gait analysis with OFM at a minimum of six months after open surgery. Intersegmental range of motion was measured during gait. Results were compared with those of healthy subjects and those of patients who had undergone subtalar arthrodesis. Patient-reported questionnaires and radiographic images were also evaluated. RESULTS: The range of motion between the hindfoot and the tibia in the push-off phase in the transverse plane was significantly correlated with the clinical outcome as reported by patients based on the Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) (r(2) = 0.51; p < 0.001) and the Short Form (SF)-36 physical component summary score (r(2) = 0.52; p < 0.001). We found a significant correlation between the step-off in the subtalar joint as measured on postoperative computed tomography (CT) and range of motion (r(2) = -0.74; p = 0.004). The step-off was also correlated with the patient-reported outcome questionnaire FADI (r(2) = -0.76; p = 0.003) and the SF-36 physical component summary score (r(2) = -0.78; p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the subtalar joint range of motion of patients after a calcaneal fracture was related both to the quality of the reduction of the subtalar joint as evaluated on postoperative CT scans and patient-reported functional outcome.

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HYPOTHESIS: Functional outcome after conservative management is predicted by changes in angulation of the fractured humeral head and can be used for individual patients to predict functional outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Standard anteroposterior (AP) and transscapular (Y) radiographs were used to evaluate 55 patients with minimally displaced proximal humeral fractures during the first week of conservative treatment. Functional outcome was determined by the Constant-Murley and Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores. The relationship between the variables and the radiographic evaluation was assessed by the Pearson correlation coefficient. Receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis and logistic regression analysis defined the optimal value for abnormalities on radiographic evaluation as an outcome predictor. RESULTS: Mean (SD) angulations at time of the fracture were 53 degrees (19 degrees ) on AP view and 59 degrees (21 degrees ) on Y-view. After 1 week, these angulations were 47 degrees (20 degrees ) and 62 degrees (21 degrees ), respectively. Significant correlations between Constant-Murley (R(2)=0.43, P=.007) and DASH (R(2)=0.43, P=.04) outcome scores and the angulation of the humeral head fragment on the Y view, and not with AP angulation were found. The optimum predictive angulation at the Y view at time of fracture was 55 degrees or less for predicting adverse functional outcome with an area under the ROC curve of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.93; P=.006). Regression analysis showed that angulations on the initial Y view and after 1 week were the most important predictors of the functional outcome at a median of 2.2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that radiographic evaluation in patients with minimally displaced proximal humeral fractures is helpful in prediction functional outcome during conservative treatment.

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BACKGROUND: It has been assumed that outcome after open reduction and internal fixation of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures may be affected by the presence of institutional trauma care and the institution's fracture volume. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate whether a relationship exists between institutional fracture load and the rates of serious infection and subtalar arthrodesis following the treatment of these fractures. METHODS: With use of a systematic method, all studies published between 2000 and 2006 describing adult patients undergoing open reduction and internal fixation of a displaced intra-articular fracture of the calcaneus were included. Patients with open fractures and patients undergoing percutaneous procedures were excluded. Institutional fracture load was calculated by dividing the number of calcaneal fractures that were treated operatively by the number of months that were included in the reported studies. A serious deep infection was defined as an infection requiring surgical débridement and hardware removal, reconstruction with a flap, and/or the presence of osteomyelitis. Traumatic subtalar arthritis was considered to be severe when subtalar arthrodesis was required. Numerous confounding factors were also analyzed, and a systematic methodological quality assessment was performed. RESULTS: Of a total of 236 studies, twenty-one were included in the analysis. The total number of fractures included was 1656. The median institutional fracture load was 0.8 fracture per month (95% confidence interval, 0.2 to 4.6 fractures per month). The median infection rate in the studies combined was 5.1% (95% confidence interval, 0.0% to 19.9%). The infection rate increased exponentially with a decreasing fracture load (r(2) = -0.5; p = 0.03). The median rate of subtalar arthrodesis was 2.5% (95% confidence interval, 0.0% to 15.4%). A significant inverse correlation was present between the fracture volume and the subtalar arthrodesis rate (r(2) = -0.7; p = 0.008). These factors were unrelated to the methodological quality. Multivariate analysis identified fracture volume as an independent determinant of the infection rate. CONCLUSIONS: A significant relationship between the deep infection rate, traumatic subtalar arthritis, and the fracture load may indicate a need for specialized institutional trauma care to improve outcomes associated with the operative treatment of calcaneal fractures.

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BACKGROUND: One of the new treatment options for proximal humeral fractures is the minimally invasive intramedullary nail. In this study, we reviewed the early clinical results after 1 year. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 35 patients with proximal humeral fractures were treated using the Polarus nail. In 14 cases the initial treatment was operative; the other 21 patients were initially treated nonoperatively. 19 patients had a 2-part fracture, 5 had a 3-part fracture and 2 had a 4-part fracture. In 9 patients the fracture extended metaphyseally. The functional outcome was assessed by the Constant score. RESULTS: 28 patients were available for 1-year followup. 17 patients showed excellent functional outcome (with an average Constant score of 81%). 6 patients required revision surgery, 1 because of nonunion and 1 because of an avascular necrosis. 4 others were reoperated because of inadequate position of the osteosynthesis or migration of the screws. INTERPRETATION: The Polarus nail is of value for (displaced) 2-, 3-, and even 4-part proximal humeral fractures and enables early postoperative mobilization with a limited amount of pain.

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BACKGROUND: In the treatment of humeral fractures, reamed nailing and compression have been reported to give higher stability. In this cadaver study, we compared the Unreamed Humeral Nail (UHN) with the (reamed) Telescopic Locking Nail (TLN) to find out whether any differences exist concerning bending and rotational stability, both with and without compression. METHODS: Nails were tested in a paired set-up with 8 pairs of fresh frozen cadaveric humeri. The nail-bone constructs were submitted to axial distraction to test compression, four-point bending and torsion. After creating a bone defect simulating an unstable fracture, bending and torsional tests were run again RESULTS: After cyclic loading, distraction under compression with the TLN was significantly less than with the UHN: 0.10 (SD 0.06) vs. 0.31 (SD 0.18) mm (difference = -67%, 95% CI = -84% to -37%; p = 0.01). In bending, the constructs with TLN under compression were stiffer than those with the UHN: 0.96 (SD 0.25) vs. 0.80 (SD 0.25) kN/mm (difference = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.07 to 0.25; p = 0.01). In torsion and with a bone defect, no significant differences were found. INTERPRETATION: Both nails are capable of resisting physiological forces acting on the humerus. The constructs with the TLN under compression are more stable in bending. Compression with an axial set screw is the more stable option.

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