in the Use of Internal Fixation for Distal Radial Fracture in the United States Medicare Population

Distal Radius


Variations in the Use of Internal Fixation for Distal Radial Fracture in the United States Medicare Population


Chung KC, Shauver MJ, Yin H, et al (Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor) J Bone Joint Surg Am 93:2154-2162, 2011§



P. Blazar, MD



Evidence Ranking


• B



Expert Rating


• 3



Abstract



Background


Distal radial fractures affect an estimated 80,000 elderly Americans each year. Although the use of internal fixation for the treatment of distal radial fractures is becoming increasingly common, there have been no population-based studies to explore the dissemination of this technique. The aims of our study were to determine the current use of internal fixation for the treatment of distal radial fractures in the Medicare population and to examine regional variations and other factors that influence use of this treatment. We hypothesized that internal fixation of distal radial fractures would be used less commonly in male and black populations compared with other populations because the prevalence of osteoporosis is lower in these populations, and that use of internal fixation would be correlated with the percentage of the patients who were treated by a hand surgeon in a particular region.



Methods


We performed an analysis of complete 2007 Medicare data to determine the percentage of distal radial fractures that were treated with internal fixation in each hospital referral region. We then analyzed the association of patient and physician factors with the type of fracture treatment received, both nationally and within each hospital referral region.



Results

Related posts:

Default Thumbnailof a Method of 4-Corner Arthrodesis Using Headless Compression Screws Default ThumbnailHand: Bone and Ligament Default ThumbnailFracture Repair Using Volumetrically Expanding Polyurethane Bone Cement Default Thumbnailof Olecranon Plate Fixation in Osteoporotic Bone: Do Current Technologies and Designs Make a Difference? Default Thumbnailof a Novel Bone-Tendon Allograft With a Human Dermis–Derived Patch for Repair of Chronic Large Rotator Cuff Tears Using a Canine Model in vivo engineered nerve conduit–fabrication and experimental study in rats

Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Tags:
Apr 2, 2016 | Posted by in Hand surgery | Comments Off on in the Use of Internal Fixation for Distal Radial Fracture in the United States Medicare Population

Full access? Get Clinical Tree
Get Clinical Tree app for offline access