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The Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH) Identifies Radiographic Nonunion of Femoral Neck Fractures.

ABSTRACT: The Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH) is a previously validated outcome instrument designed to improve intra- and interobserver reliability when describing the radiographic healing of femoral neck fractures. The ability to identify fractures that have not healed is important for defining nonunion in clinical trials and predicting patients who will likely require additional surgery to promote fracture healing. We sought to investigate the utility of the RUSH score to define femoral neck fracture nonunion.(1) What RUSH score threshold yields at least 98% specificity to diagnose nonunion at 6 months postinjury? (2) Using the threshold identified, are patients below this threshold at greater risk of reoperation for nonunion and for other indications?A representative sample of 250 out of a cohort of 725 patients with adequate 6-month hip radiographs was analyzed from a multinational elderly hip fracture trial (FAITH). All patients had a femoral neck fracture and were treated with either multiple cancellous screws or a sliding hip screw. Two reviewers independently determined the RUSH score based on the 6-month postinjury radiographs and interrater reliability was assessed with the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). There was substantial reliability between the reviewers assigning the RUSH scores (ICC, 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-0.85). The RUSH score is a checklist-based system that quantifies four measures of healing: cortical bridging, cortical fracture disappearance, trabecular consolidation, and trabecular fracture disappearance.. Fracture healing was determined by two independent methods: (1) concurrently by the treating surgeon using both clinical and radiographic assessments as per routine clinical care; and (2) retrospectively by a Central Adjudication Committee using complete obliteration of the fracture line on radiographs alone. Receiver operating characteristic tables were used to define a RUSH threshold score that was > 98% specific for fracture nonunion.A threshold score of < 18 was associated with a 100% specificity (95% CI, 97%-100%) and a positive predictive value of 100% (95% CI, 73%-100%) for radiographic nonunion. In contrast, using the fracture healing assessments of the treating surgeons failed to identify a useful discriminatory nonunion threshold and the highest positive predictive value was 43%. With respect to complications, patients with RUSH scores below 18 had greater risk of undergoing reoperation for nonunion (reoperation when < 18: six of 13 [46%]; reoperation when ? 18: 11 of 237 [54%]; relative risk [RR], 9.9 [95% CI, 4.4-22.7]; p < 0.001) and for all indications (reoperation when < 18: eight of 13 [62%]; reoperation when ? 18: 54 of 237 [38%]; RR, 2.7 [95% CI, 1.7-4.4]; p = 0.004).The 6-month RUSH score is a reliable method for assessing radiographic healing. Our results highlight the discordance between radiographic determinations and clinician assessments of fracture healing and stress the need for clinical data to be incorporated in research studies evaluating fracture healing.Level III, diagnostic study.

SUBMITTER: Frank T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4868173 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH) Identifies Radiographic Nonunion of Femoral Neck Fractures.

Frank Tym T Osterhoff Georg G Sprague Sheila S Garibaldi Alisha A Bhandari Mohit M Slobogean Gerard P GP

Clinical orthopaedics and related research 20160601 6

<h4>Background</h4>The Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH) is a previously validated outcome instrument designed to improve intra- and interobserver reliability when describing the radiographic healing of femoral neck fractures. The ability to identify fractures that have not healed is important for defining nonunion in clinical trials and predicting patients who will likely require additional surgery to promote fracture healing. We sought to investigate the utility of the RUSH score to defi ...[more]

PMID: 26728521

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Project description:BackgroundDespite the prominence of hip fractures in orthopedic trauma, the assessment of fracture healing using radiographs remains subjective. The variability in the assessment of fracture healing has important implications for both clinical research and patient care. With little existing literature regarding reliable consensus on hip fracture healing, this study was conducted to determine inter-rater reliability between orthopedic surgeons and radiologists on healing assessments using sequential radiographs in patients with hip fractures. Secondary objectives included evaluating a checklist designed to assess hip fracture healing and determining whether agreement improved when reviewers were aware of the timing of the x-rays in relation to the patients' surgery.MethodsA panel of six reviewers (three orthopedic surgeons and three radiologists) independently assessed fracture healing using sequential radiographs from 100 patients with femoral neck fractures and 100 patients with intertrochanteric fractures. During their independent review they also completed a previously developed radiographic checklist (Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH)). Inter and intra-rater reliability scores were calculated. Data from the current study was compared to the findings from a previously conducted study where the same reviewers, unaware of the timing of the x-rays, completed the RUSH score.ResultsThe agreement between surgeons and radiologists for fracture healing was moderate for "general impression of fracture healing" in both femoral neck (ICC = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.42-0.71) and intertrochanteric fractures (0.50, 95% CI: 0.33-0.62). Using a standardized checklist (RUSH), agreement was almost perfect in both femoral neck (ICC = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.82-0.87) and intertrochanteric fractures (0.88, 95% CI: 0.86-0.90). We also found a high degree of correlation between healing and the total RUSH score using a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, there was an area under the curve of 0.993 for femoral neck cases and 0.989 for intertrochanteric cases. Agreement within the radiologist group and within the surgeon group did not significantly differ in our analyses. In all cases, radiographs in which the time from surgery was known resulted in higher agreement scores compared to those from the previous study in which reviewers were unaware of the time the radiograph was obtained.ConclusionsAgreement in hip fracture radiographic healing may be improved with the use of a standardized checklist and appears highly influenced by the timing of the radiograph. These findings should be considered when evaluating patient outcomes and in clinical studies involving patients with hip fractures. Future research initiatives are required to further evaluate the RUSH checklist.

Project description:ObjectivesTo determine if hospital arthroplasty volume affects patient outcomes after undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) for displaced femoral neck fractures.MethodsThe Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database from the New York State Department of Health was used to group hospitals into quartiles based on overall THA volume from 2000 to 2010. The database was then queried to identify all patients undergoing THA specifically for femoral neck fracture during this time period. The data were analyzed to investigate outcomes between the 4 volume quartiles in 30-day and 1-year mortality, 1-year revision rate, and 90-day complication rate (readmission for dislocation, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, prosthetic joint infection, or other complications related to arthroplasty in the treatment of femoral neck fractures with THA).ResultsPatients undergoing THA for femoral neck fracture at hospitals in the top volume quartile had significantly lower 30-day (0.9%) and 1-year (7.51%) mortality than all other volume quartiles. There were no significant differences on pairwise comparisons between the second, third, and fourth quartiles with regard to postoperative mortality. There was no significant difference in revision arthroplasty at 1 year between any of the volume quartiles. On Cox regression analysis, THA for fracture at the lowest volume (fourth) quartile [hazard ratio (HR), 1.91; P = 0.016, 95% confidence interval (CI), (1.13-3.25)], second lowest volume (third) quartile (HR, 2.01; P = 0.013, 95% CI, 1.16-3.5) and third lowest volume (second) quartile (HR, 2.13; P = 0.005, 95% CI, 1.26-3.62) were associated with increased risk for a 1-year postoperative mortality event. Hospital volume quartile was also a significant risk factor for increased 90-day complication (pulmonary embolism/deep vein thrombosis, acute dislocation, prosthetic joint infection) following THA for femoral neck fracture. Having surgery in the fourth quartile (HR, 2.71; P < 0.001, 95% CI, 1.7-4.31), third quartile (HR, 2.61; P < 0.001, 95% CI, 1.61-4.23), and second quartile (HR, 2.41; P < 0.001, 95% CI, 1.51-3.84), all were significant risk factors for increased 90-day complication risk.ConclusionsThe results of this population-based study indicate that THA for femoral neck fractures at high-volume arthroplasty centers is associated with lower mortality and 90-day complication rates but does not influence 1-year revision rate. THA for femoral neck fractures at top arthroplasty volume quartile hospitals are performed on healthier patients more quickly. Patient health is a critical factor that influences mortality outcomes following THA for femoral neck fractures.Level of evidencePrognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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The Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH) Identifies Radiographic Nonunion of Femoral Neck Fractures.

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The Radiographic Union Score for Hip (RUSH) Identifies Radiographic Nonunion of Femoral Neck Fractures.

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