Pathological fractures in elderly

Primary hyperparathyroidism commonly affects elderly women. When present in the young population, it is usually asymptomatic, most frequently due to a parathyroid adenoma and the definitive management is surgical excision. Uncommonly, 5-10% of patients fail to achieve long-term cure after initial parathyroidectomy and 6-16% of them is due to an ectopic parathyroid adenoma that will require focused diagnostic and surgical approaches. We report a 21-year-old male who had bilateral thigh pain. Work-up revealed bilateral femoral fractures, brown tumors on the arms and multiple lytic lesions on the skull...

Plasmacytoma, an uncommon malignancy originating from plasma cells, predominantly manifests in the elderly demographic. However, its incidence among young adults remains infrequent. Herein, we present a case involving a 28-year-old young adult diagnosed with solitary bone plasmacytoma. The patient presented with acute exacerbation of chronic lower back pain of two years, which, upon hospitalization, was attributed to a lumbar spine compression fracture. Comprehensive blood analysis, imaging studies, and pathology assessments suggested the likelihood of solitary plasmacytoma, devoid of indicators characteristic of multiple myeloma (MM)...

Introduction: In the rapidly aging U.S. population, age-induced bone loss (senile osteoporosis) represents a major public health concern that is associated with a significant increased risk for low trauma fragility fractures, which are debilitating to patients, cause significant morbidity and mortality, and are costly to treat and manage. While various treatments exist to slow bone loss in osteoporosis patients, these suffer from poor tolerability and label restrictions that limit their overall effectiveness...

BACKGROUND: The choice between total hip arthroplasty (THA) and hemiarthroplasty (HA) to treat displaced femoral neck fractures, particularly among the elderly, is still controversial. Acetabular erosion consists of a late multifactorial process that may happen after hip HA resulting in significant postoperative burden. This study aims to investigate the impact of acetabular erosion progress after hip HA in patients over 70 years old. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a 5-year (2013-2018) retrospective study including consecutive series of patients >70 years who were treated with bipolar hip HA for femoral neck fractures...

Background Fragility fractures caused by osteoporosis are known to increase the risk of further fragility fractures. Also, several factors have been associated with an increasing risk of fracture in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, as prior fracture, advancing age, low bone mineral density (BMD), greater risk or history of falls certain, pharmacologic therapies such as glucocorticoids, and medical conditions increase the risk of secondary osteoporosis and related fractures through their direct impact on bone density or structure...

INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures are common injuries in the elderly and are usually treated with timely surgery. While severe postoperative complications are reported for up to 10% of patients, many studies identified predictive factors for the occurrence of complications postoperatively. A controversially discussed factor is "time-to-surgery". The aim of the study was to examine if time-to-surgery was associated with the occurrence of complications and if the complication rate differed between the patient individual fracture types of intracapsular on the one hand and extracapsular hip fractures on the other hand...

BACKGROUND: Proximal humeral fractures (PHFs) often occur in elderly individuals who experience low-energy falls. Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of the proximal humerus is typically performed in young, active patients because of their good bone quality and high functional demands. Although good short-term results have been reported after ORIF in young patients, few studies have specifically evaluated long-term outcomes. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) What are the long-term clinical outcomes scores and (2) radiologic outcomes of nonosteoporotic three-part and four-part PHFs treated with locking plates? (3) What complications occurred after treatment, and what factors are associated with poor postoperative functional outcomes scores and avascular necrosis (AVN) of the humeral head after ORIF? METHODS: Between June 2005 and December 2012, we surgically treated 774 patients for displaced two-, three-, and four-part PHFs...

OBJECTIVE: Spine metastases are commonly treated with radiotherapy for local tumor control; pathologic fracture is a potential complication of spinal radiotherapy. Both Hounsfield units (HUs) on CT and vertebral bone quality (VBQ) on MRI have been argued to predict stability as measured by odds of pathologic fracture, although it is unclear if there is a difference in the predictive power between the two methodologies. The objective of the present study was to examine whether one methodology is a better predictor of pathologic fracture following radiotherapy for mobile spine metastases...

INTRODUCTION: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and assessment of fracture risk despite proven limitations. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) is regarded as a sensitive method for diagnosis and follow-up. Pathologic fractures are classified as the main clinical manifestation of osteoporosis. The objective of the study was to compare DXA and QCT to determine their sensitivity and discriminatory power. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients aged 50 years and older were included who had DXA of the lumbar spine and femur and additional QCT of the lumbar spine within 365 days...

We report on the treatment of a neglected displaced vertical shear pelvic fracture with functional impairment 6 months after injury in a 74-year-old woman with underlying osteoporosis. She was managed with open reduction and internal fixation and grafting of her left SI joint, while the ipsilateral pubic rami fractures were treated conservatively. She achieved union and pain free weight bearing 6 months postoperatively. Appropriate evaluation of the pathology and selection of the appropriate treatment in this elderly patient cohort is essential for a successful outcome...

INTRODUCTION: Chondrosarcoma is the second most common after osteosarcoma. It mostly effects adults and elderly individuals, primarily seen in the pelvic and proximal femoral bone. Pain and pathological fractures are common symptoms. The tumor is resistant to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, so surgical excision is the most effective treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: A 9-year-old girl presented with vague pain in her left thigh. Physical examination and imaging revealed multiple osteolytic lesions in the thigh, and a biopsy confirmed classical chondrosarcoma...

Giant cell tumor of the bone (GCTB) is a benign bone tumor that can occasionally progress to malignancy, usually in chronic cases. It is a common benign and aggressive bone tumor that affects patients aged between 20 and 45 years. The most common location is the knee joint. It manifests as a painless or occasionally painful swelling over the affected area. A case of giant cell tumor (GCT) of the proximal tibia in a 72-year-old male is reported here, which was difficult to diagnose as it is rarely found in the geriatric age group...

BACKGROUND: Fracture sequelae of the proximal humerus were classified by Boileau into four types. Since there are pathomorphological differences and specific characteristics within the four types, we have developed a subclassification. For elderly patients, shoulder arthroplasty is mostly recommended. Based on the available literature and clinical trial results, a subclassification could be created that suggests a specific therapy for each subgroup. The aim of this study was to evaluate the endoprosthetic therapy according to the proposed subclassification and to provide an overview of the clinical and radiological results after endoprosthetic treatment of proximal humerus fracture sequelae...

To analyze the prognostic value of fibrinogen-albumin ratio (FAR) in predicting the overall survival in elderly osteosarcoma patients. One hundred nineteen elderly osteosarcoma patients (> 40 years old) from 2 centers were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. The cutoff values of the biomarker were calculated via receiver operating characteristic curves, and the cohort was divided into high FAR group and low FAR group. The association between the FAR and clinical-pathological parameters was analyzed. And the prognosis of elderly osteosarcoma patients and the potential risk factors were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model...

BACKGROUND: Global prevalence of osteoporosis and fragility fractures is increasing due to the aging population. Proximal femoral fractures are among the most common orthopedic conditions in elderly that significantly cause health deterioration and mortality. Here, we aimed to evaluate the mortality rates and risk factors, besides the functional outcomes after these injuries. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, all patients admitted with a femoral neck or intertrochanteric fracture between 2016 and the end of 2018 were enrolled in this study...

Background Proximal humerus fractures comprise nearly 4%-5% of all fracture types and nearly 25% of fracture humerus. These fractures are commonly seen in the elderly population (people aged 60 years or more). The best way to treat elderly people who have three- or four-part fractures of the proximal humerus is debatable, with many in favour of prosthetic humeral head replacements. This study aimed to assess the functional outcome of proximal humerus fractures managed with a proximal humerus locking plate and to investigate the incidence of complications in these patients...

The population around the world is growing in age, and taking care of the elderly has become a medical challenge as new pathologies, risk factors, treatments, and approaches are being explored. One of the most important chapters that should be focused on is falls in the elderly, as it is a common reason for, not only fractures but also dependency, morbidity, and mortality in this population. The chapter on fall is vast and can be further categorized. In this article, we aim to focus on one of the complications, which is discitis post-vertebral fracture...

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is an uncommon, but usually benign, underrecognized clinical condition with the distressing presentation of purple, blue or reddish discoloration of a patient's catheter bag and tubing in the setting of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs). PUBS is the result of the complex metabolic pathway of the dietary essential amino acid tryptophan. Its urinary metabolite, indoxyl sulfate, is converted into red and blue byproducts (indirubin and indigo) in the presence of the bacterial enzymes indoxyl sulfatase and phosphatase...

The aim of the current study is to compare the clinical outcomes of cast immobilization (CI) versus surgical treatment after 1 year for distal radius fractures (DRFs) in the elderly population. The cohort included patients aged 70-89 who suffered an acute, closed, and displaced DRF and who were treated conservatively or surgically at our clinic between August 2018 and January 2022. Those who had pathological fractures, open fractures, concomitant ulna fractures (except ulna styloid fractures), were not between the ages of 70 and 89, or refused to participate were excluded from the study...

INTRODUCTION: in the elderly patient population, where fracture comminution, osteoporotic fractures, and associated arthritis or rotator cuff pathologies dominate, metadiaphyseal proximal humeral fracture is a challenging subset of fractures to treat. This study reports on cementless long-stem reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) as primary treatment of metadiaphyseal proximal humeral fractures in elderly patients. MATERIALS & METHODS: Between January 2018 and October 2021, 22 consecutive patients sustained proximal humerus fractures with metadiaphyseal extension and underwent surgery with cementless long-stem RTSA...