Iranian Journal of Orthopedic Surgery

Abstract Background: Diagnosis of associated midfoot fractures in Lisfranc injuries is important for proper treatment. We aimed to describe frequency of different types of Lisfranc injuries in surgically treated cases and to find the accuracy of non-weight bearing radiographs to determine associated midfoot fractures.
Methods: In a retrospective study, preoperative non-weight bearing plain radiographs and CT studies of 118 surgically treated Lisfranc injuries were evaluated by 2 orthopedic surgeons. The sensitivity and specificity of fleck sign, fractures of metatarsal bases, cuneiforms, navicular, and cuboid were calculated.
Results: Among 118 patients with the mean age of 35.0±15.7 years, most were male (77.1%). The most common type was Myerson type B (44.1 %) followed by D2 (40.7%). Fractures of the second metatarsal base (87 patients, 73.7%), the fleck signs (85 patients, 72.0 %), and fractures of the third metatarsal base (65 patients, 55.0 %) were the three most frequent injuries. Oppositely, fractures of the fifth metatarsal base (5 patients, 4.3%), middle cuneiform (14 patients, 12.0%), and navicular (15 patients, 12.7%) were the three least common associated midfoot fractures. Plain radiographs could not show high sensitivity to distinguish associated midfoot fractures in Lisfranc injuries with the highest for the second metatarsal base fractures (78.2%). The maximum specificity was for fractures of the first metatarsal base (100%).
Conclusions: Non-weight bearing radiographs of the foot cannot detect all associated midfoot fractures particularly fleck sign. Therefore, preoperative CT scan is highly recommended.

Abstract Background: The novel COVID-19 disease was presented at first in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. During COVID-19 pandemic, elective surgeries were postponed, and health care facilities and resources were reorganized to provide efficient service for the large number of infected patients with COVID-19. Therefore, approaching trauma patients, who could have had COVID-19, was a challenging issue requiring special considerations and healthcare set up.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Rajaei hospital, the main trauma center of the south of Iran, between March 2020 and August 2020 from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 infection was considered positive by either positive lung CT scan or PCR test. Trauma-related data such as the mechanism and pattern of trauma and injury, and surgical intervention procedures on the suspicious patients were recorded. Baseline characteristics including age, sex, cigarette smoking, and comorbidities were also collected. Need for ICU admission and mortality rates for the Covid and non-Covid cases were investigated and compared together as outcome variables.
Results: During a six-month period of the pandemic Covid-19, 9248 patients referred to our trauma center. While 222 patients were suspected to have Corona infection, Sixty-four cases were confirmed to be positive that had mean age of 44 years. Among the 64 COVID-19 -positive patients, 33 cases with mean age of 36.4 had orthopaedic injuries. 23 patients underwent surgical treatment due to the orthopaedic injuries. 24 patients were victims of motor vehicle accidents which included 7 cases of pelvic and acetabulum fractures.
The mortality rate of COVID-19 -positive cases were 15.6 % (10 patients out of the 64 cases and COVID-19 negative ones was 10.1 % (16 patients out of 158). The difference was not statistically significant (p.value:0.25). Multivariate analysis of the effect of the baseline and trauma related factors on mortality rate, showed that older age (p. value: 0.001), COVID-19 infection (p. value: 0.033), and surgical procedure (p.value:0.038) were the poor prognostic factors associated with mortality rate.
Conclusion: The mortality rate of trauma patients with COVID-19 positive infection was 15.6 % (10 patients). Older age, COVID-19 infection, and surgical procedure were associated with higher mortality rate.