Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35145761›Full record

ArticleGeriatric orthopaedic surgery & rehabilitation2021

Immediate Full Weight-Bearing Versus Partial Weight-Bearing After Plate Fixation of Distal Femur Fractures in Elderly Patients. A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Martin Paulsson, Carl Ekholm, Eythor Jonsson, Mats Geijer, Ola Rolfson

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Geriatric orthopaedic surgery & rehabilitation, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.9field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Clinical outcomes of far cortical locking constructs in distal femur fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Biomechanical evaluation of cerclage wiring in plated tibia fractures using human and synthetic specimens.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Distal femur fractures: basic science and international perspectives.OTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma · 2024
    Article
  10. Surgical management and weight-bearing recommendations for geriatric distal femur fractures.OTA international : the open access journal of orthopaedic trauma · 2024
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. An analytical model of lateral condylar plate working length.Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon) · 2023
    Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Martin PaulssonDepartment of Orthopedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7104-2262
Carl EkholmDepartment of Orthopedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Eythor JonssonDepartment of Orthopedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1975-1096
Mats GeijerDepartment of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7104-2262
Ola RolfsonDepartment of Orthopedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7104-2262
Sahlgrenska University Hospital · SELund University · SE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAfter surgery for distal femur fractures in elderly patients, weight-bearing is commonly restricted. Immediate non-restrictive weight-bearing might have beneficial effects. There are no randomized studies on the topic. The purpose of this study was to compare the functional outcome between immediate full weight-bearing (FWB) as tolerated and partial weight-bearing (PWB) during the first 8 weeks following plate fixation of distal femur fractures in elderly patients.

methodsPatients aged 65 years or older with distal femur fractures of AO/OTA types 33 A2, A3, B1, B2, C1, and C2 were included. Exclusion criteria were impaired cognitive function, concomitant injuries, or inability to follow the postoperative regimen. Internal fixation was achieved with an anatomical lateral distal femur plate applied as a strictly bridge-plating construct. The primary outcome measure was the function index of the short musculoskeletal functional assessment (SMFA) after 52 weeks from injury.

resultsThirty-two patients were randomized to FWB (n = 11) or PWB (n = 21). After 16 and 52 weeks, there were no differences in the mean SMFA function index between FWB and PWB (36 vs 43,

conclusionsThere were no differences in functional outcome, adverse events, or ROM between immediate FWB and PWB following plate fixation for a distal femur fracture in elderly patients. A distal femur fracture has a negative effect on the functional status of elderly patients that persists at least up to 1 year following injury.

Indexed as

bridge-platingdistal femur fracturefunctional outcomegeriatric traumaplate fixationrehabilitationweight-bearing

Identifiers

PMID35145761
PMCPMC8822340
OpenAlexW4205316046

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.