Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35920100›Full record

ArticleBone & joint research2022

The epidemiology and direct healthcare costs of aseptic nonunions in Germany - a descriptive report.

Nike Walter, Katja Hierl, Christoph Brochhausen, Volker Alt, Markus Rupp

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Bone & joint research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 9% 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

16 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Long-term radiological and clinical outcomes after surgical treatment of non-union: a ten-year follow-up study.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2026
    Article
  2. [Adjunctive therapies in geriatric ankle fracture patients].Unfallchirurgie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
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  9. Time to consider fracture nonunion an orphan disease? An update into pathophysiology, epidemiology and therapeutic solutions.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025
    Review
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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.

Nike WalterDepartment for Trauma Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0654-2076
Katja HierlDepartment for Trauma Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-4618-9278
Christoph BrochhausenInstitute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6761-0247
Volker AltDepartment for Trauma Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0208-4650
Markus RuppDepartment for Trauma Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-7221-3783
University Hospital Regensburg · DEUniversity of Regensburg · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsThis observational cross-sectional study aimed to answer the following questions: 1) how has nonunion incidence developed from 2009 to 2019 in a nationwide cohort; 2) what is the age and sex distribution of nonunions for distinct anatomical nonunion localizations; and 3) how high were the costs for surgical nonunion treatment in a level 1 trauma centre in Germany?

methodsData consisting of annual International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 diagnosis codes from German medical institutions from 2009 to 2019, provided by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), were analyzed. Nonunion incidence was calculated for anatomical localization, sex, and age groups. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were determined and compared with a two-sample z-test. Diagnosis-related group (DRG)-reimbursement and length of hospital stay were retrospectively retrieved for each anatomical localization, considering 210 patients.

resultsIn 2019, a total of 11,840 nonunion cases (17.4/100,000 inhabitants) were treated. In comparison to 2018, the incidence of nonunion increased by 3% (IRR 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53 to 1.99, p = 0.935). The incidence was higher for male cases (IRR female/male: 0.79, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.82, p = 0.484). Most nonunions occurred at the pelvic and hip region (3.6/100,000 inhabitants, 95% CI 3.5 to 3.8), followed by the ankle and foot as well as the hand (2.9/100,000 inhabitants each). Mean estimated DRG reimbursement for in-hospital treatment of nonunions was highest for nonunions at the pelvic and hip region (€8,319 (SD 2,410), p < 0.001).

conclusionDespite attempts to improve fracture treatment in recent years, nonunions remain a problem for orthopaedic and trauma surgery, with a stable incidence throughout the last decade.Cite this article:

Indexed as

ankleDirect healthcare costsepidemiologyEpidemiologyfemur fracturesfracture-related infectionshipNonunionnonunion of fractureorthopaedic and trauma surgeryOrthopedic Traumashouldersurgical treatment

Identifiers

PMID35920100
PMCPMC9396925
OpenAlexW4289545581

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.