Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40705107›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie2025

Identifying risk factors for systemic complications following fracture-related infection.

Robin M Litten, Doriann M Alcaide, Robert W Rutz, Elizabeth M Benson, Karen J Carter, Evan G Gross, Ryan N McIlwain, Alex R Heatherly, Matthew T Yeager, Joshua T Stripling and 2 more

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Article in European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

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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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. What's New in Musculoskeletal Basic Science.The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume · 2025
    Article
  2. 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

12 authors.

Robin M LittenUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA. rlitten@uthsc.edu.
Doriann M AlcaideUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Robert W RutzUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Elizabeth M BensonUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Karen J CarterUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Evan G GrossUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Ryan N McIlwainUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Alex R HeatherlyUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Matthew T YeagerUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Joshua T StriplingUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Clay A SpitlerUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
Joey P JohnsonUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA. josephpjohnson@uabmc.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeFracture-related infection (FRI) is a serious complication of orthopedic trauma that can result in systemic complications affecting multiple organ systems. While diagnostic criteria have become standardized, predictors of systemic complications remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate factors associated with the development of systemic complications following operative FRI management.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study at a single Level I trauma center from 2013 to 2021. Adult patients with postoperative FRI requiring hospitalization and surgical treatment were included. Patients required either six months of follow-up or development of a systemic complication before that point. Systemic complications included cerebrovascular accident (CVA), myocardial infarction (MI), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE), acute kidney injury (AKI), sepsis, and mortality. Demographics, comorbidities, injury characteristics, lab values, and operative details were compared between patients with and without complications.

resultsA total of 281 patients with FRI were included, with 70 (24.9%) experiencing systemic complications. The mean age of patients with complications was significantly higher (51.7 years) compared to those without (43.8 years, p < 0.001). Systemic complications included sepsis (11.7%), AKI (8.2%), DVT/PE (5.0%), and mortality (2.5%). Patients with complications had higher body mass index (BMI) (31.6 kg/m

conclusionPatient characteristics such as age, diabetes, CVD, COPD, CVA, CKD, and CCI differed significantly in patients with FRI who experienced systemic complications from those without. CCI was an independent risk factor for systemic complications following FRI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Patient characteristics such as age, diabetes, CVD, COPD, CVA, CKD, and CCI differed significantly in patients with FRI who experienced systemic complications from those without. CCI was an independent risk factor for systemic complications following FRI. III.

Indexed as

Fractures, BonePostoperative ComplicationsSurgical Wound InfectionAcute Kidney InjuryAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMyocardial InfarctionPulmonary EmbolismRespiratory Distress SyndromeRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsSepsisCharlson comorbidity indexFracture-related infectionOrthopedic traumaRetrospective cohort studyRisk stratificationSystemic complications

Identifiers

PMID40705107

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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.