Complex fractures, do we operate on enough to gain and maintain experience?

Complex fractures are generally assumed by our profession to require adequate training and continuing practice to treat optimally. The quantity of complex fractures treated in individual hospitals and by or under the care of individual orthopaedic consultants may have implications regarding the quality of care for particular patients and also for the training of specialist registrars.A complex fracture was defined as a comminuted peri- or intra-articular fracture or segmental shaft fracture: fractures acknowledged at specialist fracture courses and by special trauma surgeons to require particular training and experience to treat optimally. The AO classification was used: most fractures were in AO groups B and C [M.E. Muller, S. Narazian, P. Koch, J. Schatzker, The Comprehensive Classification of Longbones, Springer, Berlin, 1990]. Theatre records were used to identify all operated orthopaedic trauma cases over a period of 1 year in one District General Hospital (DGH) and one University Hospital, each serving populations of over 300000 and for 6 months in one DGH (population approximately 300000). Radiographs and hospital records were reviewed by two orthopaedic surgeons and the number and type of complex fractures documented as defined above. In hospital A, 69 complex fracture operations were carried out under the care of six consultants in 12 months. In hospital B, 24 complex fractures were treated by five consultants over a 6-month period and in hospital C, 127 complex fractures were treated by 10 consultants over a 12-month period. Some consultants (different consultants for different fracture regions) did not operate on any complex fracture of the proximal, mid, or distal humerus; proximal, mid, or distal radius or ulna; proximal, mid, or distal femur; proximal, mid, or distal tibia; calcaneum; peri-prosthetic; Lisfranc; or talus fracture during the specific time period. Some consultants only treated one or two such fractures. Where two surgeons had developed an area of special interest and cross-referral were encouraged individual surgeons were operating on up to 25 complex cases in their area of interest.This audit has shown that individual complex fractures present infrequently to particular hospitals and surgeons. This finding raises questions about the optimal management of such fractures: are we maintaining a sufficient level of expertise, or should there be more cross-referrals to surgeons with a specific interest either in trauma or in a particular anatomical region?