Major vascular lesions associated with orthopaedic injuries

Seventeen patients, aged 11-67 years (mean, 32.6), with major vascular injuries associated with traumatic orthopaedic injuries, were treated operatively in the authors' institution over a 4-year period. The most common mechanism of trauma was a high-energy injury (70.8%), and the rate of open injuries was 88.2%; 64.9% of the injuries were located in the lower extremities. The treatment protocol consisted of aggressive resuscitation; Doppler imaging and, when necessary, angiography; stable bone fixation with subsequent vascular repair; and extended wound debridement. The vascular repair for arterial lacerations consisted of (a) end-to-end anastomosis (47.2%); (b) interpositional homologous vein graft (23.6%); (c) vascular decompression through fracture distraction in one patient (5.9%); (d) xenograft interposition (in one patient; 5.9%); (e) venous repair (in three patients; 17.7%); and (f) embolectomy (in all patients). Three vascular reoperations (17.7%) were necessary because of rupture of the anastomosis. The authors' preferred bone stabilization method was external fixation, which was used in 47.2% of cases. Amputation was performed in three cases (17.7%) as a salvage operation. Although six patients (35.4%) were admitted with delayed shock (mean duration, 73.6 +/- 27.8 min), this led to a lethal outcome due to shock lung in only one patient. Another patient developed massive lung embolism 3 months postoperatively and died. The authors believe that this well-organized approach, based on a specific treatment protocol, for patients with severe orthopaedic trauma and concomitant vascular injury, not only improves outcome but gives good to excellent functional results in the majority of patients.