[Treatment of periprosthetic fractures in Europe during the pandemic]

To study the impact of reorganization of European hospitals during the most severe phase of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on standards of care and early outcomes in patients with periprosthetic fractures.

We reviewed available data collected from 14 hospitals in Northern Italy during the quarantine period between March 9 and May 4, 2020. The study included all patients admitted to emergency departments with periprosthetic fractures and scheduled for surgery within a 2-month period. Periprosthetic fractures were classified according to the Uniform Classification System (UCS). Distribution normality was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Accordingly, data were described as non-parametric. Statistical analysis was performed using the Microsoft Excel v. 16.0.

In total, 1390 patients admitted to the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology for emergency care throughout the follow-up period including 38 (2.7%) ones with periprosthetic fractures. There were 12 (31.5%) men and 26 (68.5%) women. Mean age was 81 years (range 70-96). Screening for SARS-CoV-2 by swab was performed in 23 out of 38 patients (60.5%) at admission. It was positive in 2 (5.3%) cases. Three out of thirty-eight patients (7.9%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 due to clinical signs. Of these, 2 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 before surgery, 3 patients - after surgery. Although the study period coincided with quarantine, the number of admissions for periprosthetic fractures (3%) was similar to that in 2019 and accounted for 3% of the total number of visits to the traumatology and orthopedics departments.

The study revealed no obvious changes in hospitalizations for periprosthetic fractures despite social restrictions during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In emergency, hospitals were still able to provide standard care for patients with periprosthetic fractures despite significant amount of resources redirected for the pandemic.