Survival analysis of trauma implants in orthopedic surgery

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the survivability and success rate of medical trauma implants used in orthopedic trauma surgery. Fracture union rates, postoperative complications, and implant failures were analyzed to determine the overall performance of the implants.

Materials and Methods: The study included 455 patients (621 fractures) who underwent surgical fixation with Oltho Medical orthopedic trauma implants at Hacettepe University between January 2020 and July 2022. Patients with at least six months of follow-up and adequate radiographic evaluation were included. Fracture healing was assessed using the Radiographic Union Scale for Tibia (RUST) and a similar four-cortex scoring system for other fractures. Implant failures, postoperative complications, and patient demographics were recorded.

Results: The mean patient age was 34.2 ± 24.3 years (range: 6–93), with a mean follow-up of 16 months. The overall fracture union rate was 97.2% at six months, with a mean RUST score of 10.5. The implant survival rate was 98.7%, with implant failure observed in six (1.3%) cases. Postoperative complications occurred in 7.3% of patients, including wound complications (6.2%), nonunion (1.3%), and implant failures (1.3%). Although implant-specific survival rates varied among anatomical regions, all fractures ultimately achieved union following appropriate management.

Conclusion: Medical trauma implants demonstrated high survivability and effectiveness in fracture fixation, with a low failure rate comparable to existing literature. Despite some complications, all were successfully managed, supporting the reliability of these implants in orthopedic trauma surgery.