Epidemiology and management of appendicular fractures occurring in neonatal intensive care patients.

AIM: To describe the epidemiology and management of appendicular fractures occurring in the neonatal ICU in a large series of patients treated a single, quaternary care neonatal intensive care unit.

METHODS

Patients <1 years old with appendicular fractures treated from 2012 to 2016 at a quaternary-level NICU were identified. Bivariate testing compared fractures, work-up and management based on designated mechanism (presumed birth-related vs unknown). In patients with unknown mechanism, factors with potential fracture association were analysed in a descriptive fashion.

RESULTS

Eighty-five fractures (54 patients) were included. Mechanistic cohorts differed by birthweight (P < .001) and gestational age at birth (P < .001). Presumed birth-related fractures were more commonly upper extremity (P < .001), solitary (P = .001) and radiographically diagnosed in the acute state (<.001). The biochemical profile of the cohorts differed significantly. The prevalence of factors with potential fracture association was high in patients with unknown mechanism. Only one patient required surgery, while all others resolved with minimal orthopaedic intervention.

CONCLUSION

Findings indicate these injuries rarely require operative intervention and that two distinct injury profiles appear to exist based on fracture mechanism. Steroid use, ventilation use, diuretic use, nutritional supplementation and recent bedside procedures were common among patients without known fracture mechanism.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-Retrospective Cohort Study.