Priority 1 from the Broken Bones of the Upper Limb in People over 50

This was a combination of two indicative questions that was formed at the 'Final Workshop'.

1. What are the most important outcomes after an upper limb fracture? (eg. time for the bone to heal / return to normal activities / time to achieve a good recovery / cosmetic appearance)

2. What physical, psychological and financial effects do upper limb fractures have on people over 50 and their families?

Upper limb fractures can have a significant impact on a patient’s life, from a physical, psychological and financial aspect. Enabling a patient to do everything they could do before breaking their arm is the main priority of treatment, however, this is not always possible. How do we judge whether a patient’s treatment has been successful? This question aims to determine what the most important aspects of a patient’s recovery are. Uncertainties included whether patients would achieve their pre-injury level of function and how long this may take; how they would be affected psychologically (such as fear of falling); and how it would impact on them financially. It also included whether there were any factors we could use to predict these outcomes.

Jayakumar, P., et al.; The use of computer adaptive tests in outcome assessments following upper limb trauma: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. The Bone & Joint Journal Issue: Volume 100B(6), June 2018, p 693–702

Jayakumar P, Williams M, Ring D, Lamb S, Gwilym S. A Systematic Review of Outcome Measures Assessing Disability Following Upper Extremity Trauma. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev. 2017;1(4):e021. Published 2017 Jul 27. doi:10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-17-00021