Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 May-Jun;11(3):426-431.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2019.06.007. Epub 2019 Jun 8.

Demographics, mechanism of injury, and associated injuries of 25,615 patients with talus fractures in the National Trauma Data Bank

Nidharshan S Anandasivam  1 , Paul Bagi  1 , Nathaniel T Ondeck  2 , Anoop R Galivanche  1 , Lovemore S Kuzomunhu  1 , Andre M Samuel  2 , Daniel D Bohl  3 , Jonathan N Grauer  1
Affiliations

Demographics, mechanism of injury, and associated injuries of 25,615 patients with talus fractures in the National Trauma Data Bank

Nidharshan S Anandasivam et al. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2020 May-Jun.

Erratum in

  • Erratum regarding previously published articles.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2020 Nov-Dec;11(6):1169-1171. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2020.09.032. Epub 2020 Sep 26. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2020. PMID: 33013141 Free PMC article.
  • Erratum regarding previously published articles.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2020 Nov-Dec;11(6):1172-1174. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2020.10.044. Epub 2020 Oct 23. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2020. PMID: 33192025 Free PMC article.
  • Erratum regarding previously published articles.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2021 Aug 5;21:101557. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2021.101557. eCollection 2021 Oct. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2021. PMID: 34414071 Free PMC article.

Abstract

Background: Extensive research has been conducted concerning the epidemiology of fractures of the calcaneus and ankle. However, less work has characterized the population sustaining talus fractures, necessitating the analysis of a large, national sample to assess the presentation of this important injury.

Methods: The current study included adult patients from the 2011 through 2015 National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) who had talus fractures. Modified Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), mechanism of injury (MOI), Injury Severity Score (ISS), and associated injuries were evaluated.

Results: Out of 25,615 talus fracture patients, 15,607 (61%) were males. The age distribution showed a general decline in frequency as age increased after a peak incidence at 21 years of age. As expected, CCI increased as age increased. The mechanism of injury analysis showed a decline in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) and an increase in falls as age increased. ISS was generally higher for MVAs compared to falls and other injuries.Overall, 89% of patients with a talus fracture had an associated injury. Among associated bony injuries, non-talus lower extremity fractures were common, with ankle fractures (noted in 42.7%) and calcaneus fractures (noted in 27.8%) being the most notable. The most common associated internal organ injuries were lung (noted in 19.0%) and intracranial injuries (noted in 14.9%).

Conclusion: This large cohort of patients with talus fractures defined the demographics of those who sustain this injury and demonstrated ankle and calcaneus fractures to be the most commonly associated injuries. Other associated orthopaedic and non-orthopaedic injuries were also defined. In fact, the incidence of associated lumbar spine fracture was similar to that seen for calcaneus fractures (14%) and nearly 1 in 5 patients had a thoracic organ injury. Clinicians need to maintain a high suspicion for such associated injuries for those who present with talus fractures.

Level of evidence: Level II, retrospective study.

Keywords: Associated injuries; Mechanism of injury; Talus; Talus fracture.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of ages of all talus fracture patients by gender.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mechanism of Injury distribution of talus fracture patients by age.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Schematic representation of percentages of talus fracture patients who are over 18 years old with incidence of associated bony injuries in different body regions. Darker shadings in grayscale correspond to higher frequencies of associated injuries.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Schematic representation of percentages of talus fracture patients who are over 18 years old with incidence of associated internal organ injuries in different body areas. Darker shadings in grayscale correspond to higher frequencies of associated injuries.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Thomson C.B., Greaves I. Missed injury and the tertiary trauma survey. Injury. 2008;39(1):107–114. - PubMed
    1. Worsham J.R., Elliott M.R., Harris A.M. Open calcaneus fractures and associated injuries. J Foot Ankle Surg: official publication of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. 2016;55(1):68–71. - PubMed
    1. Walters J.L., Gangopadhyay P., Malay D.S. Association of calcaneal and spinal fractures. J Foot Ankle Surg: official publication of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. 2014;53(3):279–281. - PubMed
    1. Tucek M., Bartonicek J. Associated injuries of the scapula fractures. Rozhl V Chir: mesicnik Ceskoslovenske chirurgicke spolecnost. 2010;89(5):288–292. - PubMed
    1. Wiss D.A., Sima W., Brien W.W. Ipsilateral fractures of the femoral neck and shaft. J Orthop Trauma. 1992;6(2):159–166. - PubMed