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. 2022 Dec;48(6):4385-4402.
doi: 10.1007/s00068-022-01978-z. Epub 2022 May 6.

Orthopaedic, trauma surgery, and Covid-2019 pandemic: clinical panorama and future prospective in Europe

Filippo Migliorini  1 , Christian David Weber  2 , Geatano Pappalardo  3 , Hanno Schenker  2 , Ulf Krister Hofmann  2 , Joerg Eschweiler  2 , Frank Hildebrand  2
Affiliations

Orthopaedic, trauma surgery, and Covid-2019 pandemic: clinical panorama and future prospective in Europe

Filippo Migliorini et al. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe on consultations, surgeries, and traumas in the field of orthopaedic and trauma surgery. Strategies to resume the clinical activities were also discussed.

Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: the 2020 PRISMA statement. All the comparative studies reporting data on the impact of Covid-19 in the field of orthopaedic and trauma surgery in Europe were accessed. Only comparative clinical studies which investigated the year 2020 versus 2019 were eligible.

Results: 57 clinical investigations were included in the present study. Eight studies reported a reduction of the orthopaedic consultations, which decreased between 20.9 and 90.1%. Seven studies reported the number of emergency and trauma consultations, which were decreased between 37.7 and 74.2%. Fifteen studies reported information with regard to the reasons for orthopaedic and trauma admissions. The number of polytraumas decreased between 5.6 and 77.1%, fractures between 3.9 and 63.1%. Traffic accidents admissions dropped by up to 88.9%, and sports-related injuries dropped in a range of 59.3% to 100%. The overall reduction of the surgical interventions ranged from 5.4 to 88.8%.

Conclusion: The overall trend of consultations, surgeries, and rate of traumas and fragility fractures appear to decrease during the 2020 European COVID pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic era. Given the heterogeneities in the clinical evidence, results from the present study should be considered carefully.

Level of evidence: Level IV, systematic review.

Keywords: Covid; Europe; Orthopedics; Pandemic; Sports medicine; Trauma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow-chart of the literature search
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