title: Outcomes of patients with orthopaedic trauma admitted to level 1 trauma centres.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although orthopaedic trauma results in significant disability and substantial financial cost, there is a paucity of large cohort studies that collectively describe the functional outcomes of a variety of these injuries. The current study aimed to investigate the outcomes of patients admitted with a range of orthopaedic injuries to adult Level 1 trauma centres.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were recruited from the Victorian Orthopaedic Trauma Outcomes Registry (VOTOR), which included all patients with orthopaedic trauma admitted to the two adult Level 1 trauma centres in Victoria (Australia). Patients were categorised into three groups; isolated orthopaedic injuries, multiple orthopaedic injuries and orthopaedic and other injuries. Demographic and injury data were collected from the medical record and hospital/trauma databases, and functional outcome instruments were given at 6 months post-injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1303 patients recruited for VOTOR over a 12-month period, 1181 patients were eligible for the study and a response rate of 75.6% was obtained at 6 months post-injury. Patients reported ongoing pain (moderate-severe: 37.2%), disability (79.5%) and inability to return to work (35.2%). Poorer outcomes were evident in patients with orthopaedic and other injuries than those with single or multiple orthopaedic injuries alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A large percentage of patients have ongoing pain and disability and a reduced capacity to return to work 6 months after orthopaedic trauma. Further research into the long-term outcomes of patients with orthopaedic injuries is required to identify patient subgroups and specific injuries and procedures that result in high morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. donna.urquhart@med.monash.edu.au
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Urquhart
authors.forename: Owen D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: Belinda J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Gabbe
authors.forename: Flavia M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Cicuttini
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: Martin D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Elton R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009141:Musculoskeletal System / Q000293:injuries*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*