The association of pre-existing mental health conditions and patient outcomes after lower extremity orthopaedic trauma: a scoping review

The objective of this s tudy was to systematically review literature addressing the association between pre-existing mental health conditions and patient outcomes following surgical interventions for lower extremity fractures in non-geriatric populations.MethodsA systematic literature review was conducted using Medline, Embase, and Scopus databases following PRISMA-ScR guidelines to select studies that examined lower extremity orthopaedic trauma  outcomes in relation to pre-existing mental health conditions. Studies that evaluated patients with surgically treated lower extremity fractures and a history of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, or mood disorders were included. Studies with a mean patient age above 65 years o f age were excluded to focus on non-geriatric injury patterns.ResultsThe systematic review identified 12 studies investigating the relationship between surgical outcomes of orthopaedic lower extremity fractures and pre-existing mental health disorders in non-geriatric populations. Studies included patients with  pelvis, femur, tibia, and ankle fractures. A majority (83%) of these studies demonstrated that patients with pre-existing mental health diagnoses had inferior functional outcomes, heightened pain levels, or an increase in postoperative complications.DiscussionThe presence of pre-existing mental health conditions, particularly anxiety and depression, may predispose orthopaedic trauma patients to an elevated risk of suboptimal func...
Source: European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology - Category: Orthopaedics Source Type: research