Clinical Diagnosis and Management in Orthopaedics and Traumatology: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2027 | Viewed by 398

Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Orthopaedic and Traumatology Unit, Department Emergency and Acceptance, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, 00153 Rome, Italy
Interests: foot deformities; ankle joint; hallux valgus; subtalar joint; foot and ankle; orthopaedic trauma; feet
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Orthopaedics is a dynamic field that continuously evolves with advancements in research, technology, and clinical practices. This Special Issue will explore the latest developments and innovations shaping the future of orthopaedic diagnosis and management.

This Special Issue will present a selection of papers reflecting the breadth and depth of current orthopaedic research. The topics range from cutting-edge surgical techniques, such as minimally invasive surgery and navigation- and robotic-assisted surgeries, to groundbreaking studies in computer-assisted diagnostics, such as imaging technologies enhanced with AI for better interpretation, and 3D modelling, creating a detailed anatomical template to plan surgeries.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • The development and refinement of MIS techniques and arthroscopic innovations for various procedures (joint replacement, spinal surgeries, fracture repair, and sports medicine);
  • Surgical navigation systems and intra-operative imaging techniques that provide surgeons with immediate feedback during procedures;
  • Outcome assessment and improvement through data analytics and predictive modelling, developing algorithms to predict surgical outcomes based on patient data and surgical variables.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Attilio Basile
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • joint replacement
  • surgical navigation
  • outcome assessment
  • fracture repair
  • imaging technologies

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 3730 KB  
Article
Persistent CRP Elevation at 4 Weeks Is Associated with Delayed Union After Polytrauma: An Exploratory Retrospective Cohort Study
by Eduard Catalin Georgescu, Ioana Anca Badarau, Alexandru Lisias Dimitriu, Elisa Georgiana Popescu, Monica Georgiana Roman, Liliana Mirea, Dragos Ene and Razvan Ene
Diagnostics 2026, 16(12), 1845; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16121845 - 15 Jun 2026
Viewed by 216
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Delayed bone healing remains a relevant complication after polytrauma, where fracture repair occurs in the setting of systemic inflammation and repeated physiologic stress. This study evaluated whether serial changes in interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and fibrinogen are associated with delayed union [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Delayed bone healing remains a relevant complication after polytrauma, where fracture repair occurs in the setting of systemic inflammation and repeated physiologic stress. This study evaluated whether serial changes in interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and fibrinogen are associated with delayed union in polytrauma patients with long-bone fractures. Methods: We performed an exploratory retrospective cohort study including 115 adult polytrauma patients with long-bone fractures treated at a single tertiary trauma center between 2 January 2022 and 14 December 2024. Serum IL-6, CRP, and fibrinogen were recorded at 24 h, 72 h, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after injury. IL-6 was measured in the institutional clinical laboratory using routine immunoassay methods, whereas CRP and fibrinogen were measured using standard hospital analytical methods, including an immunoturbidimetric assay for CRP and the Clauss clotting method for fibrinogen. Radiographic healing was assessed at 6, 12, and 24 weeks using an mRUST-based healing score. The primary endpoint was clinician-assigned delayed union at 24 weeks; nonunion at 9 months was assessed secondarily. Complete-case multivariable logistic regression was performed in 86 patients, and exploratory longitudinal biomarker analyses used generalized estimating equations. Results: Delayed union at 24 weeks occurred in 39/115 patients (33.9%), while nonunion at 9 months occurred in 7/115 patients (6.1%). Patients with delayed union had longer time to definitive fixation (35.3 ± 10.2 h vs. 29.0 ± 14.0 h; p = 0.003) and more frequent shock on admission (43.6% vs. 23.7%; p = 0.047). IL-6 was higher in the delayed-union group at 1 week (57.3 ± 30.3 vs. 46.5 ± 29.2 pg/mL; p = 0.043) and 4 weeks (21.2 ± 11.6 vs. 17.1 ± 10.3 pg/mL; p = 0.022), whereas CRP was markedly higher at 4 weeks (29.4 ± 14.2 vs. 16.3 ± 10.6 mg/L; p < 0.001). After false-discovery-rate correction, only CRP at 4 weeks remained significant among serial biomarker comparisons. In multivariable analysis of 86 complete cases, CRP at 4 weeks remained independently associated with delayed union (adjusted OR 2.16 per 10 mg/L, 95% CI 1.36–3.43; p = 0.001). The model showed apparent discrimination with an AUC of 0.80 and acceptable calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow p = 0.41). In sensitivity analysis excluding deep surgical-site infection cases, the association between CRP and delayed union persisted (adjusted OR 2.02 per 10 mg/L, 95% CI 1.26–3.26; p = 0.004). Conclusions: In this exploratory retrospective cohort of polytrauma patients with long-bone fractures, persistent post-traumatic CRP elevation at 4 weeks was associated with clinician-assigned delayed union, whereas IL-6 findings were weaker and exploratory. Because CRP is a nonspecific inflammatory marker, the observed association may reflect delayed healing, infection, reoperation, and/or persistent postoperative inflammatory burden. These data support association rather than validated prediction and require prospective validation with standardized outcome adjudication. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop