JANUARY 2015
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The Surgical Technologist
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21
P O S T R E C O V E R Y
There are several factors involved in patient healing.
• Age - The older the patient, the longer the healing time.
The typical demographic for hip fracture patients is 65
years of age and older.
9
• General health - A patient without diabetes and hyper-
tension will most likely have a faster recovery than a
patient that presents with these conditions. Osteopo-
rosis, the leading cause of intertrochanteric and per-
trochanteric fractures, also can be an inhibitor of the
healing process.
10,11
• Tobacco usage - Studies show patients who smoke can
take as long as six weeks longer for bone union. Typi-
cally, patients with the most complications following
surgical interventions for bone fractures are smok-
ers because nicotene retards the osteogenesis pro-
cess. Studies show that patients who quit smoking six
months or more prior to elective orthopedic surgeries
or who have never smoked, have fewer complications
and better results than patients that either still smoke
or quit within the last six months. Additional studies
show smoking increases the severity of osteoporosis
and in turn, increases the risks and severity of frac-
tures. Studies also cite nicotine as the culprit, in turn
revealing another example that the e-cigarette may not
be a safe alternative. In addition, smoking dialates the
vascular system, which restricts blood flow, and, there-
fore, inhibits healing factors.
12
A U T H O R B I O G R A P H Y
Jesse C Plummer, CST, has been a surgical
technologist since 2004. He has 10 years
of experience. He is currently working
as a traveling surgical technologist. He
enjoys traveling with his wife, Jessica, and
seeing the country. He loves to play golf, photography and
read books about the history of each area where he works.
Jesse completed the surgical technologist program at the
College of Health Care Professions in Houston, Texas. Since
then, he has lived in Arkansas, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
He has traveled to Colorado, Michigan, South Dakota, Okla-
homa, Montana, Iowa, Texas and Virginia.
Jesse credits Dr David M Sparks of Ponca City Medi-
cal Center; Scott Sjulin, Orthopedic Sales Rep; and Greg
Rodenmeyer, CST, formerly of Ponca City Medical Center;
for taking him under their guidance and teaching him
about orthopedic surgery. There have been many other
influences in his professional life, in which he says “to list
them all would take a book.”
R E F E R E N C E S
1. A Brief History of Orthopedic Surgery
“
orthopedic_surgery.” Web Accessed 24 May 2014
2. Thompson, Jon C.
“Netter’s Concise Orthopeadic Anatomy 2nd Edition”,
Philadelphia: Saunders 2009 E-Book
3. Kellie, Shirlie and Jacob Brody. “Sex-specific and Race-specific Hip Frac-
ture Rates.”
American Journal of Public Health
June 2014: 326-328. PDF
4. Alexander, Bruce, Frederic Rivara and Marsha Wolf. “The Cost and Fre-
quency of Hospitalization For Fall-Related Injuries in Older Adults.”
American Journal of Public Health
June 1992 1020-1023 PDF
5. Gardner, M et al, “Treatment of the Intertrochanteric Hip Fracture with
the AOTrochanteric FixationNail”
Orthopedics
April 2005:117-122 PDF
6. Gardner, M et al, “Treatment of the Intertrochanteric Hip Fracture with
the AOTrochanteric FixationNail”
Orthopedics
April 2005:117-122 PDF
7. “Titanium Trochenteric Fixation Nail System” Technique Guide, 2002,
PDF
8. Giodarna, Brian “5 C-Arm Safety Tips” Outpatient Surgery Magazine
August 2010:79-81 PDF
9. Kellie, Shirlie and Jacob Brody. “Sex-specific and Race-specific Hip Frac-
ture Rates.” American Journal of Public Health June 2014: 326-328. PDF
10. Kellie, Shirlie and Jacob Brody. “Sex-specific and Race-specific Hip Frac-
ture Rates.”
American Journal of Public Health
June 2014: 326-328. PDF
11. Alexander, Bruce, Frederic Rivara and Marsha Wolf. “The Cost and Fre-
quency of Hospitalization For Fall-Related Injuries in Older Adults.”
American Journal of Public Health
June 1992 1020-1023 PDF
12. Scolaro, John A., et al. “Cigarette Smoking Increases Complications Fol-
lowing Fracture: A Systematic Review.”
The Journal of Bone & Joint Sur-
gery
96.8 (2014): 674-681. PDF
