Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. Nov 18, 2022; 13(11): 955-968
Published online Nov 18, 2022. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v13.i11.955
Changes in trends of orthopedic services due to the COVID-19 pandemic: A review
Eunice Obamiro, Radhika Trivedi, Nasim Ahmed
Eunice Obamiro, Radhika Trivedi, Nasim Ahmed, Department of Surgery,Division of Trauma & Surgical Critical Care, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, NJ 07754, United States
Nasim Ahmed, Department of Surgery, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ 07110, United States
Author contributions: Obamiro E conducted the initial screening of sources and wrote the manuscript; Trivedi R acquired additional sources, and wrote and edited the manuscript; Ahmed N developed the research question, acquired additional sources, and wrote and edited the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors involved in this study have no financial or non-financial conflicts of interest to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Nasim Ahmed, FACS, Chief of Trauma, Professor of Surgery, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma & Surgical Critical Care, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, 1945 State Rt. 33, Neptune, NJ 07754, United States. nasim.ahmed@hmhn.org
Received: April 6, 2022
Peer-review started: April 6, 2022
First decision: May 31, 2022
Revised: July 13, 2022
Accepted: October 19, 2022
Article in press: October 19, 2022
Published online: November 18, 2022
Processing time: 223 Days and 21 Hours
Abstract

As of June 10, 2022, the World Health Organization has recorded over 532 million documented coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) [(Coronavirus) SARS-CoV-2] cases and almost 6.3 million deaths worldwide, which has caused strain on medical specialties globally. The aim of this review is to explore the impact that COVID-19 has had on orthopedic practices. Providers observed a rapid decline in the number of orthopedic patients’ admissions due to cancellation of elective procedures; however, emergent cases still required treatment. Various observational studies, case reports, and clinical trials were collected through a PubMed database search. Additional sources were found through Google. The search was refined to publications in English and between the years of 2019 and 2021. The keywords used were “COVID-19” and/or “Orthopedic Injuries”. Thirty-seven studies were retained. The pandemic brought on significant changes to the mechanism of injury, number of admissions, type of injuries, and patient outcomes. Mortality rates significantly increased particularly amongst patients with hip fractures and COVID-19. Road traffic injuries remained a common cause of injury and domestic injuries became more prevalent with lockdown. Social isolation negatively affected mental health resulting in several orthopedic injuries. Telehealth services and separation for COVID-positive and COVID-negative patients benefited both patients and providers. While hospitals and medical facilities are still facing COVID-19 case surges, it is important to understand how this pandemic has impacted preparation, care, and opportunities for prevention education and ongoing care.

Keywords: Orthopedics; Surgery; Lockdown; Mental health; Telehealth; COVID-19

Core Tip: Previous and impending surges of coronavirus disease 2019 have caused a disruption in orthopedic specialties in elective procedures and changed the causation and outcomes of emergent cases. The pandemic has also impacted patient care and short-term and long-term outcomes.