The impact of clinical data on the evaluation of tibial fracture healing

Table 2 Comparison of clinical notes' comments between changed and unchanged decisions

		Percentage of comments in radiographically *healed* decisions		Percentage of comments in radiographically *unhealed* decisions
Content of clinical notes' comments*		Changed to 'unhealed' after clinical notes	No change	Changed into 'healed' after clinical notes	No change
Weightbearing	Positive	20	71	100	42
	Neutral	20	29	0	53
	Negative	60	0	0	5
Pain	Positive	28	44	82	45
	Neutral	4	28	9	45
	Negative	68	28	9	10
Return to work/leisure activities	Positive	16.5	50	100	50
	Neutral	16.5	30	0	0
	Negative	67	20	0	50
Overall	Positive	21.5	55	94	45.6
	Neural	13.5	29	3	32.6
	Negative	65	16	3	21.6

* A positive content refers to a comment about weightbearing, pain, or return to work/leisure activities which is suggestive of a healed fracture, whereas a negative content suggests that the fracture was not healed yet. A comment was judged to be neutral when it was found neither suggestive of a healed, nor of an unhealed fracture.

ISSN: 1745-6215