Louisiana Via Research Day Book 2026

Clinical Research

Clinical Research

107 ORTHOPEDIC INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH WELDING EQUIPMENT: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

108 PATTERNS OF HAND TRAUMA RESULTING FROM TABLE SAW USAGE

Connor Duffy, OMS-II 1 ; Ryan Jordan, OMS-II 1 ; Mathew Thibodeaux, OMS-II 1 ; Brant Casford, MD 2 1 VCOM-Louisiana; 2 Baton Rouge Radiology Group

Ryan Jordan, OMS-II 1 ; Coedyn Leonard, OMS-I 1 ; Brant Casford, MD 2 1 VCOM-Louisiana; 2 Baton Rouge Radiology Group

Context: Welding equipment is widely used in construction, manufacturing, and home workshop settings and exposes users to high-energy mechanical, thermal, and electrical hazards. While burns are commonly emphasized, welding-related injuries can also result in significant orthopedic trauma, including fractures, crush injuries, and severe upper extremity injuries requiring hospital admission. Despite the prevalence of welding equipment use, the orthopedic injury patterns associated with these devices are poorly characterized in the current literature. Objective: The objective of this study is to characterize the national incidence, demographic patterns, and orthopedic injury characteristics associated with welding equipment treated in U.S. emergency departments. We hypothesize that welding equipment–associated injuries disproportionately affect adult males and primarily involve the upper extremity, with a substantial proportion requiring hospital admission.

Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a stratified probability sample of U.S. emergency departments. Cases involving welding equipment will be identified using NEISS product codes. Orthopedic injuries will be defined by diagnosis codes for fractures, crush injuries, amputations, and dislocations. Extracted variables will include age, injury diagnosis, body part injured, year of presentation, and patient disposition. NEISS sampling weights will be applied to generate national estimates. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize injury patterns, and temporal trends will be assessed across the study period. Results/Anticipated Results: It is anticipated that welding equipment–associated orthopedic injuries will predominantly involve adult males and primarily affect the hand, wrist, and forearm. Fractures and crush injuries are expected to represent a meaningful proportion of cases, with a notable rate of hospital admission or transfer, reflecting injury severity. National estimates are expected to demonstrate a consistent burden of welding-related orthopedic trauma treated in emergency departments.

Conclusion: This study is expected to define the national epidemiology and orthopedic injury patterns associated with welding equipment use in the United States. These findings will provide clinically relevant insight into injury severity and anatomic distribution, supporting increased awareness among orthopedic providers.

Context: Table saws are among the most commonly used power tools in both occupational and home workshop settings and are capable of generating high-energy cutting mechanisms that place users at significant risk for severe hand and upper extremity injury. Prior literature has consistently demonstrated that table saw injuries frequently result in fractures, tendon injuries, and traumatic amputations, often requiring operative intervention. Despite the clinical burden of these injuries, existing studies vary in scope and methodology, and a consolidated understanding of orthopedic injury patterns and severity remains limited. Objective: The objective of this study is to synthesize the existing literature on table saw–associated injuries and contextualize these findings using nationally representative emergency department data. We hypothesize that table saw injuries predominantly involve the hand and fingers and are associated with a high rate of severe injury, including fractures and amputations requiring hospital admission.

databases with search terms including “table saw injury,” “hand amputation,” “power tool injuries,” and “orthopedic trauma.” Peer reviewed studies describing injury patterns, mechanisms, and outcomes related to table saw use were reviewed and summarized. To contextualize findings at the national level, data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) were used to identify emergency department visits associated with table saw injuries. Orthopedic injuries were identified using diagnosis codes for fractures, amputations, dislocations, and crush injuries. Demographic characteristics, anatomic distribution of injuries, and patient disposition were evaluated descriptively. Results/Anticipated Results: The literature consistently demonstrates that table saw injuries most commonly involve the hand and fingers, with a high prevalence of fractures, tendon injuries, and traumatic amputations. NEISS data are anticipated to reflect these findings at the national level, with the majority of injuries occurring in adult males and a substantial proportion requiring hospital admission or transfer. Together, these data are expected to

highlight the significant orthopedic burden and injury severity associated with table saw use.

Conclusion: This review underscores the substantial orthopedic morbidity associated with table saw injuries, particularly involving the hand and upper extremity. By integrating prior literature with national emergency department data, this study reinforces the clinical significance of table saw–associated trauma and supports continued efforts toward injury awareness and prevention within orthopedic practice.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study will utilize data from the National

Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar

123

122

2026 Research Recognition Day