Cureus. 2025 Dec 4;17(12):e98439. doi: 10.7759/cureus.98439. eCollection 2025 Dec.
ABSTRACT
Introduction Traumatic limb fractures risk neurovascular (NV) compromise and require documented nerve-specific sensory, motor, and arterial assessments to support early detection and management. The British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma (BOAST) mandate clear documentation of peripheral nerve function after injury, manipulation, cast fitting or surgery. This closed-loop audit measured current practice against the December 2021 BOAST guideline and tested whether a targeted educational intervention could improve NV documentation. Methods An audit for service evaluation and quality improvement at Russell Hall Hospital, UK, reviewed 97 adults admitted with acute upper- or lower-limb fractures across two cycles (49 patients, January 2024; 48 patients, July 2024). A single educational awareness presentation took place in May 2024. Data were extracted from Trauma & Orthopaedic (T&O) admission notes and benchmarked against BOAST criteria requiring specific nerve and arterial status. Median age and interquartile range (IQR) were reported; categorical comparisons used Pearson’s χ², and effect size was reported as phi (φ). Significance threshold was p < 0.05. Results Median age was 64 years (IQR: 34.5-79.5). The use of NV documentation rose from 87.8% to 97.9% following the intervention (χ² = 3.74, df = 1; p = 0.053). Detailed neurological recording increased from 38.8% to 54.2% (χ² = 2.31, p = 0.129; φ = 0.154). Detailed vascular recording improved from 26.5% to 45.8%, reaching statistical significance (χ² = 3.92, p = 0.048; φ = 0.201). Many entries continued to use the nonspecific phrase ‘NV intact’ rather than specific details. Conclusion Educational sessions within a closed-loop audit framework improved completion of an NV assessment and a significant rise in vascular details, while neurological details showed a slight increase. Continued adherence to BOAST guidance and structured feedback mechanisms should preserve high standards of NV assessment and improve patient safety.
PMID:41492587 | PMC:PMC12765522 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.98439
