Monthly Archives: March 2018

  Today's Top Story Report: Diagnosis-related events linked to plurality of medical liability claims A report from medical liability insurer Coverys finds diagnosis-related events to be the single largest root cause of medical liability claims. The researchers analyzed 10,618 closed medical professional liability claims from the period 2013 to 2017 and among other things, found that: 3,466 closed claims with diagnosis-related claims accounted for 33 percent of all claims and 47 percent of indemnity payments 54 percent of [...]

  Today's Top Story Study: PRO tool may help identify patients likely to benefit from lumbar spine surgery A study published online in the journal JAMA Surgery offers evidence to validate a patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure for patients who undergo lumbar spine surgery. The authors surveyed 1,965 adult lumbar surgical candidates at baseline and at least once postoperatively within three years. Demographic and clinical characteristics included in the final prediction models were age, sex, race, insurance status, American [...]

  Today's Top Story New AAOS Board members and council/cabinet chairs announced At the AAOS Business Meeting during the 2018 AAOS Annual Meeting, AAOS President William J. Maloney, MD, introduced the new members of the AAOS Board of Directors and council/cabinet chairs. They include the following: Joseph A. Bosco, III, MD—Second vice-president Elizabeth G. Matzkin, MD—Member-at-large Thomas W. Throckmorton, MD—Member-at-large Thomas G. Muzzonigro, MD—Board of Councilors secretary C. Craig Satterlee, MD—Board of Specialty Societies secretary Alan S. Hilibrand, [...]

  Today's Top Story Study: Opioids may not be superior to a nonopioid regimen for chronic back or OA pain A study published online in The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that opioids may not be superior to nonopioid medications for moderate to severe chronic back pain or hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain. The authors conducted a pragmatic, randomized trial with masked outcome assessment of 234 patients. Patients in the opioid cohort were first prescribed [...]

  Today's Top Story Resolutions and Bylaws Committees to conduct open hearings this afternoon The AAOS Resolutions and Bylaws Committees will conduct open hearings today regarding proposed resolutions and bylaw amendments for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Items being considered include 10 Academy or Association resolutions, as well as three sets of proposed bylaw amendments. The Resolutions Committee open hearing will take place Wednesday, March 7, at 1:00 p.m. in [...]

  Today's Top Story Trauma surgeons discuss their experiences treating shooting victims An article in The New York Times includes comments from three military and two civilian trauma surgeons on treating patients who have been shot with military-style assault weapons. The article includes several radiographs highlighting damage to bones from gunshot wounds and discusses additional complications, such as soft-tissue damage caused by bone fragments radiating from the wound site and potential for amputation. Read more…     Other [...]