Study: Biomechanical CT may be as effective as DXA for identification of patients at high risk of hip fracture
A study published online in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research compares the efficacy of biomechanical computed tomography (CT) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in identifying patients at high risk of incident hip fracture. The researchers conducted a case-cohort trial of 111,694 patients aged ≥ 65 years who had a prior hip CT scan, a DXA within three years of CT, and no prior hip fracture. They analyzed CT scans of patients with subsequent hip fracture (n = 1,959) against a randomly selected sex-stratified control cohort (n = 1,979) and found that, compared to DXA, sensitivity for predicting hip fracture was higher for biomechanical CT, with comparable respective specificity.
Study: Education program may help improve outcomes for adolescents undergoing hip preservation surgery
A program consisting of perioperative psychological education and counseling may help improve postoperative psychological and physical function in adolescents who undergo hip preservation surgery, according to a study published in the May/June issue of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. The authors evaluated 67 adolescents who had received a perioperative psychological intervention consisting of education, counseling, and administration of self-report measures. They found that the intervention was associated with reduced anxiety, stress, and other factors, and that increased mobility and return to activity significantly correlated with improved optimism and self-efficacy.
Study: Patient-reported outcome measurements recommended following acetabular fracture surgery
Following surgery for acetabular fracture, patients who required total hip arthroplasty (THA) had worse functional outcomes than those who retained their native hip joint, according to a study published in the May 1 issue of The Bone & Joint Journal. Researchers assessed 220 patients who underwent acetabular fracture surgery at a single center between 2004 and 2014 and found that 55 patients (25 percent) had developed post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA) and 33 (15 percent) had undergone THA. At an average follow-up of six years, the mean Short Form-36 score for patients with a preserved hip joint was higher on role limitations due to physical health problems than for those with OA or those who underwent THA. The researchers note that patients with OA had significantly better pain scores than those who underwent THA.
Study: Do pharmaceutical industry payments affect opioid prescribing?
The authors of a research letter published online in JAMA Internal Medicine reviewed information from the Open Payments database and the Medicare Part D Opioid Prescriber Summary File to identify payments from pharmaceutical companies to physicians, as well as claims from physicians prescribing opioids filled for Medicare beneficiaries during 2015. They found that 369,139 physicians prescribed opioids under Medicare Part D in 2015. Of those, 27,767 (7.0 percent) received 105,368 nonresearch opioid-related payments totaling $9,071,976, and that 436 physicians (1.7 percent) received payments of more than $1,000.
Vermont law allows importation of prescription drugs from Canada
In a move to help combat the rising cost of prescription drugs, Vermont has enacted a law that will allow for the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. The law is the first of its kind in the United States, but must still must receive certification from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Sexual harassment and bullying in the medical profession
In a roundtable discussion published in AAOS Now, five AAOS members discuss their experiences and observations as women working in the field of orthopaedic surgery
Nominate a colleague for the AAOS Diversity or Tipton Leadership Awards
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2019 Diversity Award and the William W. Tipton Jr, MD, Orthopaedic Leadership Award. These awards are presented at the AAOS Annual Meeting. The respective award recipients are recognized for their endeavors to further encourage diversity or culturally competent care, or leadership activities in the orthopaedic profession. The last day to submit nominations for these awards is June 15, 2018.
