April 6, 2020 | Today’s News

AAOS COVID-19 Presidential Update

AAOS President Joseph A. Bosco III, MD, FAAOS, sent a letter to members detailing the online actions AAOS is taking to help manage and emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic as strong as possible. AAOS temporarily pivoted off its Strategic Plan to devote nearly all of its resources to helping members mitigate the effects of COVID-19. The three pillars of the AAOS COVID-19 Action Plan are: (1) communication, (2) advocacy, and (3) practice management. Dr. Bosco said in closing, “I have faith that each of us will contribute in whatever way we can or have to. There is work and sacrifice to be made, and our profession has a rich history of selflessness in the face of adversity. I am certain that the upcoming weeks will be no exception.”

Read Dr. Bosco’s letter…

AAOS released updated guidelines on elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. These guidelines should be applied judiciously depending on your location, where your area/institution happens to be situated relative to the curve of the disease, and the availability or scarcity of your resources, including personal protective equipment, intensive care unit (ICU) beds, respirators, and personnel. It is AAOS’ position that every locality should be making their own decisions based on the availability of resources and personnel. In these situations, a panel that includes the head of the hospital (or the designee), chief of the ICU, chief of anesthesia, and chief of orthopaedic surgery should form a committee to review any prospective surgery. Where feasible, input from the state department of health should be solicited.

Read the guidelines…

Study Compares Major Complication Rates Among THA Techniques

A study published online in JAMA compared the risk of major surgical complications among total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients who received anterior, lateral, and posterior treatments. Primary THA patients treated for osteoarthritis between April 1, 2015, and March 31, 2018, were retrospectively reviewed and followed over a one-year period. Final analysis included 30,098 patients; 10 percent underwent the anterior approach, 70 percent the lateral approach, and 20 percent the posterior approach. Patients who underwent the anterior approach were younger; had lower morbid obesity, diabetes, and hypertension rates; and were treated by higher-volume surgeons. These patients were also significantly more likely to sustain a major surgical complication compared to patients undergoing the lateral and posterior approaches.

Read the abstract…

According to a study published in the April 1 issue of the Journal of the AAOS ®, patients with atraumatic shoulder pain believed radiographs were important and significantly improved visit satisfaction. New patients received information on the possible advantages and disadvantages associated with plain radiographs; then they decided whether to receive them. Patients who chose to receive radiographs disclosed whether they believed the radiographs helped in their diagnosis and treatment and if the use of radiographs affected their visit satisfaction. Of 220 patients included in the study, 121 (55 percent) asked for a radiograph. The following factors were independently correlated with patient preference to obtain radiographs: lack of bachelor’s degree, lack of previous contralateral shoulder pain, and lack of a previous shoulder radiograph or MRI within the last six months. Most patients who requested radiographs (n = 117) believed the radiographs improved their visit satisfaction.

Read the abstract…

A study published in the April issue of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics examined the extent of health literacy disparities in pediatric sports medicine populations. Patients aged 10 to 17 years (n = 268) and their consenting guardians (n = 251) filled out a questionnaire that assessed self-reported health literacy measures and direct knowledge of musculoskeletal injury care. The average age for patients and guardians was 14.37 years and 43.62 years, respectively. Among guardians, factors associated with higher self-reported general health literacy scores were higher education, English as the primary language at home, private insurance, and female guardians. In the patient population, the only factor that played a role was age. Significant variations were observed in the self-reported musculoskeletal health literacy and directly measured musculoskeletal literacy scores based on age, primary language, and education level.

Read the abstract…

The Impact of Alternative Payment Models on Quality and Safety of Orthopaedic Care

In response to the rise in healthcare spending, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began exploring alternative payment models in 2011. The first efforts involved the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative, which includes several orthopaedic procedures: major joint replacement, spinal fusion, and hip fractures. Under the plan, clinicians and hospitals are no longer paid separately for each individual service. Instead, they are paid as a team for the entire episode of care.

Read more…

Nominate a Colleague for the AAOS Diversity, Humanitarian, or Tipton Leadership Awards

AAOS is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Diversity and Humanitarian Awards 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, participation in humanitarian activities, or leadership activities in the orthopaedic profession. The last day to submit nominations for the awards is June 12.

Learn more and submit nominations…