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| Today’s Top Story
Study Analyzes Themes in Online Reviews of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Practices
A study published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of the AAOS ® analyzed online reviews of orthopaedic surgeons using machine learning–based natural language processing techniques. The researchers collected 11,614 reviews, including one- to five-star ratings, from Yelp.com and identified common word combinations, themes, and tones associated with rating categories. Themes such as logistics, care, compassion, trust, recommendation, and customer service were found across rating levels. Positive reviews tended to be shorter. Tones of “joy and confidence” were associated with higher ratings, whereas “sadness and tentative” tones were more frequently associated with lower ratings.
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| In Other News
Study: Mean Arterial Pressure Does Not Influence Transfusion in Acetabular Fracture Surgery
A retrospective study published online in Injury assessed how intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) affects blood loss and transfusion needs in patients undergoing acetabular fracture surgery. In total, 301 patients who underwent ORIF were stratified by mean MAP: 13 patients had MAP <60 mmHg, 95 had 60–70 mmHg, and 193 had >70 mmHg. Time to surgery, blood loss, operative time, and intravenous fluid use were comparable across groups. Blood transfusion rates and amount transfused were also similar. MAPs were not associated with differences in length of stay or perioperative complications. BMI >30 and anterior surgical approach were independently associated with transfusion.
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| Study: Radiographs Versus CT for Evaluating Elbow OA before Arthroscopy
A study published online in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery compared radiographs versus CT scans for detecting osteophytes and loose bodies in patients with elbow osteoarthritis (OA) prior to arthroscopy in 36 patients. Radiographs and CT scans showed a sensitivity and specificity of 46 percent and 66 percent versus 98 percent and 21 percent, respectively, for identifying osteophytes; and 49 percent and 89 percent versus 98 percent and 47 percent, respectively, for identifying loose bodies. Inter-surgeon agreement for osteophyte and loose body detection was 80 percent and 85 percent, respectively, for radiographs, and 95 percent and 91 percent, respectively, for CT scans.
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| Study: Preoperative Opioid Use Increases Healthcare Utilization after Lumbar Discectomy
A retrospective study published online in The Spine Journal assessed how opioid use impacts healthcare utilization in patients undergoing primary single-level lumbar discectomy. Among 29,745 patients, 35.0 percent used opioids within 3 months preoperatively and 12.0 percent were chronic users. Long-term preoperative opioid use led to higher rates of epidural steroid injections, emergency department visits, MRI, readmission, and revision within one year compared to opioid-naïve patients or those who used opioids within 3 months preoperatively. Postoperatively, 62.6 percent of chronic opioid users continued long-term use, compared to 5.6 percent of short-term users. A three-month opioid-free period preoperatively in long-term users reduced long-term postoperative use to 25.7 percent.
Read the abstract… |
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| CMS Releases FY 2022 Medicare Inpatient Pay Rule
On Tuesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the proposed rule for the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-term Care Hospital. Under the proposed rule, CMS hopes to address workforce shortages by funding residency positions in hospitals in rural and underserved communities. Directed by legislation passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, CMS is proposing 1,000 additional residency slots for qualifying hospitals, phasing in 200 slots per year over a five-year period, for a total of $300 million per year in funding. Hospitals will also be required to report COVID-19 vaccination rates among employees. In addition, the rule updates Medicare hospital payment and quality reporting policies for FY 2022.
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| AAOS Now
Highlights from the AAOS Board of Directors Meeting
On March 12, the AAOS Board of Directors (BoD) held its last meeting for the 2020 BoD. During the virtual meeting, the BoD took action on several matters including approval of the Committee Appointment Program Committee recommendations and reaffirmation of AAOS Position Statement 1190: “Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy and Glenohumeral Arthritis are Unlikely to be Caused by Vaccine Administration.” The Board also received updates on key initiatives including biologics, the Resident Curriculum, and the AAOS 2021 Annual Meeting. AAOS then-President Joseph A. Bosco III, MD, FAAOS, concluded by recognizing the service of Board members whose terms were ending.
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| Your AAOS
AAOS Pledges $100,000 to AOSSM Research Initiative
AAOS and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) are proud to announce a major partnership centered on AOSSM’s upcoming historic 50th Anniversary Research Initiative. Through the partnership, AAOS has pledged $100,000 to support the first-of-its-kind multicenter sports medicine research being led by AOSSM incoming President Kurt Spindler, MD, FAAOS.
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