August 3, 2023 | Today’s News

Act Now to Nominate Future Leadership

The AAOS Nominating Committee is actively soliciting nominees for individuals to serve in the following positions:

• Second Vice President

• Treasurer-elect

• Board Member-at-large [Age 45 and over] (over age 45 on Feb. 19, 2024)

• Board Member-at-large [Under age 45] (younger than age 45 on Feb. 19, 2024)

• Nominees to the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Nominations close on Aug. 7. Members can review the position descriptions—including information about responsibilities, desired experience, and time commitments—as well as submit nomination(s) online.

Learn more and submit your nomination…

Does Annual THA Volume Decrease Risk of Periprosthetic Femur Fracture?

According to a study in the Journal of Arthroplasty, surgeons who performed ≥50 total hip arthroplasties (THAs) per year had significantly fewer intraoperative periprosthetic femur fractures (PFFs) than surgeons who performed <50 THAs. Assessing the relationship between years of surgical experience and surgeon annual THA volume on intraoperative and postoperative PFFs, 37 intraoperative and 108 postoperative PFFs were both compared to a control group of 7,629 THA patients without PFF. Postoperative PFF was not associated with surgeon volume. Additionally, surgeon experience was not significantly related to intra- and postoperative PFF.

Read the abstract…

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy published a retrospective study evaluating the relationship between the time from injury to ACL reconstruction (ACLR) and the rate and repairability of meniscal tears. Patients were divided into groups based on the time from injury to surgery: <3 months (n = 427), three to six months (n = 388), six to 12 months (n = 248), and >12 months (n = 254). Delaying ACLR >12 months significantly increased the rate of medial meniscal injury but not the rate of lateral meniscal injury.

Read the abstract…

A cross-sectional survey of clinical trials in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research assessed the present state of representation of women in orthopaedic clinical trial leadership, as well as the trial characteristics (trial phase, status, funding source, and intervention) associated with women principal investigators (PIs). The proportion of female PIs increased from 13 percent in 2007 to 22 percent in 2022. There was no difference in the distribution of trial phases between male and female PIs. Female PIs had a higher proportion of studies involving behavioral interventions than male PIs (11 percent versus 3 percent).

Read the abstract…

AAOS-supported Bill to Improve Prior Authorization Reintroduced in Congress

U.S. Representatives Michael Burgess, MD (R-Texas), and Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas) recently reintroduced the Getting Over Lengthy Delays in Care As Required by Doctors Act, or GOLD Card Act. The bill (H.R. 4968) exempts qualifying physicians from prior authorization requirements under Medicare Advantage plans if in the previous year, the physician had at least 90 percent of requests approved. AAOS supported the legislation in the 117th Congress and is continuing to advocate for its passage in the 118th Congress. Reforming prior authorization is a tier-one priority of the AAOS Advocacy Council and is something it’s trying to accomplish through both legislative and regulatory efforts.

Read more about the bill…

Listen to a recent AAOS Advocacy Podcast episode on the issue…

AAOS Now Releases Online-first Articles

The combined August/September issue of AAOS Now will soon be available to members online and in print. In the meantime, AAOS Now has published several online-first articles ahead of the issue’s publication. These articles cover the AAOS Health Care Systems Committee’s recent reassessment of its goals, adapting strategies to benefit members and orthopaedic surgery; an interview with Wayne Johnson, MD, FAAOS, FACS, chair of the Political Action Committee of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons Executive Committee, about recent successes, advocacy goals, and the importance of AAOS member participation; and more.

Read more…

AAOS Recognized as 2023 “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” for Third Consecutive Year

AAOS has been recognized for its business acumen and human resource practices by the National Association for Business Resources for a third consecutive year as one of the “Best and Brightest ^® Companies to Work For” both in Chicago and nationwide. Applicants are evaluated by an independent research firm and winners achieved top scores in key categories such as compensation; benefits; wellbeing solutions; employee enrichment; engagement and retention; employee education; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and more. AAOS staff and executive leadership are proud to be a part of this award-winning organization, working in partnership with the AAOS Board and volunteers.

Read the press release…

Join AAOS from Sept. 22 to 24 in Rosemont, Ill., to learn new strategies for preoperative planning, surgical execution, and postoperative management for primary and revision total hip and total knee arthroplasty. Spend hours in the cadaver lab practicing techniques for a variety of procedures with direct guidance from course instructors. Then, refine your skills in arthroscopic and open hip preservation techniques from Oct. 27 to 28 in Rosemont, Ill., during the Surgical Treatment of the Pre-Arthritic Hip Course, presented by AAOS, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA), and the Hip Preservation Society (ISHA). This is the perfect forum to practice techniques in the state-of-the-art surgical lab working alongside peers and world-class faculty.

Register now for AAOS Surgical Skills in Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty…

Register now for AAOS/POSNA/ISHA Surgical Treatment of the Pre-Arthritic Hip…