Study Evaluates Socioeconomic Factors Associated with THA and TKA Outcomes
A study published online in The Journal of Arthroplasty examined socioeconomic variables associated with poor prognosis following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The researchers evaluated 2,770 consecutive patients who underwent THA and TKA between 2015 and 2018 and utilized census data to estimate factors affecting socioeconomic status. Residing in areas with high unemployment and low education levels were associated with higher age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index. Upon multivariate analysis, however, no socioeconomic factors were associated with increased rates of rehabilitation, revision, or readmission.
Study: Variation of Pediatric Rotations in Orthopaedic Residencies in the U.S.
A retrospective study published in the January issue of the Journal of the AAOS: Global Research & Reviews ® measured the variability in duration of pediatric orthopaedic rotations among allopathic orthopaedic residency programs in the United States. The investigators assessed data on 138 residency programs from 2019. The average pediatrics rotation assignment during residency was six months, with a range of two to 11 months. In 29 percent of residency programs, pediatric training was outsourced to another institution. Length of pediatric rotation was associated with percentage of pediatric orthopaedic faculty.
Study: Trends in Orthopaedic Surgery Sports Medicine
A study published in the February issue of Arthroscopy analyzed trends in shoulder, hip, and knee procedures of fellows graduating from Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education orthopaedic sports medicine fellowships between 2011 and 2016. Over the study period, the average number of total procedures per fellow decreased slightly from 726 cases in 2011 to 701 cases in 2016. An increase was observed in the mean total number of hip procedures, from 24.9 to 63.5, but the mean number of shoulder and knee procedures did not largely change. The largest increase was observed in arthroscopic hip procedures, from 14.1 to 57.8.
Study Evaluates Relationship Between Graft Integrity and SCR Outcomes
A retrospective study published online in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery evaluated the effect of graft integrity on clinical outcomes following superior capsular reconstruction (SCR). Pre- and postoperative functional outcomes for 34 patients undergoing SCR were evaluated via simple shoulder test (SST), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, visual analog scale (VAS), and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation. There was a statistically significant increase in SST, ASES score, and VAS post-SCR. Graft failure was identified in 62 percent of shoulders; however, evidence of graph healing did not correlate with improvement in any functional scores.
Study: Frailty Increases Risk of Adverse Events After Spine Surgery
A systematic review published online in The Spine Journal examined the association between frailty and adverse events (AEs) following spine surgery. Data on postoperative AEs were collected from 32 studies comprising a total of 127,813 patients. Frailty was measured via eight different indices. Regardless of measurement system, frailty was found to be associated with higher risk of AEs, as well as increased mortality, length of stay, readmission, and nonhome discharge.
Patient Safety in the Era of Telemedicine: Recognizing Red Flags
The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated the widespread implementation of telemedicine. A major disadvantage of telemedicine is the limited physical exam, as there are several relevant conditions and nonverbal cues that can potentially be missed because of a lack of in-person interaction. There remains a dearth of orthopaedic literature reporting on the prevalence of AEs encountered in the setting of virtual visits. The authors of this article share their considerations to make telemedicine safer and more efficient.
Volunteers Needed to Review and Select Kappa Delta and OREF Research Award Winners
AAOS is seeking individuals to promote and recognize excellence in musculoskeletal research by selecting winners for the Kappa Delta Awards and Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Clinical Research Awards and by increasing the visibility and impact of the annual musculoskeletal research awards. The deadline for applications is March 31. Contact Meghan Eigenbrod, at eigenbrod@aaos.org, with any questions.
