Study Evaluates Practices to Grow Physician Connection with Patients
A study published online in JAMA identified best practices physicians can employ in clinical encounters with patients to foster presence and connectedness. Evaluable practices were gathered through a systematic literature review that yielded 73 studies and 27 primary care encounter observations, as well as qualitative interviews with physicians, patients, and nonmedical professionals who participate in intense interpersonal interactions (firefighter, chaplain, social worker, etc.; n = 30). A total of 31 preliminary practices were identified, of which 13 were reviewed by a Dephi panel and eight were eligible for inclusion. The final eight practices were combined to create five recommendations: (1) prepare with intention; (2) listen intently and completely; (3) agree on what matters most; (4) connect with the patient’s story; and (5) explore emotional cues.
Study Analyzes Long-term Outcomes for TKA with Contemporary Distal Femoral Replacement
A study published in the Jan. 2 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery examined long-term implant survivorship, clinical outcomes, and radiographic results in total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) performed with contemporary distal femoral replacement (DFR). Between 2000 and 2015, 144 consecutive TKAs with DFR were performed at a single institution. There were 111 patients (mean follow-up, five years) who did not undergo revision, had not died, and were not lost to follow-up. The 10-year cumulative incidence of revision for aseptic loosening was 17.0 percent; incidences for all-cause revision and any revision were 27.5 percent and 46.3 percent, respectively. Patients who underwent index DFR for aseptic TKA loosening or periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) were more likely to require reoperation compared to periprosthetic or native femoral fractures. Eight unrevised DFRs presented radiographic loosening. At final follow-up, seven above-the-knee amputations had been performed and were all due to intractable PJI.
Study Compares Strength and Clinical Outcomes Between Revision Total Elbow Arthroplasty Approaches
A retrospective study published in the January issue of The Journal of Hand Surgery compared triceps strength and clinical outcomes using the triceps-sparing (TS) and triceps-detaching (TD) techniques in revision total elbow arthroplasty (TEA). Revision TEAs performed over a 17-year period with at least one year of follow-up were stratified by TS and TD and evaluated for triceps strength; range of motion; visual analog scale (VAS) score; Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS); and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score. Final analysis included 10 TS and six TD elbows. Four TS elbows underwent TD prior to revision. The TS group had significantly better functional strength and DASH scores than the TD group, but arc of motion, VAS, and MEPS did not largely differ between the groups.
Study: Predictive Value of PROs in Revision Ankle Arthroplasty and Arthrodesis
A retrospective study published in the January issue of Foot & Ankle International evaluated the correlation between postoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and revision risk among patients who underwent ankle arthrodesis or total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) for the treatment of symptomatic end-stage ankle arthritis. TAA and ankle arthrodesis patients treated at a single institution completed the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS) preoperatively and every year after surgery. Final analysis included 336 patients and 348 ankles. Median follow-up time for revisions was 8.2 years, during which time 46 patients required revision. Patients with higher postoperative AOS scores were more likely to require revision. Ankle arthrodesis patients were less likely than fusion patients to require revision.
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MyStudies platform will be available on the Google Cloud Platform. FDA’s open-source MyStudies platform is designed to allow researchers access to and a place to submit real-world data.
Get Published Faster with OVT User-submitted Videos
Did you know that you can now share your videos and get published faster with Orthopaedic Video Theater (OVT) User-submitted Videos? The OVT User-submitted Video option offers an expedited peer-review process. Once uploaded, a video is submitted to AAOS committee members in the particular orthopaedic specialty and is then quickly reviewed and published. This growing collection offers OVT viewers the chance to discover more relevant content and to access the very latest in orthopaedic surgical techniques.
AAOS is seeking volunteers to take part on the voting panel for the development of the appropriate use criteria (AUC) for two different topics: The Early Screening for Psychosocial Risk and Protective Factors and The Management of Rotator Cuff Pathology. The deadline to submit an application for these projects is Jan. 24.
