Study Compares Knotted Versus Knotless Anchors for Arthroscopic Labral Repair
A systematic review published online in Arthroscopy observed no significant differences in outcomes between knotless and knotted anchors for labral repair in the shoulder. Seventeen articles were reviewed. Seven studies assessed biomechanical outcomes: five found mixed results for Bankart repair; one found knotless anchors were superior for superior labrum, anterior-posterior (SLAP) repair; and two found ultimate load-to-failure did not differ for Remplissage. Four studies compared the anchors in arthroscopic Bankart repair and found no differences, except one study that found knotted anchors resulted in an improved visual analog scale score and lower recurrence and revision rates. Five studies comparing the anchors in SLAP repair observed no differences.
Study: Should Skin Knife Blade Be Changed After Incision to Avoid Contamination?
According to a study published in the Jan. 15 issue of the Journal of the AAOS ®, a skin knife blade was no more contaminated after incision than a control blade. Surface samples were taken of 344 knife blades immediately after making skin incision during total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty, lumbar spine surgery, and cervical spine surgery; 344 control blades were also sampled. Of the 688 total specimens, 35 had a positive result, with no significant differences between the skin blades (4.9 percent) versus control blades (5.2 percent).
Study: Preoperative Bone Density in Patients with Versus Without Periprosthetic Osteolysis After Ankle Arthroplasty
A study published online in Foot & Ankle International compared preoperative bone density of the distal tibia and talus between patients with versus without osteolysis after total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). TAA patients were stratified by osteolysis (n = 65 ankles) and nonosteolysis (n = 153 ankles) to compare the Hounsfield unit (HU) value around the ankle joint and the coronal plane alignment. In both groups, the tibia and talus HU values measured at 5 mm from the reference points were higher than at 10 mm. HU values did not differ between the groups at any measured level in the tibia and talus group.
HHS Again Extends COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
On Jan. 7, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar again extended the public health emergency (PHE), which was set to expire on Jan. 21, by 90 days. The PHE will now expire 90 days from Jan. 21. With the extension, healthcare professionals will continue to be able to leverage the COVID-19-related waivers and regulatory flexibilities released by HHS.
Editorial: Cycle Threshold Values May Be Useful Information in COVID-19
An opinion editorial published in MedPage Today written by Robert Hagen, MD, of Lafayette Orthopaedic Clinic in Lafayette, Ind., stated that it may be useful to know the cycle threshold (Ct) values of certain patients with COVID-19. Knowing this information may help guide treatment. For instance, lower-risk patients with a high Ct number may be suitable for outpatient treatment, thereby reserving resources for patients with more comorbidities and higher viral loads. Laboratories are encouraged to provide Ct threshold values in their COVID-19 testing reports to physicians.
This article concludes a two-part series on what practices need to know about ransomware. Ransomware has attacked members of the fellowship. There are multiple ways an intruder may enter your network. Attacks may occur through phishing schemes when a seemingly routine employee email contains a virus in an attachment or link, or the process may start with a vendor downloading information into your network as part of his or her job.
AAOS and Cohere Health Enter into a Formal Collaboration
AAOS announced a formal collaboration with Cohere Health, an emerging high-growth digital health company, to embed AAOS clinical recommendations into the care pathway guidelines included in the Cohere Next® Platform. As part of the collaboration, AAOS’ American Joint Replacement Registry participants, if opted in, will have the ability to demonstrate their clinical performance in a way that Cohere can reduce their prior authorization burden. Cohere will be a pathway for payer requirements on prior authorization with Humana as the first use case—who will be requiring the use of Humana in the initial 12 states in 2021.
