Today’s Top Story

Apply for Volunteer Opportunities

Consider applying for the following positions by Aug. 1:

  • Basic Science Content Committee Member position
  • Bylaws Committee Member positions
  • Education Assessments and Examinations Committee Member positions
  • Foot & Ankle Evaluation Committee Member positions
  • Fundamentals Evaluation Committee Member positions
  • Medical Liability Committee Member positions
  • Pediatric Evaluation Committee Member positions
  • Resolutions Committee Member positions

Learn more and submit applications… (member login required)

 
 
 
 
In Other News

Study: Radiographic Evidence of PTOA following Tibial Plateau Fracture Associated with Worse Outcomes

In a study published online in The Journal of Knee Surgery, radiographic evidence of posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) correlated with worse clinical and functional status after tibial plateau fractures. Patients were divided into two cohorts based on the presence or absence of radiographic evidence of PTOA, and follow-up occurred at three, six, and 12 months to review for healing, articular incongruence, hardware positional changes, and the development of postinjury arthritic change. Patients with PTOA had a greater degree of initial depression and higher rates of reoperation and wound complications.

Read the abstract…

 
 
 
 
Study: Clinical and Radiological Outcomes in Patients undergoing Short-stem THA following Revision Surgery

The Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology published a retrospective study that evaluated the clinical and radiological outcomes, complications, and survival rates of short-stem total hip arthroplasty (THA) following revision surgery. A total of 27 patients were identified. Patient-reported outcome measurements were obtained, and radiological follow-ups were performed. One patient required subsequent surgery due to dislocation and trochanter fracture. For all other patients, clinical and radiological results were considered satisfactory, and no other major complications occurred.

Read the study…

 
 
 
Study: Supplemental Vitamin D and Incident of Fractures in Adults Aged >50 Years

In a randomized controlled trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine, vitamin D 3 supplementation did not result in significantly lower risk of fractures in generally healthy older adults. Men aged >50 years and women aged >55 years who were not recruited based on vitamin D deficiency, low bone mass, or osteoporosis were included in the study Among the 25,871 participants, 1,991 incident fractures occurred in 1,551 participants. When compared to placebo, additional supplemental of vitamin D 3 did not result in significantly lower risk of fracture.

Read the abstract…

 
 
 
 
AAOS Joins in Urging Congress to Provide Short-term Fiscal Stability, Foundation for Long-term Reform

AAOS joined with 103 other healthcare organizations urging Congress to take further action to mitigate another round of reimbursement cuts within the recently released Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule. In a letter submitted to Congress on July 25, the groups stressed that further action is needed to address Medicare’s broken payment system and instability for healthcare professionals. The AAOS Office of Government Relations is in the process of reviewing the CY 2023 MPFS proposed rule and will submit formal comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ahead of the Sept. 6 deadline.

Read the full letter here…

Read the AAOS executive summary of the MPFS rule…

 
 
 
AAOS Now

Coding Update for Drug-delivery Devices

Prior to 2020, the only CPT codes to describe the insertion and removal of nonbiodegradable drug-delivery devices were in the integumentary section, which described the procedures in generic terms. Because infection is one of the most common complications of musculoskeletal procedures, orthopaedic surgeons were the principal reporters of these integumentary device codes. Therefore, new codes, +20700 to +20705, were created for the 2020 CPT code set to report the manual preparation and insertion or removal of musculoskeletal drug-delivery devices. This article provides an overview of general reporting scenarios for the new codes.

Read more…

 
 
 
Your AAOS

Total Shoulder Hands-on Surgical Skills Course from AAOS and ASES

Registration is open for the AAOS/American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Anatomic and Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty: Concepts and Techniques from Basic to Advanced course, taking place in Rosemont, Ill., on Nov. 4 to 5. Work alongside leading shoulder surgeons navigating the latest indications and strategies for total shoulder arthroplasty. From evaluation and planning through surgical application and postoperative management, advance your skills and discover technical pearls to optimize success.

Register today…