Today’s Top Story
Bill would implement national caps on noneconomic damages in certain medical liability suits.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would, if enacted, cap noneconomic damages at $250,000 for medical liability claims in which care was provided or subsidized by the federal government. The bill would also implement a statute of limitations for adults of 3 years following injury or 1 year after claimant discovers the injury, whichever occurs first. Read more…
Read the bill…
Read the statement from the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons…

Other News

Senate to delay vote on healthcare reform bill.
The U.S. Senate will not vote on healthcare reform legislation ahead of its July 4 recess. According to The Washington Post, lawmakers are working to address concerns with the Better Care Reconciliation Act and hope to submit a revised version to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) by Friday. The bill has been criticized by some senators as not doing enough to reduce healthcare costs and by others for doing too little to protect access to care. A recent score by the CBO estimated that under the current version of the bill, 22 million people would lose health insurance by 2026. Read more…
Read the bill (PDF)…

Study: ICT may help relieve neck pain, at least in the short term.
Data from a study published in the July 1 issue of the journal Spine suggested that intermittent cervical traction (ICT) may offer short-term relief of neck pain. The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of seven randomized, controlled trials and found that treatment with ICT was associated with significantly lower pain scores immediately after treatment compared to placebo. They also noted that pain scores during the follow-up period and the neck disability index scores immediately after treatment as well as during the follow-up period did not differ significantly. However, they highlighted some risks of bias in the included studies and argued that additional high-quality trials are needed to clarify the long-term effects of ICT on neck pain. Read the abstract…

Study: Risk of postoperative complication may be similar whether LMWH is initiated before or after THA.
According to a study conducted in Norway and published online in the journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, risk of postoperative complication may be comparable whether low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) prophylaxis is initiated prior to or following total hip arthroplasty (THA). The authors reviewed data on 25,163 patients undergoing THA who were included in the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register and the Norwegian National Patient Register. Overall, 9,977 patients (40 percent) received preoperative LMWH and 15,186 patients (60 percent) received postoperative LMWH. After adjustment for age, sex, operation time, year of surgery, and American Society of Anesthesiologists class, the authors found no major differences across cohorts in bleeding event, thromboembolic episodes, other postoperative clinical complications, 6-month mortality, or readmission rate. The authors noted that the postoperative approach reduced costs, decreased risks related to neuraxial anesthesia, and facilitated same-day admissions. Read the abstract…

FDA announces further recalls linked to recalled Hospira products.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced two additional secondary recalls associated with a recent recall of certain products manufactured by Hospira, Inc. The lots were repackaged and/or compounded at a facility using recalled Hospira products. Currently announced recalls include:

  • PharMEDium Services recalled specific lots of Potassium Phosphate and Succinylcholine Chloride
  • Fagron Sterile Services recalled three lots of Succinylcholine Chloride 20mg/mL 5mL syringe
  • Advanced Pharma, Inc. d/b/a Avella recalled specific lots of Potassium Phosphate and Succinylcholine Chloride

On June 15, Hospira announced a voluntary recall of the following products:

  • 42 lots of 8.4% Sodium Bicarbonate Injection, USP, 50 mL vials
  • 5 lots of NeutTM (Sodium Bicarbonate 4% additive solution) 5 mL vials
  • 5 lots of QUELICINTM (Succinylcholine Chloride Injection, USP) 200 mg/10 mL vials
  • 7 lots of Potassium Phosphates Injection, USP, 45 mM vials

Read the PharMEDium recall notice…
Read the Fagron recall notice…
Read the Avella recall notice…
Read the original Hospira recall notice…

Act now to nominate future AAOS leadership!
The 2018 Nominating Committee is actively soliciting member suggestions for individuals who might serve in the following positions:

  • Second Vice President
  • Treasurer-Elect
  • Member-at-Large [Age 45 or Older] (on March 8, 2018)
  • Member-at-Large [Under Age 45] (younger than age 45 on March 8, 2018)
  • Nominees to the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS)

The nominations period closes Friday, July 28. Members may submit nominations electronically and access partial descriptions of the responsibilities, desired experience, and time commitments associated with each position at: http://www.aaos.org/membership/Nominations(member login required)
Members may also submit nominations to Frederick M. Azar, MD, chair, 2018 Nominating Committee, c/o AAOS Office of General Counsel, 9400 West Higgins Road, Rosemont, Ill. 60018.

Last call: Communications Cabinet.
June 30 is the last day to submit applications for chair of the Communications Cabinet. The cabinet directs and evaluates AAOS communication vehicles, undertakes special communications projects, and provides public and media relations expertise to various AAOS governance units. Applicants for this position must be active fellows with strong knowledge, experience, and interest in communications, and experience in writing and editing nonclinical documents. Learn more and submit your application…(member login required)