Study: Postoperative Red Blood Cell Transfusions Are Associated with Higher Risk of VTE
A retrospective study published in the July 1 issue of the Journal of the AAOS ® found that red blood cell transfusion after orthopaedic surgery may be independently associated with an increased risk of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE). Of 234,608 patients, 0.83 percent had postoperative VTE (deep vein thrombosis [DVT], 0.55 percent; pulmonary embolism [PE], 0.34 percent; DVT and PE, 0.06 percent). Five percent of patients received postoperative transfusions, and 0.4 percent received both pre- and postoperative transfusions. Postoperative transfusion was associated with greater odds of VTE, DVT, PE, and 30-day mortality, independent of other risk factors.
Study: Conversion to Arthroplasty in Revision Hip Arthroscopy Patients Aged ≥40 Years
A matched cohort study published online in Arthroscopy found that patients aged ≥40 years who underwent revision hip arthroscopy had a 2.63-times greater risk of conversion to total hip arthroplasty compared with patients who did not require arthroscopic revision. Eighty-seven hips with revision arthroscopy were matched to a primary arthroscopy control group. The revision group significantly improved in all patient-reported measures, and both groups demonstrated similar improvement in scores.
Study: Survey of Orthopaedic Clinicians Using Low-intensity Pulsed Ultrasound
A survey of 70 orthopaedic physicians who use low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) found that 68.6 percent of regular users reported the technology to be a cost-effective treatment, primarily used in cases of fracture nonunion (78.5 percent) or delayed union (72.8 percent). This study was published online in Injury. More than half of respondents used LIPUS between one and five times within 12 months. Fifty-six percent considered LIPUS treatment failure after three to six months without clinical improvement. Some respondents reported being unable to “comfortably” explain the need for LIPUS to patients.
Study: Efficacy of Waterproof Cast Protectors versus Plastic Bag
A study published online in The Journal of Hand Surgery reported that commercially available waterproof cast protectors offered superior protection from moisture compared with a plastic bag. Twenty-three adults each tested six different cast protectors and a plastic bag during full submersion in water. Use of plastic bags, without motion, accumulated an average of 5.5 g of water, compared with 0.0 g for all cast protectors. During motion, the plastic bag accumulated 4.51 g of water. One of six cast protectors accumulated 0.46 g of water during motion.
Study: Fibrogenic, Adipogenic, and Myogenic Gene Expression in Patients with Lumbar Spine Pathology
A study published online in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders found that fibrogenic and adipogenic/metabolic genes were associated with preoperative muscle quality and myogenic genes were related to preoperative muscle size in patients being treated for lumbar spine pathology. Muscle biopsies and MRI images were obtained from 59 patients. There were significant associations between decreased expression of PPARD, increased expression of COL3A1, and lower fat fraction on MRI. Decreased expression of mTOR was associated with a greater lean muscle cross-sectional area.
OrthoInfo: Helping Physicians Empower Their Patients
An educated patient is an empowered patient, which is why the Academy created OrthoInfo, its website for the general public. OrthoInfo covers an expansive range of musculoskeletal health topics. With more than 450 articles, videos, animations, and handouts in user-friendly formats—including Spanish translations of many articles—it is easy for practices to “prescribe” relevant information for each patient.
Last Call: Kappa Delta and OREF Clinical Research Awards
Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. CDT on July 1 for the 2023 Kappa Delta Orthopaedic Research Awards and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Clinical Research Award. Up to two $20,000 Kappa Delta awards (Elizabeth Winston Lanier Award and Ann Doner Vaughn Award), one $20,000 Kappa Delta Young Investigator award, and one $20,000 OREF award will be bestowed, provided manuscripts of requisite quality are submitted. Manuscripts should represent a large body of cohesive scientific work generally reflecting years of investigation.
