May 18, 2023 | Today’s News

Fellows Explain Why They Are Voting in Favor of the Proposed SOP Amendment

Several Fellows shared their reasons for supporting the proposed Standard of Professionalism (SOP) amendment, including Thomas Fleeter, MD, FAAOS, chair of the Committee on Professionalism; Elizabeth Matzkin, MD, FAAOS, chair of Membership Council; Jennifer Weiss, MD, FAAOS, chair of the Communications Committee; and Daniel Guy, MD, FAAOS, past AAOS President. Click the link below to see why they urge Fellows to vote “YES” if they believe there is no place for harassment, bullying, and discrimination in orthopaedics.

Learn more about the Professional Compliance Program and the proposed amendment to the SOP on Professional Relationships…

Combined Use of Tobacco and Cannabis Increases PJI Risk after TKA

According to a study in the Journal of Arthroplasty, the combined use of tobacco and cannabis were associated with the highest rates of periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A national database was queried from which 30,000 patients who used tobacco products, 400 who used cannabis products, and 3,526 who used a combination of tobacco and cannabis were analyzed. When compared to a control cohort, the 90-day odds of PJI in cannabis, tobacco, and combined users were 1.60, 2.14, and 3.39, respectively. Furthermore, cannabis, tobacco, and combination users had higher rates of myocardial infarctions and surgical site infections when compared with a matched control cohort.

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BMC Musculoskeletal published an observational study investigating the efficacy of screening nasal culture in the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) in 1,616 orthopaedic operative patients. Of the patients included in the study, 86 percent had normal microbiota (NM), 12 percent were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) carriers, and 2 percent were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers. The rate of SSI was significantly higher in the MSSA group compared to the NM group (8.4 percent versus 0.7 percent). Those in the MRSA group had a higher rate of SSI (3.2 percent) than the NM group.

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A study in Foot & Ankle Specialist evaluated the use of a five-item modified frailty index (mFI-5) as a possible predictor of postoperative complications in patients undergoing total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). A total of 1,035 patients were retrospectively reviewed, and bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed. Patients with an mFI-5 score of 0 had a significantly higher rate of overall complications (19.38 percent) and 30-day readmission rates (3.1 percent) than those with an mFI-5 score ≥2 (5.24 percent and 3.81 percent, respectively). Following multivariate analysis, mFI-5 score was significantly associated with patients’ risk of developing any complication.

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Examining the trends from carpal tunnel release (CTR) billed to Medicare, a study in HAND found a 101.8 percent increase in annual CTR procedures from 2000 to 2020. The Medicare Part B National Summary File was queried, and a total of 3,429,471 CTR procedures were identified. Over the course of 20 years, Medicare-paid surgeons more than $1.23 billion. The annual volume of endoscopic CTR (ECTR) increased from 9.1 percent in 2012 to 25.2 percent in 2020. The average adjusted Medicare reimbursement per procedure decreased by 1.5 and 11.6 percent for open CTR and ECTR, respectively.

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Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Orthopaedics

The generative artificial intelligence program ChatGPT, from developer OpenAI, is a chatbot trained to provide a response based on a specific prompt. In this article, Jonathan Dubin, MD, FAAOS, shares the response he received by asking ChatGPT to respond to the prompt, “Can you help write an AAOS Now article on the impact of artificial intelligence?” In addition to the generated article, Dr. Dubin shares some reflections and areas of further inquiry based on the results.

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Resident Orthopaedic Core Knowledge Now Available to International Residency Programs

Just in time for the start of the new program year, residency programs across the globe can now access the same educational tool that is available to programs in the United States. The Resident Orthopaedic Core Knowledge (ROCK) platform gives programs access to resources that will help learners master core concepts in orthopaedics. The content contained in ROCK is designed to help residents succeed in their training–and beyond. International residency programs are encouraged to subscribe to provide their residents with the education needed to ensure that they are well-equipped to begin their career as a successful orthopaedic surgeon.

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OrthoInfo, the Academy’s patient education website, is here to provide your patients with in-depth information—all written, reviewed, and regularly updated by orthopaedic experts. This includes a full range of articles to help patients learn about traumatic and overuse injuries and arthritis of the elbow. Visit orthoinfo.org to discover a wealth of musculoskeletal health content that you can share with patients any time: You can print it, send it electronically, or link to it from your practice site. Or, add this QR code to your business cards, email signature, patient handouts, etc., to give patients direct access to the website.

Read “Biceps Tendon Tear at the Elbow”…

Read “Elbow (Olecranon) Bursitis”…

Read “Osteoarthritis of the Elbow”…

Read “Total Elbow Replacement”…

Read “Ulnar Nerve Entrapment at the Elbow (Cubital Tunnel Syndrome)”…