Plan Your #AAOS2023 Experience Using the Annual Meeting Mobile App
The AAOS 2023 Annual Meeting will be held March 7 to 11 in Las Vegas. It is a can’t-miss, five-day experience packed with the best in orthopaedic education, innovation, and collaboration. The Annual Meeting Mobile App is ready for download today and is a great resource for browsing the full program, building your personal agenda, learning about exhibiting companies, and connecting with fellow meeting-goers.
Study Assesses Diagnostic Potential of Synovial pH for PJI in TJA Patients
In patients presenting with painful total joint arthroplasty (TJA), the median synovial pH level was significantly lower in patients with chronic prosthetic joint infection (PJI), according to a prospective study published online in the Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. In a cohort of 92 patients, 33 percent had PJI, and 67 percent were diagnosed as noninfected. Sensitivity and specificity for synovial white blood cell (WBC) count was compared between groups. The median level of synovial WBC count was significantly higher in patients with chronic PJI (14,905 cells versus 660 cells).
Study: Thirty-year Outcomes of Bilateral Cemented versus Cementless THA
A study with a minimum follow-up of 30 years compared the long-term clinical results of total hip arthroplasty (THA) with a cemented versus cementless stem in patients aged <50 years. The study was published online in The Journal of Arthroplasty. Overall, 106 patients undergoing bilateral THA were included in the study. Forty-three percent of patients in the cemented group had acetabular components revised compared with 45 percent in the cementless group. At the 30-year follow-up, survivorship of the acetabular and femoral components were comparable between groups.
Systematic Review Investigates Nerve Injury following Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty
The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery published a systematic review assessing the overall incidence and characteristics of nerve injury after primary and revision reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). The review comprised 188 articles and 40,146 patients with a weighted mean follow-up of 35.4 months. The overall rate of nerve injury following RSA was 1.3 percent. The nerve injury rate for revision and primary RSA was 2.4 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively. In both primary and revision RSA, the axillary nerve was the most frequently injured nerve.
Retrospective Study Characterizes Opioid Prescription Trends after Ambulatory and Inpatient ACDF
A retrospective cohort study published in The Spine Journal examined opioid prescription trends after ambulatory anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) in comparison with inpatient procedures. The rate, amount, and type of perioperative opioid prescription were recorded in 42,521 opioid-naïve patients, of which 39,671 were inpatient. Ambulatory ACDF patients had slightly increased perioperative opioid prescription filling compared with those who were inpatient (52.7 percent versus 47.3 percent). There was no association between ambulatory or inpatient settings and persistent opioid use in patients who filled a perioperative opioid prescription.
Promoting OR Efficiency and Education: A Resident’s Perspective
In this Sound Off, Elizabeth A. Duckworth, MD, MBA, provides a resident’s perspective on the rates of anxiety, depression, burnout, suicide, and departure from the orthopaedic profession. Reflecting on her time as a visiting medical student at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, Dr. Duckworth emphasized OR efficiency and education to develop clinical skills and foster this supportive culture in new members of the team. “Ultimately, the team is the critical component that enables our system to work effectively,” Dr. Duckworth stated.
Take Part in the Development of an Appropriate Use Criteria
AAOS is seeking volunteers to take part on the writing and rating panels for the development of the Management of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries Appropriate Use Criteria. Writing panelists will be responsible for constructing a comprehensive patient indications list and a treatment list for patients with anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Rating panelists will be charged with rating appropriateness of included treatments based on patient indications/scenarios via two rounds of voting. Applications will be reviewed and approved on a first-come, first-served basis.
