To determine whether fracture pattern, implant size, fixation direction, or the amount of posterior pelvic ring fixation influences superior ramus medullary screw fixation failure.
Retrospective ...cohort review.
Regional Level 1 trauma center.
After exclusion criteria, 95 patients with 111 superior ramus fractures with 3 months minimum follow-up were included.
All patients underwent anterior and posterior pelvic ring fixation.
Comparison of immediate postoperative radiographs and/or computer tomography scan with the latest postoperative image to calculate interval fracture displacement and implant position. Postoperative fracture displacement or implant position change greater than 1 cm were considered fixation failures.
Five screws were defined as failures (4.5%), including 3 retrograde, 3 with bicortical fixation, 4 with a 4.5-mm screw, and 1 with a 7.0-mm screw. Fracture patterns included 2 oblique and 3 comminuted fractures. Based on the Nakatani classification, there were 3 zone II, 1 zone I, and 1 zone III. Failure modes included 3 with cut-out along the screw head and 1 cut-out and 1 cut-through at the screw tip.
Our incidence of superior pubic ramus intramedullary screw fixation failure was 4.5%. Even with anterior and posterior fixation along with precise technique, failures still occur without a common failure predictor. The percutaneous advantages and proven strength provided by an intramedullary implant make it desirable to help reestablish global pelvic ring stability. Biomechanical and clinical studies are needed to further understand intramedullary superior ramus screw fixation.
Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
OBJECTIVES:To determine the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on professional fees and proportion of payer type for an orthopedic trauma service at a level-1 trauma center.
METHODS:We analyzed ...professional fee data and payer mix for the 18 months before and after implementation of the ACA. Data were collected for inpatients (IP) and outpatients (OP). We corrected for changes in patient volume between the 2-time periods by calculating average values per patient.
RESULTS:Post ACA, we treated a higher percentage of patients with Medicaid and had a reduction in the percentage of uninsured/county payers. Collections for IPs decreased $75.49/patient and OPs decreased $0.10/patient. Our collection rate decreased 6% for IPs and 5% for OPs. In particular, Medicaid collections decreased by $180/IP, and $4/OP, and Medicare decreased by $61/IP and increased $5/OP post ACA, whereas contract collections increased by $140/IP and $20/OP. The changes in our own institutionʼs insurance were mixed with decreases of $514/IP for partial risk and $735/IP for full-risk insurance and increases of $1/OP for partial risk, and $35/OP for full-risk insurance.
CONCLUSIONS:Post ACA, we saw less patients, primarily in the OP setting. This shift was accompanied by a significant decrease in our collection rate; specifically, a decrease in the amount we collected per Medicaid patient—the category of payer that increased post ACA. The ACA did allow more uninsured patients access to medical care but was associated with lower IP and OP reimbursements.
Revision of a medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) to a mechanically aligned total knee arthroplasty (MA TKA) is inferior to a primary TKA; however, revision with kinematic alignment (KA) ...has not been well studied. The present study determined whether patients revised with KA had a higher use of revision components, different postoperative alignment, and different clinical outcome scores from patients with a primary KA TKA. From 2006 to 2017, all patients suitable for a revision of a failed medial UKA to a TKA and a primary TKA were treated with KA. Reasons for the revision performed in ten females and six males at a mean age 67 ± 8 years included progression of osteoarthritis in the lateral hemi-joint (
= 6), aseptic loosening (
= 4), unremitting medial pain without loosening (
= 4), and insert wear (
= 2). Patients with a revision were matched 1:3 with a control cohort treated with a primary KA TKA. Revisions were performed with primary components without augments, stem extensions, or bone grafts. Seven postoperative alignment parameters of the limb and components were comparable to the control cohort (
> 0.05). At a mean follow-up of 5 years (1-10), implant survival was 100%, and the revision/primary group clinical outcome scores were 39/43 points for the Oxford Knee Score (OKS), 2.2/1.0 cm for the Visual Analog Pain Score, and 12/7 points for the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score. When compared with primary KA TKA, surgeons that revise a failed medial UKA to a TKA with use of KA can expect similar operative complexity, comparable postoperative alignments, and a mean OKS of 39 points, which is higher than the mean 27 to 30 point range reported for revision of a failed UKA to a TKA with the use of MA.
Intra-articular injections prior to hip arthroscopy are often used to diagnose and conservatively manage hip pathologies, such as femoroacetabular impingement, labral tears, and chondral lesions. As ...a diagnostic tool, the relief of hip pain following an intra-articular injection helps pinpoint the primary source of pain and assists surgeons in recommending arthroscopic intervention for underlying intra-articular pathologies. However, when injections are not sufficiently spaced apart in time prior to hip arthroscopy, there is an elevated risk of postoperative infection. This systematic review aims to assess whether preoperative intra-articular injections prior to hip arthroscopy are associated with an increased risk of postoperative infection and to determine the safety timeframe for administering such injections prior to the procedure. A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies examining the relationship between preoperative intra-articular injections and postoperative infection following hip arthroscopy. A meta-analysis was conducted to compare the risk of infection between patients who received injections prior to hip arthroscopy at varying intervals and those who did not receive any preoperative injections. Five studies were included (four level III and one level IV), which consisted of 58,576 patients (58.4% female). Injections administered anytime prior to hip arthroscopy posed a significantly higher risk of infection compared to no history of prior injections (risk ratio: 1.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.14-1.85, P = 0.003). However, upon subanalysis, the risk of infection was significantly higher among patients who received injections within three months prior to hip arthroscopy compared to those who did not receive injections (risk ratio: 1.55, 95% confidence interval: 1.19-2.01, P = 0.001). Additionally, no significant difference in infection risk was observed when injections were administered more than three months before hip arthroscopy compared to no injections (risk ratio: 1.05, 95% confidence interval: 0.56-1.99, P = 0.87). The findings suggest that patients undergoing hip arthroscopy who have previously received intra-articular injections may face a statistically higher risk of postoperative infection, particularly when the injection is administered within three months prior to hip arthroscopy. Consequently, surgeons should exercise caution and avoid administering intra-articular injections to patients scheduled for hip arthroscopy within the subsequent three months to mitigate the increased risk of infection.Intra-articular injections prior to hip arthroscopy are often used to diagnose and conservatively manage hip pathologies, such as femoroacetabular impingement, labral tears, and chondral lesions. As a diagnostic tool, the relief of hip pain following an intra-articular injection helps pinpoint the primary source of pain and assists surgeons in recommending arthroscopic intervention for underlying intra-articular pathologies. However, when injections are not sufficiently spaced apart in time prior to hip arthroscopy, there is an elevated risk of postoperative infection. This systematic review aims to assess whether preoperative intra-articular injections prior to hip arthroscopy are associated with an increased risk of postoperative infection and to determine the safety timeframe for administering such injections prior to the procedure. A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies examining the relationship between preoperative intra-articular injections and postoperative infection following hip arthroscopy. A meta-analysis was conducted to compare the risk of infection between patients who received injections prior to hip arthroscopy at varying intervals and those who did not receive any preoperative injections. Five studies were included (four level III and one level IV), which consisted of 58,576 patients (58.4% female). Injections administered anytime prior to hip arthroscopy posed a significantly higher risk of infection compared to no history of prior injections (risk ratio: 1.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.14-1.85, P = 0.003). However, upon subanalysis, the risk of infection was significantly higher among patients who received injections within three months prior to hip arthroscopy compared to those who did not receive injections (risk ratio: 1.55, 95% confidence interval: 1.19-2.01, P = 0.001). Additionally, no significant difference in infection risk was observed when injections were administered more than three months before hip arthroscopy compared to no injections (risk ratio: 1.05, 95% confidence interval: 0.56-1.99, P = 0.87). The findings suggest that patients undergoing hip arthroscopy who have previously received intra-articular injections may face a statistically higher risk of postoperative infection, particularly when the injection is administered within three months prior to hip arthroscopy. Consequently, surgeons should exercise caution and avoid administering intra-articular injections to patients scheduled for hip arthroscopy within the subsequent three months to mitigate the increased risk of infection.
Introduction: Clinical decisions are often made on weight-bearing radiographs. However, it is unknown whether various weight-bearing conditions alter specific radiographic measurements. The purpose ...of this study was to determine whether percentage weight-bearing influences radiographic measurements of the normal foot. Methods: A prospective study with 20 healthy individuals had radiographs of the foot under 5 weight-bearing conditions (non–weight-bearing, 10% body weight, 25% body weight, 50% body weight, and 100% body weight). Measurements were made of hallux valgus angle (HVA), 1-2 intermetatarsal angle (IMA), talonavicular coverage angle (TNCA), talocalcaneal angle (TCA), forefoot width, LisFranc distance, cuboid height to ground (CHG), and talo–first metatarsal angle (TMA) of each weight-bearing condition. Statistical differences of each measurement for each weight-bearing condition were determined. Results: The TNCA and TCA increased significantly, whereas the CHG decreased significantly with increased percentage body weight. There were no differences in HVA, IMA, forefoot width, LisFranc distance, and TMA with increased percentage body weight. Conclusions: This study shows an increase in TNCA and TCA, and decrease in CHG, demonstrating a flattening of the medial arch, increasing hindfoot valgus, and midfoot external rotation and abduction with increasing percentage body weight applied to a foot. Percentage weight-bearing does not change radiographs in the foot between 25% and 100% weight-bearing. The clinical relevance of this finding is that graduated postinjury or postoperative weight-bearing regimens may only be relevant if the patient is either less than or greater than 25% of body weight on their extremity.
Levels of Evidence: Case Series, Level IV: Prospective
AbstractPurposeDetermine whether patient pain and function are similar following hip abductor repair in patients without and with total hip arthroplasty (THA).MethodsPatients who underwent hip ...abductor repair were categorized as to whether they had a THA or not. Pre- and postoperative pain and Harris Hip Score (HHS) were recorded and compared between groups.ResultsThere were no differences in improvement in pain level, improvement in HHS, satisfaction with surgery.ConclusionsHip abductor repair leads to similar pain, function, and satisfaction in patients without and with THA.
Abstract Percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses are being investigated as an alternative strategy to attach prosthetic limbs to patients. Although the use of these implants has shown to be promising ...in clinical trials, the ability to maintain a skin seal around an osseointegrated implant interface is a major challenge to prevent superficial and deep periprosthetic infections. The specific aim of this study was to establish a translational load-bearing ovine model to assess postoperative limb compensation and gait symmetry following a percutaneous osseointegrated implant. We tested the following hypotheses: (1) the animals would return to pre-amputation limb loads within 12-months; (2) the animals would return to a symmetrical gait pattern (stride length and time in stance) within 12-months. The results demonstrated that one month following surgery, the sheep loaded their amputated limb to a mean value of nearly 80% of their pre-amputation loading condition; by 12-months, this mean had dropped to approximately 74%. There was no statistical differences between the symmetry of the amputated forelimb and the contralateral forelimb at any time point for the animals stride length or the time spent in the stance phase of their gait cycle. Thus, the data showed that while the animals maintained symmetric gait patterns, they did not return to full weight-bearing after 12-months. The results of this study showed that a large animal load-bearing model had a symmetric gait and was weight bearing for up to 12 months. While the current investigation utilizes an ovine model, the data show that osseointegrated implant technology with postoperative follow-up can help our human patients return to symmetric gait and maintain an active lifestyle, leading to an improvement in their quality of life following amputation.
Purpose
Graft diameter ≥ 8 mm reduces the risk of failure after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ALCR) with hamstring tendon autograft. Pre-operative measurement of gracilis (GT) and ...semitendinosus (ST) cross-sectional area using MRI has been utilized but the optimal location for measurement is unknown. The main purpose of this study was to examine the cross-sectional areas of GT + ST at different locations and develop a model to predict whether a doubled hamstring graft of GT + ST will be of sufficient cross-sectional area for ACLR.
Methods
A retrospective review was performed of 154 patients who underwent primary ACLR using doubled hamstring autograft. Cross-sectional area measurements of GT + ST on pre-operative MRI axial images were made at three locations: medial epicondyle (ME), tibiofemoral joint line (TJL), and tibial physeal scar (TPS) and calculated the correlation of intra-operative graft size for each location using the Pearson’s correlation coefficient. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) established a threshold that would predict graft diameter ≥ 8 mm.
Results
Measurement of GT + ST at the ME had a stronger correlation (
r
= 0.389) to intra-operative graft diameter than measurements at the TJL (
r
= 0.256) or TPS (
r
= 0.240). The ROC indicated good predictive value for hamstring graft diameter ≥ 8 mm based on MRI measurement at the ME with the optimal threshold with the highest sensitivity and specificity as 18 mm
2
.
Conclusion
Cross-sectional area measurement of GT + ST at the ME correlated most closely to intra-operative diameter of a doubled hamstring autograft compared to measurements at the TJL or the TPS. As graft diameter < 8 mm is correlated with higher failure rates of ACL surgery, the ability to pre-operatively predict graft diameter is clinically useful.
Level of evidence
Level III, prognostic study.
We report the 3-year outcomes of a 14-year-old boy who anteriorly dislocated his shoulder playing football and suffered a 9-cm2 chondral defect of the anterior glenoid and subsequently treated with ...matrix-applied characterized autologous chondrocytes (MACI) of the defect with open labral repair.
The management of glenohumeral chondral lesions in adolescent patients remains a challenge. Our case of the successful treatment of a glenoid chondral defect with MACI offers hope as a potential treatment option for adolescent patients with this challenging problem.
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