Practice Of Orthopaedic Surgery Research Articles

What to Know about Antimicrobial Coatings in Arthroplasty: A Narrative Review.

Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are one of the most worrying complications orthopedic surgeons could face; thus, methods to prevent them are evolving. Apart from systemic antibiotics, targeted strategies such as local antimicrobial coatings applied to prosthetics have been introduced. This narrative review aims to provide an overview of the main antimicrobial coatings available in arthroplasty orthopedic surgery practice. The search was performed on the PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and EMBASE databases, focusing on antimicrobial-coated devices used in clinical practice in the arthroplasty world. While silver technology has been widely adopted in the prosthetic oncological field with favorable outcomes, recently, silver associated with hydroxyapatite for cementless fixation, antibiotic-loaded hydrogel coatings, and iodine coatings have all been employed with promising protective results against PJIs. However, challenges persist, with each material having strengths and weaknesses under investigation. Therefore, this narrative review emphasizes that further clinical studies are needed to understand whether antimicrobial coatings can truly revolutionize the field of PJIs.

PA and NP burnout in orthopedic surgery.

To quantify the burnout rate among physician associates/assistants (PAs) and NPs in a large orthopedic surgery practice affiliated with an academic institution. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and original research questions were given to all PAs and NPs in orthopedics at the facility. Burnout was defined as a high level of emotional exhaustion or depersonalization on the MBI subscale. Of the 129 PAs and NPs in orthopedics at our institution, 91 (70.5%) completed all survey items. Nearly 42% of respondents were burned out, as defined by high depersonalization or emotional exhaustion. PAs and NPs who met the burnout criteria were significantly older than those who did not (41.8 ± 10 versus 36.5 ± 7.71 years, P = .007) and spent longer in practice (12.4 ± 6.66 versus 9.35 ± 6.41 years, P = .01). The prevalence of burnout is high among PAs and NPs in orthopedics who practice in an academic setting.

Using Preference Cards to Support a Thoughtful, Evidence-based Orthopaedic Surgery Practice.

When orthopaedic surgeons begin or relocate their careers, they must communicate effectively about their instrumentation and equipment needs. 'Preference Cards' or 'Pick Lists' are generated by and for individual surgeons at the time of hire and can be updated over time to reflect their needs for common cases. Currently, such decisions are made without formal guidance or preparation. Surgeons must consider and plan for their operating room needs. Health system and industry factors affect these decisions, as do surgeons' unique interests, preferences, and biases. Orthopaedic surgeons currently face challenges: formal education is deficient in this space, material and reprocessing costs are not transparent, relationships and contracts with industry are complex, and few health systems have mechanisms to support preference card optimization. This complex landscape influences utilization decisions and leaves opportunities for integration, collaboration, and innovation. Choices about instrument and resource utilization in the OR have wide-reaching impacts on costs, waste generation, OR efficiency, sterile processing, and industry trends. Surgeons and their teams have much to gain by making intentional choices and pursuing both individual and systematic improvements in this space.

31. PHARMACOLOGICAL PREVENTION OF ISCHEMIA REPERFUSION INJURY IN RATS SUBJECTED TO LOWER LIMB ISCHEMIA

Abstract Introduction The use of tourniquet to achieve a blood-free surgical field is a common practice in orthopedic surgery. Blood flow restoration may lead to systemic inflammatory and oxidative stress damage known as ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). The aim of this work is to evaluate whether the administration of dexketoprofen (DEX) before reperfusion contributes to the prevention of IRI-related damage. Methods Male WAG/RijHsd rats were divided into 3 groups: two of them underwent 3h of ischemia and were administered either dexketoprofen (1 mg/kg) or vehicle; the third group was used as control, not subjected to ischemia/reperfusion. The treatment was given orally 30 minutes before reperfusion. Systemic affectation was evaluated 3h, 24h and 14 days after ischemia; at the anatomopathological level, limb edema was measured after 24h; finally, functional recovery was evaluated during the 14 days following ischemia by the rotarod and treadmill tests. Results IRI-related hepatic and muscular damage was significantly reduced by dexketoprofen, although its effect on hepatic damage was seen earlier. However, the treatment had no beneficial effect on renal damage, nor did it reduce limb edema with respect to the vehicle group (63±7.8 vs 73±10mm; p>0.05). In addition, dexketoprofen anticipated functional recovery between 2 and 9 days compared to untreated animals, as assessed by rotarod and treadmill tests. Conclusion Dexketoprofen treatment proved to be effective, reducing both hepatic and muscular damage secondary to IRI, as well as hastening the functional recovery of treated animals.

Does the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist Need Modification for Orthopaedic Surgery Practices? A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Indian Orthopaedic Surgeons.

It is well known that the implementation of the WHO surgical safety checklist (SSC) leads to improved operating room team coordination and reduced perioperative complication and mortality rates. Although it is proven to be beneficial worldwide, its awareness and usage need to be evaluated in a diverse country like India. As orthopaedic surgeries involve implants and tourniquet usage, it is important to evaluate the applicability of WHO SSC specifically to orthopaedic surgeries, and whether any modifications are needed. A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among Indian Orthopaedic Surgeons with a pre-defined questionnaire regarding awareness, usage and suggestions to modify the existing WHO SSC (2009) for orthopaedic surgeries. 513 responses were included for final analysis. 90.3% of surgeons were aware of the surgical safety checklist; however, only 55.8% used it routinely in their practice. The awareness of SSC availability was 1.85 times more among younger surgeons (< 20years of experience) than among those with > 20years of experience. 17% of surgeons thought the usage of SSC was time-consuming and 52.4% of participants felt a need to modify the existing WHO SSC (2009) for orthopaedic surgeries. 34.5% recommended the inclusion of the patient blood group in the "Sign-in" section, 62.77% proposed the inclusion of details about the tourniquet, whereas only 6.63% suggested adding about surgical implant readiness in the "Time-out" section and 72.7% suggested including a check to make sure the tourniquet was deflated, removed and also recording of the total usage time during the "Sign-out" section. Despite high (90%) awareness among Indian Orthopaedic surgeons, they have limited usage of the WHO SSC in their practice. Identifying barriers and considering modifications for orthopaedic surgeries, like details about tourniquet usage during the "Time-out" section and a check to ensure it was removed during the "Sign-out" section, will improve patient safety and outcomes. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43465-024-01096-5.

Use of Social Media in Orthopaedic Surgery Training and Practice: A Systematic Review.

Social media use has grown across healthcare delivery and practice, with dramatic changes occurring in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive systematic review to determine the current landscape of social media use by (1) orthopaedic surgery residencies/fellowship training programs and (2) individual orthopaedic surgeons and the change in use over time. We searched 3 electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase) from their inception to April 2022 for all studies that analyzed the use of social media in orthopaedic surgery. Two reviewers independently determined study eligibility, rated study quality, and extracted data. Methodology was in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Twenty-eight studies were included, of which 11 analyzed social media use by orthopaedic surgery residency and fellowship training programs and 17 examined its use by individual orthopaedic surgeons. Among residency and fellowship programs, Instagram was identified as the most common platform used, with 42% to 88% of programs reporting program-specific Instagram accounts, followed by Twitter/X (20%-52%) and Facebook (10%-38%). Social media was most commonly used by programs for recruitment and information dissemination to prospective residency applicants (82% and 73% of included studies, respectively). After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a 620% and 177% increase in the number of training programs with Instagram and Twitter/X accounts, respectively. Individual use of social media ranged from 1.7% to 76% (Twitter/X), 10% to 73% (Facebook), 0% to 61% (Instagram), 22% to 61% (LinkedIn), and 6.5% to 56% (YouTube). Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook are the premier platforms that patients, residency applicants, and institutions frequent. With the continued growth of social media use anticipated, it will be critical for institutions and individuals to create and abide by guidelines outlining respectful and professional integration of social media into practice. Level IV.

Study Characteristics and Impact of Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America Annual Meeting's "Best Papers" From 2009 to 2019.

Award-winning abstracts are selected every year at the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) annual meeting as "best paper" or poster. It is unknown how many achieve publication in peer-reviewed journals and the impact they have. We sought to determine the characteristics, including the level of evidence (LoE), publication rates, and the impact of award-winning abstracts on pediatric orthopaedic surgery practice from 2009 to 2019. Award-winning abstracts or "best papers" from 2009 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed from the POSNA website from abstract publication to manuscript publication. A search across Pubmed was used to match abstracts to their publications by comparing author names, titles, study design and methodology, results, and conclusions. Area of focus, abstract authors, institutions, publication status, LoE, time to publication, authors of publication, journals of publication, and the journal's latest Hirsch Index and impact factor were recorded. There have been 54 "best papers" at the POSNA annual meeting from 2009 to 2019. Of those, 39 have been published across 17 different journals for a publication rate of 72%. The average time from abstract presentation to publication was 21.2 months with a range of 0 to 121 months. Of the published award-winning abstracts, 64% (25) were published within 2 years, 87% (34) within 3 years, and 95% (37) within 4 years. Out of the published abstracts, 26% (10) were in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics , 23% (9) were in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery , and 10% (4) were in the Journal of Child Orthopaedics . The median number of abstract authors was 4 and increased to a median of 6 authors once published. Most award-winning abstracts had a LoE of 3. The average journal impact factor for all publications was 4; the average Hirsch Index for the corresponding author was 29.9, and the average number of citations for a publication was 41 with a range of 0 to 270. The majority of the "best papers" presented at POSNA annual meetings from 2009 to 2019 were published in peer-reviewed journals within 2 years of presentation, with approximately half being published in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics or Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery . The publication rate of "best papers" at the POSNA annual meeting was found to be higher than rates reported for abstracts presented at the annual meetings of POSNA, American Society for Surgery of the Hand and European Pediatric Orthopaedic Society, but similar to the rates observed for American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and Orthopaedic Trauma Association. Most of the selected "best papers" at the POSNA annual meeting are published and have a substantial impact on pediatric orthopaedic surgery practice. Level IV.

Increasing rates of clinic no-shows during and following the COVID-19 pandemic at an academic orthopaedic multispecialty group

Background: Clinic no-shows are common throughout all medical specialties and can be used as a potential surrogate marker for access to care and have a significant impact on patients and providers. While anecdotally, orthopaedic surgeons have noticed unprecedented changes in the delivery of care as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effect on no-show rates has not been quantified. Methods: An analysis of the rates of outpatient clinic no-shows within a multispecialty, academic orthopaedic surgery practice was completed. Encounters were sub-classified into designated periods based on a “pre-COVID-19” period, a “COVID-19” period, and a “post-COVID-19” period. A univariate analysis was performed to comment on differences amongst insurance payer status. A multivariate regression was completed to assess which variables contributed to no-show rates among this orthopaedic practice. Results: The overall no-show rate over the course of the study was 8.5%. These rates differed significantly between insurance groups, with the lowest no-show rate among Workers’ Compensation/Liability Insurance (WC/LI; 6.4%) and the highest among uninsured patients (21.4%). Additionally, no-show rates differed significantly by COVID period (pre-COVID=7.3%, COVID=8.6%, P&lt;.0001). These rates further increased in the post-COVID period (9.6%, P&lt;.0001) In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical practice habits have altered out of necessity. Conclusions: Despite a relaxation of social distancing guidelines, no-show rates have continued to increase at our institution. Our results suggest a disproportionate effect on those of lower socioeconomic status. The specific needs of the patient population should be considered when implementing strategies to improve clinic attendance.

Narcotic Use and Prescribing Trends Among Workers Compensation Patients Undergoing Foot and Ankle Surgery

Category: Midfoot/Forefoot; Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: Previous studies have shown that workers compensation patients (WC) have worse outcomes, and higher complications rates after orthopaedic surgery. Despite orthopaedic surgeons being the third highest prescribers of narcotic pain medication in the United States there have been no studies to specifically evaluate narcotic use among the WC population. The purpose of this study was to investigate narcotic use among WC patients who underwent foot or ankle operative procedures compared with a procedure matched control group. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for WC and non-WC patients ages 18 to 70 years old who underwent foot (CPT 28001-28899) or ankle (CPT 27600-27899) procedures in an orthopaedic surgery practice from October 2017 through January 2020. Data collection included demographics, social, surgical, perioperative follow-up and complications. Outcomes measures were timing and number of narcotic prescriptions, total morphine milligram equivalents (MME), and procedure type. Data analysis was performed with SPSS version 28. Comparisons were conducted with Mann-Whitney U test, chi square test, or Fisher’s exact test. Power analysis determined sample size with a 0.05 alpha level, 0.80 power, and 0.5 effect size. Results: 142 total patients met inclusion criteria, with 71 WC patients and 71 non-WC patients. There were no differences regarding the type of foot or ankle procedure performed (p=0.598). WC patients had double the number of overall narcotic prescriptions (median 2 vs 1; p &lt; 0.001). WC patients were prescribed in total 1,125 oxycodone MME and 871.8 hydrocodone MME (P &lt; 0.001), versus 750 oxycodone MME and 450 hydrocodone MME among the non-WC group (p &lt; .008). There was no difference in the number of tramadol prescriptions (p = 0.571). WC patients experienced more days between the date of last narcotic prescription and both index surgery date (median 27 vs 1, p = 0.001) and initial clinic visit date (median 105 vs 49, p = 0.002). Conclusion: This data demonstrates that WC patients portend worse outcomes and utilize narcotics at twice the rate and for longer periods of time post-operatively than non-WC patients. Increased narcotic use may potentiate narcotic dependence and likely leads to worse outcomes. Treating physicians must be aware of these trends in order to best manage these patients. Physicians may need to have longer discussions with WC patients regarding narcotic use post operatively as well as about outcomes and goals of surgery. Physicians should set early expectations with WC patients and clear limits on the amount of narcotics they are willing to prescribe postoperatively.

Performance of Orthopaedic Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons on a Biostatistical Knowledge Examination.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the biostatistical interpretation abilities of fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeons. A cross-sectional survey was administered to orthopaedic surgeon members of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), assessing orthopaedic surgeon attitudes towards biostatistics, confidence in understanding biostatistics, and ability to interpret biostatistical measures on a multiple-choice test. A 4.5% response rate was achieved with 55 complete survey responses. The mean percent correct was 55.2%. Higher knowledge test scores were associated with younger age and fewer years since board exam completion (p ≤ 0.001). Greater average number of publications per year correlated with superior statistical interpretation (p=0.009). Respondents with higher self-reported confidence were more likely to accurately interpret results (p ≤ 0.017). Of the respondents, 93% reported frequently using statistics to form medical opinions, 98% answered that statistical competency is important in the practice of orthopaedic surgery, and 80% were eager to continue learning biostatistics. It is concerning that fellowship-trained shoulder and elbow surgeons, many of whom frequently publish or are reviewing scientific literature for publication, are scoring 55.2% correctly on average on this biostatistical knowledge examination. Surgeons that are further from formal statistical knowledge training are more likely to have lower biostatistical knowledge test scores. Respondents who published at the highest rate were associated with higher scores. Continuing medical education in biostatistics may be beneficial for maintaining statistical knowledge utilised in the current literature.

1010 Assessing Completion of Check Radiographs in the Trauma and Orthopaedic Department

Abstract Background Postoperative check radiographs are routine practice in Trauma and Orthopaedic surgery, allowing for radiographic assessment of components and evidence of bony injury (1). All trauma cases requiring postoperative imaging as per operation note should have this completed in a timely fashion. Method Patient records were assessed over 4 months across two sites within an NHS Trust to determine the following - Time from surgery to request of post-operative radiograph, time from request to completion of radiograph, and evidence of a documented review in patient notes. Results 120 patients at site 1 and 134 at site 2 were assessed. At site 1, 11 patients did not have radiographs completed before discharge in comparison to 2 patients at site 2. The average time from surgery to radiograph request was 2.26 days at site 1, 1.07 days at site 2. The average time from request to completion of radiograph was 2.25 days at site 1 and 0.95 days at site 2. Documentation of review of radiographs was poor across both sites. A patient discharged prior to check radiograph re-attended hospital with a dislocation of hip hemiarthoplasty. Conclusions Numerous recommendations were made to ensure that good practice was established across sites. Operating surgeon or assistant should request post-operative imaging, at the same time as completion of the operation note. A trial of intra-operative fluoroscopy for hip hemiarthroplasty at Site 2 was started to see whether this could streamline current processes.

Medicolegal Sidebar: Free Speech Rights Versus Off-Label Use.

1Clinical Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA 2Chief Executive Officer and President, SINTX Technologies, Salt Lake City, UT, USA B. S. Bal, 2000 E. Broadway, #251, Columbia, MO 65201, USA, Email: [email protected] A note from the Editor-in-Chief: We are pleased to publish the next installment of “Medicolegal Sidebar” in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®. The goal of this quarterly column is to encourage thoughtful debate about how the law and medicine interact, and how this interaction affects the practice of orthopaedic surgery. We welcome reader feedback on all of our columns and articles; please send your comments to[email protected]. Each author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® neither advocates nor endorses the use of any treatment, drug, or device. Readers are encouraged to always seek additional information, including FDA approval status, of any drug or device before clinical use. The opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR® or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®.

Virtue Ethics in a Value-driven World: Using the Precautionary Principle to Navigate Uncertainty in Patient Care.

1Chief, Penn Orthopaedics Foot and Ankle Service, The Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA C. J. Humbyrd, 230 West Washington Square, 5th Floor Farm Journal Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, Email: [email protected] A note from the Editor-in-Chief: I am pleased to share the next installment of “Virtue Ethics in a Value-driven World.” In this quarterly column, Casey Jo Humbyrd MD, MBE uses virtue ethics—the branch of normative ethics that focuses on moral character—to explore controversies relevant to the practice of medicine and orthopaedic surgery. Dr. Humbyrd is an orthopaedic surgeon and an associate faculty member in Penn’s Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy. Previously, she was an ethicist at the Berman Institute of Bioethics at Johns Hopkins University. We welcome reader feedback on all of our columns and articles; please send your comments to[email protected]. The author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR® or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®.

Virtue Ethics in a Value-driven World: Medical Errors and the Albatross.

1Chief, Penn Orthopaedics Foot and Ankle Service, The Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA C. J. Humbyrd, 230 West Washington Square, 5th Floor, Farm Journal Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, Email: [email protected] A note from the Editor-in-Chief: I am pleased to share the next installment of “Virtue Ethics in a Value-driven World.” In this quarterly column, Casey Jo Humbyrd MD, MBE uses virtue ethics—the branch of normative ethics that focuses on moral character—to explore controversies relevant to the practice of medicine and orthopaedic surgery. Dr. Humbyrd is an orthopaedic surgeon and an associate faculty member in Penn’s Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy. Previously, she was an ethicist at the Berman Institute of Bioethics at Johns Hopkins University. We welcome reader feedback on all of our columns and articles; please send your comments to[email protected]. The author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR® or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®.

The Persistent Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Total Joint Arthroplasty Changes in Practice Patterns in the United States From 2020 to 2021

BackgroundThe SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically disrupted orthopaedic surgery practice patterns. This study aimed to examine differences between patients who underwent total joint arthroplasty (TJA) before the pandemic compared to 2020 and 2021. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed on all patients who underwent elective inpatient TJA from January 2017 to December 2021 using a national large database. Descriptive statistics were utilized to trend length of stay (LOS) and patient age. Patient demographics, discharge destinations, and rates of medical comorbidities were assessed for patients undergoing TJA in 2020 and 2021 compared to patients from prepandemic years (2017 to 2019). Overall, 1,173,366 TJAs were identified (2017 to 2019: 810,268 TJAs, average 270,089 cases/year; 2020: 175,185 TJAs; 2021: 187,627 TJAs). There was a 35.3% and 30.5% decrease in 2020 and 2021, respectively, when compared to the prepandemic annual average. ResultsAverage LOS decreased from 1.6 days in January 2020 to 0.9 days by December 2021. Same-day discharges increased from 6.2% of cases in 2019 to 30.5% in 2021. Discharge to skilled nursing facilities (SNF) reduced from 11.3% in 2017 to 2019 to 4.3% and 4.5% in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Patients ≥70 years old undergoing elective TJA decreased from 39.6% in 2017 to 2019 to 29.2% in April 2020. ConclusionIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, same-day discharges following primary elective TJA increased markedly, the average LOS decreased, discharges to SNFs decreased, and a preferential shift toward younger patients was observed. Level of EvidenceTherapeutic Level III.

Social determinants of health influence clinical outcomes of patients undergoing rotator cuff repair: a systematic review.

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the collection of environmental, institutional, and intrinsic conditions that may bias access to, and utilization of, health care across an individual's lifetime. The effects of SDOH are associated with disparities in patient-reported outcomes after hip and knee arthroplasty, but its impact on rotator cuff repair (RCR) is poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the influences that SDOH have on accessing appropriate orthopedic treatment, as well as its effects on patient-reported outcomes following RCR. This systematic review was performed in adherence to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and guidelines outlined by the Cochrane Collaboration. A search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase from inception until March 2022 was conducted to identify studies reporting at least 1 SDOH and its effect on access to health care, clinical outcomes, or patient-reported outcomes following RCR. The search term was created with reference to the PROGRESS-Plus framework. Methodological quality of included primary studies was appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for nonrandomized studies, and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomized studies. Thirty-two studies (level I-IV evidence) from 18 journals across 7 countries, published between 1999 and 2022, met inclusion criteria, including 102,372 patients, 669 physical therapy (PT) clinics, and 71 orthopedic surgery practices. Multivariate analysis revealed female gender, labor-intensive occupation and worker's compensation claims, comorbidities, tobacco use, federally subsidized insurance, lower education level, racial or ethnic minority status, low-income place of residence and low-volume surgery regions, unemployment, and preoperative narcotic use contribute to delays in access to health care and/or more severe disease state on presentation. Black race patients were found to have significantly worse postoperative clinical and patient-reported outcomes and experienced more pain following RCR. Furthermore, Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to present to low-volume surgeons and low-volume facilities. A lower education level was shown to be an independent predictor of poor surgical and patient-reported outcomes as well as increased pain and worse patient satisfaction. Patients with federally subsidized insurance demonstrated significantly worse postoperative clinical and patient-reported outcomes CONCLUSIONS: The impediments created by SDOH lead to worse clinical and patient-reported outcomes following RCR including increased risk of postoperative complications, failed repair, higher rates of revision surgery, and decreased ability to return to work. Orthopedic surgeons, policy makers, and insurers should be aware of the aforementioned SDOH as markers for characteristics that may predispose to inferior outcomes following RCR.

Students' Interest in Orthopedic Surgery in Saudi Arabia.

The demand for orthopedic surgery is expected to increase as the Saudi population grows and ages. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the interest of medical students and interns in orthopedic surgery and the factors that influence their interest. This cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire adapted from a similar study and modified by the authors. The questionnaire was distributed via email to more than 500 medical students from the second year to the internship year. The questionnaire was designed to assess knowledge, interest, and students' perception of orthopedics. Five hundred and ten responses were obtained; 382 (74.90%) were from women. Gender, family orientation, private practice, and perceptions of orthopedic surgery as a stressful specialty or a specialty in crisis were variables that did not influence participants' perceptions of orthopedic surgery. Further, 13% of participants showed early interest in orthopedic surgery, especially during their third year of medical school. Most of the interested participants recognized that having strong level of knowledge, future academic opportunities, a controllable lifestyle, direct patient care, experience during their clerkship, a high salary, immediate satisfaction, and a prestigious specialty were important aspects that determined their interest in considering a future career in orthopedic surgery. Work preferences that had a significant impact on interest included working with patients not requiring long-term care, working only in the hospital, working outside the hospital, and working only during the day. There was no difference between genders in terms of interest in orthopedic surgery. This study might serve as a basis for future research assessing the interest of medical students in orthopedic surgery as well as identifying and managing the barriers that prevent students from pursuing careers as orthopedic surgeons.

Rubber gloves in orthopaedic surgery (part II): Cooke and Goodyear; Halsted and Caroline's gloves of love; from cotton to rubber after Perthes' experiments; double glove technique with Urist.

This study determines the timeline for surgeons adopting rubber gloves and the double glove technique in the operating room for orthopaedic surgery. Using the vague historical terms of discovery, acceptance, commonplace, and consistency, we analyzed the influence of the different actors in each period. Cotton or silk was used for early gloves; they were permeable, sometimes coated with paraffin. Uses of rubber date to the 1600s when the Mesoamericans used rubber to make shoes. After the discovery of rubber in 1735 by the French scientist Charles de la Condamine in Peru, the rubber glove was imagined in 1834 and done for the first time by R. F. Cooke. The acceptance of rubber gloves arrived when the Goodyear-Rubber Society began to manufacture rubber gloves. Halsted, at Johns Hopkins Hospital, negotiated in 1889 with the Goodyear Rubber Company to produce thin rubber gloves to protect his nurse's hands from the dermatologic effects of the carbolic acid used to sterilize instruments. Commonplace to protect patients from bacteria of hand surgeons necessitated several decades. Dr. Joseph Bloodgood (Halsted's senior resident) remarked that gloving the surgeon with rubber gloves reduced the infection rate. Still, surgeons were reluctant to wear gloves that impaired the sense of touch. Laboratory experiments performed by G. Perthes on cotton and rubber gloves were necessary to generalize rubber gloves for practice in orthopaedic surgery. Consistency of the double-glove technique arrived during World War II when M. Urist proposed the double protection against bites from bone or bullet fragments while exploring war wounds. Only in 1965, when The Ansell Rubber Company utilized gamma irradiation as a low-cost method of sterilizing the gloves they produced, did disposable gloves become sterile. This article helps to understand the detailed discussions before surgical gloves' modern operating equipment.

Medicolegal Sidebar: Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Laws-Illustrative Case of an Indicted Surgeon.

1Chief Executive Officer and President, SINTX Technologies, Salt Lake City, UT, USA B. S. Bal ✉, SINTX Technologies, 1885 West 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84119, USA, Email: [email protected] A note from the Editor-in-Chief: We are pleased to publish the next installment of “Medicolegal Sidebar” in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®. The goal of this quarterly column is to encourage thoughtful debate about how the law and medicine interact, and how this interaction affects the practice of orthopaedic surgery. We welcome reader feedback on all of our columns and articles; please send your comments to [email protected]. The author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR® or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®.

Physician Professional Fees Are Declining and Inpatient and Outpatient Facility Fees Are Increasing for Orthopaedic Procedures in the United States

The purpose of the study was to examine the trends in physician professional fees and inpatient and outpatient facility fees in orthopedic surgery in the United States. Physician professional fees and inpatient and outpatient facility fees were tracked from 2008-2021 for the most common orthopedic procedures in each orthopedic subspecialty. Utilizing common procedure codes for physician and outpatient procedures and MS-DRG codes for inpatient procedures, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedules were used to obtain the national payment amounts for physician professional fees and inpatient and outpatient facility fees. Trends in fees were tracked over time after adjustment for inflation. From 2008 to 2021, physician professional fees decreased by an average of 20%, while inpatient facility fees increased by 15%, and outpatient facility fees increased by 72%. The orthopedic subspecialty with the largest decrease in physician professional fees was oncology, with an average decrease of 23.5%, followed by general orthopedics (23.1%), and sports medicine (22.8%). The largest increase in outpatient facility fees was seen in the subspecialties of general orthopedics (149.8%), spine (130.1%), and trauma (123.0%). Over the past 13 years, physician professional fees for the most common orthopedic procedures have declined while inpatient and outpatient facility fees have increased. Understanding these changes is important to the practice of orthopedic surgery in the United States. Economic IV.