Does orthopaedic resident efficiency improve with respect to decreased fluoroscopic times in tibial intramedullary nailing? A measure of an ACGME milestone

Background: Intramedullary nailing of tibial fractures is a surgical milestone from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Our purpose was to evaluate if fluoroscopic time decreased with increasing resident experience and could be used as a measure of this milestone. Methods: Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were used to identify patients who underwent intramedullary nailing of tibial shaft fractures under the direction of fellowship-trained trauma attending staff. The data collected included patient demographics, fracture classification, fluoroscopic imaging total time, and the post-graduate years (PGY) of orthopaedic residency of the operating resident. Exclusions of patients included concomitant fluoroscopic procedures, inadequate records, or surgeries involving primary assisting residents with less than PGY-2 experience. We compared overall groups between half years and looked at individual resident years for each of the continuous variables. Results: When residents were grouped as senior (PGY-4 and PGY-5) or junior (PGY-2 and PGY-3), seniors used significantly less fluoroscopy than juniors (207.39 sec vs. 258.30 sec, P=0.018). In the first half of the academic year, PGY-2 residents completed tibial nailing slowest in terms of fluoroscopic usage (P=0.003). PGY-4 residents completed tibial nailing faster in terms of fluoroscopic usage than other years (P=0.031). In the second half of the academic year, PGY-5 residents used significantly less fluoroscopy than PGY-2 residents (P=0.035). Conclusions: As the ACGME currently has no measurement for resident progress and efficiency regarding tibial shaft intramedullary nailing, our data indicate that fluoroscopic measurements may be useful in assessing resident proficiency

The impact of a virtual orthopaedic surgery symposium on medical students: Increasing awareness and knowledge of the field

UNLABELLED: Orthopaedic surgery has become an increasingly popular field of residency training for medical students. Many institutions offer elective time to explore areas of interest through clinical rotations and research; however, most of these opportunities are reserved for senior medical students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a dedicated medical student orthopaedic surgery symposium to increase awareness about the field and to assess students\u27 interest and knowledge of orthopaedic surgery before and after the symposium. METHODS: Medical students were invited to submit orthopaedic surgery-related research to a free, 1-day virtual symposium held in April 2022. Abstracts were reviewed and selected from 9 different orthopaedic surgery subspecialty categories. Survey assessments were sent to medical students to complete before and after the symposium. The surveys included questions related to participant demographics as well as interest and knowledge about the field of orthopaedic surgery. Statistical analyses were completed to compare the participants\u27 responses before and after the symposium. RESULTS: In total, 962 medical students registered for the 4-hour symposium. Of these, 58.5% completed the presymposium survey and 48.0% completed the postsymposium survey. 13.3% of the respondents reported being very knowledgeable about the various orthopaedic surgery subspecialties before the symposium, which increased to 18.4% after the symposium. 46.9% of the participants stated that they were knowledgeable about the daily life of an orthopaedic surgery resident before the symposium, which increased to 67.3% after the symposium. Similarly, the percentage of respondents who reported that they were very knowledgeable about the residency match process increased from 12.2% presymposium to 22.4% postsymposium. CONCLUSIONS: As interest in pursuing a career in orthopaedic surgery increases, medical students will continue to seek information, mentorship, and opportunities to present their research in preparation for residency applications. Our study demonstrated that a large-scale, national, virtual orthopaedic surgery symposium provided a platform to augment medical students\u27 knowledge of the field, present their research, and interact with faculty members. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V

Henry Versus Thompson Approach for Fixation of Proximal Third Radial Shaft Fractures: A Multicenter Study

Objective: To compare the volar Henry and dorsal Thompson approaches with respect to outcomes and complications for proximal third radial shaft fractures. Design: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. Patients/Participants: Patients with proximal third radial shaft fractures ± associated ulna fractures (OTA/AO 2R1 ± 2U1) treated operatively at 11 trauma centers were included. Intervention: Patient demographics and injury, fracture, and surgical data were recorded. Final range of motion and complications of infection, neurologic injury, compartment syndrome, and malunion/nonunion were compared for volar versus dorsal approaches. Main Outcome: The main outcome was difference in complications between patients treated with volar versus dorsal approach. Results: At an average follow-up of 292 days, 202 patients (range, 18–84 years) with proximal third radial shaft fractures were followed through union or nonunion. One hundred fifty-five patients were fixed via volar and 47 via dorsal approach. Patients treated via dorsal approach had fractures that were on average 16 mm more proximal than those approached volarly, which did not translate to more screw fixation proximal to the fracture. Complications occurred in 11% of volar and 21% of dorsal approaches with no statistical difference. Conclusions: There was no statistical difference in complication rates between volar and dorsal approaches. Specifically, fixation to the level of the tuberosity is safely accomplished via the volar approach. This series demonstrates the safety of the volar Henry approach for proximal third radial shaft fractures

Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo

Osteoporotic Hip and Spine Fractures

Hip and spine fractures represent just a portion of the burden of osteoporosis; however, these fractures require treatment and often represent a major change in lifestyle for the patient and their family. The orthopedic surgeon plays a crucial role, not only in the treatment of these injuries but also providing guidance in prevention of future osteoporotic fractures. This review provides a brief epidemiology of the fractures, details the surgical techniques, and outlines the current treatment guidelines for orthopedic surgeons

Hoffa Fragments in the Geriatric Distal Femur Fracture: Myth or Reality?

Background: Previous research reported the frequency of coronal plane (Hoffa) fractures in high-energy supracondylar femur fractures in a relatively young population. It is the purpose of this study to identify the frequency of coronal plane fractures seen in elderly patients. Methods: All patients over the age of 18 years treated for supracondylar femur fractures at 2 level I trauma centers were reviewed over a 4-year period. The patients were stratified (≥60 years and 60 years of age. The elderly group included a higher percentage of females (81% vs 36%, P = .0001) and was more likely to sustain their injury due to a fall (59% vs 19%, P = .0001). Coronal plane fractures were visualized on computed tomography scans in 56 (58%) of the 96 33C femur fractures. Forty-four percent of elderly patients sustained a coronal plane fracture compared with 66% of the younger cohort ( P = .04). The percentage of open fractures (30% elderly vs 46%) was not significantly different between the 2 groups ( P = .17). Conclusions: The occurrence rate of 44% in this study was higher than expected and is the first to provide this information in the elderly patients on this fracture. It is important that a high index of suspicion be maintained for the Hoffa fracture in all distal femur fractures, regardless of age or mechanism of injury

Geriatric High-Energy Polytrauma With Orthopedic Injuries

Background: The impact of orthopedic injuries in the elderly patient with multi-trauma and the effect of operative fixation on these injuries have not been thoroughly evaluated. Methods: We reviewed geriatric patients (aged 65 and older) between 2004 and 2010 at a level 1 trauma center who sustained high-energy polytrauma (injury and severity score [ISS] ≥ 16) with associated orthopedic injuries. Patients were excluded if they had severe head and spine injuries, died on arrival, or had low-energy mechanisms of injury. Logistic regression was conducted to identify factors that predict mortality. Results: There were 154 patients who comprised our study group with an average age of 76 years and an ISS of 23. There were 96 males and 58 females. Overall, 52 patients died within 1 year of their admission: 21 patients during their initial hospital stay and 31 patients within 1 year following admission. In all, 64 (42%) patients underwent operative stabilization of their orthopedic injuries. Increased mortality was seen ( P < .05) in female patients, those with lower admission Glasgow coma score, and those who underwent orthopedic surgery. Patients had worse outcomes if they sustained femur ( P = .014), clavicle, or scapular fractures ( P = .027). Other factures associated with higher mortality included pelvic/acetabular injury requiring surgery ( P = .019) or spine fractures treated nonoperatively ( P = .014). Conclusion: The effect of orthopedic injuries on this geriatric polytrauma group contribute to worse outcomes when they included clavicle, scapula, and femur fractures. We also found that pelvic/acetabular fractures treated operatively and nonoperative spine fractures were associated with higher mortality rates. Risk/benefit consideration is suggested when contemplating operative intervention in these patients

Case Report: Locked Pubic Symphysis: An Open Reduction Technique

A locked pubic symphysis occasionally occurs after a lateral compression injury of the pelvic ring. One pubic bone becomes entrapped behind the contralateral pubis. Lateral compression pelvic injuries are well recognized, but a lateral compression pelvic injury resulting in a locked pubic symphysis is rare. We describe a locked pubic symphysis with greater than 4 cm overlap that was reduced with simple maneuvers and readily available instruments

The Impact of a Virtual Orthopaedic Surgery Symposium on Medical Students: Increasing Awareness and Knowledge of the Field

UNLABELLED: Orthopaedic surgery has become an increasingly popular field of residency training for medical students. Many institutions offer elective time to explore areas of interest through clinical rotations and research; however, most of these opportunities are reserved for senior medical students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a dedicated medical student orthopaedic surgery symposium to increase awareness about the field and to assess students\u27 interest and knowledge of orthopaedic surgery before and after the symposium. METHODS: Medical students were invited to submit orthopaedic surgery-related research to a free, 1-day virtual symposium held in April 2022. Abstracts were reviewed and selected from 9 different orthopaedic surgery subspecialty categories. Survey assessments were sent to medical students to complete before and after the symposium. The surveys included questions related to participant demographics as well as interest and knowledge about the field of orthopaedic surgery. Statistical analyses were completed to compare the participants\u27 responses before and after the symposium. RESULTS: In total, 962 medical students registered for the 4-hour symposium. Of these, 58.5% completed the presymposium survey and 48.0% completed the postsymposium survey. 13.3% of the respondents reported being very knowledgeable about the various orthopaedic surgery subspecialties before the symposium, which increased to 18.4% after the symposium. 46.9% of the participants stated that they were knowledgeable about the daily life of an orthopaedic surgery resident before the symposium, which increased to 67.3% after the symposium. Similarly, the percentage of respondents who reported that they were very knowledgeable about the residency match process increased from 12.2% presymposium to 22.4% postsymposium. CONCLUSIONS: As interest in pursuing a career in orthopaedic surgery increases, medical students will continue to seek information, mentorship, and opportunities to present their research in preparation for residency applications. Our study demonstrated that a large-scale, national, virtual orthopaedic surgery symposium provided a platform to augment medical students\u27 knowledge of the field, present their research, and interact with faculty members. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V