Implementing the Yote Bikeshare Program

As a relatively compact city, Vermillion has the potential to support a strong bike culture. Increased biking in Vermillion has many benefits for our campus and community, including decreased congestion of parking lots on campus and streets around campus, improved health of those who bike, and mitigation of environmental impacts such as emissions from transportation. The implementation of a bike share program on campus is one way to increase bike culture because it would provide students with access to bikes on an as-needed basis. A need assessment survey for the potential implementation of this program conducted by Vermillion’s “Making Lighter Footprints” Committee showed a positive response from the many USD students who participated. In order to improve the bike culture on campus and address the interest expressed by students who participated in the survey, the Sustainability Club applied for the SGA Green Initiative Fund in October of 2016, and was awarded the $4,950 grant in November of 2016. Upon receiving the grant, Sustainability Capstone students developed a plan for a bike share program that will begin the implementation process in the Spring Semester of 2017. Sustainability Capstone aspires to have the Yote Bike Share Program up and running by the Fall Semester of 2017.https://red.library.usd.edu/sustainability-projects/1003/thumbnail.jp

Unloading knee brace is a cost-effective method to bridge and delay surgery in unicompartmental knee arthritis

AbstractBackground Unloading knee braces can provide good short-term pain relief for some patients with unicompartmental osteoarthritis (UOA). Their cost is relatively small compared with surgical interventions. However, no previous studies have reported their use over a duration of 5 years or more.Methods Up to 8 years of prospective data were collected from 63 patients who presented with UOA. After conservative management with analgesia and physiotherapy, patients were offered an unloading brace. EQ-5D (EuroQol five dimensions) questionnaires were collected at baseline and after wearing the brace. Cost and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were compared with a total knee replacement (TKR) with an 8-month waiting duration and 8 years of results.Results Patients experienced a mean increase in EQ-5D of 0.42 with an average duration of wear of 26.1 months resulting in an increase of 0.44 in QALYs with a mean cost of £625. The adoption of an unloader knee brace was found to be a short-term cost-effective treatment option with an 8-month incremental cost effectiveness ratio of £9599. Compared with no treatment, the unloader knee brace can be considered cost effective at 4 months or more. At 8 years follow-up, the unloader knee brace demonstrated QALYs gain of 0.43 and with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of -£6467 compared with TKR.Conclusion Unloading knee braces are cost effective for the management of UOA. These findings strongly support the undertaking of further research into the long-term impact of unloading knee brace. The unloader knee brace has benefits to the National Health Service for capacity, budget, waiting list duration, frequency of surgery and reducing the required severity of surgical intervention

Comparison of trauma mortality between two hospitals in Turkey to one trauma center in the US

Objectives The development of comprehensive international trauma case registries could be used to perform outcomes analysis and comparisons between countries with the goal of improving trauma care worldwide

Young, male, road traffic victims: a systematic review of the published trauma registry literature from low and middle income countries

Background: Trauma contributes significantly to the global burden of disease. We analysed published trauma registries to assess the demographics of those most affected in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: We performed a systematic review of published trauma registry studies according to PRISMA guidelines. We included published full-text articles from trauma registries in low and middle-income countries describing the demographics of trauma registry patients. Articles from military trauma registries, articles using data not principally derived from trauma registry data, articles describing patients of only one demographic (e.g. only paediatric patients), or only one mechanism of injury, trauma registry implementation papers without demographic data, review papers and conference proceedings were excluded. Results: The initial search retrieved 1868 abstracts of which 1324 remained after duplicate removal. After screening the abstracts, 78 full-text articles were scrutinised for their suitability for inclusion. Twenty three papers from 14 countries, including 103,327 patients, were deemed eligible and included for analysis. The median age of trauma victims in these articles was 27 years (IQR 25–29). The median percentage of trauma victims who were male was 75 (IQR 66–84). The median percentage of road traffic injuries (RTIs) as a percentage of total injuries caused by trauma was 46 (IQR 21–71). Conclusions: Young, male, road traffic victims represent a large proportion of the LMIC trauma burden. This information can inform and be used by local and national governments to implement road safety measures and other strategies aimed at reducing the injury rate in young males

Valgus Bracing for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of valgus knee bracing on pain and function, and compliance and complications, in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis (OA). MethodsA meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared changes in patient-reported pain and/or function in patients with medial knee OA was performed. Seven databases were searched from their inception to January 2014. Two reviewers independently determined study eligibility, rated risk of bias, and extracted data. Pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for standardized mean differences (SMDs) for the improvement in pain (and function) were calculated. Event rates (proportions) were calculated for studies that reported complications. ResultsSix studies were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, there was a statistically significant difference favoring the valgus brace group for improvement in pain (SMD 0.33 [95% CI 0.13, 0.52], P = 0.001) and function (SMD 0.22 [95% CI 0.02, 0.41], P = 0.03). When compared to a control group that did not use an orthosis, the effect size was moderate for pain (SMD 0.56 [95% CI 0.03, 1.09], P = 0.04) and function (SMD 0.48 [95% CI 0.02, 0.95], P = 0.04). When compared to a control group that used a control orthosis, only a small, statistically significant effect for pain remained (SMD 0.33 [95% CI 0.08, 0.58], P = 0.01). Instructions for brace use varied considerably and compliance ranged from 45% to 100%. Up to 25% of patients reported minor complications with brace use. ConclusionMeta-analysis of randomized trials suggests valgus bracing for medial knee OA results in small-to-moderate improvements in pain. Effect sizes vary based on study design and warrant future research