Current practice of orthopaedic surgical skills training raises performance of supervised residents in total knee arthroplasty to levels equal to those of orthopaedic surgeons

To investigate whether the current, generally accepted practice of orthopaedic surgical skills training can raise the performance of supervised residents to levels equal to those of experienced orthopaedic surgeons when it comes to clinical outcomes or implant position after total knee arthroplasty. In a retrospective analysis of primary total knee arthroplasty outcomes (minimum follow-up of 12 months) procedures were split into two groups: supervised orthopaedic residents as first surgeon (group R), and experienced senior orthopaedic surgeons as first surgeon (group S). Outcome data that were compared 1 year postoperatively were operation times, complications, revisions, Knee Society Scores (KSS) and radiological implant positions. Of 642 included procedures, 220 were assigned to group R and 422 to group S. No statistically significant differences between the two groups were found in patient demographics. Operation time differed significantly (group R: 81.3min vs. group S: 71.3min (p = 0.000)). No statistically significant differences were found for complications (p = 0.659), revision rate (p = 0.722), femoral angle (p = 0.871), tibial angle (p = 0.804), femoral slope (p = 0.779), tibial slope (p = 0.765) and KSS (p = 0.148). Supervised residents needed 10 minutes extra operation time, but they provided the same quality of care in primary total knee arthroplasty as experienced orthopaedic surgeons concerning complication rates, revisions, implant position on radiographs and KSS. The currently used training procedure in which the supervising surgeon and the resident decide if the resident is ready to be first surgeon is safe for patients

Bone microarchitecture and distal radius fracture pattern complexity

\u3cp\u3eDistal radius fractures (DRFs) occur in various complexity patterns among patients differing in age, gender, and bone mineral density (BMD). Our aim was to investigate the association of patient characteristics, BMD, bone microarchitecture, and bone strength with the pattern complexity of DRFs. In this study, 251 patients aged 50-90 years with a radiologically confirmed DRF who attended the Fracture Liaison Service of VieCuri Medical Centre, the Netherlands, between November 2013 and June 2016 were included. In all patients fracture risk factors and underling metabolic disorders were evaluated and BMD measurement with vertebral fractures assessment by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed. Radiographs of all DRFs were reviewed by two independent investigators to assess fracture pattern complexity according to the AO/OTA classification in extra-articular (A), partially articular (B), and complete articular (C) fractures. For this study, patients with A and C fractures were compared. Seventy-one patients were additionally assessed by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Compared to group A, mean age, the proportion of males, and current smokers were higher in group C, but BMD and prevalent vertebral fractures were not different. In univariate analyses, age, male gender, trabecular area, volumetric BMD (vBMD), and stiffness were associated with type C fractures. In multivariate analyses, only male gender (odds ratio (OR) 8.48 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.75-41.18, p = 0.008]) and age (OR 1.11 [95% CI 1.03-1.19, p = 0.007]) were significantly associated with DRF pattern complexity. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that age and gender, but not body mass index, BMD, bone microarchitecture, or strength were associated with pattern complexity of DRFs.\u3c/p\u3