The Management of Upper-Extremity Xylazine-Associated Wounds.

Purpose: Xylazine has been associated with necrotic soft tissue wounds that have placed a challenging burden on patients who inject drugs in the Philadelphia region's health care system over the last few years. An analysis of our initial experience is being presented to guide future treatment and directions for future research.

Methods: A retrospective review of 55 patients with patient-reported xylazine use and associated upper-extremity wounds at a single institution was performed.

Reoperation Rate Following Thumb Basal Joint Arthroplasty: A Minimum Follow-Up Period of 5 Years.

Purpose: Thumb basal joint arthroplasty (BJA) performed for thumb basal joint arthritis is associated with high patient satisfaction. However, complications requiring reoperation occur, with a previously reported early reoperation rate (within 2 years) of 1.5%.

Reducing Opioid Use in Orthopaedic Surgery.

The opioid crisis has been an issue in the United States since the mid-1990s, claiming numerous lives and presenting a significant challenge to health care clinicians. Various preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative strategies aimed at reducing opioid consumption can be used by orthopaedic surgeons to help minimize this crisis. Preoperative screening tools can help identify patients at risk for prolonged opioid use, allowing for tailored interventions and counseling.

Understanding risk factors for revision surgery after cubital tunnel release: Analysis of patient selection, surgeon, and clinical factors.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize factors that may contribute to revision surgery following primary cubital tunnel release (CuTR) surgery.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed by reviewing all patients who underwent CuTR at a single institution between 2014 and 2021. Only primary CuTR surgeries were included.

Cold Intolerance Following Digital Nerve Injury: A Multicenter Prospective Randomized Comparison of Decellularized Nerve Allograft Versus Nerve Conduits.

Background: Cold intolerance following digital nerve injury burdens patients significantly. To better understand how cold intolerance evolves in the setting of digital nerve injuries, a sub-analysis of a trial comparing conduit-based (CONDUIT) and processed nerve allograft (PNA) repairs was conducted. It was hypothesized that PNA repairs would alleviate cold intolerance more effectively, especially for longer nerve gaps.