Lower Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Cost of Care at an Ambulatory Surgical Center Versus a Main Hospital.

Introduction: Total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is an increasingly common orthopaedic procedure. Expansion of TSA to outpatient surgical settings has the potential to reduce costs, although there is limited research on the cost and efficiency of this shift in surgical site of care. The purpose of this study is to compare costs and efficiency of TSA between an ambulatory surgical center (ASC) and a hospital.

A systematic review of outcomes of total ankle arthroplasty with INBONE II.

Background: This study systematically reviews the literature and reports on outcomes of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) with the INBONE II fixed-bearing implant.

Methods: PubMed, SCOPUS and CINAHL were searched for clinical studies reporting INBONE II specific outcomes from database inception through July 13th, 2024, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results: Seven primary TAA studies and 4 revision TAA studies were included with 406 and 114 patients respectively.

Geographic Information Systems Mapping of Trauma Center Development in Florida.

Introduction: There has been a substantial increase in the number of trauma centers (TCs) opened in the US over the past decade which coincided with population increases and policy changes. Our hypotheses were that new TC locations would likely be related to the socioeconomic profile of the surrounding locale-likely favoring higher-income areas-and that hospital ownership status may play a role in the distribution of new centers. Our aim was to use geographic information systems (GIS) analysis to evaluate the growth of an established regional TC and to delineate factors associated with the site chosen for new centers.

Persistent Eustachian Valve Causing Abdominal and Pelvic Venous System Dilation in a 44-Year-Old Male: A Case Report.

This case report presents a rare incidence of a persistent Eustachian valve (EV) causing notable venous dilation in the abdominal and pelvic regions of a 44-year-old healthy male. Initially presenting with left flank pain, diagnostic evaluations identified a 4.8-mm calculus in the distal left ureterovesical junction.

Assessing Fall Mortality by Field-Relevant Categories at an Urban Level I Trauma Center.

Introduction: Little research has focused on assessing the mortality for fall height based on field-relevant categories like falls from greater than standing (FFGS), falls from standing (FFS), and falls from less than standing.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included patients evaluated for a fall incident at an urban Level I Trauma Center or included in Medical Examiner's log from January 1, 2015, to June 31, 2017. Descriptive statistics characterized the sample based on demographic variables such as age, race, sex, and insurance type, as well as injury characteristics like relative fall height, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Injury Severity Score (ISS), traumatic brain injury, intensive care unit length of stay, and mortality.

A Case of Erythema Nodosum in a 20-Year-Old Female During the Postpartum Period.

Erythema nodosum (EN) is the most common form of panniculitis and occurs in about one in 100,000 people. EN typically presents as an eruption of tender, erythematous nodules on the anterior aspect of the legs, although the face, trunk, and arms can also be involved. While the majority of cases are idiopathic, a subset of cases occurs in association with various triggers, including infections, medications, tumors, and autoimmune diseases.

Diagnosis and Management of Periprosthetic Joint Infections After Total Ankle Arthroplasty.

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is a dreaded complication that may lead to catastrophic outcomes. Risk factors include a history of surgery on the operated ankle, low preoperative function scores, diabetes, extended surgical time, and postoperative wound-healing problems. Clinical presentation varies and may include increasing ankle pain and swelling, high temperature, local erythema, wound drainage, and dehiscence.

Fresh Osteochondral Allograft for Large Talar Osteochondral Lesions.

Osteochondral lesions of the talus are being recognized as an increasingly common injury. Large osteochondral lesions have significant biomechanical consequences and often require resurfacing with both boney and cartilaginous graft. The current treatment options include osteochondral autograft transfer, mosaicplasty, autologous chondrocyte implantation, or osteochondral allograft transplantation.

Variability in Surgical Case Volume Performed During ACGME-Accredited Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Fellowship Training.

Introduction: Previous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between case volume and outcomes in foot and ankle surgery. This study elucidates surgical case volume benchmarks for Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited orthopaedic foot and ankle fellowship training in the United States.

Methods: The ACGME provided case logs for orthopaedic residents and foot and ankle fellows (2018-2021).

The association of ASA score and outcomes following total ankle arthroplasty.

Background: This study seeks to evaluate the relationship between American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) score and postoperative outcomes following TAA.

Methods: The American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was queried from 2007 to 2020 to identify 2210 TAA patients. Patients were stratified into low (n = 1328; healthy/mild systemic disease) or high (n = 881; severe/life-threatening systemic disease) ASA score cohorts.

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) Augmentation Enhances the Mechanical Characteristics of Midfoot Beam Constructs in Charcot Neuroarthropathy Cadaver Model.

Background: Even with the best conservative care, patients with Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN) of the foot and ankle often ulcerate, increasing their risk of infection, amputation, and death. Surgical fixation has been associated with risk of recurrent ulceration, potentially due to poor bone quality prone to recurrent deformity and ulceration. We propose midfoot beam reconstruction with PMMA augmentation as a novel means of improving fixation.

A Detailed Analysis of Workplace Foot and Ankle Injuries.

Introduction: This study analyzes the incidence rate and median workdays missed due to foot and ankle injuries across age groups, sexes, and industries.

Methods: Workplace injury data from 2003 to 2019 were obtained using the Nonfatal Cases Involving Day Away from Work: Selected Characteristics database provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The data were grouped by injury location (ie, foot, ankle), injury type (ie, fracture, sprain), and industry, and reported with injury incidence rates and median workdays missed.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Clinical Practice Guideline Case Report: Prevention of Surgical Site Infection After Major Extremity Trauma.

Major extremity fractures are serious limb injuries often including notable soft-tissue injury with possible injuries to the head, chest, or abdomen. High-energy traumatic fractures carry a high risk of surgical site infections even with use of systemic antibiotics and techniques in risk reduction. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons released a clinical practice guideline in 2023 based on current literature on the prevention of surgical site infections after major extremity trauma.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Gauge Competency on a Novel Laparoscopic Training System.

Objective: Laparoscopic surgical skill assessment and machine learning are often inaccessible to low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC). Our team developed a low-cost laparoscopic training system to teach and assess psychomotor skills required in laparoscopic salpingostomy in LMICs. We performed video review using AI to assess global surgical techniques.

Two-Year Survivorship and Patient-Reported Outcomes of a Prospectively Enrolled Cohort of INFINITY Total Ankle Arthroplasties.

Background: The INFINITY total ankle implant is a widely and successfully used option for total ankle arthroplasty. The purpose of this study is to assess the 2-year survivorship, complication rates, patient-reported outcomes, and radiologic findings of prospectively enrolled patients undergoing a fixed-bearing total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). This study sought to determine if factors such as traditional vs patient-specific instrumentation, preoperative degree of arthritis, deformity, or etiology of arthritis impact surgical or clinical outcomes.

Managing Intraoperative Fractures During Total Ankle Replacement.

Intraoperative complications during total ankle replacement (TAR) can be devastating. As surgeons' experience with total ankles grow and surgical techniques are refined, intraoperative complications, such as fractures, can still occur. Surgeons must be able to recognize a problem, identify the options to remediate, and then execute a solution readily.

Identification and Analysis of the Ankle Microbiome Using Next-Generation DNA Sequencing: An Observational Analysis.

Introduction: Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technologies have increased the sensitivity for detecting the bacterial presence and have been used in other areas of orthopaedics to better understand the native microbiome of various joints. This study uses NGS to determine whether (1) a unique microbiome exists in human ankle tissues, (2) if components of the ankle microbiome affect patient outcomes, and (3) whether microbes found on the skin are a normal part of the ankle microbiome.

Methods: A prospective study recruited 32 patients undergoing total ankle arthroplasty (n = 23) or ankle arthrodesis (n = 9) via direct anterior approach between November 2020 and October 2021.

Highly Adhesive Antimicrobial Coatings for External Fixation Devices.

Pin site infections arise from the use of percutaneous pinning techniques (as seen in skeletal traction, percutaneous fracture pinning, and external fixation for fracture stabilization or complex deformity reconstruction). These sites are niduses for infection because the skin barrier is disrupted, allowing for bacteria to enter a previously privileged area. After external fixation, the rate of pin site infections can reach up to 100%.

Preoperative Opioid Therapy Correlated With Increased Rate of Complications in Foot and Ankle Surgery.

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine whether patients with a history of preoperative opioid use will have an increased likelihood of postoperative opioid use and complications after undergoing forefoot, hindfoot, or ankle surgery.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on forefoot, hindfoot, and ankle surgeries between 2015 and 2020 with a single fellowship-trained orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon at an academic medical center. A total of 326 patients (356 feet) were included with a mean follow-up up of 2.

Sex Differences in Patient-Reported Outcomes and Range of Motion After Total Ankle Arthroplasty.

Background: As the popularity of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) increases, there is a growing need to examine the effects of sex on postoperative outcomes. This study compares patient-reported outcome measures and ankle range of motion (ROM) in the postoperative period, as stratified by sex.

Methods: Patients who underwent TAA during 2013 to 2018 with a minimum follow-up of 2 years were included (N = 133).