Opioid Prescribing Practices and Quality Improvements Within an Outpatient Orthopedic Practice.

Background During the last several decades, the opioid epidemic throughout the United States has been recognized as an increasing problem. The aim of this study was to identify and implement processes throughout a single private orthopedic practice and managed ambulatory surgery centers to reduce opioid prescription pill quantity and strength, while also reducing consumption. Methodology A baseline assessment along with the development of four separate phases was implemented.

The effects of freeze-drying and rehydration on cancellous bone.

Processing technique significantly affects the strength and stiffness of bone for use as a structural alloimplant in reconstructive surgery. The effects of the rehydration of freeze-dried human cancellous bone were studied using 14-mm-diameter cancellous dowels taken from matched cadaveric sites. Three different methods of rehydration were evaluated and compared with unrehydrated freeze-dried and frozen grafts.