Strengthening measurement and performance of HIV prevention programmes.

Indicators for the measurement of programmes for the primary prevention of HIV are less aligned than indicators for HIV treatment, which results in a high burden of data collection, often without a clear vision for its use. As new evidence becomes available, the opportunity arises to critically evaluate the way countries and global bodies monitor HIV prevention programmes by incorporating emerging data on the strength of the evidence linking various factors with HIV acquisition, and by working to streamline indicators across stakeholders to reduce burdens on health-care systems. Programmes are also using new approaches, such as targeting specific sexual networks that might require non-traditional approaches to measurement.

High variability in the measurement of HIV primary prevention activities and outcomes.

Introduction: While there is a global consensus on monitoring Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) treatment progress, there has been less attention to the degree of consistency of the measurement of HIV prevention programmes-and the global prevention response is not on-track to achieve 2020 goals. In this paper, we assess the degree of variability in primary prevention indicators selected by national strategic plans (NSPs) and global stakeholder monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategies.

Methods: We obtained the most recent NSPs from low and middle income Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Fast-Track countries, and M&E documents from The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (The Global Fund), President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), UNAIDS, the Global HIV Prevention Coalition and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Timing of Surgery for Thoracolumbar Spine Trauma: Patients With Neurological Injury.

Study Design: Large multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of fusion timing on inpatient outcomes in a nationally representative population with thoracolumbar fracture and concurrent neurological injury.

Summary Of Background Data: Among thoracolumbar trauma admissions, concurrent neurological injury is associated with greater long-term morbidity.

Critical Assessment of the Contemporary Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Application Process.

Background: Matching into orthopaedic surgery residency in the United States has become an increasingly competitive process because of the large number of well-qualified applicants. Over the past several years, applicants have sought to maximize their chances of matching by submitting an increasing number of applications. The purpose of this study was to assess trends in application numbers, applicant qualifications, and application reviews, with the goal of obtaining data to help inform future improvements in the orthopaedic surgery residency application process.

Proximal junctional failure prevention in adult spinal deformity surgery utilizing interlaminar fixation constructs.

Proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) is a common complication following fusion for Adult Spinal Deformity. PJK and proximal junctional failure (PJF) may lead to pain, neurological injury, reoperation, and increased healthcare costs. Efforts to prevent PJK and PJF have aimed to preserve or reconstruct the posterior spinal tension band and/or modifying instrumentation to allow for more gradual transitions in stiffness at the cranial end of long spinal constructs.