Racial and Ethnic Diversity in American Plastic Surgery Residency.

Introduction: Significant efforts during the past decades have led to growing racial diversity in the field, resulting in more underrepresented minorities (URM) in training. To highlight areas for improving URM inclusion and training, we sought to pinpoint educational and achievement gaps among URMs in contrast to White and Asian trainees.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, publicly accessible records were assessed for data on trainees' education, research, location, and race, comparing URMs (Black, Hispanic, Hawaiian, Native American) to White and Asian trainees.

Fibroblast Activation Protein Is Expressed by Altered Osteoprogenitors and Associated to Disease Burden in Fibrous Dysplasia.

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a mosaic skeletal disorder involving the development of benign, expansile fibro-osseous lesions during childhood that cause deformity, fractures, pain, and disability. There are no well-established treatments for FD. Fibroblast activation protein (FAPα) is a serine protease expressed in pathological fibrotic tissues that has promising clinical applications as a biomarker and local pro-drug activator in several pathological conditions.

Transcriptomic Signature and Pro-Osteoclastic Secreted Factors of Abnormal Bone-Marrow Stromal Cells in Fibrous Dysplasia.

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a mosaic skeletal disorder caused by somatic activating variants of encoding for Gα and leading to excessive cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling in bone-marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). The effect of Gα activation in the BMSC transcriptome and how it influences FD lesion microenvironment are unclear. We analyzed changes induced by Gα activation in the BMSC transcriptome and secretome.

Transcriptomic signature and pro-osteoclastic secreted factors of abnormal bone marrow stromal cells in fibrous dysplasia.

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a mosaic skeletal disorder caused by somatic activating variants in , encoding for Gα, which leads to excessive cAMP signaling in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Despite advancements in our understanding of FD pathophysiology, the effect of Gα activation in the BMSC transcriptome remains unclear, as well as how this translates into their local influence in the lesional microenvironment. In this study, we analyzed changes induced by Gα activation in BMSC transcriptome and performed a comprehensive analysis of their production of cytokines and other secreted factors.

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine as Plastic Surgery Residents: Demographics, Credentials, and Pathways to Residency.

Objective: Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) are sparsely represented within plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) and recent changes including the elimination of step 1 scoring have further disadvantaged DO applicants. The demographics, degrees, and scholarly output of DO PRS trainees were compared to that of Doctors of Medicine (MDs) to identify areas of focus which could be used to increase competitiveness of DO applications.

Design: A cross-sectional study was created, including ACGME-accredited PRS program trainees during the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

Prevention and Treatment of Burn Scar Contracture: A Practical Review.

Burn contracture affects close to one-third of all burn patients, leading to significant functional impairment and costs. Effective prevention and treatment strategies are necessary to decrease morbidity and unnecessary costs. This scoping review aimed to summarize prevention and treatment strategies used for management of burn scar contractures published in the literature since 2000.

Another Day, Another 82 Cents: A National Survey Assessing Gender-based Wage Differences in Board-certified Plastic Surgeons.

Background: Of 7461 actively practicing United States American Board of Plastic Surgery certified plastic surgeons, only 17% are women. In relation to this small number, gender inequities within the field have been the source of national discussions. Our study assessed the status of the gender-based wage-gap in plastic surgery and sought to identify possible causes.

Current Views on the New United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 Pass/Fail Format: A Review of the Literature.

Introduction: Residency programs have historically used numerical Step 1 scores to screen applicants, making it a career-defining, high-stakes examination. Step 1 scores will be reported as pass/fail starting in January 2022, fundamentally reshaping the residency application review process. This review aimed to identify opinions of physicians and medical students about the new format, identify arguments in support of or against the change, and determine the implications of this change on the residency selection process.

Optic disc Edema in patients with fibrous dysplasia/McCune-Albright syndrome: Craniomorphometric analysis and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer data.

This article reports quantitative measurements of intracranial volume, optic canal area, and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) for a cohort of 124 patients with craniofacial fibrous dysplasia/McCune-Albright Syndrome (FD/MAS), previously used to determine risks for developing optic disc edema [1]. Of these, 7 subjects were diagnosed with optic disc edema. OSIRIX imaging analysis software was used to collect intracranial volume and optic canal diameter for 107 patients, via 3D multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) of ≤5 mm axial CT slices.

Overcoming the Impact of COVID-19 on Surgical Mentorship: A Scoping Review of Long-distance Mentorship in Surgery.

Background: Mentorship in the surgical field has been increasingly recognized as a crucial component of career success. Distance mentorship models may be utilized to overcome geographic limitations, increase mentorship access, and strengthen mentoring relationships in surgery.

Objective: This review aimed to identify the scope of literature on distance mentoring in surgery, the range of its application, its effectiveness, and any gaps in the literature that should be addressed in order to enhance mentorship in the surgical field.

Optic disc edema in fibrous dysplasia/McCune-Albright syndrome: Prevalence, etiologies, and clinical implications.

Background: Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a rare disorder of expansile fibro-osseous lesions that may be associated with extraskeletal features as part of McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS). Optic disc edema is a potentially serious ophthalmologic finding that has been rarely reported in patients with FD/MAS. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and potential clinical associations of optic disc edema in a large cohort.