Surgeon Age, Years in Practice, and Location of Training Are Associated With Patient Satisfaction.

Introduction: Patient satisfaction is associated with communication-related measures, empathy, and meeting expectations. However, it is not clear what surgeon characteristics are associated with patient satisfaction. As such, the purpose of this study was to investigate the surgeon sociodemographic, training, and practice parameters that may be associated with patient satisfaction.

Factors Associated With Increased Sex Diversity in Orthopaedic Trauma Association-Accredited Fellowship Training.

Introduction: This study quantifies the state of sex diversity in orthopaedic trauma training and analyzes fellowship program characteristics associated with greater sex diversity among trainees. We hypothesized that greater sex diversity among orthopaedic trauma fellows would be associated with the presence of female faculty.

Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of orthopaedic trauma faculty (2023 to 2024) and fellows (2009 to 2024).

Safety of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients With External Fixation: A Two-Center Case Series.

Objectives: To report on adverse events during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with external fixators.

Methods:  .

Design: Retrospective case series.

Long-term patient reported outcomes after revision surgery for lower extremity nonunion: A retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Ongoing lower extremity long-bone nonunion is a devastating condition and associated with substantial patient morbidity. There is limited evidence regarding physical and mental function after surgical management of lower extremity nonunions. The purpose of this study was to assess general physical and mental health and lower extremity specific physical function of patients that underwent surgery for a lower extremity long-bone nonunion.

Analysis of the diversity pipeline for the orthopedic trauma surgeon workforce in the United States.

Introduction: There is a lack of research on the state of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in the emerging orthopedic trauma workforce. The purpose of this study was to analyze the training pathway for diverse candidates in orthopedic trauma as it relates to race, ethnicity, and sex.

Methods: Self-reported demographic data were compared among allopathic medical students, orthopedic surgery residents, orthopedic trauma fellows, and the general population in the United States (2013-2022).

Establishing surgical volume benchmarks for Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA)-accredited fellowship training.

Introduction: Case volumes of trauma centers and surgeons influence clinical outcomes following orthopaedic trauma surgery. This study quantifies surgical volume benchmarks for Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA)-accredited fellowship training in the United States.

Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of orthopaedic trauma fellows graduating between 2018 and 2019 to 2022-2023.

Orthopedic Surgery Volume Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Postvaccination Era: Implications for Healthcare Planning.

Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic decreased surgical volumes, but prior studies have not investigated recovery through 2022, or analyzed specific procedures or cases of urgency within orthopedic surgery. The aims of this study were to (1) quantify the declines in orthopedic surgery volume during and after the pandemic peak, (2) characterize surgical volume recovery during the postvaccination period, and (3) characterize recovery in the 1-year postvaccine release period.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 27,476 orthopedic surgeries from January 2019 to December 2022 at one urban academic quaternary referral center.

Use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Among Patients With Hip Fracture Is Not an Indication to Delay Surgical Intervention.

Objectives: To compare outcomes in patients on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) treated within 48 hours of last preoperative dose with those with surgical delays >48 hours.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Three academic Level 1 trauma centers.

Musculoskeletal health: an ecological study assessing disease burden and research funding.

Background: Exacerbated by an aging population, musculoskeletal diseases are a chronic and growing problem in the United States that impose significant health and economic burdens. The objective of this study was to analyze the correlation between the burden of diseases and the federal funds assigned to health-related research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Methods: An ecological study design was used to examine the relationship between NIH research funding and disease burden for 60 disease categories.

Degree of articular injury as measured by CT cross sectional area is associated with physical function following the treatment of bicondylar tibial plateau fractures.

Background: Bicondylar tibial plateau fractures are complex injuries that commonly require surgical repair. Long-term clinical outcome has been associated with discrepancies in leg alignment, instability and condylar width abnormalities. While intuitive, the degree of articular damage at time of injury has not been linked to outcomes in patients with bicondylar tibial plateau fractures.

OrthoPass: Long-term Outcomes following Implementation of an Orthopaedic Patient Handoff Template.

Standardized handoff tools improve communication and patient care; however, their widespread use in surgical fields is lacking. OrthoPass, an orthopaedic adaptation of I-PASS, was developed in 2019 to address handoff concerns and demonstrated sustained improvements across multiple handoff domains over an 18-month period. We sought to characterize the longitudinal effect and sustainability of OrthoPass within a single large residency program 3.

Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak on ACGME-accredited orthopaedic trauma fellowship training.

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 viral outbreak created unprecedented challenges in surgical education. Yet, its impact on reported case volume during orthopaedic trauma fellowship training remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that cases performed during orthopaedic trauma fellowship training would decrease by 8 %-17 % during the 2019-2020 academic year corresponding to the 1-2 month moratorium of non-essential cases during the initial SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in the United States.

The Use of the Lateral Tibial Line to Assess Ankle Alignment: A Preliminary Investigation.

Background: Although the medial clear space (MCS) is commonly used to assess talar alignment and ankle stability, its measurement is variable with multiple reported normal values. We have observed that the lateral tibial shaft is a reliable landmark to assess talar alignment. The objective of the current investigation was to determine the normal relationship of the lateral tibia to the superolateral talus using a tangent drawn inferiorly from the lateral tibial shaft, which we refer to as the "lateral tibial line" (LTL).

Upper cervical spine fracture patterns and blunt cerebrovascular injuries.

Purpose: To determine patterns of C1 and C2 vertebral fractures that are associated with blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI).

Methods: Retrospective chart review of clinical and imaging reports at a level 1 trauma center over 10 consecutive years was conducted in patients with C1 and C2 fractures. Student t-test and chi-squared analyses were used to determine associations between fracture levels and fracture types with the presence of BCVI on CTA and/or MRI or stroke on CT and/or MRI.

External validation of a predictive algorithm for in-hospital and 90-day mortality after spinal epidural abscess.

Background Context: Mortality in patients with spinal epidural abscess (SEA) remains high. Accurate prediction of patient-specific prognosis in SEA can improve patient counseling as well as guide management decisions. There are no externally validated studies predicting short-term mortality in patients with SEA.

Epidemiology of pelvic and acetabular fractures in the USA from 2007 to 2014.

Unlabelled: Incidence of pelvic and acetabular fracture is increasing in Europe. From 2007 to 2014 in the USA, this study found an age-adjusted incidence of 198 and 40 fractures/100,000/year, respectively, much higher than what has been described before. Incidence remained steady over that period and only a small increase in incidence of pelvic fracture in men was identified.

Sustained Improvement in Quality of Patient Handoffs After Orthopaedic Surgery I-PASS Intervention.

Purpose: The I-PASS tool has been shown to decrease medical errors in patient handoffs in nonorthopaedic surgery fields. We prospectively studied the implementation of a version of this handoff tool modified for orthopaedic surgery patients in an academic practice at two level I trauma centers.

Methods: This was a prospective study of a multicenter handoff improvement program.

Interfacility Transfer Patients With Pelvic, Acetabular, and Lower Extremity Fractures Are at Higher Risk for Major Complications and Readmissions.

Objective: To compare the adverse event profile and patient comorbidity profile of lower extremity orthopaedic trauma patients admitted via interfacility transfer (IT) to direct admission (DA) patients from home.

Methods: A total of 39,497 patients from 2012 to 2019 were identified in the American College of Surgeon National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. DA patients were compared with IT patients for differences in preoperative comorbidities, adverse events, length of stay, and readmissions in the 30-day postoperative period.