Therapy Concepts for the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint.

The principles of hand therapy for proximal interphalangeal joint disorders include protecting injured structures, minimizing patient discomfort, and optimizing patient recovery. Comprehension of hand anatomy, the nature of the injury being treated, and the phases of healing are critical when designing a safe and effective hand therapy program. Hand therapists use a combination of orthoses, guided exercises, and modalities to improve edema, sensitivity, range of motion, and function.

Effectiveness of Preoperative Antibiotics in Preventing Surgical Site Infection After Common Soft Tissue Procedures of the Hand.

Background: Antibiotic prophylaxis is a common but controversial practice for clean soft tissue procedures of the hand, such as carpal tunnel release or trigger finger release. Previous studies report no substantial reduction in the risk of surgical site infection (SSI) after antibiotic prophylaxis, yet are limited in power by low sample sizes and low overall rates of postoperative infection.

Questions/purposes: Is there evidence that antibiotic prophylaxis decreases the risk of SSI after soft tissue hand surgery when using propensity score matching to control for potential confounding variables such as demographics, procedure type, medication use, existing comorbidities, and postoperative events?

Methods: This retrospective analysis used the Truven Health MarketScan databases, large, multistate commercial insurance claims databases corresponding to inpatient and outpatient services and outpatient drug claims made between January 2007 and December 2014.

Cyclic and Load to Failure Properties of All-Suture Anchors in Synthetic Acetabular and Glenoid Cancellous Bone.

Purpose: To evaluate the cyclic displacement, maximum load to failure, and failure mode of multiple all-suture anchors (ASAs) in 2 different densities of sawbones cancellous bone substitute.

Methods: Anchors tested included the Suturefix Ultra 1.7 mm, JuggerKnot 1.