Epidemiology of Medial Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction: A 10-Year Study in New York State.

Background: Despite an increase in the prevalence of medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction of the elbow in professional baseball and popularity within the media, there are no population-based studies examining the incidence of UCL reconstruction.

Purpose: To examine the epidemiological trends of UCL reconstruction on a statewide level over a 10-year period. The primary endpoint was the yearly rate of UCL reconstruction over time; secondary endpoints included patient demographics, institution volumes, and concomitant procedures on the ulnar nerve.

The use of large healthcare data sets in pursuit of a clinical question.

The use of large healthcare databases may be of interest to nurse practitioners who wish to answer clinical questions. This column will provide information about access to selected large healthcare databases, requirements for statistical software, and the skills required to utilize these databases.

Superior labrum anterior-to-posterior repair incidence: a longitudinal investigation of community and academic databases.

Background: Superior labrum anterior-to-posterior (SLAP) lesion repair is controversial regarding indications and potential complications.

Methods: Databases were used to determine the SLAP repair incidence compared with all orthopaedic procedures over a period of 10 years. In part A, the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System ambulatory surgery database was investigated from 2002 to 2009.

The rising incidence of acromioplasty.

Background: Acromioplasty is considered a technically simple procedure but has become controversial with regard to its indications and therapeutic value.

Methods: Two complementary databases were used to ascertain the frequency of acromioplasty over a recent span of time. In Part A, the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) ambulatory surgery database was searched from 1996 to 2006 to identify all ambulatory surgery acromioplasties as well as all orthopaedic ambulatory surgery procedures.

The vulnerabilities of age: burns in children and older adults.

Background: Both children and older adults are thought to sustain burns serious enough to warrant hospitalization disproportionately more often than other age groups, but the incidence, injury characteristics, and outcome have not been precisely defined.

Methods: Patients hospitalized with a burn diagnosis were identified from hospital discharge data from California, Florida, New Jersey, and New York for the 5-year period 2000-2004.

Results: In those states, 60,024 residents were hospitalized with a diagnosis of burn and/or inhalation injury according to the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes.