Preoperative Dehydration does not Increase the Risk of Complications Following Elective Lumbar Surgery.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of preoperative dehydration on hospital length of stay (LOS), rates of 30-day postoperative complications, related reoperations, and readmissions.

Summary Of Background Data: Preoperative dehydration has long been associated with postoperative infection, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), acute renal failure, and an increased hospital LOS.

Metabolic Syndrome and 30-Day Outcomes in Elective Lumbar Spinal Fusion.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on 30-day morbidity and mortality following elective lumbar spinal fusion.

Summary Of Background Data: MetS is a variable combination of hypertension, obesity, elevated fasting plasma glucose, and dyslipidemia.

Oblique Terminal Screw Placement: Does It Improve Fixation in Plate Osteosynthesis?

The technique of placing an oblique screw in the terminal hole of a plate to increase screw pullout strength is widely taught in the operating room. The origin of this technique is unclear; however, it may have been used simply as a means to identify radiographs and misinterpreted to have some biomechanical benefit. The objective of this study was to measure the structural effect of oblique terminal screw placement (OTSP) during plate osteosynthesis.

The Burden of Spinal Disorders in the Elderly.

Disorders of the spine are common and have a significant and measurable burden on affected patients and on our healthcare economy. The burden of spinal disorders encompasses metrics such as the prevalence of spinal disorders, the impact of spinal disorders on health-related quality of life, and the use of resources associated with the operative and nonoperative management of spinal disorders. Measurement of the burden of spinal disorders is important in prioritizing the distribution of limited resources within our healthcare economy.

Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty for Posttraumatic Sequelae.

Objectives: The sequelae of proximal humeral fractures can produce severe shoulder dysfunction. We assessed the results of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) for these complex problems.

Design: Retrospective multicenter study.

Biofilm growth has a threshold response to glucose in vitro.

Background: Hyperglycemia is a risk factor for nosocomial infections with known host effects. Increased glucose levels also increase pathogenicity of infecting microbes through greater biofilm formation. The dose response of biofilm formation to glucose concentration is not known.

Have levels of evidence improved the quality of orthopaedic research?

Background: Since 2003 many orthopaedic journals have adopted grading systems for levels of evidence (LOE). It is unclear if the quality of orthopaedic literature has changed since LOE was introduced.

Questions/purposes: We asked three questions: (1) Have the overall number and proportion of Level I and II studies increased in the orthopaedic literature since the introduction of LOE? (2) Is a similar pattern seen in individual orthopaedic subspecialty journals? (3) What is the interobserver reliability of grading LOE?

Methods: We assigned LOE to therapeutic studies published in 2000, 2005, and 2010 in eight major orthopaedic subspecialty journals.

A preliminary analysis of sleep-like states in the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis.

Sleep has been observed in several invertebrate species, but its presence in marine invertebrates is relatively unexplored. Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep has only been observed in vertebrates. We investigated whether the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis displays sleep-like states.