Nationwide Analysis of Total Ankle Replacement and Ankle Arthrodesis in Medicare Patients: Trends, Complications, and Cost.

Background: Surgical management of end-stage ankle arthritis consists of either ankle arthrodesis (AA) or total ankle replacement (TAR). The purpose of this study was to evaluate utilization trends in TAR and AA and compare cost and complications.

Methods: Medicare patients with the diagnosis of ankle arthritis were reviewed.

The Effect of Postoperative Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs on Nonunion Rates in Long Bone Fractures.

The association of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with non-union in long bone fractures has been controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether NSAID exposure results in increased risk of non-union in operatively treated long bone fractures. The authors used International Classification of Diseases and Current Procedural Terminology codes to identify patients under a single-payer private insurance with operatively treated humeral shaft, tibial shaft, and subtrochanteric femur fractures from a large database.