Publications by authors named "Zachary Rockov"

Article Synopsis
  • SER4a ankle fractures involve intricate treatment challenges due to complications with the medial clear space, focusing on quantifying joint parameters through weightbearing CT scans.
  • Ten patients with isolated Weber B fibula fractures were studied, revealing consistent abnormal measurements in the medial clear space and differences in rotation and translation of the injured ankle.
  • While joint contact area appeared unchanged between injured and uninjured ankles, significant increases in external rotation and lateral translation were noted, leaving clinical implications of these findings still unclear.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the use of mini-fragment implants versus small-fragment implants for open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of ankle fractures, aiming to determine if mini-fragments lead to lower rates of elective implant removal and complications.
  • It analyzed data from 505 patients, finding similar rates of elective implant removal (8.3% for mini-fragment vs. 10.8% for small-fragment) and complication rates (6.7% for mini-fragment vs. 6.5% for small-fragment).
  • The authors conclude that while mini-fragment implants are popular, their higher cost must be weighed against their similar effectiveness to small-fragment implants in terms of implant removal and complications.
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Objectives: To evaluate the incidence of anterolateral tibial plafond involvement in pronation-abduction (PAB) ankle fractures and analyze the accuracy of radiographs in detecting anterolateral tibial plafond involvement, impaction, and predicting the need for direct visualization and an articular reduction.

Design: A multi-institutional retrospective chart review.

Setting: Five Level 1 trauma centers in the United States.

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Background: Most studies evaluating robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RA TKA) analyzed the advantages offered to high-volume surgeons. This study aims to determine if RA TKA improves radiographic or clinical outcomes for low-volume, non-arthroplasty-trained surgeons.

Methods: Radiographic and early clinical outcomes of 19 RA TKAs and 41 conventional TKAs, all performed by a single, non-arthroplasty-trained orthopaedic surgeon, were compared.

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Introduction: Medullary hip screws (MHSs) are the most common treatment of intertrochanteric hip fractures because they can be used for varied fracture patterns and resist shortening. Identifying the appropriate MHS entry point can be intellectually and technically challenging. We aimed to quantify the variability in the ideal entry point (IEP) for MHSs.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined how different levels of drape manipulation during lower extremity fracture surgeries affected contamination rates.
  • Three out of 30 surgeries (10%) showed drape contamination, but no significant differences were found based on drape usage or manipulation.
  • Importantly, none of the patients developed surgical site infections within 90 days post-surgery, indicating the clip drape technique is effective in maintaining sterility.
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Objective: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are exceedingly common among the athletic population and are seen with higher incidence in females. Observational studies have noted peak ACL tear rates in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, a time in which the hormone relaxin peaks in serum concentration.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed.

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Concomitant depression negatively impacts outcomes following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) surveys are validated measures that quantify depression, pain, and physical function. We hypothesized that higher preoperative PROMIS-depression scores would be associated with inferior outcomes following TKA.

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Introduction: Varus after antegrade medullary nailing of the proximal femur is associated with worse outcomes. Anecdotally, a more medialized "trochiformis" entry is beneficial to avoid varus with valgus-bend (greater trochanteric entry) femoral nails. However, the optimal entry point remains unknown.

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Background: Serum cluster of differentiation 64 (CD64) has emerged as a diagnostic test for musculoskeletal infections. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of serum CD64 in diagnosing periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) compared to conventional markers like white blood count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Methods: A prospective case-control study on patients undergoing revision hip or knee arthroplasty surgery >6 weeks after their index surgery was performed at a single institution.

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Introduction: Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor (PMT) is a rare benign tumor (500 cases to date) that can present in combination with a paraneoplastic syndrome called tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO). To the best of our knowledge, it is the first case to date that presented as an orthopedic trauma patient.

Case Report: This is a case of a 61-year-old male who initially presented as a polytrauma patient, but further investigation revealed a PMT causing TIO.

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Purpose: Arthrofibrosis after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a significant contributor to patient dissatisfaction. While treatment algorithms involve early physical therapy and manipulation under anaesthesia (MUA), some patients ultimately require revision TKA. It is unclear whether revision TKA can consistently improve these patient's range of motion (ROM).

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Background: Although 2-stage exchange arthroplasty, consisting of temporary insertion of an antibiotic-impregnated cement spacer (AICS), is considered the standard of care for chronic periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in total hip arthroplasty (THA), a consensus on the AICS design has not yet been established. Ceramic-on-polyethylene AICSs (Poly-AICS) are theorized to cause less pain and better function than cement-on-bone AICS (CemB-AICS) but use non-antibiotic-impregnated components that may harbor bacteria. This study evaluates the impact of spacer design on infection-free survivorship following THA reimplantation as well as pain and function during the interim AICS stage.

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»: A formal unsupervised activity program should be recommended to all patients recovering from total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA).

»: In a subset of all patients undergoing TKA or THA, studies have found that an unsupervised activity program may be as efficacious as supervised physical therapy (PT) after surgery. Certain patients with inadequate independent function may continue to benefit from supervised PT.

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The "July effect" refers to the assumed increased risk of complications during the months when medical school graduates transition to residency programs. The actual existence of a July effect is controversial. With this study, the authors sought to determine whether evidence exists for the presence of a July effect among total joint arthroplasty (TJA) procedures.

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Background: The diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection is often challenging in the setting of low aspiration volumes, or in the presence of infection with a slow-growing organism. We sought to determine if an optimal threshold of aspiration fluid volume exists when cultures from the preoperative aspiration are compared to intraoperative cultures.

Methods: All revision total hip and knee arthroplasty procedures over 5 years at our institution were reviewed.

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Objective: To describe a new radiographic sign, "veil of obscuration", associated with posterior glenohumeral joint (shoulder) dislocations and determine its incidence and validity compared to other known classic radiographic signs.

Methods: Four-year retrospective study identified 30 acute posterior shoulder dislocation patients. Radiographs reviewed in consensus by 2 musculoskeletal radiologists for the "veil of obscuration", seen on AP shoulder radiographs and representing a comminuted fracture of the lesser tuberosity projecting over the humeral head or glenohumeral joint.

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