Review of Vertebral Augmentation: An Updated Meta-analysis of the Effectiveness.

Background: To update vertebral augmentation literature by comparing outcomes between vertebroplasty (VP), balloon kyphoplasty (BKP), vertebral augmentation with implant (VAI), and nonsurgical management (NSM) for treating vertebral compression fractures (VCFs).

Methods: A PubMed literature search was conducted with keywords , , , and for English-language articles from February 1, 2011, to November 22, 2016. Among the results, 25 met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis.

Results of Nonoperative Treatment for Symptomatic Tarsal Coalitions.

Introduction: Recommendations for the initial treatment (nonoperative measures to surgical excision) of symptomatic tarsal coalitions vary. Because nonoperative outcomes are poorly established, we retrospectively evaluated their success in preventing surgery and achieving pain relief for pediatric patients with symptomatic tarsal coalitions.

Materials And Methods:  A retrospective study of pediatric patients with symptomatic tarsal coalitions treated at a single institution was undertaken.

Obesity in Elective Foot and Ankle Surgery.

Obesity is a global health problem with significant economic and health consequences. There is very little literature in regards to obesity and its effect on foot and ankle surgery, and to the author's knowledge, there has been no consolidated review on this subject to date. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review as it pertains to foot and ankle surgery, with hopes of improving surgeon decision making, mitigating risk, and providing better outcomes for patients.

Early Comparative Outcomes of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Plate in the Fixation of Distal Femur Fractures.

Objective: To evaluate the early clinical results of distal femur fractures treated with carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) plates compared with stainless steel (SS) lateral locking plates.

Design: Retrospective comparative cohort study.

Setting: ACS Level I trauma center.

Medial Structure Injury During Suture Button Insertion Using the Center-Center Technique for Syndesmotic Stabilization.

Background: The center-center technique for syndesmosis fixation has been described as an improved and reliable technique for proper reduction of the syndesmosis during ankle fracture repair. Concurrently, the use of flexible fixation with a suture button is becoming an established means of syndesmosis stabilization. The purpose of this cadaveric study was to assess for medial structure injury during the placement of a suture button using the center-center technique for ankle syndesmosis repair at 3 insertion intervals.

Effect of porous orthopaedic implant material and structure on load sharing with simulated bone ingrowth: A finite element analysis comparing titanium and PEEK.

Osseointegration of load-bearing orthopaedic implants, including interbody fusion devices, is critical to long-term biomechanical functionality. Mechanical loads are a key regulator of bone tissue remodeling and maintenance, and stress-shielding due to metal orthopaedic implants being much stiffer than bone has been implicated in clinical observations of long-term bone loss in tissue adjacent to implants. Porous features that accommodate bone ingrowth have improved implant fixation in the short term, but long-term retrieval studies have sometimes demonstrated limited, superficial ingrowth into the pore layer of metal implants and aseptic loosening remains a problem for a subset of patients.

Radiographic Evaluation of Acetabular Fractures: Review and Update on Methodology.

Despite increased availability of modern imaging techniques, plain radiographs remain the initial step in the classification of acetabular fractures. The ability to interpret the injury configuration allows the surgeon to develop a thorough preoperative plan and to evaluate the quality of reduction and fixation intraoperatively. Proficiency in the mental conversion of a two-dimensional radiograph into a three-dimensional conceptual image is imperative.

Getting PEEK to Stick to Bone: The Development of Porous PEEK for Interbody Fusion Devices.

Interbody fusion cages are routinely implanted during spinal fusion procedures to facilitate arthrodesis of a degenerated or unstable vertebral segment. Current cages are most commonly made from polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) due to its favorable mechanical properties and imaging characteristics. However, the smooth surface of current PEEK cages may limit implant osseointegration and may inhibit successful fusion.

Beaming in Charcot Arthropathy-Intramedullary Fixation for Complicated Reconstructions: A Cadaveric Study.

In the modern treatment of Charcot neuroarthropathy, beam screw fixation is an alternative to plate and screw fixation. Exposure is minimized for implantation, and this technique supports the longitudinal columns of the foot as a rigid load-sharing construct. A published data review identified a paucity of data regarding metatarsal intramedullary canal morphology relevant to beam screw fixation.

Cervical disc arthroplasty with the Prestige LP disc versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, at 2 levels: results of a prospective, multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial at 24 months.

OBJECTIVE The authors compared the efficacy and safety of arthroplasty using the Prestige LP cervical disc with those of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for the treatment of degenerative disc disease (DDD) at 2 adjacent levels. METHODS Patients from 30 investigational sites were randomized to 1 of 2 groups: investigational patients (209) underwent arthroplasty using a Prestige LP artificial disc, and control patients (188) underwent ACDF with a cortical ring allograft and anterior cervical plate. Patients were evaluated preoperatively, intraoperatively, and at 1.

Concomitant Lumbar Stenosis and Aortic Pseudoaneurysm: A Case Report.

Aortic pseudoaneurysm can create a constellation of symptoms that can mimic lumbar back pain. There are rare but well-documented reports of aortic pathology (aneurysms, pseudoaneurysms, and chronic contained aneurysm ruptures) eroding into the vertebral column causing neural compression. We report a case of a rapidly progressive aortic pseudoaneurysm in a patient with pre-existing lumbar spine pathology which had the potential for catastrophic intraoperative bleeding during a minimally invasive surgery (MIS) using the transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) technique.

Simple mathematical model of sacroiliac screws safe-zone-Easy to implement by pelvic inlet and outlet views.

Percutaneous sacral screw fixation is the mainstay of posterior pelvic ring fixation. This study quantifies the accuracy of fluoroscopic screw placement using post-operative CT scans and redefines the fluoroscopic safe zone using a mathematical calculation obtained from Inlet and outlet images. The authors hypothesized that a mathematical calculation of screw placement within the ala will improve accuracy of screw placement.

Cervical Disc Arthroplasty with Prestige LP Disc Versus Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Seven-Year Outcomes.

Background: Cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) has emerged as an alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for the treatment of cervical pathologies. Studies are on-going to assess the long term outcomes of CDA. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of the Prestige(®) LP Disc at 84-months follow up.

Heterotopic ossification following single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: results from the prospective, multicenter, historically controlled trial comparing allograft to an optimized dose of rhBMP-2.

OBJECTIVE Heterotopic ossification (HO) has been reported following total hip, knee, cervical, and lumbar arthroplasty, as well as following posterolateral lumbar fusion using recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2). Data regarding HO following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with rhBMP-2 are sparse. A subanalysis was done of the prospective, multicenter, investigational device exemption trial that compared rhBMP-2 on an absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) versus allograft in ACDF for patients with symptomatic single-level cervical degenerative disc disease.

Long-term Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Patients 60 Years and Older.

Background: Studies evaluating the benefit of surgical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in middle-aged patients have shown promising results, but study populations were limited primarily to patients who were 40 to 60 years old. Some authors have suggested that surgery may benefit these older patients.

Hypothesis: Patients aged ≥60 years with functional instability after ACL injury would benefit from ACL reconstruction.

Comparison of anterograde versus retrograde percutaneous screw fixation of anterior column acetabular fractures.

Purpose: Percutaneous screw fixation is an effective technique in addressing minimally displaced anterior column acetabular fractures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the ease of percutaneous screw insertion for acetabular anterior column fracture, as it pertains to anterograde versus retrograde insertion techniques.

Method: From 2009 to 2013, CT imaging from 30 adult volunteers (15 males, 15 females) without history of pelvic disruption and/or morphologic abnormalities were evaluated.

Cervical disc arthroplasty with PRESTIGE LP disc versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a prospective, multicenter investigational device exemption study.

OBJECT This study compared the safety and efficacy of treatment with the PRESTIGE LP cervical disc versus a historical control anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). METHODS Prospectively collected PRESTIGE LP data from 20 investigational sites were compared with data from 265 historical control ACDF patients in the initial PRESTIGE Cervical Disc IDE study. The 280 investigational patients with single-level cervical disc disease with radiculopathy and/or myelopathy underwent arthroplasty with a low-profile artificial disc.

Surgical treatment of clavicle fractures in the adolescent athlete.

Context: Current literature has clearly shown that the indications for surgical treatment of clavicle fractures in adults are expanding. Although clavicle fractures in children and adolescents have traditionally been treated nonoperatively, surgical treatment of displaced clavicle fractures may be indicated for adolescent athletes.

Evidence Acquisition: A review of relevant articles published between 1970 and 2013 was completed using MEDLINE and the terms clavicle fracture and adolescent athlete.

Posterolateral reconstruction of the knee using capsular procedures for evaluation and treatment of posterolateral instability of the knee.

Posterolateral rotatory instability of the knee causes significant morbidity if unrecognized and left untreated. With both acute and chronic injuries, restoration of the normal anatomy is crucial for a good outcome. During capsular repairs, detailed knowledge of the anatomy will help the surgeon repair the pathoanatomy.

Interlocking screws placed with freehand technique and uni-planar image intensification: the "dip-stick" technique.

Objective: To report our experience with a novel alternative method of freehand interlocking of intramedullary nails. This method requires the use of only anterior-posterior image intensification and an intramedullary guide wire to verify screw placement. Our results are compared with historical results in the literature.

En bloc joystick reduction of a comminuted intra-articular distal radius fracture: a technical trick.

A patient with a 1-month-old intra-articular distal radius fracture (treated closed in a splint) presented with an unacceptable degree of pain and stiffness caused by shortening and dorsal angulation of the distal radius. The fracture was comminuted with 4 or 5 distinct fragments, several involving the articular surface. Surgical correction was attempted.

Epicondylitis: lateral.

Lateral epicondylitis is the most common cause of lateral elbow pain in adults. Although it is typically a self-limiting process, there are many nonsurgical and surgical treatment options available if lateral epicondylitis becomes chronic and continues to cause pain. Its common name, tennis elbow, is somewhat of a misnomer because the condition is often work-related and occurs in athletes and nonathletes alike.

Allograft reconstruction for extensor mechanism injuries.

Previous case reports have documented the successful use of allograft for extensor mechanism reconstruction. We hypothesized that extensor mechanism reconstruction with allograft would restore extensor power and allow patients to return to a relatively high activity level. Between 2000 and 2007, 17 patients (18 knees) underwent extensor mechanism reconstruction with either nonirradiated Achilles or whole bone-patellar tendon-bone allograft at our institution.

Hot topics in biomechanically directed fracture fixation.

The evolution of locking plates and modern nail constructs provides the orthopaedic trauma surgeon with a myriad of options with regard to implant selection for common fractures. There is a significant amount of biomechanical literature comparing modern constructs with those conventionally used. A basic understanding of this literature is required to make informed decisions with regard to implant selection in the management of these injuries.

Fixation of the Achilles tendon insertion using suture button technology.

Background: In the operative treatment of Achilles insertional tendinopathy, no guidelines exist concerning which form of fixation of the Achilles tendon insertion is superior.

Hypothesis: Transcalcaneal drill pin passage does not place any major plantar structures at risk, and the addition of a Krackow stitch and suture button to the fixation technique provides a significant increase in ultimate load to failure in Achilles tendon insertional repairs.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.