Musculoskeletal Literacy in Orthopedics: Associated Factors, Effects on Patient-Physician Communication and Intervention Strategies.

Health literacy is defined as the degree to which an individual obtains and processes basic health information and services so as to make appropriate and informed health decisions. Limited health literacy (LHL), as assessed by various validated instruments, remains prevalent amongst older adult patients, non-Caucasian ethnicities, and those of lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Of concern, LHL has been associated with decreased medical knowledge, disuse of preventative medical services, worse chronic disease control and increased use of emergency services.

Relationship between Body Mass Index and slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is the most common hip disorder of adolescents and is known to be strongly associated with obesity. The use of Body Mass Index (BMI) as an assessment of obesity has been shown to be a very efficient technique. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has recently developed BMI-for-age percentile growth charts that have been shown to effectively evaluate obesity in the pediatric population.