How USC football tackled MRSA

Carolyn Rogers

USC study details strategies used to contain MRSA outbreak Thanks to a well-orchestrated offensive strike by athletic trainers, physicians, and disease specialists at the University of Southern California (USC), a once-rampant bacterial infection among USC football players now appears to be largely contained. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was once primarily a hospital-acquired organism.

The case for early reconstruction of the ACL

Annie Hayashi

A new study finds comparable results in early and delayed surgeries “Excellent clinical results can be achieved following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions performed soon after injury using autograft hamstrings,” according to Craig R. Bottoni, MD, who received the O’Donoghue Sports Injury Research Award during the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine annual meeting. The results from Dr.

Second Look

In case you missed these news items the first time around, AAOS Now gives you a second chance to review them. Links are available online at www.aaos.org/now. Stay current by subscribing to Headline News, the AAOS thrice-weekly online update of news of interest. Headline News brings you the latest on clinical, socioeconomic, and political issues, as well as important announcements from AAOS. Subscribe to Headline News at www.aaos.org/news/news.

Gastrocnemius recession: Effective remedy for recalcitrant foot pain

Annie Hayashi

VAS pain scores show dramatic postoperative improvement “We really discovered the use of a gastrocnemius recession for treatment of recalcitrant foot pain serendipitously,” said John G. Anderson, MD, at the annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. “In the process of rebuilding fallen arches, we identified that the calf muscle needed to be lengthened to get the heel back on the ground.

AAOS introduces new disclosure program

Alan M. Levine, MD

Transparency. Everyone’s talking about it—within medicine, the financial community, and government. Even teenagers and parents are asking for it from each other! The increasing need for transparency is also fueling a demand for a way to meet disclosure requirements more quickly and easily. The new AAOS disclosure database can save time for you and your support staff, while enabling you to meet new disclosure requirements.

The risk of personalized medicine

Starr McCaffery

Along with creating the opportunity for healthcare providers to use genetic tests to optimize treatment, the updated labeling on warfarin approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raises a number of issues. The labeling changes were based on an analysis of recent studies that found people respond to the drug differently, based, in part, on whether they have variations of certain genes (CYP2C9 and VKORC1).

Making personalized medicine practical

Starr McCaffery

In August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a labeling change for the widely used blood-thinning drug warfarin (Coumadin®), designed to increase patient safety. The change is a recommendation for prescribing physicians to use genetic test results to optimize warfarin dosage.

Bridge collapse puts Minneapolis orthopaedists in high gear

Jennie McKee

Surgeons treat spine, other orthopaedic injuries William “Woodie” Cross III, MD, a senior resident in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Minnesota, had just made it home from work on Wednesday, Aug. 1 when he saw the news: the I-35W bridge between Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., had collapsed during the height of the evening rush hour, plunging dozens of cars and their occupants as much as 60 feet onto the roadways below and into the churning Mississippi River.

Meetings and Course Listings

Listed below are upcoming continuing medical education (CME) courses and orthopaedic meetings through Dec. 2007. For more information about AAOS-sponsored courses, contact the AAOS customer service department at (800) 626-6726, visit the CME course section of the AAOS Web site at www.aaos.org/courses, or contact the source listed. For more information about other CME courses or about orthopaedic meetings, contact the source listed.