Radiation exposure in the OR: Is it safe?

Annie Hayashi

Study examines fluoroscopy use in minimally invasive surgery Minimally invasive surgical procedures have many benefits, but the use of fluoroscopy is problematic for operating room (OR) personnel concerned about radiation exposure. The patient’s exposure is limited to one operation. But the surgeon and the OR staff are repeatedly exposed to radiation during multiple procedures. To determine the safety of two different fluoroscopic methods, Garrick W. Cason, MD, and his colleagues, David P.

Project draws attention to cost, burden of conditions

Musculoskeletal diseases, which include back pain, arthritis, bodily injuries, and osteoporosis, are reported by persons in the United States more than any other health conditions. Despite this fact, funding for research to reduce the pain and suffering created by these conditions is currently less than 2 percent of the National Institutes of Health budget each year.

Meetings and Course Listings

Listed below are upcoming continuing medical education (CME) courses and orthopaedic meetings (January through May 2009). For more information about AAOS-sponsored courses, contact the AAOS customer service department at (800) 626-6726 or visit the CME course section of the AAOS Web site at www.aaos.org/courses For more information about other CME courses or orthopaedic meetings listed, contact the source provided.

Second Look – Clinical News and Views

If you missed these Headline News Now items the first time around, AAOS Now gives you a second chance to review them. Headline News Now—the AAOS thrice-weekly, online update of news of interest to orthopaedic surgeons—brings you the latest on clinical, socioeconomic, and political issues, as well as important announcements from AAOS. Prevalence of arthritis pain The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports that during 2005, about 9.

Total disk arthroplasty: Not the panacea some hope for

Annie Hayashi

Award-winning study challenges broad use of TDA as alternative for fusion Total disk arthroplasty (TDA) is appealing to both surgeons and patients because it promises to preserve motion while reducing discogenic pain and adjacent segment degeneration. But whether it is a viable alternative to spinal fusion is still undetermined. According to a study presented by David A.

Spot Check: Arthroscopic débridement for OA knee

Recently, an evidence-based study reported that arthroscopy was no more effective than physical therapy and medication for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. How do you treat patients who present with moderate OA of the knee, and do you see a role for arthroscopic débridement in treating knee OA? Frederick M.

Reinstituting a universal fellowship match: A resident’s perspective

Jason G. Hurbanek, MD; Chad Hanson, MD

Does it have to be “deal or no deal”? Imagine receiving the following e-mail from a prospective fellowship program: “Congratulations, orthopaedic resident. We would like to invite you to complete our fellowship, starting in 4 years. You must, however, decide within the next 30 minutes whether to accept this offer. Otherwise, we offer this spot to another resident. We are sorry to pressure you, but the environment of the application process forces us to behave this way.”

What will you do when disaster strikes?

Christopher T. Born, MD

Disaster preparedness: What every surgeon needs to know Many factors—including population density, environmental degradation, advanced technology (such as large passenger airplanes), the increased presence of hazardous materials and infectious disease strains, and the very real threat of terrorist acts—make the United States increasingly vulnerable to mass casualty events.

What you can do

Orthopaedic surgeons can become more educated and involved in disaster response efforts in a variety of ways. The following avenues can be explored independently or concurrently. Know your hospital’s—and your community’s—disaster plan. Seek out the chairperson of the disaster response committee and discuss your desire to participate. Become actively involved in the hospital’s planning process, sit in on meetings, and participate in drills.

Use of intra-articular continuous infusion pumps and chondrotoxicity

Scott M. Morrell, MD

Use reduces pain but may have toxic consequences In many surgical specialties, the successful outcomes of ambulatory surgery have been attributed to various factors, not the least of which is successful postoperative pain control. The nature of many orthopaedic surgical procedures results in levels of postoperative pain that previously required hospital admission, overnight stays, or extended outpatient recovery.

The ultimate volunteer experience: Serving at LRMC

COL Roman A. Hayda, MD; Michael J. Bosse, MD

Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program gives civilian surgeons a unique opportunity It is a life-changing two weeks—the ultimate volunteer experience. As part of the AAOS/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program (DVSP), civilian surgeons have a unique opportunity to serve overseas at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), a “halfway hospital” between battlefield care in Iraq and Afghanistan and definitive treatment in the United States.

Spot Check: Arthro­scopic débridement for OA knee

S. Terry Canale, MD

For many clinical questions, the amount of available information is overwhelming and the conclusions confusing. Although the number of Level I and Level II studies in orthopaedics is increasing, many orthopaedists find Level V—expert opinion—evidence both interesting and educational. AAOS Now’s new column, “Spot Check,” is focused on Level V evidence. Each issue, we will ask three or four experts about their approach to a specific therapeutic or practice management question.