Don’t miss a step before TSA

Jennie McKee

Consider less invasive procedures for concurrent arthritis, rotator cuff tears “Managing patients with glenohumeral joint arthritis and symptoms consistent with rotator cuff pathology poses a clinical dilemma,” Raymond R. Drabicki, MD, told members of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

Collagenase may offer hope to Dupuytren’s patients

Peter Pollack

Surgical risks prompt search for nonsurgical alternative In spite of high complication and recurrence rates, surgical fasciectomy continues to be the treatment of choice for Dupuytren’s disease, although that may start to change based on the results of an ongoing series of trials examining the efficacy of collagenase for the treatment of Dupuytren’s. Presenting 8-year follow-up results of a Phase II trial at the annual meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Andrew J.

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. Effectiveness of ibuprofen A study published in Annals of Emergency Medicine (Aug.

In memoriam

Clark N. Hopson, MD Sept. 6, 2009 Hilton Head Island, S.C. Garry Hough III, MD Aug. 17, 2007 Reading, Mass. Robert H. Lamb, MD Salt Lake City, Utah Robert J. Schultz, MD Aug. 8, 2009 Rye, N.Y. Allan R. Wilson, MD Eagle, Idaho

Musculoskeletal diseases and their impact: Easing the global burden

Maureen Leahy

USBJD hosts Bone and Joint Decade Global Conference Joshua J. Jacobs, MD Since the Bone and Joint Decade kicked off in 2000, this worldwide initiative has helped raise awareness of the global rise in musculoskeletal disorders and the burden they place on society. The international collaborative movement is sanctioned by the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, 63 countries, and 750 patient advocacy and health organizations around the globe.

Orthopaedic surgeon takes the helm at ICAMRL

Encourages accreditation, support for quality diagnostic imaging Robert W. Westergan, MD “As a major diagnostic imaging method for the evaluation of many musculoskeletal disorders, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) must be performed for the appropriate indications, and interpreted accurately and consistently, in order to demonstrate value in the patient’s overall episode of care,” said Dr. Westergan at the outset of his presidency.

OMeGA releases data on grants

Rhonda Taira

Recipient program and populations data for 2009–2010 academic year The OMeGA Medical Grants Association received 258 applications for the 2009–2010 academic year: 150 for fellowships in 9 orthopaedic specialties and 108 for residency/general education. As part of the application process, OMeGA collects information about the educational programs and the populations served. This information helps in the following ways: It demonstrates the need for continuing support.

Meetings and Course Listings

Listed below are upcoming continuing medical education (CME) courses and orthopaedic meetings (November 2009 through March 2010). 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.

Young, growing athletes shouldn’t put off ACL surgery

Meniscal, chondral injuries are more severe when surgery is delayed More children are participating in sports and getting hurt while they play each year. A new study presented at the 2009 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting details the benefits and risks of reconstructing a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in athletes younger than age 14 (Fig. 1).

TAA shows better functional results than fusion

Mary Ann Porucznik

Two-year study supports use of arthroplasty for end-stage ankle arthritis New prosthetic designs for total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) are providing better function and equivalent pain relief to ankle fusion, according to an award-winning study presented during the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society’s annual summer meeting. The study, a 24-month nonrandomized clinical trial, was conducted at 15 equivalent medical institutions offering a broad spectrum of surgical experience.

Flu precautions for medical offices

10 steps you can take According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ensuring a sustainable community healthcare response will be important for a likely recurrence of novel influenza A (H1N1), a new flu virus of swine origin that first caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March and April 2009.

Are ATCs right for your practice?

Jennie McKee

Athletic trainers offer musculoskeletal experience, financial benefits “The optimal solution to many of the problems orthopaedists face is to hire an athletic trainer, certified (ATC)—a single clinical orthopaedic/operating room assistant with a great work ethic, significant musculoskeletal care experience, and the clinical, surgical, and business skills to support his or her costs,” said John Xerogeanes, MD.

Lowering the cost of CME course participation

Gerald R. Williams Jr, MD

The economic recession is affecting orthopaedic surgeons on many fronts. As a result, finding ways to reduce practice costs has become a key business strategy. At the same time, managing the commitment to lifelong learning remains critically important. When practice revenues drop, maximizing value becomes imperative—and that includes participation in continuing medical education (CME) courses.

A roadmap to the 21st century

Mary Ann Porucznik

AANA past president looks at survival of private practice “Can the private practice of orthopaedics survive the 21st century?” asked Jack M. Bert, MD, 2008–2009 president of the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA). His answer is a qualified “yes” but only if orthopaedists understand their interdependence and begin to build large practices. Jack M. Bert, MD In his address at the 2009 AANA Annual Meeting, Dr.

Volunteers: The backbone of certification

John G. Seiler III, MD; James R. Kasser, MD; David F. Martin, MD; Shepard R. Hurwitz, MD

The exceptional commitment of board-certified orthopaedic surgeons to their profession can be seen whenever the oral examinations of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) are given. The United States has approximately 25,000 board-certified orthopaedic surgeons, and more than 14,000 of them are currently participating in the recertification process. Administering the part II oral examination requires 150 volunteer orthopaedic surgeon examiners from all orthopaedic subspecialties.

Diagnostic MRIs miss lesions in patients with ankle instability

Maureen Leahy

Ankle arthroscopy, peroneal tendon inspections more effective Study data presented by Patrick J. O’Neill, MD, at the recent Annual Summer Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS), revealed that preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may miss a substantial number of associated lesions in patients with chronic ankle instability. Patients with lateral ankle ligament instability commonly have associated ankle pathology.

Knee arthroscopy simulator meets the real world

Peter Pollack

“I didn’t think it was going to replicate the feel,” says James A. Hill, MD. But after he tested the Virtual Reality Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Simulator, his skepticism faded. “I was pleasantly surprised to find that it really feels like you’re touching meniscus, articular cartilage, and ligaments.”