Tendinopathy treatment tips

Part II of a roundtable discussion Last month, AAOS Now editorial board member Letha Y. Griffin, MD, conducted a focused round-table on the use of platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of tendinopathy (chronic inflammation of the tendon).

What’s your Diagnosis?

In this feature, AAOS Now publishes a series of images, challenging readers to diagnose the condition depicted. The images for this month’s challenge were submitted by Meagan McCarthy, a fourth-year medical student at Creighton University School of Medicine, who plans to pursue an orthopaedic surgery residency. She provides the following information: “The patient is a 66-year-old recent Burmese immigrant with a 6-year history of soft-tissue masses of his left hand and both feet.

Disclosure reminder

Review and update your AAOS disclosure information Recent media attention on disclosure and transparency by orthopaedic surgeons makes it more important than ever before for AAOS members to participate in the AAOS disclosure database.

Study probes role of estrogen in PTTD

Terry Stanton

Results from a small study show no difference in hormone receptors in male/female, diseased/healthy samples It’s no secret that posterior tibial tendon disease (PTTD) occurs more frequently in women than in men (See “PTTD: More prevalent in women,” AAOS Now, March 2009). The question is why?

OMeGA fellowship grant cycle now open

OMeGA Medical Grants Association has changed its schedule for fellowship grants to align with specialty match timelines. The next fellowship grant cycle will be for 2-year grants, covering the 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 academic years. Grant recipients will be notified in early March 2011, so that funded programs can rely on OMeGA funding for their match applications and selections for the 2012–2013 academic year.

Meetings and Course Listings

Listed below are upcoming continuing medical education (CME) courses and orthopaedic meetings (November 2010 through February 2011). 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.

New treatments for Dupuytren contracture

D. Kay Kirkpatrick, MD, leads a roundtable discussion Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new treatment for Dupuytren contracture—an enzyme injection (collagenase clostridium histolyticum) to soften and weaken the diseased cords of tissue that cause fingers to contract.

What’s the measure of physician quality?

Terry Stanton

Study finds quality ranking tiers are inconsistent, unjustified You’re a top-tier physician according to one system, but ranked solidly in the middle by another. What makes the difference—and who’s doing the deciding? According to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, there’s little agreement among insurance plans about which surgeons are top-tier. The analysis of three insurance plan rating systems in Massachusetts found that only 5.

Meet MOC requirements by Dec. 15 deadline

Dec.

Viewing care through the eyes of patients and their families

Maureen Leahy

Patient- and family-centered care leads to better outcomes Being able to view care through the eyes of patients and their families is critical to delivering the ideal care experience, believes Anthony M. DiGioia, MD. That belief led him to develop a patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) model, which he piloted at the total joint replacement program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

Ten “takes” on the future of the total ankle

Terry Stanton

Improvements in design and technology bring TAR to the fore For decades, foot surgeons and manufacturers have attempted to develop an implantable device for the ankle that would exhibit the degree of function, safety, and durability achieved by prostheses for hips and knees. With recent advances in device design and with Europe leading the way, total ankle replacement (TAR) is fast becoming the treatment of choice for many patients with ankle arthritis and other disorders.

Surgeons test knowledge and come up on top

Craig S. Roberts, MD, MBA; J. Lawrence Marsh, MD; Laura Hruska, MEd

Practicing surgeons outperform residents on the 2009 OITE The AAOS Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) for orthopaedic surgery residents has been around since 1963. During that time, AAOS volunteers have developed thousands of questions for the exam, and hundreds of thousands of residents have taken the test.

Release the nerve, improve the outcome

Peter Pollack

Study finds better revision outcomes with subscapular nerve release Massive, chronic rotator cuff tears can shift the position of the suprascapular nerve, potentially leaving the patient with less function after the rotator cuff is repaired. With that in mind, Mark R.