Drivers Wearing Arm Slings Shouldn’t Drive

Terry Stanton

Immobilization of the dominant arm in a sling may not have an adverse effect on everyday driving in normal conditions, but it does hinder a driver’s ability to perform evasive maneuvers when facing hazardous conditions, a study reports. As a result, patients should be counseled not to drive while the dominant arm is immobilized, reported Laith M. Jazrawi, MD, at the 2012 annual meeting of the Arthroscopy Association of North America.

AOA/NAON Collaborate on Hot Topics in Bone Health

Laura L. Tosi, MD; Debra Sietsema, PhD, RN

Symposium presents cutting edge information Laura L. Tosi, MD, and Debra Sietsema, PhD, RN Hot Topics in Bone Health,” a collaboration between the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) and the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON), brought together more than 140 participants during the AOA’s 125th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., earlier this year to discuss a variety of pressing bone health issues.

Caring for the Meek

James M. Saucedo, MD, MBA; James A. Hill, MD

In the course of a day, most physicians will see patients from all walks of life. Their problems will vary in complexity. Some will have simple concerns that require very little time or effort, while others may have diagnoses that are as elusive as they are time-consuming. As physicians, we not only accept that unpredictability, but most of us will actually embrace it. It’s an honor to care for patients, and those challenges are both professionally interesting and personally rewarding.

MOC Myths—BUSTED!

In this feature, AAOS Now explores common misconceptions about the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery’s (ABOS) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process. MYTH: The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the ABOS are the same organization. FACT: Not true, say ABOS Executive Director Shepard R. Hurwitz, MD and AAOS President John R. Tongue, MD. “The AAOS and the ABOS are two separate organizations,” explained Dr. Hurwitz.

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 Michael Amini, MD, a resident member at the University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic. Dr. Amini also provided the following information: The patient is a 4-year-old boy who came to the clinic with a mild limp and Trendelenburg gait on the left. He has had no fever, chills, or other constitutional symptoms.

Tailored Test May Yield Better Patient Outcomes Data

Jennie McKee

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) may be more effective than traditional testing systems in capturing patient-reported outcomes, according to a prospective clinical study presented by Charles L. Saltzman, MD, at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS). The study, which won the Leonard Goldner Award for outstanding research, compared outcome measurement tools in patients undergoing elective foot and ankle surgery.

AAOS Summit Shines Light on Surgical Safety

Maureen Leahy

During the recent AAOS Orthopaedic Patient Safety Summit held in Rosemont, Ill., medical and government healthcare experts assembled to address the importance of surgical safety. Day one of the Summit highlighted key elements needed to establish and maintain surgical safety systems (see “AAOS Hosts Orthopaedic Patient Safety Summit, AAOS Now, September 2012). Moderated by AAOS President John R. Tongue, MD, and Kevin J.

New Online Ethics Program for Orthopaedic Residents

Charles Carroll IV, MD

Teaching medical ethics isn’t easy. Residents must understand new concepts, such as beneficence, nonmaleficence, and autonomy. Residency directors must find time to include ethical discussions in training schedules prescribed by work-hour limits, an increasing body of knowledge, core competency requirements, and new learning tools.

Use of Pain Pumps Tied to Knee Chondrolysis

Maureen Leahy

Bupivacaine is a local anesthetic used during a variety of medical procedures. Single intra-articular injections of the anesthetic, initially thought to be safe and effective for controlling postoperative pain following joint surgery, are currently under further investigation. According to recent studies, however, continuous intra-articular infusion of bupivacaine has been associated with rapid chondrolysis in the shoulder and knee, which can lead to severe joint damage.

TKA Improves Function Regardless of Patient’s BMI

Maureen Leahy

Patients with a higher body mass index (BMI) experience similar levels of improvement after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) as patients with a lower BMI, according to a study that was published recently in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. “Obesity rates are reaching epidemic proportions in both the United States and Europe, resulting in more obese and morbidly obese patients needing knee arthroplasty,” said Paul Baker, MBBS, MSc, FRCS, the study’s lead author.

Dec. 15 MOC Deadline Reminder

AAOS fellows whose certification expires in 2014 and who plan to take the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) examination in 2014 must submit 120 AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credits™ by Dec. 15, 2012, or they will not be able to take the recertifying examination in 2014, and their certification will expire on Dec. 31, 2014.