Lessons from the Metal-on-Metal Experience

Mary Ann Porucznik

AAOS First Vice-President Joshua J. Jacobs, MD, is nationally recognized as a leading researcher on materials used in orthopaedic implants. At the 2012 annual meeting of the Association of Bone & Joint Surgeons, he addressed the ongoing investigations into the performance of metal-on-metal (MoM) hip implants, focusing on the lessons learned that can be applied to similar issues in the future. Noting that not all MoM bearings are created equal, Dr.

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: MOC requires orthopaedic surgeons to take call. FACT: “The ABOS does not require orthopaedists to provide emergency coverage or indigent care as part of the MOC process,” said ABOS Executive Director Shepard R. Hurwitz, MD. According to Dr.

Face Off To Brace or Not to Brace Idiopathic Scoliosis

POINT: Bracing Is the Proper Choice Mark A. Erickson, MD To brace or not to brace” has been a long-standing area of controversy and debate in the field of scoliosis treatment. I believe that orthopaedic surgeons should use the evidence in guiding decision making.

Volunteers Need More than a Big Heart

Disaster Response Course helps build special skill set In their regular practice, orthopaedic surgeons don’t usually see vascular injuries, compartment syndrome, and burns, but these are precisely the kinds of injuries frequently sustained during disasters.

AAOS Hosts Orthopaedic Patient Safety Summit

Mary Ann Porucznik

The 2012 AAOS Orthopaedic Patient Safety Summit, held Aug. 5–6, 2012, in Rosemont, Ill., brought together 19 orthopaedic organizations, as well as representatives from nursing, government, and facility (hospitals, surgical centers) groups, to address the issue of surgical safety. Summit Chair William J. Robb III, MD, who also chairs the AAOS Patient Safety Committee, noted, “Without safety, there is no quality or value; safety is the kernel around which all else is built.”

Orthopaedic Care Needed When Soldiers Come Home

Peter Pollack

“Injury patterns sustained by deployed soldiers have been understudied,” explained Lt. Col. (P) Philip J. Belmont Jr., MD, “particularly when considering the types of injuries and how they are addressed later. Our previous studies have focused on combat and noncombat injuries sustained in-theater. This study focuses on soldiers who have completed their combat tours and returned home.” Dr.

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.

Graduate Medical Education in the 21st Century

David Robinson, MD

“New technology is frequently met with skepticism and resistance. It can be complicated, disruptive, and initially not any better than what is currently available. For example, originally, address books were physical books with names, telephone numbers, and addresses penciled onto their pages. The advent of the electronic address book provided the same information, only it needed batteries, was slow to search, and was much more expensive. Many people thought, “Why would I use that?”

Second Look- Clinical News and Views

Study: THA, TKA, and the risk of AMI A Danish study published online in Archives of Internal Medicine (July 23) finds that the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is substantially increased in the first 2 weeks following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The retrospective, nationwide cohort study of 95,227 patients who underwent THA or TKA between Jan. 1, 1998, and Dec.

Life After Fellowship: Pearls and Pitfalls

A roundtable discussion on finding a job that sticks Last year, James H. Beaty, MD, of the Campbell Clinic, hosted an AAOS Now roundtable on pursuing an orthopaedic fellowship. Now, those residents who pursued fellowships are wrapping them up and may need some advice on getting started, lest they join the 70 percent of graduates who change jobs within the first 5 years of entering practice. To provide those pearls, William N.

In Search of a Match?

New AAOS webinar shares tips for navigating the fellowship match process Are you an orthopaedic resident planning to enter a postgraduate fellowship program? If so, don’t miss the new AAOS webinar “Tips for the Orthopaedic Fellowship Match,” on Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, beginning at 8:15 p.m. (ET). Under the direction of Lisa K. Cannada, MD, the free program will boost your understanding of, and provide tips for, navigating the match process.

AAOS Embarks on Pilot CME Course Concept

Gerald R. Williams Jr, MD

Gerald R. Williams Jr, MD In January and February 2013, the AAOS will pilot test a new continuing medical education (CME) course concept designed by the CME Courses Committee. Underwritten by a grant from the AAOS Education Enhancement Fund (AEEF), 100 Academy members will have the opportunity to participate in the 8-week pilot program free of charge. Under the leadership of Amar S. Ranawat, MD, and Scott M.