What is the Role of Compounding Pharmacies?

Jennie McKee

April Pettit, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., was the first physician to identify the unthinkable. One of her patients—an immunocompetent 50-year-old male—had contracted fungal meningitis in September 2012, weeks after receiving an epidural injection of methylprednisolone for low back pain. Twenty-two days after he was admitted to the hospital, the patient was dead.

Vitamin D Insufficiency Common Among Orthopaedic Trauma Patients

Maureen Leahy

Research presented at the 2012 Orthopaedic Trauma Association Annual Meeting finds that orthopaedic trauma patients commonly have low levels of vitamin D. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked with fragility fractures and fracture nonunion, two conditions frequently seen by trauma surgeons. The literature on vitamin D deficiency among orthopaedic trauma patients, however, is sparse, according to presenter Brett D. Crist, MD, of the University of Missouri. Dr.

MOC Deadline Reminder

AAOS fellows whose certification expires in 2014, 2015, or 2016 and who plan to take the ABOS Maintenance of Certification (MOC) examination in 2014 should check their MOC dashboards on the ABOS website (www.abos.org) for the application. The application deadline is May 1, 2013.

Resolve to Improve Your “Bedside Manner”

Christopher A. Iobst, MD

“Bedside manner” is a familiar term that remains difficult to define. Although it’s possible to intuitively differentiate between physicians who demonstrate “good bedside manner” and those who don’t, it is often hard to verbalize this delineation. Having a “good bedside manner” is something that we as orthopaedic surgeons should strive for, but public perception of our profession indicates that many of us don’t always display it.

MOC Myths—BUSTED!

Each month, AAOS Now explores common misconceptions about the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery’s (ABOS) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process. MYTH: MOC isn’t worth the time and effort it requires. FACT: “Although participating in MOC involves more work and expense than doing nothing, it is certainly worth doing—especially in today’s healthcare environment,” said ABOS Executive Director Shepard R. Hurwitz, MD.

What’s Your Diagnosis?

In this feature, AAOS Now publishes a series of images, challenging readers to diagnose the condition depicted. This month’s challenge was submitted by Waldo E. Floyd III, MD, of Ortho Georgia in Macon, Ga. A 62-year-old, healthy woman had a 10-year history of a painful and bulbous left middle finger terminal segment (Fig. 1). There was no history of cold hypersensitivity. Radiographs demonstrated an expansile lesion in the distal phalanx (Fig. 2).

ABOS Launches Redesigned Website

Jennie McKee

The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) recently debuted its revamped www.abos.org website. The site’s new design and content make it easier to locate important information and resources related to the ABOS’ Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process, according to Jason Anderson, ABOS information technology/communications staff member. Exploring the homepage The new ABOS homepage (Fig. 1) prominently features an “Important Dates” calendar.

Second Look-Clinical News and Views

FDA approves tofacitinib for RA The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the marketing of tofacitinib—a drug designed to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to, or who are intolerant of, methotrexate. The FDA is requiring a postmarketing study that will evaluate two doses of tofacitinib and include a group of patients on another approved treatment to serve as a comparison.

Don’t Let Hip Fractures Kill

Peter Pollack

Speaking at the centennial annual meeting of the Clinical Orthopaedic Society, Erika J. Mitchell, MD, was adamant about the magnitude and morbidity associated with fragility fractures, particularly in the hip. “Statistically speaking, up to half of all women will have fragility fractures in their lifetime, and up to a third of all men,” she explained. “Far more people will have a fragility fracture than will have a heart attack, cancer, or stroke.” Dr.