Symposium Addresses “All Things Infection”

Terry Stanton

An overflow crowd packed a large San Diego Convention Center room during the 2017 AAOS Annual Meeting for the symposium “All Things Infection: All You Need to Know,” featuring a panel of 12 surgeons and researchers who shared their expertise on periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and related issues.

Study: No Advantage to Liposomal Bupivacaine for TKA

Terry Stanton

A study comparing the effect of the use of liposomal bupivacaine versus ropivacaine in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), found no increased benefit of liposomal bupivacaine for postoperative pain control. The prospective, double-blind study, was presented by of Ascension Crittenton Medical Center, Rochester Hills, Mich., during the AAOS Annual Meeting. The authors randomized 96 patients undergoing unilateral TKA into two groups.

Study: Diagnosing PJI after TJA

Maureen Leahy

Study data presented at the AAOS Annual Meeting indicate that a minimum of five periprosthetic samples need to be cultured and held for at least 14 days to reach a diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total joint arthroplasty (TJA).

Share Your Knowledge at the AAOS 2018 Annual Meeting

The AAOS Central Program Committee is issuing a call for abstracts on a wide variety of orthopaedic-related topics. AAOS members, residents, and all orthopaedic professionals are invited to submit abstracts for the AAOS 2018 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, to be held March 6-10. Nowhere else will your discoveries reach such a wide-ranging orthopaedic audience.

Second Look — Clinical

These items originally appeared in AAOS Headline News Now, a thrice-weekly enewsletter that keeps AAOS members up to date on clinical, socioeconomic, and political issues, with links to more detailed information. Subscribe at www.aaos.org/news/news.asp (member login required) Findings from a study conducted in Norway and published in The New England Journal of Medicine (Feb.

PRP Injections Are an Effective Treatment for Carpometacarpal Joint OA

Maureen Leahy

Results from an ongoing study presented at the AAOS Annual Meeting indicate that platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections may be an effective nonsurgical treatment option for carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis (OA). The study was designed to compare the efficacy of PRP injections vs. the standard treatment of corticosteroid injection(s) for pain relief, functional return, and improved range of motion in patients with CMC joint OA.

Study: HbA1c Risk Threshold for Infection Identified for Diabetes Patients Undergoing Shoulder Replacement

Terry Stanton

A study, presented at the AAOS Annual Meeting in San Diego, reported, that, in patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing shoulder arthroplasty, the risk of deep postoperative infection rises with increasing hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. The data also suggested a perioperative HbA1c greater than 8.0 mg/dL might serve as a threshold for a significantly increased risks of postoperative infection.

Study: Study Probes Reimplantation Rates, Complications Following THA Infection

Terry Stanton

A Medicare database study reviewing outcomes for patients who underwent antibiotic spacer placement following removal of total hip arthroplasty (THA) due to infection found that only 60 percent of such patients underwent THA reimplantation. Approximately 6 percent of these patients died within 1 year following removal.

Study: Increased Workload After Tommy John Surgery Increases Re-tear Risk

Terry Stanton

A study of 28 Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers who underwent revision surgery after primary ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) found that they had pitched at or above their pre-primary UCL workload, while pitchers who did not require revision pitched significantly less—below their pre-reconstruction workload. These findings indicate that relative changes in workload may be a risk factor for re-rupture, said Robert A.

Congratulations to the 2017 Poster Award Winners

This year, 575 posters were displayed at the Annual Meeting. The best poster in each of 11 categories was chosen prior to the Annual Meeting by the relevant program subcommittee. Poster P261 was recognized as the best poster overall. Poster No. P001—The Role of Toll-like Receptor 4 in the Cobalt-mediated Immune Response in Endothelial Cells. Authors: Sami A. Anjum; David J. Deehan, FRCS; James P. Holland, FRCS; John Kirby; Helen Lawrence; and Alison Tyson-Capper.

Preparing the Graft in Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Peter Pollack

“The all-inside technique for knee cruciate ligament reconstruction has gained popularity in recent years,” explained Jacqueline M. Brady, MD. “Various techniques for graft preparation have been described, but little research has been conducted to compare those techniques.