Solving the mysteries of scoliosis

Sally T. Halderman

OREF grant recipients look for genetic link Pediatric orthopaedic surgeon Cathleen Raggio, MD, knows firsthand how tough it is to tell children they have adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Even though 90 percent of children with AIS never need treatment, about 10 percent will eventually need bracing or surgery. Those who need bracing must wear their braces 22 hours a day for at least a year.

Changing the orthopaedic culture to evidence-based medicine

W. Timothy Brox, MD

Orthopaedics must take a leadership role The mission statement of the AAOS states, “The AAOS will serve the profession, champion the interests of patients, and advance the highest quality musculoskeletal health.” To be active participants in this mission statement, I suggest that we, as orthopaedic surgeons, must all be actively engaged in changing the culture with regard to evidence-based medicine (EBM). W. Timothy Brox, MD What is evidence-based medicine?

Why women have an increased risk of ACL injury

Timothy E. Hewett, PhD

Decreased neuromuscular control of the trunk leads to valgus torques at the knee Female athletes who participate in jumping and pivoting sports are 2 to 10 times more likely to sustain a knee ligament injury, such as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, than male athletes participating in the same sports.

Clinical practice guidelines: A link to quality

Terry Stanton

Evidence-based medicine drives recommendations If you ever serve on a work group charged with developing a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for the AAOS, you may want to watch what you say. The following phrases are out of place, according to William C.

Adverse inflammatory reactions in disk arthroplasty

Paul A. Anderson, MD; Matthew Squire, MD

Do patterns from MOM hips apply to MOM disks? Disk arthroplasty is a new technology aimed at avoiding fusion for the treatment of degenerative disk disease. In the United States, two lumbar and three cervical disk prostheses have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for implantation. The indication for lumbar disk arthroplasty is single-level intractable low back pain that has not responded to nonsurgical therapies.

New horizons in orthopaedic research

Annie Hayashi

ORS to present cutting-edge tools for clinicians and researchers Imagine a hip implant with a microscopic sensor that can detect the beginnings of a periprosthetic infection. Or a computer program that enables you to enter patient-specific data and estimate how much range of motion that patient might have after a shoulder replacement. Believe it or not, such scenarios might not be too far away.

Sex differences in TMC arthritis

Jennifer Wolf, MD; Karen B. King, PhD; Allison E. Williams, PhD

Is relaxin the reason? Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand joints represents the second most common site of osteoarthritis overall, and the economic and work-related costs are high. Arthritis of the basilar joint of the thumb, or the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint, can be functionally debilitating, and patients may be unable to turn a doorknob or remove a jar top.