AAOS Now, June 2011
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Do All Displaced Midshaft Clavicle Fractures Need Surgery?
Whether an athlete falls off a bicycle, is tackled in a football game, or is slammed into the side of the hockey rink by another player, the result can be the same: a displaced midshaft clavicle fracture. When this potentially season-ending injury occurs, it’s not always clear whether conservative treatment or surgical fixation will yield the best patient outcomes.
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Moving forward, giving back
OREF grant spurs bone substitute research The primary goal of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Research Grant is to provide seed money to a new clinician scientist. In effect, this grant is an investment both in the investigator and in an idea still in its infancy; it’s a vote of confidence in the clinician scientist’s skill and determination. Still, it’s impossible to know where the research will lead.
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Science vs. salesmanship
As orthopaedic surgeons, we have all faced the hard sales—those times when an equipment representative spends time and effort to convince us that their product is just what our patients need. “Widget X is the greatest advance of the last 10 years in orthopaedic care; it will improve patient outcomes, make you more efficient in the operating room, and set you apart from the crowd,” we’re told. For us, then, the critical question becomes “how can we differentiate fact from fiction?”
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The well-designed clinical trial
Panel addresses the methodological hurdles of conducting orthopaedic trials Designing a randomized orthopaedic surgical trial presents unique challenges, particularly as compared to nonsurgical studies. These challenges were addressed in the session on “Methodological Issues in Clinical Trials,” held during the Orthopaedic Research Society’s (ORS) “Clinical Research Forum: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future,” which was presented at the ORS Annual Meeting on Jan.
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AAOS issues call for manuscripts
The AAOS is soliciting manuscripts for the 2012 Kappa Delta Awards and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Clinical Research Award. Up to two $20,000 Kappa Delta awards, one $20,000 Kappa Delta Young Investigator award, and one $20,000 OREF award will be bestowed. Manuscripts should represent a large body of cohesive scientific work generally reflecting years of investigation. If the submission reflects a single project, it should be of high significance and impact.