Quality care means putting patients first

Since my last column, several issues concerning quality care have arisen. The first was the voluntary recall by DePuy Orthopaedics of its ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System and its ASR™ XL Acetabular System. The recall was announced by DePuy on Aug. 24, and the AAOS followed with a notice in Headline News Now on Aug. 27, and a Patient Safety Member Alert on Sept. 3. John J.

In Memoriam

Robert L. Bourland Jr, MD Aug. 11, 2010 Memphis, Tenn. Edwin K. Fennell, MD June 9, 2010 Columbia, S.C. Herbert A. Haupt, MD April 2010 Saint Louis Kenneth Jackman, MD August 2010 Saranac Lake, N.Y. Harris H. Kanel, MD June 3, 2010 San Mateo, Calif. William J. Medlicott, MD Dec. 21, 2008 Port Townsend, Wash. A. J. Schoepflin, MD 2007 Ada, Okla. Paul S. Shurnas, MD July 4, 2010 Columbia, Mo. Alan W Yasko, MD Aug. 18, 2010 Chicago

Social media for orthopaedic surgeons

Michael F. Schafer, MD; Lauren L. Pearson

Putting the specialty at our patients’ fingertips A century ago, the telephone “party line” was the “social media” of choice; today, it’s the Internet that makes it possible for people to connect and contact each other easily, quickly, and inexpensively. Millions of people use social media platforms such as blogs, Facebook pages, and Twitter. Yet we as physicians generally have not been as willing to engage in social media as our patients have.

A bottle of Bone Doctors

Peter Pollack

Two surgeons turn their love of barbeque into a brisk business “I’ve been cooking for as long as I can remember,” says David M. Heilbronner, MD. “My dad was always the fancy cook in the family. My mother was the everyday cook, and I would help both. My main source of relaxation has always been cooking.” When they aren’t working in their orthopaedic practices, Dr. Heilbronner and his partner, Bruce D.

Industry News…

FDA clears spine systems The following spine devices have recently received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): The A-Fix Spinal System from Aesculap Implant Systems is a stand-alone interbody fusion device developed for the anterior surgical approach. It is intended for spinal fusion procedures at one or two contiguous levels in the lumbar spine from L2 to S1 in patients with degenerative disk disease with up to Grade 1 spondylolisthesis at the involved level(s).

Integrity in delivering care, making disclosures

The study of SLAP lesion repairs by young orthopaedists is most disturbing. It shows repairs on patients as old as 88 years old, and our newly minted orthopaedic colleagues, far from starting their careers by practicing medicine conservatively, are performing these repairs at 3 times the rate deemed appropriate by our orthopaedic literature. These repairs accounted for an astonishing 10 percent of all shoulder surgery performed by the ABOS candidates in the final year of Dr. Weber’s study.

Romance and finance

In today’s world, most problems are related either to romance or to finance…and some are tied to both. S. Terry Canale, MD But this editorial isn’t about romance; it’s about finance. It’s (all) about (the) money, money, money, money—enough already! Being paid fairly for the goods and services you provide has always been a tenet of our democracy. But lately, money’s gotten a bad rap. It’s not only the Wall Street bonuses, or the government buy-outs, or the national debt.

NASS celebrates 25th anniversary

Maureen Leahy

Society fosters the delivery of quality spine care In July 1985, in Laguna Niguel, Calif., leaders from the American Lumbar Spine Association and the American College of Spine Surgeons met to combine their two groups into one spine society.

Old coach continues to inspire

Lou Holtz—coach, author, commentator—to speak at 2011 Annual Meeting He’s one of the most successful college football coaches of all time—and the only coach in the history of college football to take six different teams to a bowl game, win five bowl games with different teams, and have four different teams ranked in the final Top 20 poll. No wonder Lou Holtz has such a sterling reputation for turning pretenders into contenders.

CEO to chair “association of associations”

Jennie McKee

AAOS CEO Karen L. Hackett, FACHE, CAE, was elected chairman of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), a membership organization of more than 22,000 association executives and industry partners. Ms. Hackett assumed the volunteer leadership position on Tuesday, Aug. 24, during the ASAE’s 2010 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Los Angeles. As chairman, Ms. Hackett serves as the ASAE’s chief elected officer and chairs the organization’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee.

Society News…

Adult reconstruction and tumor fellowship match The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS), in conjunction with the Hip Society, the Knee Society, and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, has formed a fellowship match for adult reconstruction and tumor fellowships. Applications for the 2011 fellowship year are currently being accepted from fourth-year residents. To register for the match, go to www.sfmatch.org For more information, contact AAHKS Executive Director Robert A.

IPOS 2010: A hands-on experience

Bronwyn Barrera, MBA

Annual symposium offers interactive, international learning experience Now in its seventh year, the International Pediatric Orthopaedic Symposium (IPOS), presented by the AAOS and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, is a premier educational event focused on treating orthopaedic conditions in young patients. This year’s event takes place at the Walt Disney World Swan Resort in Orlando, Fla., Dec. 1–4. The four-day IPOS program, led by course director John M.

Pat on the back...

The 2010–2011 members of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Outreach & Education Fund Board of Directors: Sheldon S. Lin, MD, president; Steven L. Haddad, MD, secretary; Bruce J. Sangeorzan, MD, treasurer; Judith F. Baumhauer, MD; W. Hodges Davis, MD; Bryan D. Den Hartog, MD; Lew C. Schon, MD; and Keith L. Wapner, MD, members-at-large. Norman Y.