Publications by Year: 2024

Partial-thickness rotator cuff tears are a common cause of pain and disability and are central to developing full-thickness rotator cuff tears. However, limited knowledge exists regarding the alterations to the mechanical environment due to these lesions. Computational models that study the alterations to the mechanical environment of the supraspinatus tendon can help advance clinical management to avoid tear progression and provide a basis for surgical intervention. In this study, we use three-dimensional validated finite element models from six intact specimens to study the effects of low- and high-grade tears originating on the articular and bursal surfaces of the supraspinatus tendon. Bursal-sided tears generally had a lower failure load, modulus, and strain than articular-sided tears. Thus, caution should be taken when managing bursal-sided tears as they may be more susceptible to tear progression.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Accurately diagnose scaphoid fractures through examination and appropriate imaging selection. 2. Recognize those fractures that can be treated with nonoperative management. 3. Outline the different surgical approaches for scaphoid fractures. 4. Appreciate the surgical options for management of scaphoid nonunion.

SUMMARY: This article includes the most up-to-date information on the diagnosis, work-up, and treatment of scaphoid fractures.

Socioeconomic factors have been associated with an increased need for manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to compare the rate of MUA and range of motion (ROM) following primary TKA in English and non-English-speaking patients. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of all primary TKAs performed at their institution between 2010 and 2017. A total of 1,099 English-speaking and 163 non-English-speaking patients were included. There was no significant difference in rate of MUA (3.5 vs. 4.9%, p = 0.392) or postoperative ROM (102.2 vs. 100°, p = 0.142) between English and non-English-speaking patients. Younger age (p = 0.001) and female sex (p = 0.005), but not patient language, were associated with need for MUA. Patient language does not appear to impact the rate of MUA or ROM following TKA. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 33(3):158-161, 2024).

BACKGROUND: Revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has been documented to have inferior outcomes compared with primary ACL reconstruction. The reasons why remain unknown.

PURPOSE: To determine whether surgical factors performed at the time of revision ACL reconstruction can influence a patient's outcome at 6-year follow-up.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

METHODS: Patients who underwent revision ACL reconstruction were identified and prospectively enrolled between 2006 and 2011. Data collected included baseline patient characteristics, surgical technique and pathology, and a series of validated patient-reported outcome instruments: Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective form, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Marx activity rating score. Patients were followed up for 6 years and asked to complete the identical set of outcome instruments. Regression analysis was used to control for baseline patient characteristics and surgical variables to assess the surgical risk factors for clinical outcomes 6 years after surgery.

RESULTS: A total of 1234 patients were enrolled (716 men, 58%; median age, 26 years), and 6-year follow-up was obtained on 79% of patients (980/1234). Using an interference screw for femoral fixation compared with a cross-pin resulted in significantly better outcomes in 6-year IKDC scores (odds ratio [OR], 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-3.9; P = .008) and KOOS sports/recreation and quality of life subscale scores (OR range, 2.2-2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-4.8; P < .01). Use of an interference screw compared with a cross-pin resulted in a 2.6 times less likely chance of having a subsequent surgery within 6 years. Use of an interference screw for tibial fixation compared with any combination of tibial fixation techniques resulted in significantly improved scores for IKDC (OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9; P = .001); KOOS pain, activities of daily living, and sports/recreation subscales (OR range, 1.5-1.6; 95% CI, 1.0-2.4; P < .05); and WOMAC pain and activities of daily living subscales (OR range, 1.5-1.8; 95% CI, 1.0-2.7; P < .05). Use of a transtibial surgical approach compared with an anteromedial portal approach resulted in significantly improved KOOS pain and quality of life subscale scores at 6 years (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.02-2.2; P≤ .04).

CONCLUSION: There are surgical variables at the time of ACL revision that can modify clinical outcomes at 6 years. Opting for a transtibial surgical approach and choosing an interference screw for femoral and tibial fixation improved patients' odds of having a significantly better 6-year clinical outcome in this cohort.

AIMS: Lower limb fractures are common in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and represent a significant burden to the existing orthopaedic surgical infrastructure. In high income country (HIC) settings, internal fixation is the standard of care due to its superior outcomes. In LMICs, external fixation is often the surgical treatment of choice due to limited supplies, cost considerations, and its perceived lower complication rate. The aim of this systematic review protocol is identifying differences in rates of infection, nonunion, and malunion of extra-articular femoral and tibial shaft fractures in LMICs treated with either internal or external fixation.

METHODS: This systematic review protocol describes a broad search of multiple databases to identify eligible papers. Studies must be published after 2000, include at least five patients, patients must be aged > 16 years or treated as skeletally mature, and the paper must describe a fracture of interest and at least one of our primary outcomes of interest. We did not place restrictions on language or journal. All abstracts and full texts will be screened and extracted by two independent reviewers. Risk of bias and quality of evidence will be analyzed using standardized appraisal tools. A random-effects meta-analysis followed by a subgroup analysis will be performed, given the anticipated heterogeneity among studies, if sufficient data are available.

CONCLUSION: The lack of easily accessible LMIC outcome data, combined with international clinical guidelines that are often developed by HIC surgeons for use in HIC environments, makes the clinical decision-making process infinitely more difficult for surgeons in LMICs. This protocol will guide research on surgical management, outcomes, and complications of lower limb shaft fractures in LMICs, and can help guide policy development for better surgical intervention delivery and improve global surgical care.

BACKGROUND: As machine learning becomes increasingly utilized in orthopaedic clinical research, the application of machine learning methodology to cohort data from the Multicenter ACL Revision Study (MARS) presents a valuable opportunity to translate data into patient-specific insights.

PURPOSE: To apply novel machine learning methodology to MARS cohort data to determine a predictive model of revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (rACLR) graft failure and features most predictive of failure.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: The authors prospectively recruited patients undergoing rACLR from the MARS cohort and obtained preoperative radiographs, surgeon-reported intraoperative findings, and 2- and 6-year follow-up data on patient-reported outcomes, additional surgeries, and graft failure. Machine learning models including logistic regression (LR), XGBoost, gradient boosting (GB), random forest (RF), and a validated ensemble algorithm (AutoPrognosis) were built to predict graft failure by 6 years postoperatively. Validated performance metrics and feature importance measures were used to evaluate model performance.

RESULTS: The cohort included 960 patients who completed 6-year follow-up, with 5.7% (n = 55) experiencing graft failure. AutoPrognosis demonstrated the highest discriminative power (model area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: AutoPrognosis, 0.703; RF, 0.618; GB, 0.660; XGBoost, 0.680; LR, 0.592), with well-calibrated scores (model Brier score: AutoPrognosis, 0.053; RF, 0.054; GB, 0.057; XGBoost, 0.058; LR, 0.111). The most important features for AutoPrognosis model performance were prior compromised femoral and tibial tunnels (placement and size) and allograft graft type used in current rACLR.

CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated the ability of the novel AutoPrognosis machine learning model to best predict the risk of graft failure in patients undergoing rACLR at 6 years postoperatively with moderate predictive ability. Femoral and tibial tunnel size and position in prior ACLR and allograft use in current rACLR were all risk factors for rACLR failure in the context of the AutoPrognosis model. This study describes a unique model that can be externally validated with larger data sets and contribute toward the creation of a robust rACLR bedside risk calculator in future studies.

REGISTRATION: NCT00625885 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).

Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are a serious complication of orthopedic surgery. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy shows promise as an adjunctive treatment but requires further study, particularly in its pharmacokinetics. Consequently, we performed a pharmacokinetic assessment of phage therapy for PJIs using a Staphylococcus epidermidis Kirschner wire-based prosthesis rat model. We used 52 male Sprague-Dawley rats in four groups: negative controls (no phage, sterile implant), PJI controls (bacteria, no phage), sterile phage (phages given, sterile implant), and PJI (bacteria, phages given). The PJI groups were inoculated with  106 CFU of S. epidermidis. The groups receiving phage were intra-articularly injected with  108 PFU of vB_SepM_Alex five days post-implantation. The rats were euthanized between 30 min and 48 h post-injection. The measured phage concentrations between the PJI rats and the sterile controls in periarticular tissues were not significantly different. In a noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis, the estimated phage half-lives were under 6 h (combined: 3.73 [IQR, 1.45, 10.07]). The maximum phage concentrations were reached within 2 h after administration (combined: 0.75 [0.50, 1.75]). The estimated phage mean residence time was approximately three hours (combined: 3.04 [1.44, 4.19]). Our study provides a preliminary set of pharmacokinetic parameters that can inform future phage dosing studies and animal models of phage therapy for PJIs.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the factor structure of the 22-symptom Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT), using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for a priori hypothesized symptom domains.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective observational study.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Collegiate student-athletes with concussion.

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: Symptoms were collected via the SCAT symptom checklist.

OUTCOME MEASURES: We created symptom domains based on previous literature, guided by clinical expertise. To determine which symptom grouping best represent the data, we used CFA and compared a single-domain model to 3- and 6-domains. We examined fit statistics to assess relative and absolute model fit. Motivated by differences in the prevalence of some individual symptoms by sex in our study, we also examined model invariance by sex to determine if symptoms were being measured as part of the same underlying construct(s).

RESULTS: Among 1160 concussions (male, n = 667; female, n = 493) between 2015 and 2020, all 3 symptom structures seemed to fit the data well, with 3- and 6-domains fitting better than 1-domain. The 6-domain structure fit the data best with the following domains: headache, vestibulo-ocular, sensory, cognitive, sleep, and affective. All 3 structures showed configural and metric invariance by sex.

CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that the SCAT symptom structure is best represented through 6 specific factors; however, the 3-factor model also demonstrated good fit. Key differences between the 3- and 6-domain models may make 1 model more appropriate than the other depending on the research question being addressed. Symptom structures were configurally and metrically invariant by sex, meaning that symptom measures represent symptom domain factors in the same way across sex.

INTRODUCTION: Readmission within 90 days of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) via an emergency department (ED) encounter represents a significant economic burden to the healthcare system. We aimed to determine the utility of a previously described readmission risk assessment tool (RRAT) in predicting readmission after presentation to the ED within 90 days of primary TJA.

METHODS: At a single academic tertiary referral medical center, a retrospective chart review was used to collect demographic data, surgery type, medical history, reason for presentation in the ED, and ED disposition for the 1,576 patients who underwent TJA between April 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018. The RRAT score of patients was calculated and compared between patients who were discharged home versus readmitted to inpatient care.

RESULTS: We identified 244 patients (328 encounters) who presented to the ED within 90 days of primary TJA, resulting in a 3.1% readmission rate. No statistical difference was found between the RRAT scores of readmitted and discharged patients (p=0.24). The most common reason for presentation to the ED for discharged patients was surgical site pain compared to medical concerns (cardiac, hematological, and renal concerns) in the readmitted group.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the RRAT score alone is not predictive of readmission within 90 days of TJA, the reason for presentation to the ED between discharged and readmitted patients does differ. These results present an opportunity for orthopedic surgery providers to discuss with other providers ways to optimize postoperative pain management and decrease readmissions. This study underscores the need for improved postoperative pain and chronic condition management to reduce ED visits and readmissions and highlights the necessity for larger, multi-center studies to better assess the RRAT score's predictive value.

Treatment of symptomatic thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint synovitis can be challenging. Surgical options in these patients are often limited due to the patient's youth and lack of arthrosis. One of the most commonly used techniques involves the use of the flexor carpi radialis to reconstruct the ligamentous complex of the thumb CMC joint. This technique is technically challenging and involves a wide exposure to the CMC joint. Furthermore, outcomes data on this technique are relatively lacking. We propose a novel minimally invasive technique to confer stability to the thumb CMC joint in the setting of persistent subluxation/synovitis using the Arthrex MiniTightrope system. Our clinical results are encouraging at mean 24 months postoperative with nearly all patients experiencing both statistically and clinically meaningful improvements in QuickDASH and Visual Analog Scale pain scores.