Performance feedback in healthcare organizations: The role of accountability measures and competition.

This study examines the impact of accountability arrangements in the form of performance feedback on organizational behaviors among healthcare organizations. Specifically, it evaluates the effectiveness of a performance management program implemented in South Korean healthcare settings, focusing on antibiotic prescription patterns. The study presents three key findings. First, significant performance improvement occurred mainly among low performing organizations. Second, public healthcare organizations exhibited greater performance enhancements compared to their private counterparts. Third, organizational responses to performance feedback were more pronounced when robust competition prevailed among the assessed healthcare institutions. This synergy between performance management and competitive environments was primarily evident in private organizations.

Diagnostic Journey of Korean Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

PURPOSE: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease characterized by the loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem, leading to muscle atrophy and weakness. To understand the diagnostic process of Korean patients with SMA, we analyzed their clinical characteristics and challenges. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 38 patients with SMA (9 type II and 29 type III) between January 2000 and September 2023. Clinical, laboratory, and genetic data were reviewed. RESULTS: The median ages at symptom onset and diagnosis were 3.0 years [interquartile range (IQR): 1.0-7.3 years] and 25.0 years (IQR: 10.5-37.3 years), respectively. The median diagnostic delay was 19.6 years (IQR: 6.4-31.0 years). A significantly longer delay was observed in SMA type III patients (median: 21.0 years, IQR: 11.0-31.0 years) compared to SMA type II patients (median: 3.0 years, IQR: 0.9-21.0 years) (p=0.021). No significant difference was observed in the number of clinic visits before diagnosis between patients with SMA type II (median: 2.0, IQR: 1.0-4.5) and those with type III (median: 2.0, IQR: 2.0-6.0, p=0.282). The number of clinic visits before diagnosis showed no significant association with the age at symptom onset and diagnosis (p=0.998 and 0.291, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our investigation is the first examination of the diagnostic journey of Korean patients with SMA. As treatments for SMA progress, the significance of an accurate diagnosis has increased, highlighting the importance of reviewing the diagnostic advancements made thus far.

Presoaking hamstring autograft with vancomycin does not jeopardize its biomechanical properties, including graft elongation, after cyclic loading.

PURPOSE: Presoaking the graft with vancomycin before implantation has been shown to reduce the risk of postoperative infection after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). However, the effects of presoaking on the graft biomechanical properties remain unclear. This study aimed to determine whether presoaking the graft with vancomycin affects the graft biomechanical properties and length after cyclic loading. METHODS: Ten paired (20 specimens) gracilis and semitendinous tendons were harvested from fresh-frozen human cadaveric specimens. Two tendons were folded in half to make four strands, and the grafts were randomized into the vancomycin and control groups. The graft was exposed to the antibiotic solution for 15 min (5 mg/mL) and prepared by mixing 1 g of vancomycin with 200 mL of normal saline (NaCl 0.9%). The control group was soaked in normal saline for 15 min. The prepared grafts were attached to the actuator of a dynamic tensile-testing machine. All grafts were tested with 3000 cycles of cyclic loading followed by a pull-to-failure. The cyclic loading protocol consisted of position and load control blocks to simulate the graft in vivo in the postoperative phase after ACLR. RESULTS: Presoaking in vancomycin did not jeopardize the biomechanical properties of the graft. In addition, presoaking with vancomycin did not elongate the grafts. No significant differences were found in the mean Young's modulus and the mean total elongation of the graft of the specimen between the vancomycin group and the control group. CONCLUSION: Presoaking the graft with vancomycin jeopardized neither its biomechanical properties nor elongation even after cyclic loading in this in vitro study. It is suggested that vancomycin presoaking could be considered a safe and effective preventive measure for postoperative infections after ACLR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Not applicable.

Compound Heterozygous Mutations of SACS in a Korean Cohort Study of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Concurrent Cerebellar Ataxia and Spasticity.

Mutations in the SACS gene are associated with autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay disease (ARSACS) or complex clinical phenotypes of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). This study aimed to identify SACS mutations in a Korean CMT cohort with cerebellar ataxia and spasticity by whole exome sequencing (WES). As a result, eight pathogenic SACS mutations in four families were identified as the underlying causes of these complex phenotypes. The prevalence of CMT families with SACS mutations was determined to be 0.3%. All the patients showed sensory, motor, and gait disturbances with increased deep tendon reflexes. Lower limb magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in four patients and all had fatty replacements. Of note, they all had similar fatty infiltrations between the proximal and distal lower limb muscles, different from the neuromuscular imaging feature in most CMT patients without SACS mutations who had distal dominant fatty involvement. Therefore, these findings were considered a characteristic feature in CMT patients with SACS mutations. Although further studies with more cases are needed, our results highlight lower extremity MRI findings in CMT patients with SACS mutations and broaden the clinical spectrum. We suggest screening for SACS in recessive CMT patients with complex phenotypes of ataxia and spasticity.

Clinical Application of Optical Genome Mapping for Molecular Diagnosis of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy.

Background: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a common form of muscular dystrophy that mainly affects skeletal muscle. FSHD1 accounts for 95% of all FSHD cases and can be diagnosed based on the pathogenic contraction of the D4Z4-repeat array on chromosome 4q35. Genetic diagnosis of FSHD1 is challenging because of the large size and repetitive nature of the D4Z4 region. We evaluated the clinical applicability of optical genome mapping (OGM) for the genetic diagnosis of FSHD1. Methods: We included 25 individuals with clinically confirmed or suspected/probable FSHD and their families. Ultra-high-molecular-weight DNA from peripheral blood was labeled, stained, and imaged using a single-molecule OGM platform (Bionano Genomics Saphyr system). D4Z4 repeat size and haplotype information were analyzed using the manufacturer's dedicated pipeline. We also compared the workflow and test time between Southern blot analysis and OGM. Results: We obtained concordant OGM and Southern blot results with 10 samples from patients with clinically confirmed FSHD. The D4Z4 repeat size differed within 1 unit between the Southern blot analysis and OGM. Among nine patients with clinically suspected or probable FSHD, six patients were confirmed to have pathogenic contractions by OGM. In our cohort, one de novo mosaic FSHD1 patient was successfully diagnosed with OGM. Moreover, OGM has a more straightforward and less time-consuming workflow than Southern blot analysis. Conclusions: OGM enables accurate and reliable detection of pathogenic contraction of the D4Z4-repeat array and is a valuable tool for the genetic diagnosis of FSHD1.

Impact of COVID-19 Infection and Its Association With Previous Vaccination in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis in Korea: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) were more susceptible to poor outcomes owing to respiratory muscle weakness and immunotherapy. Several studies conducted in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic reported higher mortality in patients with MG compared to the general population. This study aimed to investigate the clinical course and prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with MG and to compare these parameters between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients in South Korea. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study, which was conducted at 14 tertiary hospitals in South Korea, reviewed the medical records and identified MG patients who contracted COVID-19 between February 2022 and April 2022. The demographic and clinical characteristics associated with MG and vaccination status were collected. The clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infection and MG were investigated and compared between the vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. RESULTS: Ninety-two patients with MG contracted COVID-19 during the study. Nine (9.8%) patients required hospitalization, 4 (4.3%) of whom were admitted to the intensive care unit. Seventy-five of 92 patients were vaccinated before contracting COVID-19 infection, and 17 were not. During the COVID-19 infection, 6 of 17 (35.3%) unvaccinated patients were hospitalized, whereas 3 of 75 (4.0%) vaccinated patients were hospitalized (P < 0.001). The frequencies of ICU admission and mechanical ventilation were significantly lower in the vaccinated patients than in the unvaccinated patients (P = 0.019 and P = 0.032, respectively). The rate of MG deterioration was significantly lower in the vaccinated patients than in the unvaccinated patients (P = 0.041). Logistic regression after weighting revealed that the risk of hospitalization and MG deterioration after COVID-19 infection was significantly lower in the vaccinated patients than in the unvaccinated patients. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the clinical course and prognosis of patients with MG who contracted COVID-19 during the dominance of the omicron variant of COVID-19 may be milder than those at the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic when vaccination was unavailable. Vaccination may reduce the morbidity of COVID-19 in patients with MG and effectively prevent MG deterioration induced by COVID-19 infection.

Global carrier frequency and predicted genetic prevalence of patients with pathogenic sequence variants in autosomal recessive genetic neuromuscular diseases.

Genetic neuromuscular diseases are clinically and genetically heterogeneous genetic disorders that primarily affect the peripheral nerves, muscles, and neuromuscular junctions. This study aimed to identify pathogenic variants, calculate carrier frequency, and predict the genetic prevalence of autosomal recessive neuromuscular diseases (AR-NMDs). We selected 268 AR-NMD genes and analyzed their genetic variants sourced from the gnomAD database. After identifying the pathogenic variants using an algorithm, we calculated the carrier frequency and predicted the genetic prevalence of AR-NMDs. In total, 10,887 pathogenic variants were identified, including 3848 literature verified and 7039 manually verified variants. In the global population, the carrier frequency of AR-NMDs is 32.9%, with variations across subpopulations ranging from 22.4% in the Finnish population to 36.2% in the non-Finnish European population. The predicted genetic prevalence of AR-NMDs was estimated to be 24.3 cases per 100,000 individuals worldwide, with variations across subpopulations ranging from 26.5 to 41.4 cases per 100,000 individuals in the Latino/Admixed American and the Ashkenazi Jewish populations, respectively. The AR-NMD gene with the highest carrier frequency was GAA (1.3%) and the variant with the highest allele frequency was c.-32-13 T>G in GAA with 0.0033 in the global population. Our study revealed a higher-than-expected frequency of AR-NMD carriers, constituting approximately one-third of the global population, highlighting ethnic heterogeneity in genetic susceptibility.

Is Prophylactic Antibiotic Use Necessary Before Dental Procedures in Primary and Revision TKA? A Propensity Score-matched, Large-database Study.

BACKGROUND: The question of whether dental procedures increase the risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in patients who have undergone total joint arthroplasty (TJA) remains controversial. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Are dental procedures associated with an increased incidence of PJI in the setting of either primary or revision TKA after controlling for relevant potentially confounding variables? (2) Is the administration of prophylactic antibiotics before dental procedures associated with any differences in this risk? (3) Which factors are associated with increased incidence of PJI after dental procedures? METHODS: This nationwide, retrospective, comparative, large-database study evaluated 591,602 patients who underwent unilateral primary or revision TKA between 2009 and 2019 using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data in South Korea, in which all people in South Korea were registered and to which all medical institutions must charge any procedures they performed. The study population was divided into 530,156 patients with dental procedures and 61,446 patients without dental procedures based on whether the patients underwent a dental procedure at least 1 year after the index surgery. After propensity score matching, patients were classified into a dental (n = 182,052) and a nondental cohort (n = 61,422). The dental cohort was then divided into two groups: 66,303 patients with prophylactic antibiotics and 115,749 patients without prophylactic antibiotics based on prophylactic antibiotic use. After propensity score matching, patients were categorized into prophylactic (n = 66,277) and nonprophylactic (n = 66,277) cohorts. Propensity score matching was used to control for covariates including posttraumatic arthritis associated with PJI risk according to the dental procedure and prophylactic antibiotic use among the cohorts. After propensity score matching, the standardized mean difference was confirmed to be less than 0.1 for all variables. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Dental procedures were not associated with an increase in PJI risk after primary (adjusted HR 1.56 [95% CI 0.30 to 8.15]; p = 0.60) or revision TKA (adjusted HR 1.74 [95% CI 0.90 to 3.34]; p = 0.10). Additionally, use of prophylactic antibiotics was not associated with a reduced PJI risk after the index surgery, either for primary (adjusted HR 1.28 [95% CI 0.30 to 5.42]; p = 0.74) or revision TKA (adjusted HR 0.74 [95% CI 0.45 to 1.23]; p = 0.25). Although surgery type and prophylactic antibiotic use exhibited no influence on PJI occurrence after dental procedures, posttraumatic arthritis was associated with PJI. The adjusted HR for posttraumatic arthritis was 4.54 (p = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that dental procedures were not associated with an increased risk of PJI for up to 2 years after the dental procedure in patients who underwent either primary or revision TKA. Based on these findings, there is insufficient rationale for the use of prophylactic antibiotics before dental procedures in patients who have undergone primary or revision TKA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

Germinal centers are associated with postthymectomy myasthenia gravis in patients with thymoma.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Germinal centers (GCs) can be observed in the thymic tissues of patients with thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis (MG). Although an association between thymic GCs and MG has been suggested, it is unknown whether the presence of GCs could predict the development of MG after the resection of thymoma, known as postthymectomy MG. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of previously nonmyasthenic patients who underwent surgical removal of the thymoma. All available thymic tissue slides were rereviewed by a pathologist to assess for GCs. Patients were classified into GC-positive and GC-negative groups based on the presence of GCs. The incidence of postthymectomy MG was compared between the two groups, and the risk factors for postthymectomy MG were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 196 previously nonmyasthenic patients who underwent thymoma resection, 21 were GC-positive, whereas 175 were GC-negative. Postthymectomy MG developed in 11 (5.6%) patients and showed a higher incidence in the GC-positive group than in the GC-negative group (33.3% vs. 2.3%, p < 0.001). No postoperative radiotherapy and the presence of GCs were risk factors for postthymectomy MG in the univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, invasive thymoma (hazard ratio [HR] = 9.835, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.358-105.372), postoperative radiotherapy (HR = 0.160, 95% CI = 0.029-0.893), and presence of GCs (HR = 15.834, 95% CI = 3.742-67.000) were significantly associated with postthymectomy MG. CONCLUSIONS: Thymic GCs may be a significant risk factor for postthymectomy MG. Even in patients with thymoma who do not show clinical symptoms of MG, postthymectomy MG should be considered, especially if thymic GCs are observed.

Visible-Light Communication with Lighting: RGB Wavelength Division Multiplexing OLEDs/OPDs Platform.

A multichannel/multicolor visible light communication (VLC) system using entirely organic components, including organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photodiodes (OPDs), is developed to demonstrate indoor lighting applications where the integration of OLEDs and OPDs has significant potential. To achieve this, tricolor (Red/Green/Blue(R/G/B))-selective OPD arrays for the receiver and tricolor OLED arrays for the emitter are developed. For (R/G/B)-selective OPDs, a Fabry-Pérot electrode to enhance color selectivity and a thick junction structure to effectively accommodate a wide range of driving voltages are introduced. For tricolor OLEDs, fluorescent-emitting materials are used to enhance the operating frequency in addition to introducing a cavity structure to achieve narrow emission. Utilizing these spectrally refined tricolor OPDs/OLEDs, a VLC system is designed for indoor lighting applications, and a systematic analysis of their signal-to-interference ratio dependence on the distance or angle between the transmitter and receiver is performed. The study's findings indicate the importance of emission angle-dependent wavelength shift of the OLED and the luminosity function, which varies with wavelength, in the R/G/B mixed-white-light-based VLC systems. Finally, the feasibility of VLC using tricolor OPDs/OLEDs in the real-life context of indoor white-color lighting is demonstrated, showing that the transmitted data patterns well-matched the received data patterns.

Analysis of radiographic factors affecting the significant differences in knee alignment between hip-to-talus and hip-to-calcaneus radiographs after opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy.

BACKGROUND: Optimal alignment after opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) is crucial for obtaining good clinical results. A hip-to-calcaneus radiograph (HCR) appears to reflect the true mechanical axis. However, no study has been reported using the HCR in patients who underwent OWHTO. We aimed to analyze the radiographic factors affecting the significant difference in the weight-bearing line (WBL) ratio between two radiographs after opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO). METHODS: This retrospective study included 51 patients who underwent both hip-to-talus radiographs (HTR) and HCR after OWHTO. The patients were divided into two groups; a consistent group (WBL ratio difference between postoperative HTR and HCR < 5%; N = 35) and an inconsistent group (> 5%; N = 16). Radiographic variables for lower extremity alignment, knee and ankle joints, and clinical scores were evaluated. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the threshold of radiographic variables that induced inconsistencies between the two radiographs. RESULTS: The mean postoperative WBL ratio in the HCR of the inconsistent group was significantly higher than that of the consistent group (57.7 ± 13.2% and 49.1 ± 11.6%, respectively) (P = 0.02). The preoperative and postoperative ankle joint line obliquity (AJLO) and preoperative lateral distal tibia ground surface angle (LDTGA) were significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.05). The preoperative AJLO (odds ratio 0.784, confidence interval 0.655-0.939, P = 0.008) significantly affected WBL ratio inconsistency. The cutoff value of the preoperative AJLO was 3.16°. However, clinical scores did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The pre-and postoperative AJLO and the preoperative LDTGA were significantly different between the two groups. Among these variables, only preoperative AJLO negatively affected the inconsistency in WBL ratios between the two radiographs (HTT and HTC). Therefore, it should be considered to prevent postoperative overcorrection of the true mechanical axis after OWHTO, even though we corrected it properly. Level of evidence Level IV.

Transcriptome analysis of skeletal muscle in dermatomyositis, polymyositis, and dysferlinopathy, using a bioinformatics approach.

Background: Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are two distinct subgroups of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Dysferlinopathy, caused by a dysferlin gene mutation, usually presents in late adolescence with muscle weakness, degenerative muscle changes are often accompanied by inflammatory infiltrates, often resulting in a misdiagnosis as polymyositis. Objective: To identify differential biological pathways and hub genes related to polymyositis, dermatomyositis and dysferlinopathy using bioinformatics analysis for understanding the pathomechanisms and providing guidance for therapy development. Methods: We analyzed intramuscular ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing data from seven dermatomyositis, eight polymyositis, eight dysferlinopathy and five control subjects. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by using DESeq2. Enrichment analyses were performed to understand the functions and enriched pathways of DEGs. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and clarified the gene cluster using the molecular complex detection tool (MCODE) analysis to identify hub genes. Results: A total of 1,048, 179 and 3,807 DEGs were detected in DM, PM and dysferlinopathy, respectively. Enrichment analyses revealed that upregulated DEGs were involved in type 1 interferon (IFN1) signaling pathway in DM, antigen processing and presentation of peptide antigen in PM, and cellular response to stimuli in dysferlinopathy. The PPI network and MCODE cluster identified 23 genes related to type 1 interferon signaling pathway in DM, 4 genes (PDIA3, HLA-C, B2M, and TAP1) related to MHC class 1 formation and quality control in PM, and 7 genes (HSPA9, RPTOR, MTOR, LAMTOR1, LAMTOR5, ATP6V0D1, and ATP6V0B) related to cellular response to stress in dysferliniopathy. Conclusion: Overexpression of genes related to the IFN1 signaling pathway and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I formation was identified in DM and PM, respectively. In dysferlinopathy, overexpression of HSPA9 and the mTORC1 signaling pathway genes was detected.

Conditional diagnostic accuracy according to inflammation status and age for diagnosing tuberculous effusion.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous effusion varies from lymphocyte-dominant to neutrophilic effusion according to inflammation status. The criteria of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and lymphocyte/neutrophil (L/N) ratio have yet not been evaluated across different disease conditions. METHODS: Patients who conducted pleural fluid analysis from 2009 to 2019 at Asan Medical Center were included. Criteria (ADA of 50 and L/N ratio of 0.75) were evaluated by quantile subgroups according to age, C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC), and lactate dehydrogenase (LD) by the Monte Carlo simulation method to diagnose tuberculosis. The model for the ADA and L/N ratio was evaluated by AUROC. RESULTS: Among the 2,918 reviewed cases, 2034 were included with 229 (11.26%) tuberculosis cases. The mean baseline ADA AUROC was 0.88 across all patients. Increased CRP and WBC showed high proportions of neutrophilic tuberculous effusion, with low sensitivity of approximately 45% and 33% in the fifth WBC and CRP groups, respectively. The AUROC of the models decreased with the increase in WBC and CRP groups (ADA model: 0.69 [the top quantile WBC group], 0.74 [the top quantile CRP group]). The AUROC of the models did not show a trend according to the increase in LD and age. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory status affects the diagnostic metrics for tuberculous effusion due to the progression of tuberculous effusion. Clinicians should consider the low accuracy of tuberculous effusion criteria in high-inflammatory conditions when diagnosing tuberculosis.

Clinical significance of anti-NT5c1A autoantibody in Korean patients with inflammatory myopathies.

To explore the clinical significance of anti-cytosolic 5'-nucleoditase 1A (NT5c1A) antibody seropositivity in inflammatory myopathies, we measured anti-NT5c1A antibodies and analyzed their clinical features. Anti-NT5c1A antibodies were measured in the sera of 103 patients with inflammatory myopathies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Positivity for anti-NT5c1A antibody was found in 13 (12.6%) of 103 patients with inflammatory myopathy. Anti-NT5c1A antibody was most frequently identified in patients with inclusion body myositis (IBM) (8/20, 40%), followed by dermatomyositis (2/13, 15.4%), immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (2/28, 7.1%), and polymyositis (1/42, 2.4%). In eight patients with the anti-NT5c1A antibody-seropositive IBM, the median age at symptom onset was 54 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 48-57 years), and the median disease duration was 34 months (IQR: 24-50 months]. Knee extension weakness was greater than or equal to hip flexion weakness in eight (100%) patients, and finger flexion strength was less than shoulder abduction in three (38%) patients. Dysphagia symptoms were found in three (38%) patients. The median serum CK level was 581 IU/l (IQR: 434-868 IU/L]. Clinically significant differences were not found between anti-NT5c1A antibody-seropositive and seronegative IBM groups with respect to gender, age at symptom onset, age at diagnosis, disease duration, serum CK values, presence of other autoantibodies, dysphagia, and the pattern of muscle impairment. Although anti-NT5c1A antibody is known to be associated with IBM, seropositivity has also been noted in non-IBM inflammatory myopathies, and is insufficient to have clinical significance by itself. These findings have important implications for interpreting anti-NT5c1A antibody test results as the first study in Korea.

Differences in Resumption of Orthopedic Surgery According to Characteristics of Surgery during COVID-19 Pandemic: National Registry Data.

Background: Healthcare services have been restricted after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. With the pandemic still ongoing, the patterns of orthopedic surgery might have changed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the reduced volumes of orthopedic surgery were recovered over time. Among the trauma and elective surgery, which accounted for most orthopedic surgical procedures, we also sought to elucidate whether the changes in the volumes of orthopedic surgery differed according to the type of surgery. Methods: The volumes of orthopedic surgery were analyzed using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service of Korea databases. The surgical procedure codes were categorized depending on the characteristics of the procedures. The actual volumes of surgery were compared with the expected volumes to elucidate the effect of COVID-19 on surgical volumes. The expected volumes of surgery were estimated using Poisson regression models. Results: The reducing effect of COVID-19 on the volumes of orthopedic surgery weakened as COVID-19 continued. Although the total volumes of orthopedic surgery decreased by 8.5%-10.1% in the first wave, those recovered to a 2.2%-2.8% decrease from the expected volumes during the second and third waves. Among the trauma and elective surgery, open reduction and internal fixation and cruciate ligament reconstruction decreased as COVID-19 continued, while total knee arthroplasty recovered. However, the volumes of hemiarthroplasty of the hip did not decrease through the year. Conclusions: The number of orthopedic surgeries, which had decreased due to COVID-19, tended to recover over time, although the pandemic was still ongoing. However, the degree of resumption differed according to the characteristics of surgery. The findings of our study will be helpful to estimate the burden of orthopedic surgery in the era of persistent COVID-19.

Relationship Between Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Rates and Rare But Potentially Fatal Adverse Events: A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of Western Countries.

BACKGROUND: Owing to limited experience with the new vaccine platforms, discussion of vaccine safety is inevitable. However, media coverage of adverse events of special interest could influence the vaccination rate; thus, evaluating the outcomes of adverse events of special interest influencing vaccine administration is crucial. METHODS: We conducted regression discontinuity in time analysis to calculate the local average treatment effect (LATE) using datasets from Our World in Data and Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. For the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, the cutoff points were April 23rd and June 23rd, April 7th, and the 14th week of 2021, respectively. RESULTS: The LATE of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting held on April 23rd was -0.249 for all vaccines, -0.133 (-0.189 to -0.076) for Pfizer, -0.064 (-0.115 to -0.012) for Moderna, and -0.038 (-0.047 to -0.030) for Johnson & Johnson. Discontinuities were observed for all three types of vaccines in the United States. The June 23rd meeting of the ACIP (mRNA vaccines and myocarditis) did not convene any discontinuities. Furthermore, there was no significant drop in the weekly average vaccination rates in Europe following the European Medicines Agency (EMA) statement on April 7th. Conversely, there was a significant drop in the first-dose vaccination rates in the United Kingdom related to the EMA report. The first-dose vaccination rate for all vaccines changed by -0.104 (-0.176 to -0.032). CONCLUSION: Although monitoring and reporting of adverse events of special interest are important, a careful approach towards public announcements is warranted.

Transcriptome profiling of skeletal muscles from Korean patients with Bethlem myopathy.

Bethlem myopathy is one of the collagens VI-related muscular dystrophies caused by mutations in the collagen VI genes. The study was designed to analyze the gene expression profiles in the skeletal muscle of patients with Bethlem myopathy. Six skeletal muscle samples from 3 patients with Bethlem myopathy and 3 control subjects were analyzed by RNA-sequencing. 187 transcripts were significantly differentially expressed, with 157 upregulated and 30 downregulated transcripts in the Bethlem group. Particularly, 1 (microRNA-133b) was considerably upregulated, and 4 long intergenic non-protein coding RNAs, LINC01854, MBNL1-AS1, LINC02609, and LOC728975, were significantly downregulated. We categorized differentially expressed gene using Gene Ontology and showed that Bethlem myopathy is strongly associated with the organization of extracellular matrix (ECM). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment reflected themes with significant enrichment of the ECM-receptor interaction (hsa04512), complement and coagulation cascades (hsa04610), and focal adhesion (hsa04510). We confirmed that Bethlem myopathy is strongly associated with the organization of ECM and the wound healing process. Our results demonstrate transcriptome profiling of Bethlem myopathy, and provide new insights into the path mechanism of Bethlem myopathy associated with non-protein coding RNAs.

Clinical and Radiological Features of Korean Patients With Anti-HMGCR Myopathy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To understand the characteristics of Korean patients with anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenxyme A reductase (HMGCR) myopathy, we measured anti-HMGCR antibodies and analyzed the clinical, radiological, and pathological features of patients with anti-HMGCR myopathy. METHODS: We measured titers of anti-HMGCR antibodies in the sera of 99 patients with inflammatory myopathy, 36 patients with genetic myopathy, and 63 healthy subjects using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We tested 16 myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) in all patients with anti-HMGCR myopathy. RESULTS: Positivity for the anti-HMGCR antibody was observed in 17 (4 males and 13 females) of 99 patients with inflammatory myopathy. The median age at symptom onset was 60 years. Ten (59%) of the patients with anti-HMGCR positivity had taken statins. The titer of anti-HMGCR antibodies was significantly higher in the statin-naïve group (median=230 U/mL, interquartile range=170-443 U/mL) than in the statin-exposed group (median=178 U/mL, interquartile range=105-210 U/mL, p=0.045). The most common symptom was proximal muscle weakness in 15 patients (88%), followed by myalgia in 9 (53%), neck weakness in 4 (24%), dysphagia in 3 (18%), and skin lesions in 2 (12%). The median titer of anti-HMGCR antibody was 202 U/mL. We found eight different MSAs in nine (53%) patients. The median disease duration from symptom onset to diagnosis was significantly shorter in the MSA-positive group than in the MSA-negative group (p=0.027). CONCLUSIONS: Our study was the first to measure anti-HMGCR antibodies in inflammatory myopathy. It has provided new findings, including the suggestion of the coexistence of other MSAs in Korean patients.

Epidemiology and comorbidities in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is frequently accompanied by comorbidities, with the management of these comorbidities crucial for clinical outcomes. This study investigated the prevalence, incidence, changes over time, and clinical impact of comorbidities in IPF patients, based on nationwide claims data in South Korea. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilised nationwide health claim data in South Korea between 2011 and 2019. Patients with IPF were defined as those with ICD-10 code J84.1 and Rare Intractable Disease code V236 who made at least one claim per year. Patients were classified by sex, age, pirfenidone use and burden of comorbidities, and differences among groups were determined. RESULTS: The yearly prevalence rate of IPF increased from 7.50 to 23.20 per 100,000 people, and the yearly incidence rate increased from 3.56 to 7.91 per 100,000 person-years over time. The most common respiratory comorbidity was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (37.34%), followed by lung cancer (3.34%), whereas the most common non-respiratory comorbidities were gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (70.83%), dyslipidaemia (62.93%) and hypertension (59.04%). The proportion of some comorbidities differed by sex, age and use of pirfenidone. The proportion of lung cancer was higher in patients treated with pirfenidone, whereas the proportion of anxiety and depression were lower in patients not treated with pirfenidone. Charlson comorbidity index ≥ 4 was associated with increases in hospitalisations and total medical costs. CONCLUSIONS: The yearly prevalence and incidence of IPF and comorbidities in Korea increased over time. These comorbidities affected the use of pirfenidone and medical resources.