The Effectiveness of Aquatic Therapy on Motor and Social Skill as Well as Executive Function in Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the evidence on the efficacy of aquatic therapy on motor and social skill as well as executive function compared with land-based exercises in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. DATA SOURCES: The following 6 databases were searched: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Google scholar (advance), and Web of Science from 1990 to June 2022. STUDY SELECTION: The search included only clinical trials. Two reviewers independently assessed the full text and conducted manuscript selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. DATA EXTRACTION: Using standardized forms, data were extracted and all points of disagreement were discussed between authors. DATA SYNTHESIS: Data synthesis was applied to summarize information from the included trials. The quantitative analysis incorporated fixed-effect models. Of the 150 studies identified in the initial search, 16 trials (248 children) met the eligibility criteria. Aquatic therapy improved factors related to the Humphries' Assessment of Aquatic Readiness (HAAR) checklist such as mental adjustment (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20-1.19; I2=10%) compared with land-based exercises (control), water environment (SMD, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.43-1.54; I2=83%), Rotation (SMD, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.14-1.12; I2=0%), balance and control (SMD, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.47-2.72; I2=36%) and independent movement (eg, walking, moving upper body, standing, transferring) in water (SMD, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.37-1.38; I2=0%) compared with the control group in the 4 trails. The HAAR tool is based on the Halliwick method and aims to assess the appropriateness for an individual with disability to engage in aquatic therapy. The study protocol was also registered with PROSPERO number CRD42022341898. CONCLUSION: Aquatic therapy demonstrated a more robust positive effect on factors related to the HAAR checklist than land-based exercises. Further research is needed to further elucidate the clinical utility of aquatic therapy for children with neurodevelopmental disorder at long-term follow-up.

The role of telehealth in the care of musculoskeletal pain conditions after COVID-19.

The rise of virtual medicine through the use of e-Health technology was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and remains a vital part of health care delivery today. Telehealth, a virtual health care delivery system through either electronic or telecommunication technology, may improve the ability to deliver care in resource poor areas or where barriers to access occur. Despite the obvious advantages to telehealth, the efficacy of virtual visits when compared to face-to-face health care interactions is a topic of much debate, especially with regards to areas of medicine which rely heavily on physical examination or demonstration of therapeutic exercises and movements. In this commentary, we review the efficacy of telehealth with a focus on prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal pain conditions, and explore areas for future research.

Teleexercise for geriatric patients with failed back surgery syndrome.

Introduction: Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is defined as back pain which either persists after attempted surgical intervention or originates after a spine surgery. There is a high risk of perioperative morbidity and a high likelihood of extensive revision surgery in geriatric patients with FBSS or post-laminectomy foraminal stenosis. Methods: There is a need for less invasive methodologies for the treatment of FBSS, such as patient-tailored exercise training, with attention to the cost and special needs of the geriatric patients with FBSS. This commentary will provide some background regarding teleexercise (utilizing an internet-based platform for the provision of exercise-related care) for FBSS and will propose three exercises which are easy to administer over online-based platforms and can be the subject of future investigation. Results: Given the documented benefits of regular rehabilitative exercises for patients with FBSS, the high cost of face-to-face services, and the need for infection mitigation in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, teleexercise may be a practical and cost-beneficial method of exercise delivery, especially for geriatric patients with limitations in mobility and access to care. It should be noted that, prescription of these exercises should be done after face-to-face evaluation by the physician and careful evaluation for any "red flag" symptoms. Conclusion: In this commentary, we will suggest three practical exercise training methodologies and discuss the benefits of teleexercise for geriatric patients with FBSS. Future research should aim to assess the efficacy of these exercises, especially when administered through telehealth platforms.

Evaluating the Quality and Usability of Artificial Intelligence-Generated Responses to Common Patient Questions in Foot and Ankle Surgery.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, such as ChatGPT, have become increasingly popular outlets for the consumption and distribution of health care-related advice. Because of a lack of regulation and oversight, the reliability of health care-related responses has become a topic of controversy in the medical community. To date, no study has explored the quality of AI-derived information as it relates to common foot and ankle pathologies. This study aims to assess the quality and educational benefit of ChatGPT responses to common foot and ankle-related questions. Methods: ChatGPT was asked a series of 5 questions, including "What is the optimal treatment for ankle arthritis?" "How should I decide on ankle arthroplasty versus ankle arthrodesis?" "Do I need surgery for Jones fracture?" "How can I prevent Charcot arthropathy?" and "Do I need to see a doctor for my ankle sprain?" Five responses (1 per each question) were included after applying the exclusion criteria. The content was graded using DISCERN (a well-validated informational analysis tool) and AIRM (a self-designed tool for exercise evaluation). Results: Health care professionals graded the ChatGPT-generated responses as bottom tier 4.5% of the time, middle tier 27.3% of the time, and top tier 68.2% of the time. Conclusion: Although ChatGPT and other related AI platforms have become a popular means for medical information distribution, the educational value of the AI-generated responses related to foot and ankle pathologies was variable. With 4.5% of responses receiving a bottom-tier rating, 27.3% of responses receiving a middle-tier rating, and 68.2% of responses receiving a top-tier rating, health care professionals should be aware of the high viewership of variable-quality content easily accessible on ChatGPT. Level of Evidence: Level III, cross sectional study.

Opioid Legislation Decreases Opioid Prescribing in Total Knee Arthroplasty.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of opioid-limiting legislation on perioperative opioid prescriptions in total knee arthroplasty. The hypothesis was that opioid legislation has reduced opioid prescription filling above levels anticipated by national trends. This study retrospectively evaluated opioid prescription filling for all patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty in a commercially available insurance database between 2010 and 2018 (n=1,068,764). Initial discharge and 90-day cumulative oxycodone 5-mg equivalents filled were tabulated. Opioid prescription filling was evaluated over time and between states with and without opioid-limiting legislation using analysis of variance and multivariable linear and logistic regression. States with and without opioid legislation had significant reductions in initial and cumulative opioid prescription filling volume (all P<.001). However, the magnitude of this reduction was larger in states with opioid legislation. Legislation targeting duration and volume had the largest impact on initial post-act opioid prescription filling volume compared with states without legislation in an estimated "pre-act" time frame. Legislation targeting duration and volume and no specific target had the largest impact on cumulative post-act opioid prescription filling volume. States without legislation still had large, significant reductions in filling volume, but the magnitude was not as great as in states with opioid legislation. States with and without opioid legislation had significant decreases in initial and cumulative opioid prescription filling volume. However, the magnitude of reduction was larger in states that enacted legislation. Younger age, pre-operative opioid use, and higher comorbidity burden were associated with greater opioid use postoperatively. [Orthopedics. 2023;46(3):142-150.].

Does Bracing Control the Progression of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in Curves Higher Than 40°? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Routinely, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) curves that progress beyond 40° in skeletally immature adolescents require surgery. However, some adolescents with AIS and their parents utterly refuse surgery and insist on wearing a brace. Debate continues regarding the appropriateness of bracing for AIS curves exceeding 40° in patients who have rejected surgical intervention. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to review the literature on the effectiveness of bracing and its predictive factors in largermagnitude AIS curves ≥40°. This study replicated the search strategy used by the PICOS system for formulating study questions, which include consideration of the patient/population (P), intervention (I), comparison (C), outcome (O), and study design (S). The search was conducted up to January 2022 in the following bibliographic online databases only in the English language: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. Two assessors reviewed the articles for qualification. Eligible studies were assessed for risk of bias at the study level using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The effect size across the studies was determined using standardized mean differences (Cohen's d) and 95% confidence intervals for the meta-analysis. Among the eight included moderate quality studies, evidence of potential publication bias (p <0.05) for the trials included was found in the Cobb angle outcome. Results obtained through meta-analysis indicated that the effectiveness of bracing in controlling Cobb angle progression in curves ≥40° is significantly positive. Additionally, initial curve severity, Risser stage, in-brace curve correction, curve type, and apical vertebral rotation were considered risk factors associated with brace effectiveness. This systematic review revealed that bracing could alter the normal course of AIS curves ≥40° in patients refusing posterior spinal fusion (PSF). However, the suggested course for patients refusing PSF remains unclear because of the significant heterogeneity in the risk factors associated with bracing failure.

Wheelchair basketball, health, competitive analysis, and performance advantage: a review of theory and evidence.

The purpose of this study was to review the various risks and benefits of wheelchair basketball (WB) and explore some of the research which outlines factors that influence WB player performance and conditioning. WB offers several physical and psychological advantages. Physically, it can improve muscle strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness while decreasing the prevalence of chronic physical disorders. From a psychological standpoint, WB has been shown to alleviate anxiety and feelings of depression while also creating and improving social relationships. Despite the many benefits, WB can cause injuries, particularly in the upper extremities, and preventative measures should be employed. WB necessitates intense intermittent efforts and athletes must maintain excellent cardiovascular fitness, strength, and muscular endurance. Healthy sleeping patterns have also been shown to improve performance in WB players. Wheelchair mobility and biomechanical variables as well as wheelchair size and weight appear to be critical success elements in WB. WB can be a powerful tool for coaches and therapists to boost the physical and emotional health of individuals with disabilities and motivate them to participate in team-based sport.

Existing fixation modalities for Jones type fifth metatarsal fracture fixation pose high rates of complications and nonunion.

Jones type fifth metatarsal fractures pose a challenge to the foot and ankle surgeon, given documented high nonunion rates as well as high complication rates including hardware prominence, nerve injury, and screw breakage for existing treatment modalities including screw and plantar plate fixation. We call for the design of innovative Jones-fracture specific implants which contour to the natural curve of the fifth metatarsal. Future research should aim to expand upon existing literature for Jones fracture fixation and evaluate efficacy of novel implants which are designed to address unacceptably high complication rates for existing treatment modalities.

Platelet rich plasma concentration improves biologic mesh incorporation and decreases multinucleated giant cells in a dose dependent fashion.

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) has been shown to improve incorporation and reduce inflammation in ventral hernia repair (VHR) with acellular dermal matrix (ADM). The concentration of platelets in PRP varies in clinical studies and an ideal concentration has yet to be defined. The effects of varied concentrations of PRP on ADM incorporation and inflammatory cell infiltration in a rat model of VHR. We hypothesized that increasing concentration of PRP would lead to improved incorporation, decreased CD8+ and multinucleated giant cell (MNGC) infiltrate. Lewis rats underwent ventral hernia creation and repair 30 days later with porcine non-crosslinked ADM. PRP was applied to the mesh prior to skin closure at concentrations of 1 × 104 plt/µL (PRP-LOW), 1 × 106 plt/µL (PRP-MID), or 1 × 107 plt/µL (PRP-HIGH) and tissue harvested at 2 and 4 weeks. Cellularization, tissue deposition, and mesh thickness using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome, and neovascularization was assessed with VVG staining, to establish the relationship of PRP concentration to metrics of incorporation. MNGC and CD8+ T-cell infiltration were quantified to establish the relationship of inflammatory cell infiltration in response to PRP concentration. Lymphocyte infiltration was assessed using immunohistochemical staining for CD8. PRP-HIGH treated had significantly greater tissue deposition at 4 weeks. PRP-MID showed increasing mesh thickness at 2 weeks. Cell infiltration was significantly higher with PRP-HIGH at both 2 and 4 weeks while PRP-LOW showed increased cell infiltration only at 4 weeks. At both time points there was a trend towards a dose dependent response in cell infiltration to PRP concentration. Neovascularization was highest with MID-plt at 2 weeks, yet no significant differences were noted compared to controls. CD8+ cell infiltrate was significantly decreased at 2 and 4 weeks in PRP-LOW and PRP-MID treated groups. PRP at all concentrations significantly decreased MNGC infiltration at 2 weeks while only PRP-HIGH and PRP-MID had significant reductions in MNGC at 4 weeks. Both MNGC and CD8+ cell infiltration demonstrated dose dependent reduction in relation to PRP concentration. Increasing platelet concentrations of PRP correlated with improved incorporation, tissue deposition, and decreased scaffold degradation. These findings were associated with a blunted foreign body response. These findings suggest PRP reduces inflammation which may be beneficial for ADM incorporation in VHR.

Rising incidence of musculoskeletal discomfort in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the shutdown of much of the world's economic and social operations. Given shutdown of exercise facilities, there has been a sharp uptick in a sedentary lifestyle. As people have lost their normal daily activity patterns, it is reasonable to assume that musculoskeletal pain-related syndromes will consequently begin to increase. In addition, there has been a rise in social network, television, and online home-based workouts. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unclear whether previous recommendations for physical activities will remain sufficient, given cessation of normal physical activities from day-to-day life. We raise a variety of questions in dealing with the potential fallout of the COVID-19 shutdown from a musculoskeletal standpoint.

The effect of COVID-19 quarantine on physical and social parameters of physical education providers and youth sport coaches.

The potential ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic global shut down on physical education providers and youth sport coaches may be particularly severe due to substantial cutbacks on many of their normal activities. This population faces unique challenges in engaging in "virtual learning" given the physical nature of their job, potentially leading to sedentary lifestyle, weight gain, and the development of depressive mood disorders. This commentary aims to explore options to mitigate worsening of stress, depression, physical inactivity, and social disconnection in youth sport coaches following the guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and to call attention to this vulnerable demographic which has been substantially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Novel stretching and strength-building exercise recommendations for computer-based workers during the COVID-19 quarantine.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged home stays due to the COVID-19 quarantine can increase the use of computers and other technologies that may lead to significant reduction in activity, contributing to musculoskeletal problems, anxiety and depression. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a novel multicomponent exercise program for individuals who work with computers during the COVID-19 quarantine. METHODS: Researchers collaborating cross-institutionally and cross-nationally performed a careful literature search for exercise and stretching regiments with particular attention to methodologies that can be applied during the lockdown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodologies were then compiled and truncated for ease of use for the computer-based office worker during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine. RESULTS: The resulting program is broken down into three categories: aerobic, strengthening and stretching components. Each component can then be further modified to meet the frequency, intensity, time and type (FITT) specifications for the participant. CONCLUSIONS: We present a novel, evidence-based strategy for functional fitness for office workers who have remained home-bound during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine. Further research should seek to validate the efficacy of the proposed protocol.

Nanomaterial Nitric Oxide Delivery in Traumatic Orthopedic Regenerative Medicine.

Achieving bone fracture union after trauma represents a major challenge for the orthopedic surgeon. Fracture non-healing has a multifactorial etiology and there are many risk factors for non-fusion. Environmental factors such as wound contamination, infection, and open fractures can contribute to non-healing, as can patient specific factors such as poor vascular status and improper immunologic response to fracture. Nitric oxide (NO) is a small, neutral, hydrophobic, highly reactive free radical that can diffuse across local cell membranes and exert paracrine functions in the vascular wall. This molecule plays a role in many biologic pathways, and participates in wound healing through decontamination, mediating inflammation, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling. Additionally, NO is thought to play a role in fighting wound infection by mitigating growth of both Gram negative and Gram positive pathogens. Herein, we discuss recent developments in NO delivery mechanisms and potential implications for patients with bone fractures. NO donors are functional groups that store and release NO, independent of the enzymatic actions of NOS. Donor molecules include organic nitrates/nitrites, metal-NO complexes, and low molecular weight NO donors such as NONOates. Numerous advancements have also been made in developing mechanisms for localized nanomaterial delivery of nitric oxide to bone. NO-releasing aerogels, sol- gel derived nanomaterials, dendrimers, NO-releasing micelles, and core cross linked star (CCS) polymers are all discussed as potential avenues of NO delivery to bone. As a further target for improved fracture healing, 3d bone scaffolds have been developed to include potential for nanoparticulated NO release. These advancements are discussed in detail, and their potential therapeutic advantages are explored. This review aims to provide valuable insight for translational researchers who wish to improve the armamentarium of the feature trauma surgeon through use of NO mediated augmentation of bone healing.

Surgical technique for development of a clinically-representative ventral hernia repair infection rat model.

The animal model of infection following ventral hernia repair (VHR) has previously been utilized in exploring treatments and innovative therapies, such as implantation of biologic mesh imbedded with various anti-bacterial properties. The rat model has been utilized most commonly, but prior work has failed to recreate an adequately clinically representative model of infection following VHR. Additionally, there is lack of standardization of mesh infection severity across existing literature. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to describe the creation of a clinically representative VHR infection model utilizing an index procedure where a hernia defect is created followed by a VHR using biologic mesh and subsequent infectious agent inoculation. Additionally, we describe the development of a standardization index to quantify severity of mesh infection: the Mesh Infection Severity Index (MISI).•Our protocol involves two procedures, an index procedure where a hernia model is created, and a subsequent procedure where an infectious inoculant is introduced.•We describe the MISI, a standardization tool we hope will allow for ease of cross-institutional data assessment.•In summary, our protocol not only serves as a more clinically representative animal model, but also includes a novel metric to standardize mesh infection severity.