Reliability of Smartphone-Based Instant Messaging Application for Diagnosis, Classification, and Decision-making in Pediatric Orthopedic Trauma.

OBJECTIVE: Smartphones have the ability to capture and send images, and their use has become common in the emergency setting for transmitting radiographic images with the intent to consult an off-site specialist. Our objective was to evaluate the reliability of smartphone-based instant messaging applications for the evaluation of various pediatric limb traumas, as compared with the standard method of viewing images of a workstation-based picture archiving and communication system (PACS). METHODS: X-ray images of 73 representative cases of pediatric limb trauma were captured and transmitted to 5 pediatric orthopedic surgeons by the Whatsapp instant messaging application on an iPhone 6 smartphone. Evaluators were asked to diagnose, classify, and determine the course of treatment for each case over their personal smartphones. Following a 4-week interval, revaluation was conducted using the PACS. Intraobserver agreement was calculated for overall agreement and per fracture site. RESULTS: The overall results indicate "near perfect agreement" between interpretations of the radiographs on smartphones compared with computer-based PACS, with κ of 0.84, 0.82, and 0.89 for diagnosis, classification, and treatment planning, respectively. Looking at the results per fracture site, we also found substantial to near perfect agreement. CONCLUSIONS: Smartphone-based instant messaging applications are reliable for evaluation of a wide range of pediatric limb fractures. This method of obtaining an expert opinion from the off-site specialist is immediately accessible and inexpensive, making smartphones a powerful tool for doctors in the emergency department, primary care clinics, or remote medical centers, enabling timely and appropriate treatment for the injured child. This method is not a substitution for evaluation of the images in the standard method over computer-based PACS, which should be performed before final decision-making.

[A NEW PLAYER IN THE FIELD OF SHOULDER SURGERY - THE REVERSE SHOULDER ARTHROPLASTY].

INTRODUCTION: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) in its modern design was first introduced over 25 years ago and approved by the American FDA over ten years ago. This type of prosthesis allows treatment of glenohumeral joint disease among patients with severe rotator cuff deficiency once thought to be inoperable. Modifications to the prosthesis design, along with improved surgical technique, led to better clinical outcomes and lower complication rates, which subsequently led to an increase in the usage of this implant device. The promising results led shoulder specialists to re-assess and expand the indications for surgery, which currently also include complex fractures of the proximal humerus in the elderly population. In this review we will cover the history and evolution of the RSA prosthesis, indications and contraindications, along with up-to-date outcomes and complications.

[NON-ARTHROPLASTY TREATMENT FOR KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS].

INTRODUCTION: Osteoarthritis is characterized by marked pain, stiffness and reduced range of motion and is one of the most common causes of disability and reduced quality of life. The disease is diagnosed in 20% of the adult population; the prevalence rises to 50% of adults over 65 years of age. There are various treatment options in the early stages of knee osteoarthritis which are intended to postpone the need for arthroplasty, which is the gold standard treatment at the end-stage level of the disease. Evidence based medicine (EBM) facilitates optimized decision-making and treatment for an individual patient based on meta-analysis, randomize control studies and systematic reviews. Based on these studies, physical activity is an effective treatment option resulting in reduced disability and improved quality of life. Among other conservative treatment options, chondroitin, a food supplement, was found to be as effective as anti-inflammatory medication with a lower side effect profile. Similar results were found for intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid, while intra-articular injections of platelet rich plasma (PRP) were found to be the most effective of all the above. No advantage was reported for knee arthroscopy over conservative treatment options even when examining those patients with combined symptomatic meniscal tear and knee osteoarthritis. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDS) and opiate treatment have limited long term effect on reducing pain, disability and improving quality of life. These drugs can have a high rate of substantial side effect. Hence, their use should be limited, especially in the elderly population, and safer modalities should be explored.

[THE EVOLUTION IN TREATING MENISCAL TEARS--FROM RESECTION TO SUTURING].

The meniscus has an important biomechanical role in the normal function of the knee including load bearing, shock absorption and joint stability. Tears of the meniscus are one of the common sports injuries. The knowledge that total meniscectomy causes early development of degenerative changes has raised the prevalence of meniscal tear repair in order to preserve as much as possible of the meniscal tissue. The type of tear (degenerative of traumatic), shape and location have a critical effect on healing ability after suture of the tear and thus will determine the treatment plan.

Influence of residency discipline and seniority on traumatic musculoskeletal radiographs interpretation accuracy: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: Imaging studies are a significant and integral part of the initial assessment of patients admitted to the emergency department. Developing imaging diagnostic abilities early in residency is of paramount importance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare diagnosis accuracy of common musculoskeletal X-rays (XR) between residency disciplines and seniority. METHODS: A multicenter study which evaluated orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine (EM), and radiology residents, through a test set of common MSK XR. Residents were classified as "beginner" or "advanced" according to postgraduate year per residency. Residents were asked to answer whether the radiograph shows normal or pathological findings (success rate) and what is the diagnosis ("diagnosis accuracy"). Residents' answers were analyzed and assessed compared to experts' consensus. RESULTS: A total of 100 residents (62% beginners) participated in this study. Fifty-four were orthopedic surgeons, 29 were EM residents and 17 were radiologists. The entire cohort's overall success rate was 88.5%. The overall mean success rates for orthopedic, EM, and radiology residents were 93.2%, 82.8%, and 83.3%, respectively, and were significantly different (p < 0.0001). Orthopedic residents had significantly higher diagnostic accuracy rates compared with both radiology and EM residents (p < 0.001). Advanced orthopedic and EM residents demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy rates compared to beginner residents (p = 0.001 and p = 0.03, respectively). CONCLUSION: Orthopedic residents presented higher diagnosis accuracy of MSK imaging compared to EM and radiology residents. Seniority had a positive effect on diagnosis accuracy. The development of an educational program on MSK XR is necessary to enhance the competency of physicians in their daily practice.

Preoperative Evaluation of Intramedullary Tibial Nail Measurements-A Review of the Literature and a New Technique Using Contralateral Radiographs and Digital Planning.

INTRODUCTION: An accurate selection of tibial nail and screws measurements is paramount in purpose to achieve proper tibial fracture reduction and fixation, avoid irritation of the soft-tissue envelope, and enable extraction of the nail in the future, if needed. To this date, many methods were suggested to determine the length and diameter of an intramedullary tibial nail, preoperatively and intraoperatively. Each method has its disadvantages, and most are lacking in accuracy. Digital aids are currently available for preoperative planning for many types of surgeries. METHODS: Retrospectively, 27 patients operated for diaphysial tibial fracture intramedullary nailing were selected. The contralateral leg was imaged using AP and lateral radiograph views. Six orthopaedic trauma surgeons used the TraumaCad program (Voyant Health) to plan the appropriate nail and distal locking screws measurements, while blinded from the actual hardware used in the operation. Later, they also conducted quality review regarding the operation carried out and suggested correction in measurements of the hardware. Intra-observer and inter-observer reliability was calculated. RESULTS: The inter-correlation coefficient for the planned nails was 0.97 and 0.84 (P < 0.001) in AP view for length and diameter, respectively, and similarly 0.98 and 0.86 (P < 0.001) in lateral view. The interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the locking screws length was 0.7 (P < 0.02) and 0.82 (P < 0.01) for the proximal and distal medio-lateral screws, respectively, and 0.9 (P < 0.001). The ICC between AP and lateral views was 0.98 for length and 0.96 for diameter (P < 0.001). The scores and corrections given by the examiners to the actual selected nail were ICC of 0.98 and 0.96 (P < 0.001) for length and diameter, respectively. The examiners suggested they would correct, post-factum, the length of the nail in average 28% and the diameter in average 30%. The average observer resulted in ICC of 0.94 and 0.91 (P < 0.001) in length and only 0.77 and 0.67 (P < 0.001) in diameter (AP and lateral views, respectively) when comparing the actual nail used and the post-factum plan. CONCLUSION: Preoperative planning of tibial fractures' nailing using imaging of the contralateral leg and a digital graphic planning program is an accurate and reliable method. It may serve to reduce errors, surgical time, and radiation dose in the operating room. This method could also be applied for surgical debriefing.

Three point fixation of pediatric proximal humerus fractures by prebent wave-shaped wires: technical notes.

Pediatric proximal humerus fractures are uncommon and mostly treated conservatively. However, surgical treatment should be considered in displaced fractures classified as Neer-Horowitz grade III-IV in children older than 11 years. We describe a three-point fixation method of applying two Kirschner wires, prebent into a wave shape, and inserted into the proximal humerus through a single cortical hole. In this minimally invasive approach, we treated four boys, obtaining accurate reduction and stable fixation, with all patients starting pendulous exercises the day after surgery. At follow-up, all patients had regained full shoulder range of motion, with no residual pain and no complications recorded.

Reliability of smartphone-based teleradiology for evaluating thoracolumbar spine fractures.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Timely interpretation of computed tomography (CT) scans is of paramount importance in diagnosing and managing spinal column fractures, which can be devastating. Out-of-hospital, on-call spine surgeons are often asked to evaluate CT scans of patients who have sustained trauma to the thoracolumbar spine to make diagnosis and to determine the appropriate course of urgent treatment. Capturing radiographic scans and video clips from computer screens and sending them as instant messages have become common means of communication between physicians, aiding in triaging and transfer decision-making in orthopedic and neurosurgical emergencies. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to compare the reliability of interpreting CT scans viewed by orthopedic surgeons in two ways for diagnosing, classifying, and treatment planning for thoracolumbar spine fractures: (1) captured as video clips from standard workstation-based picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and sent via a smartphone-based instant messaging application for viewing on a smartphone; and (2) viewed directly on a PACS. STUDY DESIGN: Reliability and agreement study. PATIENT SAMPLE: Thirty adults with thoracolumbar spine fractures who had been consecutively admitted to the Division of Orthopedic Surgery of a Level I trauma center during 2014. OUTCOME MEASURE: Intraobserver agreement. METHODS: CT scans were captured by use of an iPhone 6 smartphone from a computer screen displaying PACS. Then by use of the WhatsApp instant messaging application, video clips of the scans were sent to the personal smartphones of five spine surgeons. These evaluators were asked to diagnose, classify, and determine the course of treatment for each case. Evaluation of the cases was repeated 4 weeks later, this time using the standard method of workstation-based PACS. Intraobserver agreement was interpreted based on the value of Cohen's kappa statistic. The study did not receive any outside funding. RESULTS: Intraobserver agreement for determining fracture level was near perfect (κ=0.94). Intraobserver agreement for AO classification, proposed treatment, neural canal penetration, and Denis classification were substantial (κ values, 0.75, 0.73, 0.71, and 0.69, respectively). Intraobserver agreement for loss of vertebral height and kyphosis were moderate (κ values, 0.55 and 0.45, respectively) CONCLUSIONS: Video clips of CT scans can be readily captured by a smartphone from a workstation-based PACS and then transmitted by use of the WhatsApp instant messaging application. Diagnosing, classifying, and proposing treatment of fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine can be made with equal reliability by evaluating video clips of CT scans transmitted to a smartphone or by the standard method of viewing the CT scan on a workstation-based PACS. Evaluating video clips of CT scans transmitted to a smartphone is a readily accessible, simple, and inexpensive method. We believe that it can be reliably used for consultations between the emergency physicians or orthopedic or neurosurgical residents with offsite, on-call specialists. It might also enable rural orcommunity emergency department physicians to communicate more efficiently and effectively with surgeons in tertiary referral centers.

Redesign of aminoglycosides for treatment of human genetic diseases caused by premature stop mutations.

A series of new derivatives of the clinically used aminoglycoside antibiotic paromomycin were designed, synthesized, and their ability to read-through premature stop codon mutations was examined in both in vitro translation system and ex vivo mammalian cultured cells. One of these structures, a pseudo-trisaccharide derivative, showed notably higher stop codon read-through activity in cultured cells compared to those of paromomycin and gentamicin.