Black women's perspectives on bladder health: Social-ecological and life course contexts.

AIMS: This paper explores Black women's perspectives on bladder health using a social-ecological conceptual framework and life course perspective. METHODS: We conducted a directed content analysis of data from the Study of Habits, Attitudes, Realities, and Experiences (SHARE), a focus group study by the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium. Analysis was conducted on data from five focus groups and a member-checking session where all participants self-identified as Black or African American. RESULTS: Forty-two participants aged 11-14 or 45+ years reported life course experiences with their bladder. The intersection of race and gender was the lens through which participants viewed bladder health. Participants' accounts of their perspectives on bladder health explicitly and implicitly revealed structural racism as an explanatory overarching theme. Participants described (a) historically-rooted and still pervasive practices of discrimination and segregation, engendering inequitable access to quality medical care and public facilities, (b) institutional barriers to toileting autonomy in educational and occupational settings, promoting unhealthy voiding habits, (c) internalized expectations of Black women's stereotyped role as family caregiver, compromising caregiver health, (d) lack of reliable information on bladder health, leading to unhealthy bladder behaviors, and (e) potentially stress-related comorbid chronic conditions and associated medication use, causing or exacerbating bladder problems. CONCLUSIONS: Bladder health promotion interventions should address social-ecological and life course factors shaping Black women's bladder health, including social and structural barriers to accessing equitable health information and medical care.

Validation of bladder health scales and function indices for women's research.

BACKGROUND: Existing bladder-specific measures lack the ability to assess the full range of bladder health, from poor to optimal health. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to report evidence of validity of the self-administered, multidimensional bladder health scales and function indices for research in adult women. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional population-based validation study with random assignment to paper or electronic administration was conducted using national address-based probability sampling supplemented by purposive sampling of women with lower urinary tract symptoms in 7 clinical research centers. Construct validity of the bladder health scales and function indices was guided by a multitrait-multimethod approach using health and condition-specific questionnaires, bladder diaries, expert ratings of bladder health, and noninvasive bladder function testing. Internal dimensional validity was evaluated using factor analysis; internal reliability was assessed using paired t-tests and 2-way mixed-effects intraclass correlation coefficient models. Chi-square, Fisher exact, or t-tests were used for mode comparisons. Convergent validity was evaluated using Pearson correlations with the external construct measures, and known-group validity was established with comparison of women known and unknown to be symptomatic of urinary conditions. RESULTS: The sample included 1072 participants. Factor analysis identified 10 scales, with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.74 to 0.94. Intraclass correlation coefficients of scales ranged from 0.55 to 0.94. Convergent validity of the 10 scales and 6 indices ranged from 0.52 to 0.83. Known-group validity was confirmed for all scales and indices. Item distribution was similar by mode of administration. CONCLUSION: The paper and electronic forms of the bladder health scales and function indices are reliable and valid measures of bladder health for use in women's health research.

Comprehensive pelvic muscle assessment: Developing and testing a dual e-Learning and simulation-based training program.

OBJECTIVE: The Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) research consortium launched the RISE FOR HEALTH (RISE) national study of women's bladder health which includes annual surveys and an in-person visit. For the in-person exam, a standardized, replicable approach to conducting a pelvic muscle (PM) assessment was necessary. The process used to develop the training, the products, and group testing results from the education and training are described. METHODS: A comprehensive pelvic muscle assessment (CPMA) program was informed by literature view and expert opinion. Training materials were prepared for use on an electronicLearning (e-Learning) platform. An in-person hands-on simulation and certification session was then designed. It included a performance checklist assessment for use by Clinical Trainers, who in collaboration with a gynecology teaching assistant, provided an audit and feedback process to determine Trainee competency. RESULTS: Five discrete components for CPMA training were developed as e-Learning modules. These were: (1) overview of all the clinical measures and PM anatomy and examination assessments, (2) visual assessment for pronounced pelvic organ prolapse, (3) palpatory assessment of the pubovisceral muscle to estimate muscle integrity, (4) digital vaginal assessment to estimate strength, duration, symmetry during PM contraction, and (5) pressure palpation of both myofascial structures and PMs to assess for self-report of pain. Seventeen Trainees completed the full CPMA training, all successfully meeting the a priori certification required pass rate of 85% on checklist assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The RISE CPMA training program was successfully conducted to assure standardization of the PM assessment across the PLUS multicenter research sites. This approach can be used by researchers and healthcare professionals who desire a standardized approach to assess competency when performing this CPMA in the clinical or research setting.

Development of a tool to assess bladder health knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (BH-KAB).

INTRODUCTION: Few instruments measure knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) related to bladder health. Existing questionnaires have predominantly focused on KAB related to specific conditions such as urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and other pelvic floor disorders. To address this literature gap, the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) research consortium developed an instrument that is being administered in the baseline assessment of the PLUS RISE FOR HEALTH longitudinal study. METHODS: The bladder health knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (BH-KAB) instrument development process consisted of two phases, item development and evaluation. Item development was guided by a conceptual framework, review of existing KAB instruments, and a review of qualitative data from the PLUS consortium Study of Habits, Attitudes, Realities, and Experiences (SHARE). Evaluation comprised three methods to assess content validity and reduce and refine items: q-sort, e-panel survey, and cognitive interviews. RESULTS: The final 18-item BH-KAB instrument assesses self-reported bladder knowledge; perceptions of bladder function, anatomy, and related medical conditions; attitudes toward different patterns of fluid intake, voiding, and nocturia; the potential to prevent or treat urinary tract infections and incontinence; and the impact of pregnancy and pelvic muscle exercises on bladder health. CONCLUSION: The PLUS BH-KAB instrument may be used independently or in conjunction with other KAB instruments for a more comprehensive assessment of women's KAB related to bladder health. The BH-KAB instrument can inform clinical conversations, health education programming, and research examining potential determinants of bladder health, LUTS, and related behavioral habits (e.g., toileting, fluid intake, pelvic muscle exercises).

Is Previous Periacetabular Osteotomy Associated with Pregnancy, Delivery, and Peripartum Complications?

BACKGROUND: Surgical candidates for periacetabular osteotomy are commonly women of reproductive age with symptomatic acetabular dysplasia. However, little is known about how this surgical intervention contributes to the decision to become pregnant, obstetrical counseling regarding delivery, mode of delivery, or pregnancy-related complications. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Does a history of periacetabular osteotomy affect a patient's decision to become pregnant or does it affect obstetrical counseling regarding the safety of pregnancy and childbirth? (2) Is history of periacetabular osteotomy associated with in an increased risk of undergoing cesarean section compared with the national average? (3) Is a history of periacetabular osteotomy associated with increased complications, decreased infant birth weight, preterm delivery? METHODS: In conjunction with obstetrician colleagues, we created a survey to investigate patient attitudes toward pregnancy, mode of delivery, pregnancy-related complications, and obstetrical counseling among female patients who previously underwent periacetabular osteotomy. A retrospective cohort of reproductive-age women who underwent periacetabular osteotomy between 2008 and 2015 completed a mailed survey or telephone interview. All 96 patients who were contacted were asked if the history of periacetabular osteotomy affected their decision to become pregnant. Our cohort included 31 patients who had undergone periacetabular osteotomy and had a subsequent pregnancy and delivery with a total of 38 pregnancies resulting in 41 births. A binomial test was used to determine if the rates of cesarean section, low birth weight, or preterm delivery were different from the documented US national average as published by the National Vital Statistics Report and CDC. RESULTS: One patient of 31 felt her periacetabular osteotomy negatively affected the appearance of her child; this surgical history affected 6.5% of patients (2 of 31) positively. Fifty-five percent (17 of 31) patients reported that their obstetrician expressed concern that their history of periacetabular osteotomy could affect their ability to carry to term or deliver vaginally. With a history of periacetabular osteotomy, 53% of deliveries (20 of 38) underwent cesarean section. This is higher than the national average of 32% (odds ratio 0.424 [95% confidence interval 0.214 to 0.837]; p = 0.006). Only one patient with a periacetabular osteotomy suffered a pregnancy-related complication. In singleton pregnancy after periacetabular osteotomy the preterm delivery rate was 14% (5 of 35) and the percentage of low-birth-weight infants was 2.9% (1 of 35). These percentages are not different from US data published by the National Vital Statistics Report, which reports an 8% preterm delivery rate (OR 0.523 [95% CI 0.154 to 1.772]; p = 0.1723) and 6.4% low birth weight (OR 2.34 [95% CI 0.607 to 9.025]; p = 0.3878) in singleton pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: In this small survey study, we found no differences in terms of complications, preterm delivery or low birth weight infants between patients who had a history of periacetabular osteotomy and normative national data regarding complications of pregnancy and delivery. However, we did note that patients with a history of periacetabular osteotomy were more likely to deliver future children by cesarean section, which could be attributable to obstetrician preference as most obstetricians in another small survey study have expressed concern about patients with a history of periacetabular osteotomy. Future studies should aim to increase the knowledge of the association of periacetabular osteotomy and delivery method, specifically with transition to cesarean for failure to progress during labor. Future consideration of using the Academic Network of Conservational Hip Outcomes Research repository to develop National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data may help to elucidate this relationship more clearly and help guide appropriate indications for scheduled cesarean sections in the setting of prior pelvic osteotomy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.

Do Changes in Pelvic Rotation and Tilt Affect Measurement of the Anterior Center Edge Angle on False Profile Radiographs? A Cadaveric Study.

BACKGROUND: The false profile radiograph assesses acetabular coverage in prearthritic hip conditions. Precise rotation of this radiograph is difficult to obtain, so the clinician must interpret radiographs with nonstandard pelvic rotation or tilt, despite limited evidence of how this may affect the anterior center edge angle measurement. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Does pelvic rotation alter the measurement of the anterior center edge angle on false profile views? (2) Does pelvic tilt alter the measurement of the anterior center edge angle on false profile views? (3) Is there an objective way to assess appropriate pelvic rotation for the false profile view? METHODS: Eight cadaver hips (four female, four male; one hip randomly selected per pelvis) were included in the study. Hips with degenerative changes, evidence of previous fracture or trauma, or previous surgical intervention were excluded. Specimens were between 68 to 92 years of age (median, 76 years). The specimens were fixed to a custom jig, and radiographs were taken at 5° intervals of rotation (45-85°) and 5° intervals of pelvic tilt (+10° to -10°). The primary outcome variable, anterior center edge angle, was measured for each rotation and tilt. RESULTS: Every degree increase in pelvic rotation toward a true lateral resulted in 0.18° increase in the anterior center edge angle (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07-0.29; p = 0.002). For every degree increase in pelvic tilt, the anterior center edge angle increased 0.65° (95% CI, 0.5-0.8; p < 0.001). We verified that standard pelvic rotation of 65° for a false profile radiograph was present when the space between the femoral heads is 66% to 100% of the diameter of the femoral head being imaged. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the anterior center edge angle increases as pelvic tilt increases, with a 6° increase in anterior center edge angle for each 10° increase in pelvic tilt. Since the false profile radiograph is obtained standing, the patient should be counseled to avoid adopting a forced posture, ensuring the radiograph remains an accurate functional representation of the patient's anatomy. In contrast, pelvic rotation did not influence the anterior center edge angle by an important margin, and while we recommend that radiographs continue to be obtained with standardized pelvic rotation, aberrant pelvic rotation will likely not result in a clinically meaningful difference in anterior center edge angle measurements. In the future, studies to identify the specific regions of acetabular anatomy that constitute the radiographic measurement of the anterior center edge angle would enhance current understanding of the associated radiographic anatomy, and consequently improve the ability of the surgeon to treat the specific area of pathology. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In practice, the clinician should pay close attention to pelvic tilt, as a 10° change in tilt may cause 6° of change in the anterior center edge angle. However, false profile radiographs obtained within ± 20° of the targeted 65° of rotation will result in less than 4° change in the anterior center edge angle.

Successful Outcomes With Nonoperative Treatment and Immediate Weightbearing Despite Stress-Positive Radiographs in Isolated Distal Fibula (OTA/AO 44B) Fractures.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether a nonoperative management protocol results in equivalent outcomes in isolated OTA/AO 44B (Weber B) fractures without initial medial clear space (MCS) widening regardless of stress radiography findings. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: Level 1 academic trauma center. PATIENT SELECTION CRITERIA: Nonoperatively managed patients with isolated OTA/AO 44B fractures and MCS ≤4 mm on initial non-weightbearing injury radiographs between from January 2018 and January 2022 were included. All patients underwent emergency department gravity stress radiographs and those with widening were considered the widening cohort and those without the non-widening cohort. OUTCOME MEASURE AND COMPARISONS: MCS measurements on weightbearing radiographs were obtained at first follow-up, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months postinjury, were considered indicative of instability if >4 mm and were compared between cohorts.; American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scores were also compared between cohorts. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients were studied. None of the 38 patients (55%) with widening on gravity stress radiographs demonstrated widening with weightbearing radiographs at any time point. Mean MCS measurement differences between the 2 cohorts were statistically significant for all time points ( P = 0.012); however, with a model adjusted mean MCS value of 2.7 mm for the nonwidening cohort and 2.9 mm for the widening cohort, these are not clinically significant. There was no statistically significant difference in overall final American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scores between the 2 groups ( P = 0.451). In addition, statistical equivalence using Schuirmann 2 one-sided tests was achieved between the 2 groups. Both cohorts had mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scores representing excellent outcomes at the final follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with isolated OTA/AO 44B fractures without MCS widening on initial injury radiographs did not demonstrate instability on subsequent weightbearing radiographs and had equivalent outcomes regardless of gravity stress radiography findings when treated nonoperatively. Weightbearing radiographs at the initial follow-up appear to be a reliable assessment of ankle stability in these injuries and are an appropriate alternative to painful and time-consuming stress radiography. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Feasibility of Home Collection for Urogenital Microbiome Samples.

IMPORTANCE: Feasibility of home urogenital microbiome specimen collection is unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate successful sample collection rates from home and clinical research centers. STUDY DESIGN: Adult women participants enrolled in a multicentered cohort study were recruited to an in-person research center evaluation, including self-collected urogenital samples. A nested feasibility substudy evaluated home biospecimen collection prior to the scheduled in-person evaluation using a home collection kit with written instructions, sample collection supplies, and a Peezy™ urine collection device. Participants self-collected samples at home and shipped them to a central laboratory 1 day prior to and the day of the in-person evaluation. We defined successful collection as receipt of at least one urine specimen that was visibly viable for sequencing. RESULTS: Of 156 participants invited to the feasibility substudy, 134 were enrolled and sent collection kits with 89% (119/134) returning at least 1 home urine specimen; the laboratory determined that 79% (106/134) of these urine samples were visually viable for analysis. The laboratory received self-collected urine from the research center visit in 97% (115/119); 76% (91/119) were visually viable for sequencing. Among 401 women who did not participate in the feasibility home collection substudy, 98% (394/401) self-collected urine at the research center with 80% (321/401) returned and visibly viable for sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: Home collection of urogenital microbiome samples for research is feasible, with comparable success to clinical research center collection. Sample size adjustment should plan for technical and logistical difficulties, regardless of specimen collection site.

Differential fracture healing resulting from fixation stiffness variability: a mouse model.

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms underlying the interaction between the local mechanical environment and fracture healing are not known. We developed a mouse femoral fracture model with implants of different stiffness, and hypothesized that differential fracture healing would result. METHODS: Femoral shaft fractures were created in 70 mice, and were treated with an intramedullary nail made of either tungsten (Young's modulus = 410 GPa) or aluminium (Young's modulus = 70 GPa). Mice were then sacrificed at 2 or 5 weeks. Fracture calluses were analyzed using standard microCT, histological, and biomechanical methods. RESULTS: At 2 weeks, callus volume was significantly greater in the aluminium group than in the tungsten group (61.2 vs. 40.5 mm(3), p = 0.016), yet bone volume within the calluses was no different between the groups (13.2 vs. 12.3 mm(3)). Calluses from the tungsten group were stiffer on mechanical testing (18.7 vs. 9.7 N/mm, p = 0.01). The percent cartilage in the callus was 31.6% in the aluminium group and 22.9% in the tungsten group (p = 0.40). At 5 weeks, there were no differences between any of the healed femora. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, fracture implants of different stiffness led to different fracture healing in this mouse fracture model. Fractures treated with a stiffer implant had more advanced healing at 2 weeks, but still healed by callus formation. Although this concept has been well documented previously, this particular model could be a valuable research tool to study the healing consequences of altered fixation stiffness, which may provide insight into the pathogenesis and ideal treatment of fractures and non-unions.

Clinical Correlation of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Open Fracture Classification With Wound Closure and Soft-Tissue Complications in Open Upper Extremity Fractures.

OBJECTIVES: To correlate domains of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Open Fracture Classification (OTA-OFC) in open upper extremity injuries with type of definitive soft-tissue closure, complication rates, and unanticipated return to the operating room for complication. DESIGN: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. SETTING: Level I trauma center. PATIENTS: Two hundred thirty-four consecutive open upper extremity fractures. INTERVENTION: Operative management of open upper extremity fractures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Type of definitive closure, 90-day wound complication, and wound complication necessitating return to the operating room. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty injuries were identified, and 234 had sufficient data for analysis. Eighty-four percent (196/234) of open wounds were closed primarily, 7% (16/234) required a skin graft, and 4% (9/234) required rotational or free flap. Thirteen percent (22/166) of those followed for 90 days had a wound complication, and 50% of those with complication required a return to the OR. All OTA-OFC classifications statistically significantly correlated with type of closure (P < 0.001), with skin having a high correlation (r = 0.79), muscle (r = 0.49) and contamination (r = 0.47) moderate correlations, and arterial (r = 0.32) and bone loss (r = 0.33) low correlations. OTA-OFC muscle classification was predictive of 90-day wound complication (OR 0.31, 95% confidence interval 0.07-0.21). OTA-OFC domains correlated variably with return to the OR. CONCLUSION: OTA-OFC clinically correlates with definitive wound management and 90-day wound complication in open upper extremity fractures. OTA-OFC skin classification has a high correlation with the type of definitive wound closure. OTA-OFC muscle was the only domain that correlated with 90-day wound complication and was predictive of 90-day wound complication. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Early Ambulation After Hip Fracture Surgery Is Associated With Decreased 30-Day Mortality.

INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures frequently present in complicated patients and are fraught with high morbidity and mortality rates. Postoperatively, delayed ambulation has been identified as a factor associated with increased mortality, although its magnitude has yet to be quantified. Therefore, this article aims to evaluate mortality after hip fracture surgery because it relates to early postoperative ambulation, taking into account preexisting comorbidity burden. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of patients older than age 65 years who underwent surgical fixation for hip fractures because of a low-energy mechanism. Ambulation during the first 3 postoperative days was recorded along with age and preexisting comorbidity burden (Modified 5-Factor Frailty Index), and 30-day and 1-year mortality statuses were examined. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the association between postoperative ambulation and mortality. RESULTS: Of 485 patients initially identified, 218 met the inclusion criteria. Overall mortality rates were 6.4% at 30 days and 18.8% at 1 year. Two-thirds of patients ambulated in the first 3 postoperative days versus one-third who did not. Patients who did not ambulate had both significantly increased 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR] 4.42, P = 0.010, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] 1.42 to 13.75) and 1-year mortality (OR 2.26, P = 0.022, 95% CI 1.12 to 4.53). After multivariable logistic regression accounting for age and comorbidity status, ambulation remained strongly associated with 30-day (OR 3.87, P = 0.024, 95% CI 1.20 to 12.50) but not 1-year mortality (OR 1.66, P = 0.176, 95% CI 0.80 to 3.48). Although neither were significant at 30 days, both increasing age (OR 1.05, P = 0.020, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.10) and Modified 5-Factor Frailty Index (OR 1.62, P = 0.005, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.26) correlated with increased mortality at 1 year. CONCLUSION: Early ambulation after hip fracture surgery bears a notable, almost four-fold, association with early postoperative mortality independent of age and medical comorbidities. Our results support a growing body of evidence that ambulation is a powerful tool that should continue to be emphasized to optimize mortality in hip fracture patients.

Field Application of Digital Technologies for Health Assessment in the 10,000 Families Study.

BACKGROUND: We field tested new-to-market portable, digital applications to assess hearing, pulmonary, and cognitive function to determine the feasibility of implementing these applications across a range of age groups in the pilot phase of the 10,000 Families Study (10KFS), a new Minnesota family-based prospective cohort study. METHODS: We followed manufacturer recommended protocols for audiometry (SHOEBOX Inc), spirometry (NuvoAir), and the digital clock drawing test (dCDT; Digital Cognition Technologies Inc). RESULTS: These digital devices were low cost and readily implemented in a 2.5-hour health fair visit with minimal training (2-3 hours) of study staff. To date, we have performed these measurements on 197 eligible 10KFS participants during an in-person clinic visit. A total of 37 children (age 4-17 years), 107 adults (18-64 years), and 53 seniors (≥65 years) were eligible to undergo hearing and pulmonary assessments. Children were less likely to successfully complete the hearing test (76%) compared with adults (86%) and seniors (89%). However, successful completion of the pulmonary assessment was high across all groups: 100% of children and seniors and 98% of adults. The dCDT was performed among those over the age of 40, and completion rates were 92% for those aged 41-64 and 94% for those ≥65 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our field testing indicates these digital applications are easy and cost-effective to implement in epidemiologic studies. IMPACT: Digital applications provide exciting opportunities to collect data in population studies. Issues related to data privacy, data access, and reproducibility of measurements need to be addressed before deploying digital applications in epidemiologic studies.See all articles in this CEBP Focus section, "Modernizing Population Science."

Vascular Anatomy of the Medial Femoral Neck and Implications for Surface Plate Fixation.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the inferior retinacular artery (IRA) as encountered from an anterior approach, to define its intraarticular position, and to define a safe zone for buttress plate fixation of femoral neck fractures. METHODS: Thirty hips (15 fresh cadavers) were dissected through an anterior (Modified Smith-Petersen) approach after common femoral artery injection (India ink, blue latex). The origin of the IRA from the medial femoral circumflex artery and the course to its terminus were dissected. The IRA position relative to the femoral neck was described using a clock-face system: 12:00 cephalad, 3:00 anterior, 6:00 caudad, and 9:00 posterior. RESULTS: The IRA originated from the medial femoral circumflex artery and traveled within the Weitbrecht ligament in all hips. The IRA positions were 7:00 (n = 13), 7:30 (n = 15), and 8:00 (n = 2). The IRA was 0:30 anterior to (n = 24) or at the same clock-face position (n = 6) as the lesser trochanter. The mean intraarticular length was 20.4 mm (range 11-65, SD 9.1), and the mean extraarticular length was 20.5 mm (range 12-31, SD 5.1). CONCLUSIONS: The intraarticular course of the IRA lies within the Weitbrecht ligament between the femoral neck clock-face positions of 7:00 and 8:00. A medial buttress plate positioned at 6:00 along the femoral neck is anterior to the location of the IRA and does not endanger the blood supply of the femoral head. The improved understanding of the IRA course will facilitate preservation during intraarticular approaches to the femoral neck and head.

Bone marrow aspirate concentrate with cancellous allograft versus iliac crest bone graft in the treatment of long bone nonunions.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) with cancellous allograft to iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) in the treatment of long bone nonunions. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A single level I trauma center. PATIENTS: 26 patients with long bone diaphyseal or metaphyseal nonunions with defects >2 mm and treated with open repair and BMAC, compared to 25 patients with long bone diaphyseal or metaphyseal nonunions with defects >2 mm and treated with open repair and ICBG. INTERVENTION: Open repair of long bone nonunion using either autologous ICBG or BMAC with cancellous allograft. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Nonunion healing, radiographically measured by the modified Radiographic Union Score for Tibia (mRUST) score. Secondary outcomes included risk factors associated with failed repair. RESULTS: The union rates for the BMAC and ICBG cohorts were 75% and 78%, respectively (P = .8). Infection was the only risk factor of statistical significance for failure. CONCLUSION: In this study, we found no significant difference in union rate for long bone nonunions treated with ICBG or BMAC with allograft. BMAC and allograft led to 75% successful healing in this series. Given the heterogeneity of the control group and loss to follow-up, further prospective investigation should be conducted to more rigorously compare BMAC to ICBG for nonunion treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, retrospective cohort.

The role of neighborhood environment and risk of intimate partner femicide in a large urban area.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the contribution of neighborhood-level factors indicative of social disorganization, including educational and occupational attainment, immigrant concentration, physical disorder, and social cohesion, to the likelihood of intimate partner femicide (IPF) while taking into account known neighborhood- and individual-level IPF risk factors. METHODS: We used medical examiner data on 1861 femicide victims between 1990 and 1999 and archival information on 59 neighborhoods in New York City to conduct a multilevel case-control analysis. RESULTS: After controlling for neighborhood-level income, we found that no neighborhood factors were significantly associated with IPF risk, as compared with risk of non-IPF and risk of femicide from unknown perpetrators, above and beyond the contributions of individual-level factors. The strongest predictors of IPF were foreign country of birth and young age. CONCLUSIONS: IPF victims were nearly twice as likely as non-IPF victims to be foreign born; by contrast, there was little neighborhood-level heterogeneity with respect to IPF risk. Further research is needed to identify neighborhood characteristics that uniquely influence risk of IPF to guide community-level interventions.

Epidemiology and the macrosocial determinants of health.

In the past two decades, public health researchers have taken renewed interest in investigating the role of social factors in health. This holds substantial promise in terms of identifying manipulable social factors that are amenable to policy intervention. Most existing empirical and conceptual epidemiologic work, however, has focused on the more proximal social determinants, such as interpersonal relations. These factors, although perhaps easier to study epidemiologically, are much less relevant to policy makers than more "macrosocial" factors such as taxation policies. Limited epidemiologic attention to macrosocial determinants of health is ironic given that macrosocial factors such as the rapid industrialization and urbanization in the 19th century contributed to the organization of public health practice and, tangentially, to academic public health research. We suggest here that greater investment in the study of macrosocial determinants has the potential to make a significant and unique contribution to the greater public health agenda and should be a prominent aspect of social epidemiologic inquiry in the coming decades.

Whither gender in urban health?

The past decade has witnessed the rapid expansion of the field of urban health, including the establishment of an international society of urban health and annual conference, the publication of several books and the growing popularity of a peer-reviewed journal on urban health. Relatively absent is an emphasis on the role of gender in urban health, despite scholarly and theoretical work on gender and place by feminist geographers, sociologists, public health researchers and others. This essay examines the treatment of gender within urban health and, drawing on insights from the social sciences, offers suggestions as to how urban health researchers might adopt an intersectional and gendered approach that will advance our understanding of the production of urban health for women and men.

A Novel Indirect Reduction Technique in Ankle Syndesmotic Injuries: A Cadaveric Study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel technique using preoperative computed tomography (CT) to plan clamp tine placement along the trans-syndesmotic axis (TSA). We hypothesized that preoperative CT imaging provides a reliable template on which to plan optimal clamp tine positioning along the TSA, reducing malreduction rates compared with other described techniques. METHODS: CT images of 48 cadaveric through-knee specimens were obtained, and the TSA was measured as well as the optimal position of the medial clamp tine. The syndesmosis was then fully destabilized. Indirect clamp reductions were performed with the medial clamp tine placed at positions 10 degrees anterior to the TSA, along the TSA, and at both 10 and 20 degrees posterior to the TSA. The specimens were then separately reduced using manual digital pressure and palpation alone. CT was performed after each clamp and manual reduction. RESULTS: On average, reduction clamp tines were within 3 ± 2 degrees of the desired angle and within 5% ± 4% of the templated location along the tibial line for all clamp reduction attempts. Palpation and direct visualization produced the overall lowest malreduction rates in all measurements: 4.9% and 3.0%, respectively. Off-axis clamping 10 degrees anterior or 20 degrees posterior to the patient-specific TSA demonstrated an increased overall malreduction rate: 15.8% and 11.3%, respectively. Significantly more over-compression occurred when a reduction clamp was used versus manual digital reduction alone (8.6% vs. 0%). CONCLUSIONS: Reduction clamp placement directly along an optimal clamping vector can be facilitated by preoperative CT measurements of the uninjured ankle. However, even in this setting, the use of reduction clamps increases the risk for syndesmotic malreduction and over-compression compared with manual digital reduction or direct visualization.

Communicative competence in parents of children with autism and parents of children with specific language impairment.

While the primary language deficit in autism has been thought to be pragmatic, and in specific language impairment (SLI) structural, recent research suggests phenomenological and possibly genetic overlap between the two syndromes. To compare communicative competence in parents of children with autism, SLI, and down syndrome (DS), we used a modified pragmatic rating scale (PRS-M). Videotapes of conversational interviews with 47 autism, 47 SLI, and 21 DS parents were scored blind to group membership. Autism and SLI parents had significantly lower communication abilities than DS parents. Fifteen percent of the autism and SLI parents showed severe deficits. Our results suggest that impaired communication is part of the broader autism phenotype and a broader SLI phenotype, especially among male family members.