Does psychological distress predict risk of orthopaedic surgery and postoperative opioid prescribing in patients with hip pain? A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians and public health professionals have allocated resources to curb opioid over-prescription and address psychological needs among patients with musculoskeletal pain. However, associations between psychological distress, risk of surgery, and opioid prescribing among those with hip pathologies remain unclear. METHODS: Using a retrospective cohort study design, we identified patients that were evaluated for hip pain from January 13, 2020 to October 27, 2021. Patients' surgical histories and postoperative opioid prescriptions were extracted via chart review. Risk of hip surgery within one year of evaluation was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Multivariable linear regression was employed to predict average morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per day of opioid prescriptions within the first 30 days after surgery. Candidate predictors included age, gender, race, ethnicity, employment, insurance type, hip function and quality of life on the International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12), and psychological distress phenotype using the OSPRO Yellow Flag (OSPRO-YF) Assessment Tool. RESULTS: Of the 672 patients, n = 350 (52.1%) underwent orthopaedic surgery for hip pain. In multivariable analysis, younger patients, those with TRICARE/other government insurance, and those with a high psychological distress phenotype had higher odds of surgery. After adding iHOT-12 scores, younger patients and lower iHOT-12 scores were associated with higher odds of surgery, while Black/African American patients had lower odds of surgery. In multivariable analysis of average MME, patients with periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) received opioid prescriptions with significantly higher average MME than those with other procedures, and surgery type was the only significant predictor. Post-hoc analysis excluding PAO found higher average MME for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy (compared to arthroplasty or other non-PAO procedures) and significantly lower average MME for patients with public insurance (Medicare/Medicaid) compared to those with private insurance. Among those only undergoing arthroscopy, older age and having public insurance were associated with opioid prescriptions with lower average MME. Neither iHOT-12 scores nor OSPRO-YF phenotype assignment were significant predictors of postoperative mean MME. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological distress characteristics are modifiable targets for rehabilitation programs, but their use as prognostic factors for risk of orthopaedic surgery and opioid prescribing in patients with hip pain appears limited when considered alongside other commonly collected clinical information such as age, insurance, type of surgery pursued, and iHOT-12 scores.

Type V Superior-Labrum Anterior-Posterior (SLAP) Repair - A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to systematically review the evidence in the literature to ascertain the functional outcomes, recurrence rates, and subsequent revision rates following type V superior labrum anterior-posterior (SLAP) repair. METHODS: Two independent reviewers performed a literature search based on PRISMA guidelines, utilizing the EMBASE, MEDLINE, and The Cochrane Library Databases. Studies were included if they had clinical outcomes on the patients undergoing type V SLAP repair. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). A P value of < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Our review found 13 studies, including 451 shoulders meeting our inclusion criteria. The majority of patients were male (89.3%), with an average age of 25.9 years (range 15-58) and a mean follow-up of 53.8 months. The Rowe score was the most utilized functional outcome score, with a weighted mean of 88.5. Additionally, the mean Constant score was 91.0, the mean ASES score was 88.3, the mean SSV score was 85.5%, and the mean VAS pain score was 1.2. The overall rate of return to play was 84.8%, with 80.2% returning to the same level of play. The overall reoperation rate was 6.1%, with a recurrent dislocation rate of 8.2%. In the studies comparing type V SLAP and isolated Bankart repair, there were statistically insignificant differences in VAS pain scores (MD; 0.15, 95% CI, -0.13 to 0.44, I2 = 0%, p = 0.29) and recurrence rates (RR; 1.38, 95% CI, 0.88 to 2.15, I2 = 0%, p = 0.16). CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic repair of type V SLAP tears results in excellent functional outcomes, with high return to play rates in athletes. There are low rates of reoperations and recurrent dislocations. Additionally, in comparison to an isolated Bankart repair, SLAP repair does not increase recurrence rates or postoperative pain.

Pain-Associated Psychological Distress Is of High Prevalence in Patients With Hip Pain: Characterizing Psychological Distress and Phenotypes.

Purpose: To identify common pain-related psychological factors among patients seeking care for athletic hip pain, as well as characterize psychological distress phenotypes and compare hip-specific quality-of-life measures across those phenotypes. Methods: A total of 721 patients were recruited from hip preservation clinics. The Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcome-Yellow Flag Assessment Tool (OSPRO-YF) was used to identify the presence or absence of 11 different pain-associated psychological distress characteristics (yellow flags), while the International Hip Outcome Tool-12 (iHOT-12) was used to assess hip-related quality of life. Latent class analysis identified patient subgroups (phenotypes) based on naturally occurring combinations of distress characteristics. An analysis of variance was used to compare demographics, number of yellow flags, and iHOT-12 scores across phenotypes. Results: The median (interquartile range) number of yellow flags was 6 (3-9), with 13.5% of the sample reporting 11 yellow flags. Latent class analysis (L2 = 543.3, classification errors = 0.082) resulted in 4 phenotypes: high distress (n = 299, 41.5%), low distress (n = 172, 23.9%), low self-efficacy and acceptance (n = 74, 10.3%), and negative pain coping (n = 276, 24.4%). Significant differences in mean yellow flags existed between all phenotypes except low self-efficacy and negative pain coping. There were no differences in demographics between phenotypes. The high distress class had the lowest mean iHOT-12 score (mean [SD], 23.5 [17.6]), with significant differences found between each phenotypic class. Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of pain-associated psychological distress in patients presenting to tertiary hip arthroscopy clinics with hip pain. Furthermore, hip quality-of-life outcome scores were uniformly lower in patients with higher levels of psychological distress. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Glenohumeral arthrodesis outcomes and complications: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to systematically review the evidence in the literature to determine the clinical outcomes following glenohumeral arthrodesis. METHODS: Two independent reviewers performed a literature search in the PubMed database based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were included if they reported on outcomes following shoulder arthrodesis from the years of 2000-2022. Functional outcomes that were collected included the Subjective Shoulder Value, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons shoulder index score, visual analog scale pain score, and Oxford Shoulder Score. Range-of-motion data were also collected. RESULTS: This review included 17 studies, with a total of 316 patients, that met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the patients were male (67.4%), and the average age was 38.4 years (range, 7-82 years). The overall fusion rate was 88.7%, and the time to fusion was on average, 3.9 months (range, 2-8 months). Shoulder arthrodesis resulted in improvement in each of the functional outcomes assessed: Subjective Shoulder Value (preoperatively, 18.8; postoperatively, 43.9; and percent change, 132.8%), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons shoulder index score (postoperatively, 62.1), visual analog scale pain score (preoperatively, 8.5; postoperatively, 3.03; and percent change, 62.4%), and Oxford Shoulder Score (preoperatively, 9.4; postoperatively, 30.9; and percent change, 328.7%). The abduction, forward flexion, external rotation, and internal rotation range-of-motion measurements postoperatively were 57°, 64°, 3°, and 48°, respectively. Complications were reported in 33.6% of patients, with fractures (20.9%) and infections (18.6%) being the most common sources of complication. CONCLUSION: Shoulder arthrodesis provides improvement in functional outcomes for end-stage glenohumeral injuries; however, it is also associated with high rates of complications.

Intramedullary nailing vs. open reduction-internal fixation for humeral shaft fractures: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare outcomes following intramedullary nailing (IMN) vs. open reduction-internal fixation (ORIF) for humeral shaft fractures. METHODS: A literature search of 3 databases was performed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. RCTs comparing IMN and ORIF for humeral shaft fractures were included. Clinical outcomes were compared using RevMan. P < .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Ten RCTs with 512 patients were included. Overall, 8.4% of patients treated with IMN and 6.4% of patients treated with ORIF had nonunion (P = .57, I2 = 0%), with a significantly faster time to union with IMN (10 weeks vs. 11.9 weeks, P < .05). There was no significant difference in the rate of reoperation (11.6% in IMN group vs. 7.6% in ORIF group, P = .26) or radial nerve palsy (2.8% in IMN group vs. 4.2% in ORIF group, P = .58). A lower rate of infection was noted with IMN (1.2% vs. 5.3%, P < .05). Additionally, there was a lower operative time with IMN (61 minutes vs. 88 minutes, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The Level I evidence in the literature does not show a significant difference in rates of union, reoperation, or radial nerve palsy between IMN and ORIF for humeral shaft fractures. Overall, treatment with IMN results in a lower infection rate, less operative time, and a modestly quicker time to union. The optimal treatment strategy for humeral shaft fractures may be best informed by fracture pattern and surgeon preference.

Subscapularis repair for reverse shoulder arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to perform a systematic review of the literature evaluating the importance of subscapularis repair in patients who underwent reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). METHODS: A systematic search of articles in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases was carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines. Cohort studies comparing RSA with subscapularis repair vs. RSA without subscapularis repair were included. All statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager. A P value of <.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Seventeen studies with 2620 patients were included. Subscapularis repair resulted in less instability compared to without subscapularis repair (0.8% vs. 4.2%, P = .04), and there were no significant differences in rate of instability with lateralization (0.6% vs. 1.6%, P = .40), revision rates (2.6% vs. 3.9%, P = .62), and complication rates (7.7% vs. 4.9%, P = .21). Subscapularis repair had improved American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES) scores (83.6 vs. 80.2, P = .02) and Constant scores (72.6 vs. 68.9, P < .01) but there was not a significant difference in visual analog scale pain scores (1.2 vs. 1.6, P = .11). Subscapularis repair had a significant difference in forward flexion (140° vs. 137°, P = .04) and internal rotation score (5.5 vs. 4.6, P = .001); however, there was no significant difference in external rotation (35° vs. 35°, P = .80) and abduction (117° vs. 123°, P = .13). CONCLUSION: This study found that RSA with subscapularis repair demonstrated a reduction in the occurrence of implant instability with medialized implants. However, subscapularis repair did not yield improvements in revision rates, complications, or instability with lateralized implants. Additionally, other outcome measures such as ASES, Constant score, and range of motion exhibited statistically significant improvements with subscapularis repair but did not surpass clinically significant thresholds.

Proximal Anterolateral Accessory Portal Use Improves Peripheral Compartment Access and Capsular Management with T-Capsulotomy.

One of the primary goals of hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome is precise removal of pathologic FAI morphology while protecting and restoring the normal soft tissue anatomy. Adequate visualization is a key foundation of precise removal of FAI morphology and varying types of capsulotomies are frequently used to achieve necessary exposure. Anatomic and outcomes studies have influenced an increasing appreciation for repairing these capsulotomies. Thus one of the central technical challenges of hip arthroscopy is achieving both goals of capsule preservation and adequate visualization. Various techniques have been described, including suture-based capsule suspension, portal placement, and T-capsulotomy. The following technique describes how the proximal anterolateral accessory portal can be added to a capsule suspension and T-capsulotomy technique to improve visualization and facilitate repair.

Use of an Individualized Development Plan to Identify Career Development Needs in Prospective Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellows.

BACKGROUND: Mentorship is a key aspect of leadership development for orthopaedic surgeons, but there are few formalized mentorship programs in medical training. The individualized development plan (IDP) is a tool that potentially improves mentorship opportunities through identifying specific competency deficiencies and facilitating communication with mentors. PURPOSE: To assess the views of prospective orthopaedic surgery sports medicine fellows on the skills necessary for career development and the utility of an IDP for longitudinal career mentorship during a sports medicine fellowship. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Candidates who interviewed for an orthopaedic surgery sports medicine fellowship voluntarily completed an anonymous IDP as well as a survey to assess their perceptions of the IDP tool to define their career goals and its use for longitudinal mentorship. The IDP included quantitative and qualitative responses for the self-assessment of multiple skill domains (general research, teaching, professional, interpersonal, leadership, and management) using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = needs improvement, 5 = highly proficient). Quantitative results were analyzed using analysis of variance and Student t test. RESULTS: A total of 25 candidates completed the IDP and survey. The mean ± standard deviation composite score of all skill domains was 3.62 ± 0.91. The candidates' greatest deficit was in grant writing (2.28 ± 0.94; P < .01), while their greatest strength was getting along with others (4.52 ± 0.65; P < .01). Candidates identified, as short-term goals, obtaining a fellowship training position, completion of research/academic projects, and improvement of surgical skills; their common long-term goals included having a role in an academic institution, professional society, and/or research and innovation environment. The majority of participants agreed that the IDP is a valuable tool to characterize career and personal goals (74%) and facilitate longitudinal fellowship mentorship (83.3%). CONCLUSION: The majority of candidates valued the IDP for their short- and long-term goals. Program implementation of an IDP could be beneficial in allowing trainees to effectively identify areas of weakness and strengths while facilitating efficient communication of these needs to mentors.

Effect of a novel healthcare leadership program on leadership and emotional intelligence.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the Feagin Leadership Program (FLP) in teaching leadership domains and emotional intelligence. An anonymous survey of 178 graduates of FLP (2011-2019) including the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF) was used to assess emotional intelligence and program views. ANOVA was used to compare the difference in emotional intelligence domains between groups. Respondents reported the FLP most improved skills in communication, emotional intelligence, and team building. Medical students (18, 38.3%) and faculty/staff (5/14, 35.7%) reported the most relevant domain was emotional intelligence; residents/fellows reported the most relevant domain was teamwork (8/37, 21.6%). Respondents in residency/fellowship had the highest score in emotionality (P = .01). These results suggest that a healthcare leadership program tailored to medical trainees was effective in improving their competency in various leadership domains, and that emotional intelligence and teamwork were the most relevant components of the program.

How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Demonstrated a Need for Increased Leadership Education in Medicine.

The healthcare system in the United States has been taxed in various ways throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing healthcare facilities to their breaking point. This has forced decision-makers in healthcare to make difficult choices, highlighting the need for effective leadership. However, there are little intentional leadership development curricula in medical education. Leadership skills can be taught and acquired similar to other skills in medical school, and we believe medical education institutions should cultivate these skills in their trainees. We hope that this will help inspire change in medical education curricula to intentionally teach and develop leadership skills in their students.