Analysis of variability and trends in medical school clerkship grades.

Background: Medical school clerkship grades are used to evaluate orthopedic surgery residency applicants, however, high interinstitutional variability in grade distribution calls into question the utility of clerkship grades when evaluating applicants from different medical schools. This study aims to evaluate the variability in grade distribution among medical schools and look for trends in grade distribution over recent years. Methods: Applications submitted to Rush University's orthopedic surgery residency program from 2015, 2019, and 2022 were collected from the Electronic Residency Application Service. Applications from the top 100 schools according to the 2023-2024 U.S. News and World Report Research Rankings were reviewed. The percentage of "honors" grades awarded by medical schools for the surgery and internal medicine clerkships were extracted from applicants' Medical Student Performance Evaluation letters. Results: The median percentage of honors given in 2022 was 36.0 % (range 10.0-82.0) for the surgery clerkship and 33.0 % (range 6.7-80.0) for the internal medicine clerkship. Honors were given 6.6 % more in the surgery clerkship in 2022 compared to 2015. There was a negative correlation between a higher (worse) U.S. News and World Report research ranking and the percentage of honors awarded in 2022 for the surgery and internal medicine clerkships. Conclusion: There is substantial interinstitutional variability in the rate that medical schools award an "honors" grade with evidence of grade inflation in the surgery clerkship. Residency programs using clerkship grades to compare applicants should do so cautiously provided the variability demonstrated in this study.

Step-cut osteotomy of the anterior superior iliac spine for increased visualisation in the Levine approach for Bernese periacetabular osteotomy surgery.

BACKGROUND: Hip dysplasia can lead to pain and dysfunction in the young adult. Acetabular undercoverage leads to abnormal joint loading and results in joint degeneration, accelerating need for arthroplasty in this patient population. Conceptually, treatment focuses on increasing acetabular coverage in the form of periacetabular osteotomy. The procedure can be performed through the iliofemoral approach, and performing an anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) osteotomy can enhance the visualisation in this approach. Several techniques have been described for ASIS osteotomy. AIM: The purpose this study was to report on step-cut technique for ASIS osteotomy during the Bernese periacetabular osteotomy procedure to enhance visualisation when utilising the iliofemoral approach. SURGICAL TECHNIQUE: This step-cut technique enhances stability at the osteotomy site, and minimises soft tissue dissection to reduce pain and assists with maintaining a stable fixation construct postoperatively. RESULTS: There were no nonunions and minimal morbidity to the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury in cohort of 86 patients while utilising this technique. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend using this step-cut ostetomy of the ASIS during Bernese periactetabular osteotomy for benefit of increasing exposure while maintaining a low complication profile.

Traumatic Rhabdomyolysis: Crush Syndrome, Compartment Syndrome, and the 'Found Down' Patient.

Traumatic rhabdomyolysis is a systemic manifestation of muscle injury and can occur from various traumatic etiologies, including crush syndrome (CrshS) and compartment syndrome (CS). Although historically described in natural disaster survivors trapped under collapsed structures, the frequency of CrshS has increased in the setting of 'found down' patients from opioid overdoses. Signs and symptoms of the injured limb in CrshS may range from pressure-induced skin changes to neurologic deficits and paralysis. Although its pathophysiology differs from CS, severe injuries may lead to an associated CS. Identifying CS in a patient with CrshS can be difficult but is important to distinguish because it affects treatment. The degree of muscle damage, viability of the remaining muscular compartment, and presence of elevated compartment pressures dictate the need for surgical intervention in the form of fasciotomy. Surgical outcomes from CrshS and delayed CS result in similar high morbidity and surgical complications. This review defines and classifies the types of traumatic rhabdomyolysis and summarizes the outcomes to facilitate timely diagnosis and appropriate management for this population to reduce morbidity associated with these conditions.

Opening Wedge Osteotomy for the Treatment of Pediatric Radial Neck Malunion and Anterior Radiocapitellar Dislocation: A Case Report.

Radial neck fractures are common injuries of the elbow in the pediatric patient. Surgical intervention is recommended for significant angulation and displacement or mechanical blocks to motion. Radial neck malunion is a rare complication and may result in altered joint mechanics and, if severe, joint incongruency. Dislocation of the radial head has yet to be reported in this population after radial neck malunion. Treatment for radial neck malunions with dislocation varies and can include radial head excision or radial neck osteotomy. Outcomes after radial neck osteotomy is limited to case reports and small cases series. We present a case report of pediatric patient with radial neck malunion and anterior radiocapitellar dislocation treated with joint realignment via opening wedge osteotomy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a pediatric case with radial head dislocation secondary to neck malunion and the first described report using this technique.

Patient-Directed Online Education for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Release: Analysis of What Patients Ask and Quality of Resources.

Purpose: This study classifies common questions searched by patients from the Google search engine and categorizes the types and quality of online education resources used by patients regarding carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and carpal tunnel release (CTR). Methods: Google's results were extracted and compiled using the "People also ask" function for frequent questions and associated web pages for CTS and CTR. Questions were categorized using Rothwell's classification with further topic subcategorization. Web pages were evaluated by using Journal of the American Medical Association Benchmark Criteria for source quality. Results: Of the 600 questions evaluated, "How do I know if I have carpal tunnel or tendonitis?" and "What causes carpal tunnel to flare up?" were the most commonly investigated questions for CTS. For CTR, frequent questions investigated included "How long after hand surgery can I drive" and "How do you wipe after carpal tunnel surgery." The most common questions for CTS by Rothwell classification were policy (51%), fact (41%), and value (8%) with the highest subcategories being indications/management (46%) and technical details (27%). For CTR, the most common questions entailed fact (54%), policy (34%), and value (11%) with the highest subcategories as technical details (31%) and indications/management (26%). The most common web pages were academic and medical practice. The mean Journal of the American Medical Association score for all 600 web pages was 1.43, with journals (mean = 3.91) having the highest score and legal (mean = 0.52) and single surgeon practice websites (mean = 0.28) having the lowest scores. Conclusions: Patients frequently inquire online about etiology, precipitating factors, diagnostic criteria, and activity restrictions regarding CTS/CTR. Overall, the quality of online resources for this topic was poor, especially from single surgeon practices and legal websites. Clinical relevance: Understanding the type and quality of information patients are accessing assists physicians in tailoring counseling to patient concerns and facilitates informed decision-making regarding CTS/CTR as well as guiding patients to high-quality online searches.

Pediatric Forearm Muscle Herniation Treated With an Acellular Dermal Allograft.

Muscle herniations occur through acquired fascial defects in the lower extremities; upper-extremity herniations are rare. The affected patients are typically adult men engaging in strenuous exercise or with injury; pediatric cases are infrequent. We a pediatric patient with a symptomatic, forearm herniation treated with fascial defect closure using an acellular dermal allograft. This case report highlights not only the presence of this rare condition in pediatrics but also a safe and viable treatment option for this patient population. The patient presented with pain and soft-tissue swelling of the forearm, was diagnosed with muscular herniation, and was surgically treated with fascial defect closure using an acellular dermal allograft. All symptoms resolved, without the recurrence of herniation and with return to sport. Upper-extremity muscle herniations are rare but should be considered in pediatric patients following trauma/surgery and can be treated successfully with acellular dermal allografts.

Ulnar Collateral Ligament Internal Bracing Repair Technique for High-Grade Partial Proximal Tears in the Throwing Athlete.

The use of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) repair with concomitant internal bracing for throwing athletes is a viable treatment option, but must take into account tear location, ligament quality, the expected length of the athlete's career, desire to advance to the next level of competition, and age. There has been increased interest in repair of UCL injuries in overhead athletes due to advancements in surgical technique, as well as improved technologies of anchor and suture material. In addition, return to sport can be accelerated compared to reconstruction. In this Technical Note, we demonstrate an ulnar collateral ligament repair technique, with internal bracing augmentation for high-grade partial proximal tears in the throwing athlete that is reliable, strong, and easily reproducible.

Treatment of Fourth and Fifth Carpometacarpal Fracture-Dislocations in Punching Injuries With Motion-Sparing Hamate Fixation Spring Plates: "Rabbit Ears" Plating.

Punching injuries to the hand are frequent and can result in fourth and fifth carpometacarpal (CMC) fracture-dislocations. Fourth and fifth CMC fracture-dislocations are unstable, and dorsal metacarpal dislocations are most common. Operative management for maintaining reduction of the unstable fracture-dislocation was closed reduction and percutaneous pinning; however, in delayed fractures, open reduction is necessary. We report on a plating technique used for acute and delayed, unstable fourth and/or fifth CMC fracture-dislocations. This method of plating is novel and allows for physiological motion at the CMC joint through a dorsal buttressing mechanism while maintaining joint reduction. The range of motion begins within the first week postoperatively, and full composite fist formation and digital extension occur 4 to 6 weeks postoperatively. This novel technique affords an alternative effective surgical treatment option with excellent outcomes for patients presenting with fourth and fifth CMC fracture-dislocations up to 12 weeks following the injury.

Stress Fractures of the Elbow in the Throwing Athlete: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Stress fractures of the elbow are rare in throwing athletes and present a challenge from both a management and rehabilitation perspective. Although the incidence of stress fractures of the elbow is increasing, there is a lack of data in the literature focused on throwers. PURPOSE: To evaluate studies regarding the management and outcomes of stress fractures of the elbow in throwing athletes. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted by searching the Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane Library electronic databases to identify studies reporting on the management and outcomes of stress fractures in overhead-throwing athletes. Management data included nonoperative and operative modalities, and outcome data included return to play, encompassing the timing and level of activity. Studies were excluded if the stress fracture of the elbow was not a result of a sport injury attributed to throwing or if the study failed to report whether an athlete returned to play. RESULTS: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this analysis. There were 52 patients in total (50 male, 2 female) with a mean age of 19.7 years (range, 13-29.1 years). The olecranon was the most common location of the stress fracture (51 patients; 98.1%), followed by the distal humerus (1 patient; 1.9%). The majority of patients (n = 40; 76.9%) were treated operatively. Of the 40 patients who were treated surgically, 14 (35.0%) underwent a period of conservative treatment preoperatively that ultimately failed because of persistent nonunion or continued elbow pain. A total of 50 patients (96.2%) returned to sport either at or above their preinjury level. Of the 2 patients (3.8%) who did not return to sport, 1 did not return because of continued elbow pain postoperatively, and the other was lost to follow-up. Complications occurred in 9 patients (17.3%), all of whom were treated surgically. CONCLUSION: On the basis of this systematic review, the majority of elbow stress fractures were treated operatively and approximately one-third after a period of failed nonoperative management. The return-to-sport rate was high. Further, higher level studies are needed to optimize management and return-to-sport rates in this population.