Return to Sports After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one of the most common orthopedic injuries among athletes. Although a small proportion of patients with isolated tears can return to sports after completing a nonsurgical rehabilitation program, ACL reconstruction is frequently recommended for young athletes, especially those with concomitant knee injuries or symptomatic knee instability. Alongside emerging evidence for the effect of prehabilitation, the current standard of care for postoperative ACL physical therapy includes pain control, range of motion, quadriceps strengthening, weight bearing, postoperative bracing, and dynamic limb stabilization and control. The early rehabilitation period includes non-weight-bearing exercises and passive range of motion, which is followed by a longer period of gradual strengthening focused on regaining preinjury strength, proprioception, and control with progressively more demanding dynamic movements. The total rehabilitation period is expected to take around 9 months, during which the patient should be evaluated at frequent intervals by a licensed physical therapist in addition to a daily home exercise program. Prior to discharge from the rehabilitation program, patients should be evaluated by both the surgeon and physical therapist. Patients are encouraged to return to sports once they meet a set of perceptual, subjective, objective, neuromuscular, functional, sport-specific drills, and load management testing criteria.

Association of Hip Dysplasia With Trochlear Dysplasia in Skeletally Mature Patients.

Background: Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and trochlear dysplasia (TD) are distinct pathologies with several important features in common. In addition to shared risk factors, both forms of dysplasia cause abnormal joint kinematics and force transmission, predisposing patients to pain, injuries to cartilage and soft tissue stabilizers, and ultimately arthritis. Purpose: To evaluate for an association between hip dysplasia and TD in skeletally mature patients with symptomatic hip dysplasia. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 48 patients with DDH who underwent periacetabular osteotomy were compared with 48 sex-matched patients who underwent hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) between July 2014 and February 2021. All patients were skeletally mature. The Tönnis angle and lateral center-edge angle were measured on preoperative pelvis radiographs. Femoral version, trochlear depth, lateral trochlear inclination (LTI), tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance (TTTG-d), and posterior lateral condylar angle (PLCA) were measured on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging scans of the symptomatic hip and ipsilateral knee. Continuous variables were compared between the patient groups using 2-sample t tests. Interobserver reliability was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: Patients with DDH demonstrated a reduced trochlear depth compared with patients with FAI (3.6 vs 4.6 mm; P < .001). There were no differences between groups in femoral anteversion, LTI, TTTG-d, or PLCA. Two (4.2%) patients with FAI and 17 (35.4%) patients with DDH had a trochlear depth <3 mm (P < .001). One (2.1%) patient with FAI and 7 (14.6%) patients with DDH had an LTI <11° (P = .027). There was no difference between groups in frequency of a convex proximal trochlea, patient-reported ipsilateral knee pain, or ipsilateral knee procedures. Conclusion: Patients with DDH had reduced trochlear depth compared with patients with FAI, demonstrating a higher incidence of dysplastic trochlear features that may predispose patients to patellofemoral joint disease. Further research is needed to determine whether screening at-risk patients and treating TD will help to prevent symptomatic patellofemoral disease.

External Fixator Usage and Delayed MRI Scans: A National Survey Study.

OBJECTIVE: To report the current state of institutional protocols regarding the use of MRI in patients with external fixation devices (EFDs) in the United States. DESIGN: National Survey Study. PARTICIPANTS: Practicing orthopaedic surgeons frequenting the Orthopaedic Trauma Association website were invited to participate in this study. RESULTS: Sixty-two eligible orthopaedic surgeons completed the survey. No respondents reported any known harmful complications of MRI use with an EFD. Eight respondents (13%) reported at least one early scan termination because of mild warmth or vibration without any lasting complications. Fifty-six respondents (90%) reported delays to care related to MRI-EFD compatibility labeling, and 27 respondents (48%) reported delayed MRI scans in every patient with an EFD who needed one. Twenty-six surgeons (42%) had modified their practice in some way in response to these barriers. Examples include delaying EFD placement until after MRI, relying on CT arthrograms over MRI for surgical planning, and taking patients to the operating room to remove EFDs temporarily and then replace them. Nineteen respondents (31%) had developed formal protocols to address this issue, but having a written protocol was not associated with any decrease in delays ( P = 0.119). Eighty-nine percent of respondents thought there was a need for a national consensus guideline on this issue. CONCLUSION: Despite no previous reports of harmful complications, MRI utilization is frequently delayed or prevented in patients with EFDs in place. This is a pervasive problem nationally, which persists despite the implementation of written institutional protocols. Additional research is needed, potentially at the national level, to address this common issue. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V.

Effectiveness of melatonin treatment for sleep disturbance in orthopaedic trauma patients: A prospective, randomized control trial.

OBJECTIVES: Explore sleep disturbance in postoperative orthopedic trauma patients and determine the impact of melatonin supplementation on postoperative sleep, pain, and quality of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective, randomized controlled trial at a Level I trauma center, 84 adult orthopedic trauma patients with operative fracture management were randomized 2-weeks postoperatively to either the melatonin or placebo group. Patients randomized to the melatonin group (42 subjects, mean age 41.8 ± 15.5 years) received 5 mg melatonin supplements. Patients in the placebo group (42 subjects, mean age 41.3 ± 14.0 years) received identical glucose tablets. Both groups were instructed to take the tablets 30 minutes before bed for 4 weeks and received sleep hygiene education and access to the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) Coach app. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Our primary outcome was sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Secondary outcomes were pain measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), quality of life measured by the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), and opioid use. RESULTS: Patients in both groups had significant sleep disturbance (PSQI ≥ 5) at 2-weeks (83%) and 6-weeks (67%) postoperatively. PSQI improved by 3.3 points (p<0.001) at follow-up, but there was no significant difference between groups (melatonin PSQI = 5.6, placebo PSQI = 6.1, P = 0.615). Compared to placebo, melatonin did not affect VAS, SF-36, or opioid use significantly. CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbance is prevalent in orthopedic trauma patients. Melatonin treatment did not significantly improve subjective sleep quality, pain, quality of life or opioid use. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level I.

Short versus long cephalomedullary nailing of intertrochanteric fractures: a meta-analysis of 3208 patients.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to compare treatment outcomes after short or long cephalomedullary nailing for intertrochanteric femur fractures. DATA SOURCES: A systematic review of perioperative outcomes after short or long cephalomedullary nailing for intertrochanteric femur fractures was performed. The following databases were used: using the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed (1980-2019), and MEDLINE (1980-2019). The queries were performed in June 2019. STUDY SELECTION: The following search term query was used: "Intramedullary Nail AND Intertrochanteric Fracture OR "Long OR Short Nail AND intertrochanteric Fracture." Studies were excluded if they were "single-arm" studies (i.e., reporting on either long or short CMN but not both), or did not report at least one of the outcomes being meta-analyzed. Furthermore, cadaveric studies, animal studies, basic science articles, editorial articles, surveys and studies were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION: Two investigators independently reviewed abstracts from all identified articles. Full-text articles were obtained for review if necessary, to allow further assessment of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Additionally, all references from the included studies were reviewed and reconciled to verify that no relevant articles were missing from the systematic review. DATA SYNTHESIS: Short nails were associated with statistically significantly less estimated blood loss and operative time compared to long nails. There were no significant differences in transfusion rates, implant failures or overall re-operation rates between implant lengths. Similarly, there was no significant difference in peri-implant fracture between implant lengths. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the available clinical evidence supports the use of short cephalomedullary nails for the majority of intertrochanteric femur fractures. STUDY DESIGN/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Meta-analysis; Level III, therapeutic.

ICD-10 codes do not accurately reflect ankle fracture injury patterns.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of International Classification of Disease Version 10 (ICD-10) coding for ankle fracture injury patterns. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study PATIENTS: 97 adult patients with fractures about the ankle (rotational ankle fracture or distal tibia fracture) from 2016 to 2020, selected by stratified random sampling. INTERVENTION: Assignment of an ICD-10 code representative of a rotational ankle fracture, pilon fracture, or unspecified fracture of the lower leg. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Injury radiographs were reviewed by three authors to determine the correct code. Agreement between the correct code and the electronic medical record (EMR) assigned code was determined using kappa's statistic in the aggregate as well as percent agreement, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) between individual codes. RESULTS: 59 of 97 cases (60.8%) demonstrated discordance between the existing EMR and surgeon-assigned codes. Aggregate agreement between all codes was fair (K = 0.26). Lateral malleolus fracture codes demonstrated the highest PPV (0.91, 95% CI 0.72-0.99), while the lowest PPV was found for "other fractures of the lower leg" (0.05, 95% CI 0.0-0.24) and "other fracture of the fibula" (0.0, 95% CI 0.0-0.15). Generalized "other fracture" codes comprised 45% of EMR codes compared to only 6% of assigned codes (p < 0.001). EMR codes were specific but not sensitive. CONCLUSION: There is substantial discordance between existing EMR and surgeon-assigned ICD-10 codes for ankle fractures. Database research that relies on ICD-10 coding as a surrogate for primary clinical data should be interpreted with caution and institutions should make efforts to increase the accuracy of their coding.

Artificial Neural Networks Predict 30-Day Mortality After Hip Fracture: Insights From Machine Learning.

OBJECTIVES: Accurately stratifying patients in the preoperative period according to mortality risk informs treatment considerations and guides adjustments to bundled reimbursements. We developed and compared three machine learning models to determine which best predicts 30-day mortality after hip fracture. METHODS: The 2016 to 2017 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program for hip fracture (AO/OTA 31-A-B-C) procedure-targeted data were analyzed. Three models-artificial neural network, naive Bayes, and logistic regression-were trained and tested using independent variables selected via backward variable selection. The data were split into 80% training and 20% test sets. Predictive accuracy between models was evaluated using area under the curve receiver operating characteristics. Odds ratios were determined using multivariate logistic regression with P < 0.05 for significance. RESULTS: The study cohort included 19,835 patients (69.3% women). The 30-day mortality rate was 5.3%. In total, 47 independent patient variables were identified to train the testing models. Area under the curve receiver operating characteristics for 30-day mortality was highest for artificial neural network (0.92), followed by the logistic regression (0.87) and naive Bayes models (0.83). DISCUSSION: Machine learning is an emerging approach to develop accurate risk calculators that account for the weighted interactions between variables. In this study, we developed and tested a neural network model that was highly accurate for predicting 30-day mortality after hip fracture. This was superior to the naive Bayes and logistic regression models. The role of machine learning models to predict orthopaedic outcomes merits further development and prospective validation but shows strong promise for positively impacting patient care.

Is percutaneous screw fixation really superior to non-operative management after valgus-impacted femoral neck fracture: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: The optimal management of valgus-impacted femoral neck fractures remains controversial. Internal fixation is associated with significant rates of re-operation, while historical non-operative management strategies consisting of prolonged bed rest also resulted in patient morbidity. Our hypothesis was that screw fixation would have comparable failure rates to non-operative treatment and immediate mobilization for valgus-impacted femoral neck fractures. METHODS: Retrospective cohort at a single academic Level I trauma center of patients with valgus-impacted femoral neck fractures (AO/OTA 31-B1) treated with percutaneous screw fixation (n = 97) or non-operatively (n = 28). Operative treatment consisted of percutaneous screw fixation. Non-operative treatment consisted of early mobilization. The primary outcome was a salvage operation. Patient demographics were assessed between groups. RESULTS: More non-operatively treated patients were permitted unrestricted weight-bearing (WBAT; p = 0.002). There was no increase in complication rates or mortality, and return to previous ambulatory status was comparable between operatively and non-operatively treated patients. 35.7% (10/28) of non-operatively treated patients underwent a subsequent operation, compared to 15.5% (15/97) of patients with screw fixation (p = 0.03). Only WBAT was independently associated with treatment failure (OR 3.1, 95%CI 1.2-8.3, p =0.02). WBAT was predictive of treatment failure only in the non-operatively treated group (64.3%, 9/14 WBAT vs 8.3%, 1/12 partial, p =0.005). CONCLUSION: After controlling for weight-bearing restrictions, we found no difference in failure rates between non-operative treatment and screw fixation. Non-operative treatment with partial weight-bearing had low failure rates, comparable complication and mortality rates, and equivalent functional outcomes to operative treatment and is reasonable if a patient would like to avoid surgery and accepts the risk of subsequent arthroplasty. Overall, there were relatively high failure rates in all groups.

The Effect of Resection Size in the Treatment of Cam-Type Femoroacetabular Impingement in the Typical Patient With Hip Arthroscopy: A Biomechanical Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic osteochondroplasty may improve range of motion and relieve pain in patients with symptomatic hip impingement. Femoral neck fracture is a risk of this procedure because of the weakening of the proximal femur. To our knowledge, there are no biomechanical studies in young human cadaveric bone evaluating the effect of osteochondroplasty on femoral neck strength. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose was to evaluate loads to fracture in young human cadavers after resection depths of 25% and 40% at the head-neck junction. We hypothesized that both depths will maintain ultimate loads to failure above previously published loads, as well as above physiologic weightbearing loads. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive laboratory study. METHODS: Cadaveric proximal femoral specimens (6 matched pairs, under the age of 47 years) were divided into 2 groups: 25% or 40% of the diameter at the head-neck junction was resected. The length of the resection was 2 cm and the width of the resection was determined by the length of the anterolateral quadrant at the head-neck junction in all cases. A compressive load was applied directly to the femoral head. Peak load, stiffness, and energy to fracture were compared between groups. RESULTS: The average peak load to fracture after 25% resection (7347 N) was significantly higher than after the 40% resection (5892 N) (P = .010). The average energy to fracture was also significantly higher in the 25% resection group (30.2 J vs 19.2 J; P = .007). The average stiffness was higher in the 25% group, although not statistically significant (P = .737). CONCLUSION: Resection depths of 25% and 40% at the anterolateral quadrant of the femoral head-neck junction may be safe at previously described functional loads such as standing and walking in the age range more typically seen in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. Loads to fracture were significantly higher than previously reported using older cadaveric specimens. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Currently, most surgeons limit weightbearing after femoral osteochondroplasty in part because of risk of femoral neck fracture. Given the higher observed loads to fracture, young patients could possibly bear weight sooner after surgery, although postoperative protocols should be individualized based on patient age, weight, bone density, amount of bone resected, concomitant procedures, and potential compliance with activity restrictions.

Plasma methionine sulfoxide in persons with familial Alzheimer's disease mutations.

BACKGROUND: Convergent evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a central role in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We asked if consequently, oxidation of methionine residues to methionine sulfoxide (MetO) was increased in plasma proteins of persons carrying familial AD (FAD) mutations. METHODS: Plasma was collected from 31 persons from families harboring PSEN1 or APP mutations. Using Western blot analysis with a novel anti-MetO polyclonal antibody, MetO levels were measured and compared between FAD mutation carriers (MCs) and non-mutation carrying (NCs) kin. RESULTS: A MetO-positive 120-kDa gel band distinguished FAD MCs and NCs (mean 11.4 ± 2.8 vs. 4.0 ± 3.1, p = 0.02). In a subset of subjects for whom both measurements were available, MetO levels correlated well with plasma F2-isoprostane (r = 0.81, p < 0.001) and superoxide dismutase 1 (r = 0.52, p = 0.004) levels. CONCLUSION: Our data provide evidence for elevated MetO levels in persons carrying FAD mutations that correlate with other indices of oxidative stress and suggest that plasma oxidative stress markers may be useful for diagnosis of AD.