Mental Health Has a Stronger Association with Patient-Reported Shoulder Pain and Function Than Tear Size in Patients with Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears.

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcome measures have increasingly accompanied objective examination findings in the evaluation of orthopaedic interventions. Our objective was to determine whether a validated measure of mental health (Short Form-36 Mental Component Summary [SF-36 MCS]) or measures of tear severity on magnetic resonance imaging were more strongly associated with self-assessed shoulder pain and function in patients with symptomatic full-thickness rotator cuff tears. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-nine patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears were prospectively enrolled. Patients completed the Short Form-36, visual analog scales for shoulder pain and function, the Simple Shoulder Test (SST), and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) instrument at the time of diagnosis. Shoulder magnetic resonance imaging examinations were reviewed to document the number of tendons involved, tear size, tendon retraction, and tear surface area. Age, sex, body mass index, number of medical comorbidities, smoking status, and Workers' Compensation status were recorded. Bivariate correlations and multivariate regression models were calculated to identify associations with baseline shoulder scores. RESULTS: The SF-36 MCS had the strongest correlation with the visual analog scale for shoulder pain (Pearson correlation coefficient, -0.48; p < 0.001), the visual analog scale for shoulder function (Pearson correlation coefficient, -0.33; p < 0.001), the SST (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.37; p < 0.001), and the ASES score (Pearson correlation coefficient, 0.51; p < 0.001). Tear severity only correlated with the visual analog scale for shoulder function; the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.19 for tear size (p = 0.018), 0.18 for tendon retraction (p = 0.025), 0.18 for tear area (p = 0.022), and 0.20 for the number of tendons involved (p = 0.011). Tear severity did not correlate with other scores in bivariate correlations (all p > 0.05). In all multivariate models, the SF-36 MCS had the strongest association with the visual analog scale for shoulder pain, the visual analog scale for shoulder function, the SST, and the ASES score (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patient mental health may play an influential role in patient-reported pain and function in patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears. Further studies are needed to determine its effect on the outcome of the treatment of rotator cuff disease.

Effect of Naproxen Prophylaxis on Heterotopic Ossification Following Hip Arthroscopy: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a known complication of hip arthroscopy. Our objective was to determine the effect of postoperative naproxen therapy on the development of HO following arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement. METHODS: Between August 2011 and April 2013, 108 eligible patients were enrolled and randomized to take naproxen or a placebo for three weeks postoperatively. Radiographs were made at routine follow-up visits for one year following surgery. The primary outcome measure was the development of HO, as classified with the Brooker criteria and two-dimensional measurements on radiographs made at least seventy-five days postoperatively (average, 322 days). The primary analysis, performed with a Fisher exact test, compared the proportion of subjects with HO between the treatment and control groups. A single a priori interim analysis was planned at the midpoint of the study. RESULTS: Our data safety and monitoring board stopped this study when the interim analysis showed that the stopping criterion had been met for demonstration of efficacy of the naproxen intervention. The prevalence of HO was 46% (twenty-two of the forty-eight in the final analysis) in the placebo group versus 4% (two of forty-eight) in the naproxen group (p < 0.001). Medication compliance was 69% overall, but it did not differ between the naproxen and placebo groups. Minor adverse reactions to the study medications were reported in 42% of the patients taking naproxen versus 35% of those taking the placebo (p = 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, prophylaxis with naproxen was effective in reducing the prevalence of HO without medication-related morbidity.

One-year Patient-reported Outcomes After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Do Not Correlate With Mild to Moderate Psychological Distress.

BACKGROUND: Patients with shoulder and rotator cuff pathology who exhibit greater levels of psychological distress report inferior preoperative self-assessments of pain and function. In several other areas of orthopaedics, higher levels of distress correlate with a higher likelihood of persistent pain and disability after recovery from surgery. To our knowledge, the relationship between psychological distress and outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair has not been similarly investigated. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Are higher levels of preoperative psychological distress associated with differences in outcome scores (visual analog scale [VAS] for pain, Simple Shoulder Test, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score) 1 year after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair? (2) Are higher levels of preoperative psychological distress associated with less improvement in outcome scores (VAS for pain, Simple Shoulder Test, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score) 1 year after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair? (3) Does the prevalence of psychological distress in a population with full-thickness rotator cuff tears change when assessed preoperatively and 1 year after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair? METHODS: Eighty-five patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears were prospectively enrolled; 70 patients (82%) were assessed at 1-year followup. During the study period, the three participating surgeons performed 269 rotator cuff repairs; in large part, the low overall rate of enrollment was related to two surgeons enrolling only two patients total in the initial 14 months of the study. Psychological distress was quantified using the Distress Risk Assessment Method questionnaire, and patients completed self-assessments including the VAS for pain, the Simple Shoulder Test, and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score preoperatively and 1 year after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Fifty of 85 patients (59%) had normal levels of distress, 26 of 85 (31%) had moderate levels of distress, and nine of 85 (11%) had severe levels of distress. Statistical models were used to assess the effect of psychological distress on patient self-assessment of shoulder pain and function at 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: With the numbers available, distressed patients were not different from nondistressed patients in terms of postoperative VAS for pain (1.9 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.0-2.8] versus 1.0 [95% CI, 0.5-1.4], p = 0.10), Simple Shoulder Test (9 [95% CI, 8.1-10.4] versus 11 [95% CI, 10.0-11.0], p = 0.06), or American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (80 [95% CI, 72-88] versus 88 [95% CI, 84-92], p = 0.08) 1 year after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. With the numbers available, distressed patients also were not different from nondistressed patients in terms of the amount of improvement in scores between preoperative assessment and 1-year followup on the VAS for pain (3 [95% CI, 2.2-4.1] versus 2 [95% CI, 1.4-2.9], p = 0.10), Simple Shoulder Test (5.2 [95% CI, 3.7-6.6] versus 5.0 [95% CI, 4.2-5.8], p = 0.86), or American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scale (38 [95% CI, 29-47] versus 30 [95% CI, 25-36], p = 0.16). The prevalence of psychological distress in our patient population was lower at 1 year after surgery 14 of 70 (20%) versus 35 of 85 (41%) preoperatively (odds ratio, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.17-0.74; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Mild to moderate levels of distress did not diminish patient-reported outcomes to a clinically important degree in this small series of patients with rotator cuff tears. This contrasts with reports from other areas of orthopaedic surgery and may be related to a more self-limited course of symptoms in patients with rotator cuff disease or possibly to a beneficial effect of rotator cuff repair on sleep quality or other unrecognized determinants of psychosocial status. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, prognostic study.

Intraneural ganglion in superficial radial nerve mimics de quervain tenosynovitis.

UNLABELLED: Background Intraneural ganglions in peripheral nerves of the upper extremity are extremely rare and poorly understood. Case Description We report a patient with symptoms consistent with de Quervain tenosynovitis who was found to have an intraneural ganglion in the superficial radial nerve. The ganglion did not communicate with the wrist joint. We removed the intraneural ganglion, and the patient's symptoms resolved. At her 6-month postoperative follow-up, she remained asymptomatic. LITERATURE REVIEW: There is only one case report of intraneural ganglion in the superficial radial nerve. In that case, the patient had symptoms consistent with nerve irritation, including radiating pain and paresthesias. In contrast to that previous report, the patient in the current case had only localized pain, no paresthesias, and a physical exam consistent with de Quervain tenosynovitis. Clinical Relevance This case demonstrates that an intraneural ganglion cyst can mimic the symptoms of de Quervain tenosynovitis without the more usual presentation of painful paresthesias.

Ligamentous radiocarpal fracture-dislocation treated with wrist-spanning plate and volar ligament repair.

Background Radiocarpal fracture-dislocations are challenging injuries that are often associated with postoperative pain, stiffness, instability, or early arthrosis. Case Description We report a 1-year follow-up of a ligamentous radiocarpal dislocation (Dumontier group I) treated with a dorsal wrist-spanning plate and volar capsular repair with good results. Literature Review Historically, Dumontier group I injuries treated with a variety of techniques (closed reduction and casting, percutaneous pinning, and open fixation) have been associated with stiffness and loss of reduction. Clinical Relevance Distraction plating is a safe and effective technique for treating select distal radius fractures, and we suggest it has the potential to produce good outcomes when used to treat radiocarpal fracture-dislocations.

Psychological distress negatively affects self-assessment of shoulder function in patients with rotator cuff tears.

BACKGROUND: In many areas of orthopaedics, patients with greater levels of psychological distress report inferior self-assessments of pain and function. This effect can lead to lower-than-expected baseline scores on common patient-reported outcome scales, even those not traditionally considered to have a psychological component. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: This study attempts to answer the following questions: (1) Are higher levels of psychological distress associated with clinically important differences in baseline scores on the VAS for pain, the Simple Shoulder Test, and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair? (2) Does psychological distress remain a negative predictor of baseline shoulder scores when other clinical variables are controlled? METHODS: Eighty-five patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears were prospectively enrolled. Psychological distress was quantified using the Distress Risk Assessment Method questionnaire. Patients completed baseline self-assessments including the VAS for pain, the Simple Shoulder Test, and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score. Age, sex, BMI, smoking status, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, tear size, and tear retraction were recorded for each patient. Bivariate correlations and multivariate regression models were used to assess the effect of psychological distress on patient self-assessment of shoulder pain and function. RESULTS: Distressed patients reported higher baseline VAS scores (6.7 [95% CI, 4.4-9.0] versus 2.9 [95% CI, 2.3-3.6], p = 0.001) and lower baseline Simple Shoulder Test (3.7 [95% CI, 2.9-4.5] versus 5.7 [95% CI 5.0-6.4], p = 0.001) and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (39 [95% CI, 34-45] versus 58 [95% CI, 53-63], p < 0.001). Distress remained associated with higher VAS scores (p = 0.001) and lower Simple Shoulder Test (p < 0.001) and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (p < 0.001) when age, sex, BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, smoking status, tear size, and tear retraction were controlled. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of psychological distress are associated with inferior baseline patient self-assessment of shoulder pain and function using the VAS, the Simple Shoulder Test, and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score. Longitudinal followup is warranted to clarify the relationship between distress and self-perceived disability and the effect of distress on postoperative outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, prognostic study. See the Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Psychologic distress reduces preoperative self-assessment scores in femoroacetabular impingement patients.

BACKGROUND: In several areas of orthopaedics, including spine and upper extremity surgery, patients with greater levels of psychologic distress report worse self-assessments of pain and function than patients who are not distressed. This effect can lead to lower than expected baseline scores on common patient-reported outcome scales, even those not traditionally considered to have a psychologic component. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to determine (1) the association of psychologic distress and baseline modified Harris hip scores and Hip Outcome Scores in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy; and (2) whether psychologic distress would remain a significant negative predictor of baseline hip scores when other clinical variables such as age, sex, BMI, smoking status, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification were controlled. METHODS: One hundred forty-seven patients at one center were prospectively enrolled when they scheduled hip arthroscopy to treat painful femoroacetabular impingement. Before surgery, psychologic distress was quantified using the Distress Risk Assessment Method questionnaire. Patients also completed baseline self-assessments of hip pain and function including the modified Harris hip score and the Hip Outcome Score. Age, sex, BMI, smoking status, and ASA classification were recorded for each patient. Bivariate correlations and multivariate regression models were used to assess the effect of psychologic distress on patient self-assessment of hip pain and function. RESULTS: Patients with distress reported significantly lower baseline modified Harris hip scores (58 versus 67, p = 0.001), Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living scores (62 versus 72, p = 0.002), and Hip Outcome Score-Sports scores (36 versus 47, p = 0.02). Distress remained significantly associated with lower baseline modified Harris hip (p = 0.006), Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living (p = 0.005), and Hip Outcome Score-Sports scores (p = 0.017) when age, sex, BMI, smoking status, and ASA classification were controlled for in the multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS: Practitioners should recognize that psychologic distress has a negative correlation with baseline patient self-assessment using the modified Harris hip score and the Hip Outcome Scores, scales not previously described to correlate with psychologic distress. Longitudinal followup is warranted to clarify the relationship between distress and self-perceived disability and the effect of distress on postoperative outcomes in patients having hip arthroscopy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, prognostic study. See the Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Psychological distress in hip arthroscopy patients affects postoperative pain control.

PURPOSE: To determine whether patients with higher levels of preoperative psychological distress more frequently use a postoperative fascia iliaca nerve block for pain control after hip arthroscopy, and to determine whether a fascia iliaca nerve block is an effective adjunct to multimodal oral and intravenous analgesia after hip arthroscopy. METHODS: One hundred seven patients undergoing hip arthroscopy were prospectively enrolled. Before surgery, patients were administered the Distress Risk Assessment Method questionnaire to quantify their level of preoperative psychological distress. Postoperatively, patients with pain inadequately controlled by multimodal oral and intravenous analgesics could request and receive a fascia iliaca nerve block. Pain scores, opioid consumption, time in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), and postoperative complications were recorded for all patients. RESULTS: Patients with normal Distress Risk Assessment Method scores requested fascia iliaca nerve blocks approximately half as frequently (18 of 50 [36%]) as patients in the at-risk category (28 of 47 [60%]) or distressed category (7 of 10 [70%]) (P = .02). Patients with high levels of distress also received 40% more intraoperative opioid than patients with normal scores (P = .04). In the study population as a whole, patients who received a fascia iliaca nerve block (n = 53) had a higher initial visual analog scale (VAS) pain score in the PACU (7.2 ± 0.3 v 5.5 ± 0.4, P = .001) and showed greater improvement in the VAS pain score by PACU discharge (-4.3 ± 0.2 v -2.1 ± 0.3, P ≤ .0001) compared with patients who did not receive a block (n = 54). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with higher levels of preoperative psychological distress more frequently requested a postoperative nerve block to achieve adequate pain control after hip arthroscopy. Patients receiving a block had greater improvement in VAS pain scores compared with patients managed with oral and intravenous analgesics alone. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case series.

Early weight bearing after lower extremity fractures in adults.

Weight-bearing protocols should optimize fracture healing while avoiding fracture displacement or implant failure. Biomechanical and animal studies indicate that early loading is beneficial, but high-quality clinical studies comparing weight-bearing protocols after lower extremity fractures are not universally available. For certain fracture patterns, well-designed trials suggest that patients with normal protective sensation can safely bear weight sooner than most protocols permit. Several randomized, controlled trials of surgically treated ankle fractures have shown no difference in outcomes between immediate and delayed (≥6 weeks) weight bearing. Retrospective series have reported low complication rates with immediate weight bearing following intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures and following surgical management of femoral neck and intertrochanteric femur fractures in elderly patients. For other fracture patterns, particularly periarticular fractures, the evidence in favor of early weight bearing is less compelling. Most surgeons recommend a period of protected weight bearing for patients with calcaneal, tibial plafond, tibial plateau, and acetabular fractures. Further studies are warranted to better define optimal postoperative weight-bearing protocols.

Weight bearing after a periarticular fracture: what is the evidence?

Orthopedic surgeons frequently provide weight-bearing recommendations to guide patient recovery following lower extremity fractures. This article discusses the available literature regarding the effects of early weight bearing on fracture healing, patient compliance with weight bearing restrictions, and the effect of different weight bearing protocols following acetabular, tibial plateau, tibial plafond, ankle, and calcaneus fractures.

Periaortic pedicle screw removal with endovascular control of the aorta and intraoperative aortography: a case report and review of the literature.

Study Design Case report and review of the literature. Objective The objective of the article is to report the case of a 20-year-old patient with a threatened aortic injury from pedicle screw instrumentation successfully managed without aortic grafting. Methods The patient's clinical course is retrospectively reviewed. The offending hardware was removed after gaining endovascular control of the aorta. Results Intraoperative aortography was normal and no graft was placed. The patient remains asymptomatic at 2 years after surgery. Conclusions Hardware impinging on the aorta can safely be removed by gaining endovascular control of the aorta. In the setting of normal intraoperative aortography in a young patient, we recommend against further intervention to avoid the known morbidity of aortic grafting.

The effect of partial weight bearing in a walking boot on plantar pressure distribution and center of pressure.

Physicians routinely prescribe partial weight bearing in a walking boot following fractures of the lower limbs in order to produce the needed mechanical environment to facilitate healing. Plantar pressure measurements can provide key information regarding the mechanical environment experienced by lower limb bones. The effect of walking boots on plantar pressure distribution has been well reported, however, the combined effects of partial weight bearing and walking boots on plantar pressure distribution and center of pressure is unknown. Thirteen healthy volunteers with no known gait pathologies were fitted with a multi-pressure sensor insole that recorded their plantar pressure distribution during four walking trials: (i) normal walking, (ii) full weight bearing in a walking boot, (iii) 27 kg partial weight bearing in a walking boot and (iv) 9 kg partial weight bearing in a walking boot. Results demonstrated that changing from trial (i) to (iv) resulted in a posterior shift in weight distribution; the percentage of total weight experienced at the heel increased while the percentage of total weight experienced at the forefoot (both medial and lateral) and the hallux decreased. Center of pressure trajectories also shifted more posteriorly. Additionally, while in a walking boot the gait during full and partial weight bearing resulted in more even foot loading.

Effect of aerobic exercise on tumor physiology in an animal model of human breast cancer.

Recent epidemiologic studies report that regular exercise may be associated with substantial reductions in cancer-specific and all-cause mortality following a breast cancer diagnosis. The mechanisms underlying this relationship have not been identified. We investigated the effects of long-term voluntary wheel running on growth and progression using an animal model of human breast cancer. We also examined effects on the central features of tumor physiology, including markers of tumor blood perfusion/vascularization, hypoxia, angiogenesis, and metabolism. Athymic female mice fed a high-fat diet were orthotopically (direct into the mammary fat pad) implanted with human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 at 1 x 10(6)) into the right dorsal mammary fat pad and randomly assigned (1:1) to voluntary wheel running (n = 25) or a nonintervention (sedentary) control group (n = 25). Tumor volume was measured every three days using digital calipers. All experimental animals were killed when tumor volume reached > or = 1,500 mm(3). Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis indicated that tumor growth (survival) was comparable between the experimental groups (exercise 44 days vs. control 48 days; KM proportional hazard ratio = 1.41, 95% confidence interval, 0.77-2.58, P = 0.14). However, tumors from exercising animals had significantly improved blood perfusion/vascularization relative to the sedentary control group (P < 0.05). Histological analyses indicated that intratumoral hypoxia levels (as assessed by hypoxia-inducible factor 1) were significantly higher in the exercise group relative to sedentary control (P < 0.05). Aerobic exercise can significantly increase intratumoral vascularization, leading to "normalization" of the tissue microenvironment in human breast tumors. Such findings may have important implications for inhibiting tumor metastasis and improving the efficacy of conventional cancer therapies.

Long-term functional outcomes after operative treatment for intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus.

BACKGROUND: Calcaneal fractures can have long-term consequences in terms of pain and disability. Comparative studies have suggested that operative treatment of these fractures may result in better outcomes than nonoperative treatment; however, to our knowledge, the long-term outcomes of operative treatment of calcaneal fractures have not been reported for a large cohort of patients. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-seven patients with calcaneal fractures were managed at our institution between January 1, 1989, and April 30, 2003. Seventy-three patients who were managed operatively for eighty-one intra-articular calcaneal fractures responded to a functional questionnaire that included the adjusted American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scale (subjective component only), the Foot Function Index, and the calcaneal fracture scoring system at a median of 12.8 years (range, 5.0 to 18.5 years) after the injury. RESULTS: In our study population, the mean adjusted American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score was 65.4 (95% confidence interval, 60.6 to 70.2), the mean Foot Function Index score was 20.5 (95% confidence interval, 16.6 to 24.4), and the mean calcaneal fracture scoring system score was 69.3 (95% confidence interval, 63.6 to 74.9). Patients who had sustained the calcaneal fracture as a result of a motor-vehicle accident rather than a fall reported significantly worse outcomes on two of three scales (p = 0.04 for the adjusted American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scale, p = 0.05 for the Foot Function Index, and p = 0.35 for the calcaneal fracture scoring system), but this analysis was limited by the exclusion of twenty-four patients because of crush injuries (two) or unavailable documentation of the mechanism of injury (twenty-two). CONCLUSIONS: The long-term outcomes of operative treatment described in the present report are comparable with the long-term outcomes previously reported among smaller patient cohorts. Additional investigation is required to determine why patients with fractures that resulted from a motor-vehicle accident reported worse outcomes than patients with fractures that resulted from a fall.