Using Mixed Reality Simulation to Improve Junior Medical Trainees' Preparedness to Manage High-Acuity Trauma.

High-acuity trauma necessitates experienced and rapid intervention to prevent patient harm. However, upskilling junior trainees through hands-on management of real trauma cases is rarely feasible without compromising patient safety. This quality education report sought to investigate whether a simulation course operated via mixed reality (MR) headset devices (Microsoft HoloLens) could enhance the clinical knowledge recall and preparedness to practice of junior trainees with no prior experience managing trauma.The Plan-Do-Study-Act quality improvement method was used to refine six emergency trauma vignettes compatible with an MR teaching platform. Each vignette was curated by a multidisciplinary team of orthopaedic surgeons, clinical fellows and experts in simulation-based medical education. As a baseline assessment, a 2-hour emergency trauma course was delivered using traditional didactic methods to a cohort of pre-registration medical students with no clinical exposure to high-acuity trauma (n=16). Next, we delivered the MR simulation to an equivalent cohort (n=32). Clinical knowledge scores derived from written test papers were recorded for each group during and 2 weeks after each course. Each attendee's end-of-rotation clinical supervisor appraisal grade was recorded, as determined by a consultant surgeon who supervised participants during a 2-week placement on a major trauma ward. Balancing measures included participant feedback and validated cognitive load questionnaires (National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index).Overall, attendees of the MR simulation course achieved and sustained higher clinical knowledge scores and were more likely to receive a positive consultant supervisor appraisal. This project serves as a proof of concept that MR wearable technologies can be used to improve clinical knowledge recall and enhance the preparedness to practice of novice learners with otherwise limited clinical exposure to high-acuity trauma.

Patient reported outcomes following total shoulder arthroplasty and hemiarthroplasty: An analysis of data from the National Joint Registry.

INTRODUCTION: Total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and hemiarthroplasty (HA) are used in the management of end stage glenohumeral arthritis. Improvement in shoulder function and resolution of symptoms are high priorities for patients. The aim of this study was to compare patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following TSA and HA. METHOD: Records from the National Joint Registry of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man were linked to the PROMs dataset. The study included anatomical shoulder arthroplasties performed for osteoarthritis in patients with an intact rotator cuff. Patients with preoperative and postoperative Oxford Shoulder Scores (OSSs) were included. The improvement in OSS at 6 months and 5 years, and the trend in scores over time were analyzed for each prosthesis. A cohort of 2,002 patients were matched on 10 variables using propensity scores. OSSs at 6 months following TSA versus HA were compared in the matched sample. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in the OSS in both groups (p<0.001). At 6 months the OSSs were superior following TSA compared to HA (median 42 vs 36, p<0.001). The median score at 5 years was 44 following TSA and 35 following HA. Score distributions were skewed towards the maximum score. The highest possible score (48) was achieved in 28% (134/478) of TSAs and 9% (20/235) of HAs at 5 years. The improvement in the preoperative to 6-month OSS reached the minimal clinically important difference of 5.5 in 92% (1653/1792) of TSAs and 80% (416/523) of HAs. At 5 years this improvement was maintained in 91% (339/374) of TSAs and 78% (136/174) of HAs. CONCLUSION: TSA resulted in superior OSSs at 6 months in patients with osteoarthritis. The median OSS improved from 6 months to 5 years following TSA, however there was a small decline in scores following HA. A ceiling effect was shown in the OSS following TSA at 5 years.

The risk of revision is higher following shoulder hemiarthroplasty compared with total shoulder arthroplasty for osteoarthritis: a matched cohort study of 11,556 patients from the National Joint Registry, UK.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and hemiarthroplasty (HA) are used in the management of osteoarthritis of the glenohumeral joint. We aimed to determine whether TSA or HA resulted in a lower risk of adverse outcomes in patients of all ages with osteoarthritis and an intact rotator cuff and in a subgroup of patients aged 60 years or younger. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Shoulder arthroplasties recorded in the National Joint Registry, UK, between April 1, 2012 and June 30, 2021, were linked to Hospital Episode Statistics in England. Elective TSAs and HAs were matched on propensity scores based on 11 variables. The primary outcome was all-cause revision. Secondary outcomes were combined revision/non-revision reoperations, 30-day inpatient complications, 1-year mortality, and length of stay. 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported. RESULTS: 11,556 shoulder arthroplasties were included: 7,641 TSAs, 3,915 HAs. At 8 years 95% (CI 94-96) of TSAs and 91% (CI 90-92) of HAs remained unrevised. The hazard ratio (HR) varied across follow-up: 4-year HR 2.7 (CI 1.9-3.5), 8-year HR 2.0 (CI 0.5-3.5). Rotator cuff insufficiency was the most common revision indication. In patients aged 60 years or younger prosthesis survival at 8 years was 92% (CI 89-94) following TSA and 84% (CI 80-87) following HA. CONCLUSION: The risk of revision was higher following HA in patients with osteoarthritis and an intact rotator cuff. Patients aged 60 years and younger had a higher risk of revision following HA.

Ruptured subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm following a shoulder massage on a background of clavicle non-union.

We present an unusual case of ruptured subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm following hydrotherapy and shoulder massage session on a background of clavicle non-union.Following a clavicle fracture 16 years ago, which was managed conservatively, a woman in her 30s presents over a decade later with a ruptured subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm.The original midshaft clavicle fracture was sustained 16 years ago. Conservative management was agreed, and she was discharged. Six years ago, she developed a small subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm which was kept under surveillance for 12 months with no active intervention required.Over the following years, she continued to have intermittent shoulder girdle discomfort and neuropathic symptoms. On this presentation, after a sports massage, she presented with rapid-onset supraclavicular and axillary swelling. This was diagnosed as a ruptured subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm and was treated with emergency radiological-guided stenting and subsequent internal fixation of the clavicle non-union.The patient then attended regular orthopaedic and vascular follow-up to ensure her clavicle fracture unites and the graft remains patent.We discuss the case presentation and management of this unusual injury.

Superior capsule reconstruction, partial cuff repair, graft interposition, arthroscopic debridement or balloon spacers for large and massive irreparable rotator cuff tears: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple non-arthroplasty surgical techniques are described for the management of large and massive irreparable rotator cuff tears. There is currently no consensus on the best management strategy. Our aim was to compare clinical outcomes following arthroscopic debridement, arthroscopic partial cuff repair, superior capsule reconstruction, balloon spacers or graft interposition for the management of large and massive irreparable rotator cuff tears. METHODS: A comprehensive search was performed of the following databases: Medline, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Data were extracted from relevant studies published since January 2000 according to the pre-specified inclusion criteria. The primary outcome was the post-operative improvement in shoulder scores. Meta-analysis of the primary outcome was performed. Secondary outcomes included retear rates and complications. RESULTS: Eighty-two studies were included reporting the outcomes of 2790 shoulders. Fifty-one studies were included in the meta-analysis of the primary outcome. The definition of an irreparable tear varied. All procedures resulted in improved shoulder scores at early follow-up. Shoulder scores declined after 2 years following balloon spacers, arthroscopic debridement and partial cuff repair. High retear rates were seen with partial cuff repairs (45%), graft interposition (21%) and superior capsule reconstruction (21%). CONCLUSIONS: Large initial improvements in shoulder scores were demonstrated for all techniques despite high retear rates for reconstructive procedures. Shoulder scores may decline at mid- to long-term follow-up.

Protocolised MRI as an adjunct to CT in the diagnosis of femoral neck fracture in high energy ipsilateral femoral shaft fractures - A break-even analysis.

BACKGROUND: In high-energy femoral shaft fractures (FSFs), ipsilateral femoral neck fractures (FNFs) can be missed by conventional trauma computed topography (CT) imaging, resulting in increased treatment costs and patient complications. Preliminary evidence suggests that a rapid, limited-sequence pelvis and hip magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol can identify these occult fractures and be feasibly implemented in the trauma setting. This study aims to establish the economic break-even point for implementing such an MRI protocol in all high-energy FSFs. METHODS: We used an adapted break-even economic tool to determine whether the costs of a targeted MRI protocol can be offset by cost-savings achieved through prevention of missed fractures (thus avoiding prolonged admission and re-operation). Sensitivity analyses were performed to demonstrate reliability of the economic modelling across a range of assumptions. RESULTS: Assuming a baseline of FNFs missed on CT of 12%, an MRI cost of £129 and cost of treating each missed FNF of £2457.5, the equation yielded a break-even rate of 7% and absolute risk reduction (ARR) of 5%, indicating that for every 100 FSFs, MRI would need to diagnose 5 of the 12 missed FNF to be economically viable (number needed to treat (NNT)=20). Economic viability was maintained even at double the cost of MRI, while increasing the cost of treating each complication served to reduce the ARR further, increasing cost-savings. CONCLUSION: A rapid, limited-sequence MRI protocol to exclude occult ipsilateral FNFs in all high-energy FSFs appears to be economically justified measure. Further research exploring the feasibility of such a protocol, as well as the role of intra-operative fluoroscopy in this context, is required.

Clinical Outcomes and Return to Sports After Open Reduction and Hamstring Tendon Autograft Reconstruction in Patients With Acute Traumatic First-Time Posterior Dislocation of the Sternoclavicular Joint.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic posterior dislocations of the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) are rare. Multiple case reports, case series, and systematic reviews have been published on the treatment of posterior SCJ dislocations. However, they have usually been of small numbers, described a variety of surgical techniques on a mixture of acute and chronic dislocations, and have not focused on functional recovery or return to sports. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical outcomes and return to sports after SCJ open reduction and reconstruction using a hamstring tendon autograft in patients with an acute first-time traumatic posterior dislocation of the SCJ. We hypothesized that SCJ open reduction and reconstruction would result in high survivorship, good clinical outcomes, and a high rate of return to sports. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: This study included all patients who underwent SCJ open reduction and reconstruction within 14 days of sustaining a first-time traumatic posteriorly dislocated SCJ, with a minimum 3-year follow-up. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed by the following scores: short version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH), Rockwood SCJ, modified Constant, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE). Survivorship was defined as no clinical failure, such as instability or recurrent dislocation, and no revision surgery. Return to sports was assessed using a customized questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients who underwent surgery were included, with a mean age of 30.8 years (range, 18-52 years). Seventeen patients were available at final follow-up at a mean 94.5 months (range, 37-155 months). At final follow-up, the mean scores were as follows: QuickDASH, 4.3 (range, 0-20.4); Rockwood, 13.9 (range, 12-15); modified Constant, 94.4 (range, 71-100); and SANE, 92.1 (range, 70-100). The construct survivorship was 96%. Of the 14 patients who participated in sports, 12 (86%) returned to their preinjury levels. CONCLUSION: After an acute first-time traumatic posterior SCJ dislocation, open reduction and stabilization with a hamstring tendon autograft, undertaken within 14 days of injury, provides good clinical outcomes and high rates of survivorship and return to sports.

Consent for orthopaedic trauma surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a series of new challenges to the management of surgical patients. The consent process relies on a foundation of open and non-coerced discussion between clinician and patient, which includes all the potential risks of surgery. This must be updated to incorporate the additional risks of surgery during the pandemic including infection with the SARS-CoV-2 and increased risks of complications with the potential requirement for intensive care support. AIM: The aim of this multi-cycle quality improvement project was to ensure all patients were fully informed of the risks of developing COVID-19 and the possible need for intensive care unit (ICU) support. METHODS: We investigated the quality of the consent process for patients undergoing surgery for trauma at our major trauma centre. Our baseline data collection included a review of all orthopaedic trauma consent forms over a 4-week period in March 2020. We subsequently undertook three further Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles over separate 4-week periods. First, in June 2020, after education measures and presentation of baseline data, second in July 2020 after further education and regular digital reminders were sent to staff, and third in September 2021 after the implementation of an electronic consent form. RESULTS: At baseline, only 2.6% of consent forms mentioned the risk of COVID-19 and none mentioned the risk of requiring ITU support. Through three PDSA cycles this increased to 97% of cases where consent forms displayed the additional risks of COVID-19 and the potential need for ITU admission. CONCLUSION: Our quality improvement project improved the informed consent procedure at our trust. By incorporating these additional risks into the template of an electronic consent form, we hope to achieve sustained improvement in practice.

Revision Shoulder Hemiarthroplasty and Total Shoulder Arthroplasty A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The number of shoulder replacements performed each year continues to increase, and the need for revision replacements has grown accordingly. The outcome of a revision replacement may influence which primary implant is selected and the timing of primary surgery, particularly in younger patients. The aim of this study was to establish the expected improvement in shoulder function and implant survival following revision of a hemiarthroplasty and revision of an anatomical total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed of all studies reporting shoulder scores or implant survival following revision hemiarthroplasty or revision TSA. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and National Joint Registry reports were searched. 15 studies were included, reporting on 593 revision anatomical shoulder replacements. There was large variation in the magnitude of improvement in shoulder scores following revision surgery. Over 80% of revision replacements last 5 years and over 70% last 10 years. There was no significant difference in shoulder scores or implant survival according to the type of primary implant. The belief that revision of a shoulder hemiarthroplasty may lead to improved outcomes compared to revision of a TSA is not supported by the current literature.

Measuring outcomes in rotator cuff disorders.

Measuring the outcome of treatment for rotator cuff disorders has evolved over the last three decades. Objective surgeon-derived outcomes such as clinical examination findings and imaging of the rotator cuff have the limitation of marginalising the patients perception of their condition. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) have evolved and become popular in an attempt to demonstrate meaningful outcome data. There are a large number in use today and as a result, the heterogeneity of scores used across the literature can make comparison difficult. Patient reported outcome scores can be general health related quality of life scores, joint-specific and disease specific. Qualitative outcomes are also being used now, and these help us to better understand the context of quantitative research scores. In this article, we provide an overview of the outcome measures used in rotator cuff disorders.

Exploring elderly patients' experiences of recovery following complex proximal humerus fracture: A qualitative study.

This study explores the experiences and perceptions of recovery in elderly patients who had sustained a proximal humerus fracture. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients over the age of 65. Thematic analysis identified aspects of care that impacted upon patient experience and quality of life. Seven main patient-reported themes were identified, including pain, sleep, shoulder function, emotional state, social support, relationship with their professional and experience of healthcare institution. These themes offer insight into the experiences of adults receiving care for proximal humerus fracture and highlight that existing quantitative measures of quality of life do not measure domains that are important to patients.

The financial burden of reverse shoulder arthroplasty for proximal humerus fractures.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) for patients with a proximal humerus fracture, using time-driven activity based costing (TDABC), and to compare treatment costs with reimbursement under the Healthcare Resource Groups (HRGs). METHODS: TDABC analysis based on the principles outlined by Kaplan and a clinical pathway that has previously been validated for this institution was used. Staffing cost, consumables, implants, and overheads were updated to reflect 2019/2020 costs. This was compared with the HRG reimbursements. RESULTS: The mean cost of a RSA is £7,007.46 (£6,130.67 to £8,824.67). Implants and staffing costs were the primary cost drivers, with implants (£2,824.80) making up 40% of the costs. Staffing costs made up £1,367.78 (19%) of overall costs. The total tariff, accounting for market force factors and high comorbidities, reimburses £4,629. If maximum cost and minimum reimbursement is applied the losses to the trust are £4,828.67. CONCLUSION: RSA may be an effective and appropriate surgical option in the treatment of proximal humerus fractures; however, a cost analysis at our centre has demonstrated the financial burden of this surgery. Given its increasing use in trauma, there is a need to work towards generating an HRG that adequately reimburses providers.Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2020;1-12:731-736.

Factors affecting return to sport following hamstrings anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in non-elite athletes.

BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a common injury affecting non-elite and elite athletes. Although most ACL reconstructions restore the mechanical stability of the injured knee, the rate of return to sport (RTS) is varied. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: We aimed to identify why non-elite athletes fail to return to pre-injury sport level. The primary objective was to assess the frequency of RTS (including type of sport, timing, level, and duration), and the secondary objective was to assess the surgical (injury, type of surgery, re-injury) and patient (demographics, function, symptoms, social, psychological) factors affecting RTS, using a multivariate analysis. STUDY DESIGN: Level III, retrospective cohort study. METHODS: We evaluated 78 consecutive non-elite athletes undergoing hamstring ACL reconstruction using medical records and questionnaires. Mean follow-up was 50 months (24-224 months). Athletes were divided into return to sport (RTS) and not returning to sport (NRTS) groups for comparative and multivariate analyses, to identify independent predictors of RTS status. RESULTS: Mean age was 31.5 years (18-51), and 46 were male (59%). The RTS rate was 56.4% (44), with most athletes returning between 9 and 12 months, and then continuing to play for > 60 months. Fear of re-injury was the highest reported reason for NRTS. There were no significant differences in demographics, concomitant injury, adjuvant surgery, and type of sport between the two groups. Mean Tegner scores were significantly higher in RTS group post-injury (6.9 vs 4.6) and at present (6.6 vs 4.6). The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score for the RTS group also increased significantly from pre-injury 70.8 (49.1-93.4) to 83.9 (24.1-100) post-injury (p < 0.001). Fear of re-injury, lack of confidence, lack of time, and change in job were significant factors in the NRTS group. Playing soccer, giving way, and change of job independently predicted RTS status from multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: A significant number of non-elite athletes did not RTS following ACL reconstruction, and this was influenced by a combination of activity level, sport, self-reported knee instability, and psycho-social factors. Importantly, some of these can be predicted and managed with improved, individualized post-operative physical and psychological rehabilitation programmes. These data also allow surgeons to better counsel athletes before ACL reconstruction on their likelihood of RTS.

Open Access Publishing: A Study of Current Practice in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Research.

INTRODUCTION: Open access (OA) publication has become an increasingly common route for dissemination of scientific research findings. However, it remains a contentious issue with continued debate as to its impact on the peer-review process and a potential change in the quality of subsequent evidence published. There is little research that looks into OA in oral and maxillofacial surgery. METHODS: We investigated the OA policy in the 30 relevant journals listed in the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Knowledge journal citation report, comparing bibliometric data and quality of evidence produced in journals offering OA and those with subscription-only policies. RESULTS: 3474 articles were graded for evidence level and the results correlated to journal OA status. 76.7 % of journals offered authors OA services. There was no difference between impact factor, self-citation rate, total citations or quality of evidence between OA and subscription journals. DISCUSSION: These findings should send clear messages to both clinicians and researchers and should re- assure readers that scientific findings that are disseminated in open access form do not differ in quality to those in subscription-only format. It should reinforce that open access formats are a credible way to display research findings in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Heterogeneity of the definition of elderly age in current orthopaedic research.

Medical research often defines a person as elderly when they are 65 years of age or above, however defining elderly age by chronology alone has its limitations. Moreover, potential variability in definitions of elderly age can make interpretation of the collective body of evidence within a particular field of research confusing. Our research goals were to (1) evaluate published orthopaedic research and determine whether there is variability in proposed definitions of an elderly person, and (2) to determine whether variability exists within the important research sub-group of hip fractures. A defined search protocol was used within PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library that identified orthopaedic research articles published in 2012 that stated within their objective, intent to examine an intervention in an elderly population. 80 studies that included 271,470 patients were identified and subject to analysis. Four (5 %) studies failed to define their elderly population. The remaining 76 (95 %) studies all defined elderly age by chronology alone. Definitions of an elderly person ranged from 50 to 80 years and above. The most commonly used age to define an elderly person was 65, however this accounted for only 38 (47.5 %) of studies. Orthopedic research appears to favor defining elderly age by chronology alone, and there is considerable heterogeneity amongst these definitions. This may confuse interpretation of the evidence base in areas of orthopaedic research that focus on elderly patients. The findings of this study underline the importance of future research in orthopaedics adopting validated frailty index measures so that population descriptions in older patients are more uniform and clinically relevant.

Time-driven activity based costing of total knee replacement surgery at a London teaching hospital.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to conduct a time-driven activity based costing (TDABC) analysis of the clinical pathway for total knee replacement (TKR) and to determine where the major cost drivers lay. METHODS: The in-patient pathway was prospectively mapped utilising a TDABC model, following 20 TKRs. The mean age for these patients was 73.4 years. All patients were ASA grade I or II and their mean BMI was 30.4. The 14 varus knees had a mean deformity of 5.32° and the six valgus knee had a mean deformity of 10.83°. Timings were prospectively collected as each patient was followed through the TKR pathway. RESULTS: Pre-operative costs including pre-assessment and joint school were £ 163. Total staff costs for admission and the operating theatre were £ 658. Consumables cost for the operating theatre were £ 1862. The average length of stay was 5.25 days at a total cost of £ 910. Trust overheads contributed £ 1651. The overall institutional cost of a 'noncomplex' TKR in patients without substantial medical co-morbidities was estimated to be £ 5422, representing a profit of £ 1065 based on a best practice tariff of £ 6487. CONCLUSIONS: The major cost drivers in the TKR pathway were determined to be theatre consumables, corporate overheads, overall ward cost and operating theatre staffing costs. Appropriate discounting of implant costs, reduction in length of stay by adopting an enhanced recovery programme and control of corporate overheads through the use of elective orthopaedic treatment centres are proposed approaches for reducing the overall cost of treatment.

Sample size calculations in orthopaedics randomised controlled trials: revisiting research practices.

The purpose of this study was to identify how often sample size calculations were reported in recent orthopaedic randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to determine what proportion of studies that failed to find a significant treatment effect were at risk of type II error. A pre-defined computerized search was performed in MEDLINE to identify RCTs published in 2012 in the 20 highest ranked orthopaedic journals based on impact factor. Data from these studies was used to perform post hoc analysis to determine whether each study was sufficiently powered to detect a small (0.2), medium (0.5) and large (0.8) effect size as defined by Cohen. Sufficient power (1-ß) was considered to be 80% and a two-tailed test was performed with an alpha value of 0.05. 120 RCTs were identified using our stated search protocol and just 73 studies (60.80%) described an appropriate sample size calculation. Examination of studies with negative primary outcome revealed that 68 (93.15%) were at risk of type II error for a small treatment effect and only 4 (5.48%) were at risk of type II error for a medium sized treatment effect. Although comparison of the results with existing data from over 10 years ago infers improved practice in sample size calculations within orthopaedic surgery, there remains an ongoing need for improvement of practice. Orthopaedic researchers, as well as journal reviewers and editors have a responsibility to ensure that RCTs conform to standardized methodological guidelines and perform appropriate sample size calculations.

Proximal femoral excision with interposition myoplasty for cerebral palsy patients with painful chronic hip dislocation.

PURPOSE: Proximal femoral excision is a salvage procedure for painful chronic hip dislocation in cerebral palsy (CP) patients. The primary objective of this article is to describe our experience of an amplified interposition myoplasty, with appropriate peri-operative pain and tone management strategies, in a cohort of non-ambulatory CP patients with painful chronic hip dislocation. Our secondary objective is to present the clinical outcomes of these patients. METHODS: We describe our experience in 20 CP patients (25 procedures) at mean 54-month (range 27-169) follow-up with a surgical technique that includes an augmented interposition myoplasty and tone management. The indications for surgery were pain (21 hips), poor sitting tolerance (11) and difficulty with perineal care (8). RESULTS: The mean age was 22 years (range 10-40) with 11 patients Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) IV and 9 patients GMFCS V. Mean length of stay was 13 days (3-35). One procedure required revision at 12 months. Mean pain score improved from 7.8 (5-10) pre-operatively to 2.8 (1-5) post-operatively (p < 0.001). Sitting tolerance improved in all patients and in 75 % (15) perineal care was easier. CONCLUSIONS: Our interposition myoplasty technique with individualised pain/tone management has good outcomes in this cohort of patients with multiple co-morbidities.

Surgical interventions for anterior shoulder instability in rugby players: A systematic review.

AIM: To systematically evaluate the evidence-based literature on surgical treatment interventions for elite rugby players with anterior shoulder instability. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines. A literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE and Google Scholar using the following search terms: "rugby" and "shoulder" in combination with "instability" or "dislocation". All articles published from inception of the included data sources to January 1(st) 2014 that evaluated surgical treatment of elite rugby players with anterior shoulder instability were examined. RESULTS: Only five studies were found that met the eligibility criteria. A total of 379 shoulders in 376 elite rugby union and league players were included. All the studies were retrospective cohort or case series studies. The mean Coleman Methodological Score for the 5 studies was 47.4 (poor). Owing to heterogeneity amongst the studies, quantitative synthesis was not possible, however a detailed qualitative synthesis is reported. The overall recurrence rate of instability after surgery was 8.7%, and the mean return to competitive play, where reported, was 13 mo. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic stabilization has been performed successfully in acute anterior instability and there is a preference for open Latarjet-type procedures when instability is associated with osseous defects.

The methodological quality of health economic evaluations for the management of hip fractures: A systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Approximately 76,000 people a year sustain a hip fracture in the UK and the estimated cost to the NHS is £1.4 billion a year. Health economic evaluations (HEEs) are one of the methods employed by decision makers to deliver healthcare policy supported by clinical and economic evidence. The objective of this study was to (1) identify and characterize HEEs for the management of patients with hip fractures, and (2) examine their methodological quality. METHODS: A literature search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE and the NHS Economic Evaluation Database. Studies that met the specified definition for a HEE and evaluated hip fracture management were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Consensus on Health Economic Criteria (CHEC). RESULTS: Twenty-seven publications met the inclusion criteria of this study and were included in our descriptive and methodological analysis. Domains of methodology that performed poorly included use of an appropriate time horizon (66.7% of studies), incremental analysis of costs and outcomes (63%), future discounting (44.4%), sensitivity analysis (40.7%), declaration of conflicts of interest (37%) and discussion of ethical considerations (29.6%). CONCLUSIONS: HEEs for patients with hip fractures are increasing in publication in recent years. Most of these studies fail to adopt a societal perspective and key aspects of their methodology are poor. The development of future HEEs in this field must adhere to established principles of methodology, so that better quality research can be used to inform health policy on the management of patients with a hip fracture.