Medically Necessary Orthopaedic Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Safe Surgical Practices and a Classification to Guide Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly evolved as a viral pandemic. Countries worldwide have been affected by the recent outbreak caused by the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)-CoV-2 virus. As with prior viral pandemics, health-care workers are at increased risk. Orthopaedic surgical procedures are common in health-care systems, ranging from emergency to elective procedures. Many orthopaedic surgical procedures are life or limb-saving and cannot be postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic because of potential patient harm. Our goal is to analyze how orthopaedic surgeons can perform medically necessary procedures during the pandemic and to help guide decision-making perioperatively. METHODS: We performed a review of the existing literature regarding COVID-19 and prior viral outbreaks to help guide clinical practice in terms of how to safely perform medically necessary orthopaedic procedures during the pandemic for both asymptomatic patients and high-risk (e.g., COVID-19-positive) patients. We created a classification system based on COVID-19 positivity, patient health status, and COVID-19 prevalence to help guide perioperative decision-making. RESULTS: We advocate that only urgent and emergency surgical procedures be performed. By following recommendations from the American College of Surgeons, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the recent literature, safe orthopaedic surgery and perioperative care can be performed. Screening measures are needed for patients and perioperative teams. Surgeons and perioperative teams at risk for contracting COVID-19 should use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including N95 respirators or powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), when risk of viral spread is high. When preparing for medically necessary orthopaedic procedures during the pandemic, our classification system will help to guide decision-making. A multidisciplinary care plan is needed to ensure patient safety with medically necessary orthopaedic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Orthopaedic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic can be performed safely when medically necessary but should be rare for COVID-19-positive or high-risk patients. Appropriate screening, PPE use, and multidisciplinary care will allow for safe medically necessary orthopaedic surgery to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level V. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Evaluation of the Acquisition of Ultrasound Proficiency in Hand Surgery Fellows.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate hand surgery fellow ultrasound (US) evaluations and performance of clinically relevant tasks after brief instruction. METHODS: Six hand surgery fellows completed an US assessment and a survey on US use before and 1 month after a 30-minute US course. RESULTS: The time to obtain an adequate image decreased from 4 minutes 42 seconds (4:42; range, 3:57-7:55) to 0:52 (range, 0:30-1:14; P < .001). Participants' performance for structure identification improved from 9.7 (range, 8-13) to 12 (range, 10-13) of 14 structures (P < .05). The average time to completion decreased from 14:6 (range, 12:08-18:30) to 9:34 (range, 4:40-15:54; P < .01). After instruction, all 6 participants identified and measured the cross-sectional area of the median nerve, identified and measured a zone 3 flexor tendon gap, and identified a simulated flexor digitorum profundus avulsion and its level of retraction (P < .05). Five of 6 successfully administered an US-guided injection to the extensor carpi ulnaris subsheath. CONCLUSIONS: After a 30-minute instructional session, hand surgery fellows can achieve a basic level of US competency.

The Effect of Carpal Tunnel Release on Typing Performance.

PURPOSE: To describe the effect of carpal tunnel release (CTR) on typing performance. METHODS: We prospectively studied 27 patients undergoing open CTR. Patient demographics and clinical characteristics including nerve conduction studies, electromyography results, and duration of symptoms were collected. Before surgery and at 8 time points after surgery, ranging from 1 to 12 weeks, typing performance for an approximately 500-character paragraph was assessed via an on-line platform. The Michigan Hand Questionnaire (MHQ) and the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire functional component (BCTQ-F) and symptom severity component (BCTQ-S) component were completed before surgery and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 weeks after surgery. We used repeated-measures analyses of variance and follow-up dependent-samples t tests to analyze change in typing performance across sessions, and linear regressions to assess relationships between typing performance and demographic and outcome measures. We compared typing speed with the MHQ, BCTQ-F, and BCTQ-S using the Pearson correlation test. RESULTS: Average typing speed decreased significantly from 49.7 ± 2.7 words per minute (wpm) before surgery to 45.2 ± 3.1 wpm at 8 to 10 days after surgery. Mean typing speed for the group exceeded the preoperative value between weeks 2 and 3, with continued improvement to 53.5 ± 3.5 wpm at 12 weeks after surgery. No clinical or demographic variables were associated with the rate of recovery or the magnitude of improvement after CTR. The MHQ, BCTQ-F, and BCTQ-S each demonstrated significant improvement from preoperative values over the 12-week period. The MHQ and BCTQ-F scores correlated well with typing speed. CONCLUSIONS: On average, typing speed returned to preoperative levels between 2 and 3 weeks after CTR and typing speed showed improvement beyond preoperative levels after surgery. The MHQ and BCTQ-F correlate well with typing speed after CTR. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic IV.

Overutilization and Cost of Advanced Imaging for Long-Bone Cartilaginous Lesions.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and cost of unnecessary advanced imaging studies (AIS) in the evaluation of long bone cartilaginous lesions have not been studied previously. METHODS: A total of 105 enchondromas and 19 chondrosarcomas arising in long bones from July 2008 until April 2012 in 121 patients were reviewed. Advanced imaging was defined as MRI, CT, bone scan, skeletal survey, or CT biopsy. Two blinded radiologists independently reviewed the initial imaging study and determined if further imaging was indicated based on that imaging study alone. The cost of imaging was taken from our institution's global charge list. Imaging was deemed unnecessary if it was not recommended by our radiologists after review of the initial imaging study. The difference in cost was calculated by subtracting the cost of imaging recommended by each radiologist from the cost of unnecessary imaging. The sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing enchondromas from chondrosarcomas was calculated. A minimum of 2 years from diagnosis of an enchondroma was required to monitor for malignant transformation. RESULTS: Of patients diagnosed with an enchondroma, 85 % presented with AIS. The average enchondroma patient presented with one unnecessary AIS. The radiologists' interpretations agreed 85 % of the time for enchondromas and 100 % for chondrosarcomas. The sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing enchondromas from chondrosarcomas was 95 % for one radiologist and 87 and 95 % for the other. The average unnecessary cost per enchondroma patient was $1,346.18. CONCLUSIONS: Unnecessary AIS are frequently performed and are a significant source of expense. The imaging algorithms outlined in this study may reduce unnecessary AIS.

Narcotic Use and Postoperative Doctor Shopping in the Orthopaedic Trauma Population.

BACKGROUND: The negative consequences of narcotic use and diversion for nonmedical use are on the rise. A growing number of narcotic abusers obtain narcotic prescriptions from multiple providers ("doctor shopping"). This study sought to determine the effects of multiple postoperative narcotic providers on the number of narcotic prescriptions, duration of narcotics, and morphine equivalent dose per day in the orthopaedic trauma population. METHODS: Our prospective cohort study used the state-controlled substance monitoring database to identify all narcotic prescriptions filled three months prior to admission and six months following discharge for enrolled patients. Patients were assigned into two groups: a single narcotic provider group with prescriptions only from the treating surgeon (or extenders) or a multiple narcotic provider group with prescriptions from both the treating surgeon and an additional provider or providers. RESULTS: Complete data were available for 130 of 151 eligible patients. Preoperative narcotic use, defined by three or more narcotic prescriptions within three months of admission, was noted in 8.5% of patients. Overall, 20.8% of patients sought multiple narcotic providers postoperatively. There were significant increases in postoperative narcotic prescriptions (p < 0.001) between the single narcotic provider group (two prescriptions) and the multiple narcotic provider group (seven prescriptions), in duration of postoperative narcotic use (p < 0.001) between the single narcotic provider group (twenty-eight days) and the multiple narcotic provider group (110 days), and in morphine equivalent dose per day (p = 0.002) between the single narcotic provider group (26 mg) and the multiple narcotic provider group (43 mg). Patients with a high school education or less were 3.2 times more likely to seek multiple providers (p = 0.02), and patients with a history of preoperative narcotic use were 4.5 times more likely to seek multiple providers (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There is a 20.8% prevalence of postoperative doctor shopping in the orthopaedic trauma population. Patients with multiple postoperative narcotic providers had a significant increase in postoperative narcotic prescriptions, duration of narcotics, and morphine equivalent dose per day.

Factors influencing infection rates after open fractures of the radius and/or ulna.

PURPOSE: To investigate factors associated with the development of deep infection in patients with open fractures of the radius and/or ulna. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 296 open fractures of the radius and/or ulna. Of these patients, 200 had at least 6-month follow-up and were included in this study. The following variables were examined for each patient: time from injury to antibiotic administration, time from injury to operative debridement, Gustilo-Anderson classification, type of antibiotic received, and host characteristics such as age, diabetes, and tobacco use. Outcome parameters included the presence of deep infection and fracture union. RESULTS: The overall rate of deep infection was 5% (10 of 200). No type 1 fractures (of 41) developed deep infection. In contrast, 4% (2 of 48) of type 2 and 7% (8 of 110) of type 3 fractures developed infection. Of 200 patients, 28 received antibiotics in less than 3 hours and underwent debridement in less than 6 hours from the time of injury; however, they did not have lower rates of infection. Similar findings were noted when nonunion was used as the outcome, and the association between Gustilo-Anderson classification and the development of nonunion was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Factors such as time to antibiotics and time to operative debridement were not predictors for either rate of deep infection or nonunion in open fractures of the radius and/or ulna. The type of fracture as outlined by the Gustilo-Anderson classification was the factor most strongly associated with the development of deep infection and nonunion in these fractures. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic III.

Validation of the Caprini risk assessment model in plastic and reconstructive surgery patients.

BACKGROUND: The Venous Thromboembolism Prevention Study (VTEPS) Network is a consortium of 5 tertiary referral centers established to examine venous thromboembolism (VTE) in plastic surgery patients. We report our midterm analyses of the study's control group to evaluate the incidence of VTE in patients who receive no chemoprophylaxis, and validate the Caprini Risk Assessment Model (RAM) in plastic surgery patients. STUDY DESIGN: Medical record review was performed at VTEPS centers for all eligible plastic surgery patients between March 2006 and June 2009. Inclusion criteria were Caprini score ≥3, surgery under general anesthesia, and postoperative hospital admission. Patients who received chemoprophylaxis were excluded. Dependent variables included symptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) within the first 60 postoperative days and time to DVT or PE. RESULTS: We identified 1,126 historic control patients. The overall VTE incidence was 1.69%. Approximately 1 in 9 (11.3%) patients with Caprini score >8 had a VTE event. Patients with Caprini score >8 were significantly more likely to develop VTE when compared with patients with Caprini score of 3 to 4 (odds ratio [OR] 20.9, p < 0.001), 5 to 6 (OR 9.9, p < 0.001), or 7 to 8 (OR 4.6, p = 0.015). Among patients with Caprini score 7 to 8 or Caprini score >8, VTE risk was not limited to the immediate postoperative period (postoperative days 1-14). In these high-risk patients, more than 50% of VTE events were diagnosed in the late (days 15-60) postoperative period. CONCLUSIONS: The Caprini RAM effectively risk-stratifies plastic and reconstructive surgery patients for VTE risk. Among patients with Caprini score >8, 11.3% have a postoperative VTE when chemoprophylaxis is not provided. In higher risk patients, there was no evidence that VTE risk is limited to the immediate postoperative period.

Thoracodorsal artery scapular tip autogenous transplant: vascularized bone with a long pedicle and flexible soft tissue.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that the 3 reconstructive advantages of the thoracodorsal artery scapular tip transplant (Tdast), a long pedicle, independently mobile tissue components, and the 3-dimensional nature of the scapular tip, will improve the quality and success of complex reconstructions by avoiding vein grafting, preventing the need for 2 separate transplants, and facilitating bony inset. DESIGN: Prospective case series. SETTING: Tertiary care academic medical center. PATIENTS: Twenty-one patients (male to female ratio, 16:5; mean age, 52 years) underwent reconstruction of the upper, middle, and lower face from 2001 through 2006. Indications for reconstruction were tumor ablation in 11 patients, secondary reconstruction in 4 patients, osteoradionecrosis in 4, and posttraumatic reconstruction in 2. Seventeen patients underwent radiation. INTERVENTIONS: All patients underwent harvest of an autogenous transplant of scapular tip bone and latissimus dorsi soft tissue based on the thoracodorsal artery. The mean bone length was 5.2 cm (range, 2.5-9.0 cm), and the mean cutaneous surface area was 68 cm² (range, 20-250 cm²). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reduction of vein grafting, avoidance of 2 transplants, use of the triangular shape of the scapular tip in reconstruction, complications, and shoulder function. RESULTS: The success rate of transplantation was 100%. The use of this transplant avoided vein grafting in 16 patients and the need for 2 separate transplants in 11 patients, and the 3-dimensional nature of the scapular tip facilitated inset in 13 patients. In 14 patients, more than 1 of these reconstructive advantages was achieved. In 6 patients, all 3 were accomplished. Eleven patients experienced a complication. The major complication rate was 33%, and the minor complication rate was 33%. The mean Constant-Murley test of shoulder function score was 87 of 100 (range, 74-100). CONCLUSIONS: The Tdast is an excellent choice for reconstruction in the head and neck as an alternative to procedures requiring vein grafting and multiple free tissue transplants, or in which the 3-dimensional contour of the scapular tip aids in reconstruction. The complication rate should be assessed in the context of the risk factors of the patient population and the outcome with respect to stable employment, increasing body mass index, and maintenance of shoulder function.