Concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Its Use in Orthopaedic Practice: Applications and Pitfalls: A Narrative Review

Background: The growth and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the medical field is rapidly rising. AI is exhibiting a practical tool in the healthcare industry in patient care. The objective of this current review is to assess and analyze the use of AI and its use in orthopedic practice, as well as its applications, limitations, and pitfalls. Methods: A review of all relevant databases such as EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE, Science Citation Index, Scopus, and Web of Science with keywords of AI, orthopedic surgery, applications, and drawbacks. All related articles on AI and orthopaedic practice were reviewed. A total of 3210 articles were included in the review. Results: The data from 351 studies were analyzed where in orthopedic surgery. AI is being used for diagnostic procedures, radiological diagnosis, models of clinical care, and utilization of hospital and bed resources. AI has also taken a chunk of share in assisted robotic orthopaedic surgery. Conclusions: AI has now become part of the orthopedic practice and will further increase its stake in the healthcare industry. Nonetheless, clinicians should remain aware of AI’s serious limitations and pitfalls and consider the drawbacks and errors in its use.

Patterns and Distribution of Bone Tumors among Patients at Kumi Orthopaedic Center: A Retrospective Study

Introduction: Primary bone tumors, although rare, are an important rising cause of morbidity and mortality in Africa. Late presentation, delayed diagnosis, and failure to obtain proper management are important causes of loss of limbs and lives especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Existing data on primary bone tumors in Uganda for the various regional levels is limited. This study aimed to determine the patterns and distributions of primary bone tumors especially in rural Uganda. Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out at Kumi Orthopaedic Center from 2012 to 2023. Patients’ information regarding the histological type of bone tumor, age, sex, and tumor site was obtained from their files. Results: A total of 115 bone tumors were seen over the study period. The mean age of patients was 30 years ± 20.1 years (range: 1 to 80 years). The majority of the patients were males 67 (58.3%) and females were 48 (42.6%). Benign tumors accounted for 66 (57.4%) of the tumors while malignant tumors were 49 (42.6%). Most tumors (both benign and malignant) were found in patients between the ages of 11 to 20 years 46 (40.1%) followed by those between 21 to 30 years 15 (13.2%) and the least were in the elderly aged 71 to 80 years 4 (3.5%). The commonest benign tumors were osteochondroma 14 (21.2%), cysts 11 (16.7%), hemangiomas 9 (13.6%), and fibrous dysplasia of the bone 8 (12.1%). The commonest malignant tumors were plasmacytoma 10 (20.4%) followed by metastases 8 (16.3%), osteosarcomas 7 (14.3%), lymphoma 5 (10.2%), and fibrosarcoma 4 (8.2%). Conclusion: Uganda shares some similar epidemiological characteristics of primary bone tumors with other countries;however, this study identified some peculiar differences. Population-based studies are required to obtain more accurate epidemiological data to improve patient diagnosis and treatment.

Impact of time between meniscal injury and isolated meniscus repair on post-operative outcomes:A systematic review

BACKGROUND Meniscal tears are one of the most common knee injuries.After the diagnosis of a meniscal tear has been made,there are several factors physicians use to guide clinical decision-making.The influence of time between injury and isolated meniscus repair on patient outcomes is not well described.Assessing this relationship is important as it may influence clinical decision-making and can add to the preoperative patient education process.We hypothesized that increasing the time from injury to meniscus surgery would worsen postoperative outcomes.AIM To investigate the current literature for data on the relationship between time between meniscus injury and repair on patient outcomes.METHODS PubMed,Academic Search Complete,MEDLINE,CINAHL,and SPORTDiscus were searched for studies published between January 1,1995 and July 13,2023 on isolated meniscus repair.Exclusion criteria included concomitant ligament surgery,incomplete outcomes or time to surgery data,and meniscectomies.Patient demographics,time to injury,and postoperative outcomes from each study were abstracted and analyzed.RESULTS Five studies met all inclusion and exclusion criteria.There were 204(121 male,83 female)patients included.Three of five(60%)studies determined that time between injury and surgery was not statistically significant for postoperative Lysholm scores(P=0.62),Tegner scores(P=0.46),failure rate(P=0.45,P=0.86),and International Knee Documentation Committee scores(P=0.65).Two of five(40%)studies found a statistically significant increase in Lysholm scores with shorter time to surgery(P=0.03)and a statistically significant association between progression of medial meniscus extrusion ratio(P=0.01)and increasing time to surgery.CONCLUSION Our results do not support the hypothesis that increased time from injury to isolated meniscus surgery worsens postoperative outcomes.Decision-making primarily based on injury interval is thus not recommended.

Surgical site soft tissue thickness as a predictor of complications following arthroplasty

Appreciation of soft-tissue thickness(STT)at surgical sites is an increasingly recognized aspect of arthroplasty procedures as it may potentially impacting postoperative outcomes.Recent research has focused on the predictive value of preoperative STT measurements for complications following various forms of arthroplasty,particularly infections,across procedures such as total knee,hip,shoulder,and ankle replacements.Several studies have indicated that increased STT is associated with a higher risk of complications,including infection and wound healing issues.The assessment of STT before surgery could play a crucial role in identifying patients at a higher risk of complications and may be instru-mental in guiding preoperative planning to optimize outcomes in arthroplasty procedures.Standardized measurement techniques and further research are essential to enhance the reliability and clinical utility of STT assessment for arthro-plasty surgery.

Assessing the academic achievement of United States orthopaedic departments

BACKGROUND Assessing academic productivity allows academic departments to identify the strengths of their scholarly contribution and provides an opportunity to evaluate areas for improvement.AIM To provide objective benchmarks for departments seeking to enhance academic productivity and identify those with significant improvement in recent past.METHODS Our study retrospectively analyzed a cohort of orthopaedic faculty at United States-based academic orthopaedic programs.5502 full-time orthopaedic faculty representing 178 programs were included in analysis.Variables included for analysis were National Institutes of Health funding(2014-2018),leadership positions in orthopaedic societies(2018),editorial board positions of top orthopaedic journals(2018),total number of publications and Hirsch-index.A weighted algorithm was used to calculate a cumulative score for each academic program.This study was performed at a large,United States medical school.RESULTS All 178 programs included in analysis were evaluated using the comprehensive weighted algorithm.The five institutions with the highest cumulative score,in decreasing order,were:Washington University in St.Louis,the Hospital for Special Surgery,Sidney Kimmel Medical College(SKMC)at Thomas Jefferson University,the University of California,San Francisco(UCSF)and Massachusetts General Hospital(MGH)/Brigham and Women’s/Harvard.The five institutions with the highest score per capita,in decreasing order,were:Mayo Clinic(Rochester),Washington University in St.Louis,Rush University,Virginia Commonwealth University(VCU)and MGH/Brigham and Women’s/Harvard.The five academic programs that had the largest improvement in cumulative score from 2013 to 2018,in decreasing order,were:VCU,SKMC at Thomas Jefferson University,UCSF,MGH/Brigham and Women’s/Harvard,and Brown University.CONCLUSION This algorithm can provide orthopaedic departments a means to assess academic productivity,monitor progress,and identify areas for improvement as they seek to expand their academic contributions to the orthopaedic community.

Investigation of litigation in trauma orthopaedic surgery

BACKGROUND It has been said that the number of orthopaedic claims has increased in the last few years. Investigation through the most prevalent cause would help to prevent further cases.AIM To review the cases of medical complaints in orthopedic patients who had been involved in a traumatic accident.METHODS A retrospective multi-center review of trauma orthopaedic-related malpractice lawsuits from 2010 to 2021 was conducted utilizing the regional medicolegal database. Defendant and plaintiff characteristics along with fracture location, allegations, and litigation outcomes were investigated.RESULTS A total of 228 claims referred to trauma-related conditions with a mean age of 31.29 ± 12.56 were enrolled. The most common injuries were at hand, thigh, elbow, and forearm, respectively.Likewise, the most common alleged complication was related to malunion or nonunion. In 47% of the cases, the main problem that led to the complaint was the inappropriate or insufficient explanation to the patient, and in 53%, there was a problem in the surgery. Eventually, 76% of the complaints resulted in a defense verdict, and 24% resulted in a plaintiff verdict.CONCLUSION Surgical treatment of hand injuries and surgery in non-educational hospitals received the most complaints. The majority of litigation outcomes were caused by a physician’s failure to fully explain and educate the traumatic orthopedic patients and technological errors.

Spontaneous Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Following Orthopaedic Surgery: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background: Spontaneous heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a medical phenomenon whereby patients develop clinical and laboratory features of HIT without prior exposure to heparin. Aim: We present a patient who underwent bilateral total knee replacement complicated by spontaneous HIT causing bilateral adrenal hemorrhage and deep vein thrombosis. Our patient had no prior history of heparin exposure. We reconcile our patient’s presentation with other case reports of spontaneous HIT in patients who had orthopaedic surgery. Conclusion: Spontaneous HIT is a rare but potentially devastating complication associated with total knee arthroplasty.

Social media growth of orthopaedic surgery residency programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND In the Spring of 2020,residency programs across the country experienced rapid and drastic changes to their application process as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.In response,residency programs shifted to virtual events and began harnessing social media to communicate with applicants.AIM To analyze the changes in social media usage by orthopaedic surgery programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS Based on the 2019 residency and fellowship electronic database,accredited US orthopaedic surgery programs were reviewed for social media presence on Instagram and Twitter.Approximately 47000 tweets from 2011-2021 were extracted through the Twitter application programming interface.We extracted:Total number of followers,accounts following,tweets,likes,date of account creation,hashtags,and mentions.Natural language processing was utilized for tweet sentiment analysis and classified as positive,neutral,or negative.Instagram data was collected and deemed current as of August 11,2021.The account foundation date analysis was based on the date recognized as the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States,before or after March 1,2020.RESULTS A total of 85(42.3%)orthopaedic surgery residency program Twitter handles were identified.Thirty-five(41.2%)programs joined Twitter in the nine months after the 2020 covid outbreak.In 2020,there was a 126.6%increase in volume of tweets by orthopaedic surgery residency accounts as compared to 2019.The median number of followers was 474.5(interquartile range 205.0-796.5).The account with the highest number of tweets was Hospital for Special Surgery(@HSpecialSurgery)with 13776 tweets followed by University of Virginia(@UVA_Ortho)with 5063 and Yale(@OrthoAtYale)with 899.Sentiment analysis before 2020 revealed 30.4%positive,60.8%neutral,and 8.8%negative sentiments across tweets.Interestingly,the positive sentiment percentage increased in 2020 from 30.4%to 34.5%.Of the 201 ACGME-accredited orthopaedic residency programs on Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database,115(57.2%)participate on Instagram,with 101(87.8%)identified as“resident”-managed vs 14(12.2%)identified as“department”-managed.Over three quarters(77.4%)of Instagram accounts were created after March 1,2020.The average number of followers per account was 1089.5 with an average of 58.9 total posts.CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates a substantial growth of Instagram and Twitter presence by orthopaedic surgery residency programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.These data suggest that orthopaedic residency programs have utilized social media as a new way to communicate with applicants and showcase their programs in light of the challenges presented by the pandemic.

Assessment of the hip-spine relationship in total hip arthroplasty for childhood hip disorders sequelae

In this article,we comment on the article by Oommen et al.Oommen et al provided a comprehensive overview of the management of hip centre restoration in total hip arthroplasty(THA)for childhood hip disorder sequelae.Given the developmental disparity in this population,specific preoperative planning is an essential prerequisite for the success of THA procedures.In the review by Oommen et al,assessments of acetabular and femoral anatomic variations were fully described.However,spinal malalignment and stiffness are common in physical and radiological examinations and should be taken into careful consideration when planning surgical procedures.Poor outcomes of THA for patients with comorbid hip and spinopelvic pathologies have been widely reported,especially for hips with childhood disorder sequelae.Therefore,in this editorial,we would like to emphasize the need for a thorough hip-spine evaluation of patients with childhood hip disorder sequelae before THA.

Accurate prediction of essential proteins using ensemble machine learning

Essential proteins are crucial for biological processes and can be identified through both experimental and computational methods.While experimental approaches are highly accurate,they often demand extensive time and resources.To address these challenges,we present a computational ensemble learning framework designed to identify essential proteins more efficiently.Our method begins by using node2vec to transform proteins in the protein–protein interaction(PPI)network into continuous,low-dimensional vectors.We also extract a range of features from protein sequences,including graph-theory-based,information-based,compositional,and physiochemical attributes.Additionally,we leverage deep learning techniques to analyze high-dimensional position-specific scoring matrices(PSSMs)and capture evolutionary information.We then combine these features for classification using various machine learning algorithms.To enhance performance,we integrate the outputs of these algorithms through ensemble methods such as voting,weighted averaging,and stacking.This approach effectively addresses data imbalances and improves both robustness and accuracy.Our ensemble learning framework achieves an AUC of 0.960 and an accuracy of 0.9252,outperforming other computational methods.These results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in accurately identifying essential proteins and highlight its superior feature extraction capabilities.

Causal relationship between lipid profile and muscle atrophy:A bi-directional Mendelian randomization study

Background:The aim of this study was to analyze the bi-directional causal relation-ship between lipid profile and characteristics related to muscle atrophy by using a bi-directional Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis.Methods:The appendicular lean mass(ALM),whole body fat-free mass(WBFFM)and trunk fat-free mass(TFFM)were used as genome-wide association study(GWAS)data for evaluating muscle mass;the usual walking pace(UWP)and low grip strength(LGS)were used as GWAS data for evaluating muscle strength;and the triglycerides(TG),total cholesterol(TC),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL),low density lipo-protein cholesterol(LDL),apolipoprotein A-1(Apo A-1),and apolipoprotein B(Apo B)were used as GWAS data for evaluating lipid profile.For specific investigations,we mainly employed inverse variance weighting for causal estimation and MR-Egger for pleiotropy analysis.Results:MR results showed that the lipid profile predicted by genetic variants was negatively correlated with muscle mass,positively correlated with UWP,and was not causally correlated with LGS.On the other hand,the muscle mass predicted by genetic variants was negatively correlated with lipid profile,the UWP predicted by genetic variants was mainly positively correlated with lipid profile,while the LGS pre-dicted by genetic variants had no relevant causal relationship with lipid profile.Conclusions:Findings of this MR analysis suggest that hyperlipidemia may affect muscle mass and lead to muscle atrophy,but has no significant effect on muscle strength.On the other hand,increased muscle mass may reduce the incidence of dyslipidemia.

Damage control orthopaedics: State of the art

Damage control orthopaedics(DCO) originally consisted of the provisional immobilisation of long bone-mainly femur-fractures in order to achieve the advantages of early treatment and to minimise the risk of complications, such as major pain, fat embolism, clotting, pathological inflammatory response, severe haemorrhage triggering the lethal triad, and the traumatic effects of major surgery on a patient who is already traumatised(the "second hit" effect). In recent years, new locations have been added to the DCO concept, such as injuries to the pelvis, spine and upper limbs. Nonetheless, this concept has not yet been validated in well-designed prospective studies, and much controversy remains.Indeed, some researchers believe the indiscriminate application of DCO might be harmful and produce substantial and unnecessary expense. In this respect, too,normalised parameters associated with the acid-base system have been proposed,under a concept termed early appropriate care, in the view that this would enable patients to receive major surgical procedures in an approach offering the advantages of early total care together with the apparent safety of DCO. This paper discusses the diagnosis and treatment of severely traumatised patients managed in accordance with DCO and highlights the possible drawbacks of this treatment principle.

Challenges of bone tissue engineering in orthopaedic patients

Bone defects may impede normal biomechanics and the structural stability of bone as an organ. In many cases, the correction of bone defects requires extensive surgical intervention involving the use of bone-grafting techniques and other procedures in which healing is slow, there is a high risk of infection and considerable pain is provoked- with no guarantee of complete correction of the defect. Therefore, the search for surgical alternatives continues to present a major challenge in orthopaedic traumatology. The reamer-irrigator-aspirator(RIA) system, which was devised to avoid the problems that can arise with autograft harvesting from the iliac crest, consists of collecting the product of the femoral canal after reaming. The RIA technique improves osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, compared to bone marrow aspiration or cancellous bone harvesting from the iliac crest using a spoon. Another approach, the Masquelet technique, consists of reconstructing a long bone defect by means of an induced membrane grown onto an acrylic cement rod inserted to fill the defect; in a second surgical step, once the membrane is constituted, the cement rod is removed and cancellous autograft is used to fill the defect. Both in RIA and in the Masquelet technique, osteosynthesis is usually needed. Bone transportation by compression-distraction lengthening principles is commonly implemented for the treatment of large bone loss. However, complications are frequently encountered with these techniques. Among new techniques that have been proposed to address the problem of large bone loss, the application of stem cells in conjunction with tissue engineering techniques is very promising, as is the creation of personalised medicine(or precision medicine), in which molecular profiling technologies are used to tailor the therapeutic strategy, to ensure the right method is applied for the right person at the right time, after determining the predisposition to disease among the general population. All of the above techniques for addressing bone defects are discussed in this paper.

Diabetes and its negative impact on outcomes in orthopaedic surgery

An estimated 285 million adults(aged 20-79 years)worldwide were diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus(DM)in 2010,and this number is projected to grow to 439million adults by the year 2030.Orthopaedic surgeons,regardless of their subspecialty interest,will encounter patients with DM during their career since this epidemic involves both developed and emerging countries.Diabetes results in complications affecting multiple organ systems,potentially resulting in adverse outcomes afterorthopaedic surgery.The purpose of this review is to discuss the pathophysiology of DM and its potential for impacting orthopaedic surgery patients.Diabetes adversely affects the outcome of all orthopaedic surgery subspecialties including foot and ankle,upper extremity,adult reconstructive,pediatrics,spine surgery and sports medicine.Poorly controlled diabetes negatively impacts bone,soft tissue,ligament and tendon healing.It is the complications of diabetes such as neuropathy,peripheral artery disease,and end stage renal disease which contributes to adverse outcomes.Well controlled diabetic patients without comorbidities have similar outcomes to patients without diabetes.Orthopaedic surgeons should utilize consultants who will assist in inpatient glycemic management as well as optimizing long term glycemic control.

Machine learning in orthopaedic surgery

Artificial intelligence and machine learning in orthopaedic surgery has gained mass interest over the last decade or so.In prior studies,researchers have demonstrated that machine learning in orthopaedics can be used for different applications such as fracture detection,bone tumor diagnosis,detecting hip implant mechanical loosening,and grading osteoarthritis.As time goes on,the utility of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms,such as deep learning,continues to grow and expand in orthopaedic surgery.The purpose of this review is to provide an understanding of the concepts of machine learning and a background of current and future orthopaedic applications of machine learning in risk assessment,outcomes assessment,imaging,and basic science fields.In most cases,machine learning has proven to be just as effective,if not more effective,than prior methods such as logistic regression in assessment and prediction.With the help of deep learning algorithms,such as artificial neural networks and convolutional neural networks,artificial intelligence in orthopaedics has been able to improve diagnostic accuracy and speed,flag the most critical and urgent patients for immediate attention,reduce the amount of human error,reduce the strain on medical professionals,and improve care.Because machine learning has shown diagnostic and prognostic uses in orthopaedic surgery,physicians should continue to research these techniques and be trained to use these methods effectively in order to improve orthopaedic treatment.

Should antibiotics be administered before arthroscopic knee surgery? A systematic review of the literature

AIM To explore the current evidence surrounding the administration of prophylactic antibiotics for arthroscopic knee surgery. METHODS Databases were searched from inception through May of 2018 for studies examining prophylactic antibiotic use and efficacy in knee arthroscopy. Studies with patient data were further assessed for types of arthroscopic procedures performed,number of patients in the study,use of antibiotics,and outcomes with the intention of performing a pooled analysis. Data pertaining to "deep tissue infection" or "septic arthritis" were included in our analysis. Reported data on superficial infection were not included in our data analysis. For the pooled analysis,a relative risk ratio was calculated and χ~2 tests were used to assess for statistical significance between rates of infection amongst the various patient groups. Post hoc power analyses were performed to compute the statistical power obtained from our sample sizes. Number needed to treat analyses were performed for statistically significant differences by dividing 1 by the difference between the infection rates of the antibiotic and no antibiotic groups. An alpha value of 0.05 was used for our analysis. Study heterogeneity was assessed by Cochrane's Q test as well as calculation of the I^2 value.RESULTS A total of 49682 patients who underwent knee ar-throscopy for a diverse set of procedures across 19 studies met inclusion critera for pooled analysis. For those not undergoing graft procedures,there were 27 cases of post-operative septic arthritis in 34487 patients(0.08%) who received prophylactic antibiotics and 16 cases in 10911(0.15%) who received none [risk ratio(RR) = 0.53,95% confidence interval(CI): 0.29-0.99,P = 0.05]. A sub-group analysis in which bony procedures were excluded was performed which found no significant difference in infection rates between patients that received prophylactic antibiotics and patients that did not(P > 0.05). All anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction studies used prophylactic antibiotics,but two studies investigating the effect of soaking the graft in vancomycin in addition to standard intravenous(IV) prophylaxis were combined for analysis. There were 19 cases in 1095 patients(1.74%) who received IV antibioitics alone and no infections in 2034 patients who received IV antibiotics and had a vancomycin soaked graft(RR = 0.01,95%CI: 0.001-0.229,P < 0.01).CONCLUSION Prophylactic antibiotics are effective in preventing septic arthritis following simple knee arthroscopy. In procedures involving graft implantation,graft soaking reduces the rate of infection.

Mid-term outcomes of microfragmented adipose tissue plus arthroscopic surgery for knee osteoarthritis:A randomized,activecontrol,multicenter clinical trial

BACKGROUND Osteoarthritis(OA)is the most prevalent form of degenerative whole-joint disease.Before the final option of knee replacement,arthroscopic surgery was the most widely used joint-preserving surgical treatment.Emerging regenerative therapies,such as those involving platelet-rich plasma,mesenchymal stem cells,and microfragmented adipose tissue(MFAT),have been pushed to the forefront of treatment to prevent the progression of OA.Currently,MFAT has been successfully applied to treat different types of orthopedic diseases.AIM To assess the efficacy and safety of MFAT with arthroscopic surgery in patients with knee OA(KOA).METHODS A randomized,multicenter study was conducted between June 2017 and November 2022 in 10 hospitals in Zhejiang,China.Overall,302 patients diagnosed with KOA(Kellgren-Lawrence grades 2-3)were randomized to the MFAT group(n=151,were administered MFAT following arthroscopic surgery),or the control group(n=151,were administered hyaluronic acid following arthroscopic surgery).The study outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC)score,the visual analog scale(VAS)score,the Lequesne index score,the Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score(WORMS),and safety over a 24-mo period from baseline.RESULTS The changes in the WOMAC score(including the three subscale scores),VAS pain score,and Lequesne index score at the 24-mo mark were significantly different in the MFAT and control groups,as well as when comparing values at the posttreatment visit and those at baseline(P<0.001).The MFAT group consistently demonstrated significant decreases in the WOMAC pain scores and VAS scores at all follow-ups compared to the control group(P<0.05).Furthermore,the WOMAC stiffness score,WOMAC function score,and Lequesne index score differed significantly between the groups at 12 and 24 mo(P<0.05).However,no signicant between-group differences were observed in the WORMS at 24 mo(P=0.367).No serious adverse events occurred in both groups.CONCLUSION The MFAT injection combined with arthroscopic surgery treatment group showed better mid-term clinical outcomes compared to the control group,suggesting its efficacy as a therapeutic approach for patients with KOA.

Reattachment of the Osteotomized Greater Trochanter in Hip Surgery Using an Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber Cable: A Multi-Institutional Study

The purpose of this multicenter study was to evaluate the clinical performance of an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber cable for re-attachment of the osteotomized greater trochanter in hip surgery. Included in the study were 85 hips that had undergone surgery with greater trochanter osteotomy, including 50 hip arthroplasty procedures and 35 hip osteotomies. The osteotomized greater trochanter was reattached using one or more UHMWPE fiber cables. The bone union and displacement of the greater trochanter were assessed in radiographs for up to 12 months after surgery. Non-union of the osteotomy site occurred in 4.7% of the cases. In approximately 90% of the cases, displacement was less than 2 mm at up to 12 months after surgery. The UHMWPE fiber cable was a good biomaterial for reattaching the osteotomized greater trochanter and may also be an option for osteosynthesis procedures.

Orthopaedic care provided by the 14th combat support hospital in support of humanitarian and disaster relief after hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

On September 20,2017 Hurricane Maria,a category 4 hurricane,made landfall on the eastern coast of Puerto Rico.This was preceded by Hurricane Irma,a category 5 hurricane,which passed just off the coast 13 d prior.The destruction from both Hurricane Irma and Maria precipitated a coordinated federal response which included the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA)and the United States military.The United States Army dispatched the 14^th Combat Support Hospital(CSH)to Humacao,a city on the eastern side of the island where Maria made landfall.The mission of the 14^th CSH was to provide medical humanitarian aid and conduct disaster relief operations in support of the government of Puerto Rico and FEMA.During the 14^th CSH deployment to Puerto Rico,1157 patients were evaluated and treated.Fifty-seven operative cases were performed to include 23 orthopaedic cases.The mean age of the orthopaedic patients treated was 45.7 years(range 13-76 years).The most common operation was irrigation and debridement of open contaminated and/or infected wounds.Patients presented a mean 10.8 d from their initial injury(range 1-40 d).Fractures and infections were the most common diagnoses with the greatest delay in treatment from the initial date of injury.The deployment of the 14^th CSH to Puerto Rico was unique in its use of air transport,language and local customs encountered,as well as deployment to a location outside the continental United States.These factors coupled with the need for rapid deployment of the 14^th CSH provided valuable experience which will undoubtedly enable future success in similar endeavors.

Epidemiology of shoulder dislocations presenting to United States emergency departments:An updated ten-year study

BACKGROUND Glenohumeral dislocation is a common injury that may predispose patients to chronic pain and instability.However,there is a paucity of current data available regarding the epidemiological trends of this injury.AIM To provide an updated,comparative assessment of the epidemiology of shoulder dislocations presenting to emergency departments in the United States.We also sought to analyze patient demographic risk factors and consumer products associated with dislocation events.METHODS Data were obtained from the national electronic injury surveillance system database for glenohumeral dislocations between 2012 and 2021.Incidence,age,sex,and injury characteristics were analyzed using weighted population statistics as well as incidence rates and 95%confidence intervals(CI).RESULTS In total,an estimated 773039 shoulder dislocations(CI:640598-905481)presented to emergency rooms across the United States during the study period.The annual incidence rate was 23.96 per 100000 persons and the average patient age at the time of injury was 37.1 years.Significantly more male patients sustained dislocations than female patients(537189,69.5%,vs 235834,30.5%,P<0.001).With regard to associated consumer products,sports and recreation equipment were involved in the highest proportion of incidents(44.31%),followed by home structures and construction materials(21.22%),and home furnishings,fixtures,and accessories(21.21%).Regarding product sub-groups,stairs,ramps,landings,floors was cited in the greatest number of cases(131745).CONCLUSION The national annual incidence rate of glenohumeral dislocations throughout the study period was approximately 23.92 per 100000 persons.Male adolescents sustained the highest proportion of dislocations,with a peak incidence in age group 15-20 years,predominantly secondary to participation in sporting and recreational activities.Conversely,women experienced a relatively consistent incidence of dislocation throughout their lifespan.After age 63,the incidence rate of dislocations in females was found to surpass that observed in males.