Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND:Recent studies demonstrated a 5% increase in cartilage repair procedures annually in the United States. There is currently no consensus regarding a superior technique, nor has there been a comprehensive evaluation of postoperative clinical outcomes with respect to a minimal clinically important difference (MCID). PURPOSE:To determine the proportion of available cartilage repair studies that meet or exceed MCID values for clinical outcomes improvement over short-, mid-, and long-term follow-up. STUDY DESIGN:Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS:tests. RESULTS:A total of 89 studies with 3894 unique patients were analyzed after full-text review. MFX met MCID values for all outcome scores at short- and midterm follow-up with the exception of VAS pain in the midterm. OATS met MCID values for all outcome scores at all available time points; however, long-term data were not available for VAS pain. Osteochondral allograft transplantation met MCID values for IKDC at short- and midterm follow-up and for Lysholm at short-term follow-up, although data were not available for other time points or for VAS pain. ACI/MACI met MCID values for all outcome scores (IKDC, Lysholm, and VAS pain) at all time points. CONCLUSION:In the age of informed consent, it is important to critically evaluate the clinical outcomes and durability of cartilage surgery with respect to well-established standards of clinical improvement. MFX failed to maintain VAS pain improvements above MCID thresholds with follow-up from 5 to 9 years. All cartilage repair procedures met MCID values at short- and midterm follow-up for IKDC and Lysholm scores; ACI/MACI and OATS additionally met MCID values in the long term, demonstrating extended maintenance of clinical benefits for patients undergoing these surgical interventions as compared with MFX.

BACKGROUND:Concussion in collegiate athletics is one of the most prevalent sport-related injuries in the United States, with recent studies suggesting persistent deficits in neuromuscular control after a concussion and an associated increase in risk of lower extremity injury. PURPOSE:To expand on the relationship between concussion and lower extremity injury by examining the effect of multiple concussions (MC) on rate and odds of future lower extremity injury in collegiate athletes after return to play (RTP) compared with matched controls. STUDY DESIGN:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS:From 2001 to 2016, 48 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes sustaining multiple concussions at a single institution were identified. Athletes with multiple concussions (MC) were matched directly to athletes with a single concussion (SC) and to athletes with no concussion history (NC) by sex, sport, position, and games played. Incidence of, time to, and location of lower extremity injury were recorded for each group after RTP from their first reported concussion until completion of their collegiate career. Logistic regression was used to analyze odds ratios (ORs) for sustaining lower extremity injury, whereas time to injury was summarized by use of Kaplan-Meier curves and log rank test analysis. RESULTS:= .01). No difference was found in odds of lower extremity injury or time to lower extremity injury between SC and NC athletes. CONCLUSION:Collegiate athletes with MC were more likely to sustain a lower extremity injury after RTP in a shorter time frame than were the matched SC and NC athletes. This may suggest the presence of a cohort more susceptible to neuromuscular deficits after concussion or more injury prone due to player behavior, and it may imply the need for more stringent RTP protocols for athletes experiencing MC.

OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of standardized evaluation and reporting of cartilage lesion characteristics in high-impact clinical studies for symptomatic lesions of the knee. We hypothesized that there are significant inconsistencies in reporting these metrics across orthopedic literature. DESIGN:A total of 113 clinical studies on articular cartilage restoration of the knee were identified from 6 high-impact orthopedic journals between 2011 and 2016. Full-text review was used to evaluate sources for details on study methodology and reporting on the following variables: primary procedure, location, size, grade, and morphology of cartilage lesions. RESULTS:All studies reported on the type of primary cartilage procedure and precise lesion location(s). Approximately 99.1% reported lesion morphology (chondral, osteochondral, mixed). For lesion size, 32.7% of articles did not report how size was measured and 11.5% did not report units. The lesion sizing method was variable, as 27.4% used preoperative magnetic resonance imaging to measure/report lesion size, 31.0% used arthroscopy, and 8.8% used both. The majority of studies (83.2%) used area to report size, and 5.3% used diameter. Formal grading was not reported in 17.7% of studies. Only 54.8% of studies reported depth when sizing osteochondral defects. CONCLUSIONS:Recent literature on cartilage restoration provides adequate information on surgical technique, lesion location, and morphology. However, there is wide variation and incomplete reporting on lesion size, depth, and grading. Future clinical studies should include these important data in a consistent manner to facilitate comparison among surgical techniques.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Rotator cuff tears are one of the most common injuries worldwide, yet it is difficult to predict which patients will have poor outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR). The purpose of this study was to identify an association between preoperative vitamin D (25D) levels and postoperative complications in arthroscopic RCR. METHODS:From a national claims database, patients undergoing arthroscopic RCR with preoperative 25D levels were reviewed. Patients were stratified into 25D-sufficient (≥20 ng/dL) or 25D-deficient (<20 ng/dL) categories and examined for development of postoperative complications. Multivariate logistic regression was performed using age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) as covariates. From this, risk-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated comparing complications between the two groups. RESULTS:= 0.035). CONCLUSIONS:Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a greater risk of postoperative surgical complications after arthroscopic RCR and may be a modifiable risk factor. Further investigation on preoperative vitamin D repletion is warranted.

OBJECTIVE:To determine relative complication rates and outcome measures in patients treated under a standardized hip fracture program (SHFP). METHODS:The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried to identify patients who underwent operative fixation of femoral neck, intertrochanteric hip, and subtrochanteric hip fractures in 2016. Cohorts of patients who were and were not treated under a documented SHFP were identified. Relevant perioperative clinical and outcomes data were collected. Multivariate regression was used to assess risk-adjusted complication rates and outcomes for patients treated in SHFPs. RESULTS:A total of 9360 hip fracture patients were identified of whom 5070 (54.2%) were treated under a documented SHFP. Median age was 84 years, and 69.9% of patients were women. Patients in an SHFP had a lower risk-adjusted incidence of postoperative deep vein thrombosis [odds ratio (OR) 0.48 (0.32-0.72), P < 0.001]. Rates of other medical and surgical complications and 30-day mortality were statistically comparable. Risk-adjusted evaluation showed that SHFP patients were less likely to be discharged to an inpatient facility versus home [OR 0.72 (0.63-0.81), P < 0.001] and had a lower 30-day readmission rate [OR 0.83 (0.71-0.97), P = 0.023]. Furthermore, the SHFP patients had higher rates of immediate postoperative weight-bearing as tolerated [OR 1.23 (1.10-1.37), P < 0.001], adherence to deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis at 28 days [OR 1.27 (1.16-1.38), P < 0.001], and initiation of bone protective medications [OR 1.79 (1.64-1.96), P < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS:Care in a modern hospital-based SHFP is associated with improved short-term outcome measures. Further development and widespread implementation of organized, multidisciplinary orthogeriatric hip fracture protocols is recommended. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Therapeutic Level III.

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions of the knee are a significant source of pain and disability. Although the pathologic process for this condition remains poorly understood, histologic studies suggest vascular insufficiency of the subchondral bone may be the underlying cause for focal necrosis and subsequent compromise of the overlying articular cartilage. These lesions most commonly affect the medial femoral condyle and can be found along the margins of the intercondylar notch. Because of significant bone involvement, osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation has emerged as a dominant treatment option for OCD lesions because it can accurately restore the entire osteochondral unit. Given the characteristic location and large, irregular shapes of these lesions, surgical management can be challenging. These lesions are often uncontained along the periphery of the condyle, which can compromise OCA graft fixation and healing. We describe our preferred technique for the treatment of large, uncontained OCD lesions of the medial femoral condyle using a unicompartmental OCA augmented with screw fixation.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:With healthcare expenditure in the national forefront, outpatient arthroplasty is an appealing option in select patient populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the complication rates associated with outpatient total hip arthroplasty (THA) in comparison to standard inpatient THA. METHODS:We performed a retrospective review of the Humana subset of the PearlDiver insurance records database to identify patients undergoing THA (Current Procedural Terminology-27130 and Current Procedural Terminology-27132) as either outpatients or inpatients from 2007 to 2016. Multivariate logistic regression adjusting for age, gender, and Charlson Comorbidity Index were used to calculate odds ratios of complications among outpatients undergoing THA relative to inpatients undergoing THA. RESULTS:The query identified 2,184 patients who underwent outpatient THA and 73,596 patients who underwent inpatient THA. The median age was in the 65 to 69 age group and in the 70 to 74 age group for the outpatient and inpatient cohorts, respectively (P < 0.001). Outpatients undergoing THA had a significantly lower incidence of comorbid hypertension (P < 0.001), cerebrovascular disease (P = 0.001), obesity (P = 0.017), chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (P = 0.045), and chronic kidney disease (P = 0.049). The incidence of both outpatient THA (P = 0.001) and inpatient THA (P < 0.001) increased over the study period. After adjusting for age, gender, and Charlson Comorbidity Index, patients undergoing outpatient THA had comparable rates of all queried surgical complications, including component revision, irrigation and debridement, and hip dislocation at 1 year. Rates of postoperative medical complications were also comparable between the two cohorts. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Outpatient THA is increasing in frequency nationwide and has comparable postoperative complication rates. With its potential to minimize arthroplasty care costs, outpatient THA is a safe and effective option among appropriately selected patients.

OBJECTIVE:Our study aimed to determine the duration of pain relief from intraarticular hip corticosteroid injections and identify patient predictive factors on injection response. We also sought to determine the subsequent rate of hip surgery and whether severity of hip osteoarthritis or injection response correlated with the decision to undergo surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODS:All intraarticular hip steroid injections performed for osteoarthritis under fluoroscopic guidance at a single institution between January 2010 to December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Response was divided into three groups: no relief, immediate (≤ 2 weeks of pain relief), and continued (> 2 weeks of pain relief). Presence of hip surgery for osteoarthritis performed within 2 years following injection was obtained. Correlation between patient characteristics with injection outcome and hip surgery was analyzed. RESULTS:Of 78 patients, a total of 82 injections were analyzed. For injections, 19.5% (16/82) showed no response, 47.6% (39/82) showed immediate response, and 32.9% (27/82) showed continued response. There was no significant correlation between injection outcome with age, Tönnis grade, BMI, or duration of symptoms. In total, 48.7% had hip surgery within 2 years after initial injection. There was a significant association between Tönnis grade and surgery, with higher Tönnis grades correlating with decision to undergo surgery (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS:Gender, age, BMI, duration of symptoms, and radiographic severity of disease do not predict injection response. Due to high surgical rates and poor response, intraarticular hip steroid injections may be less effective in the long term, and surgical management may be considered earlier.

STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:A retrospective case-control study. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to determine the nationwide trends and complication rates associated with outpatient posterior lumbar fusion (PLF). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA/BACKGROUND:Outpatient lumbar spine fusion is now possible secondary to minimally invasive techniques that allow for reduced hospital stays and analgesic requirements. Limited data are currently available regarding the clinical outcome of outpatient lumbar fusion. METHODS:The Humana administrative claims database was queried for patients who underwent one to two-level PLF (CPT-22612 or CPT-22633 AND ICD-9-816.2) as either outpatients or inpatients from Q1 2007 to Q2 2015. The incidence of perioperative medical and surgical complications was determined by querying for relevant International Classification of Diseases and Current Procedural Terminology codes. Multivariate logistic regression adjusting for age, gender, and Charlson Comorbidity Index was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) of complications among outpatients relative to inpatients undergoing PLF. RESULTS:Cohorts of 770 patients who underwent outpatient PLF and 26,826 patients who underwent inpatient PLF were identified. The median age was in the 65 to 69 years age group for both cohorts. The annual relative incidence of outpatient PLF remained stable across the study period (R = 0.03, P = 0.646). Adjusting for age, gender, and comorbidities, patients undergoing outpatient PLF had higher likelihood of revision/extension of posterior fusion [(OR 2.33, confidence interval (CI) 2.06-2.63, P < 0.001], anterior fusion (OR 1.64, CI 1.31-2.04, P < 0.001), and decompressive laminectomy (OR 2.01, CI 1.74-2.33, P < 0.001) within 1 year. Risk-adjusted rates of all other postoperative surgical and medical complications were statistically comparable. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Outpatient lumbar fusion is uncommonly performed in the United States. Data collected from a national private insurance database demonstrate a greater risk of postoperative surgical complications including revision anterior and posterior fusion and decompressive laminectomy. Surgeons should be cautious in performing PLF in the outpatient setting, as the risk of revision surgery may increase in these cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:3.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative incidence of postoperative complications in 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25D)-deficient and -sufficient patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients who were either serum 25D deficient (25D <20 ng/mL) or 25D sufficient (25D ≥20 ng/mL) 90 days prior to primary TKA from 2007 to 2016 were identified using the Humana administrative claims registry. The incidence of postoperative medical and surgical complications was determined by querying for relevant International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Current Procedural Terminology codes. Risk-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression with age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index as covariates. In total, 868 of 6593 patients who underwent TKA from 2007 to 2016 were 25D deficient, corresponding to a 13.2% prevalence rate. On adjustment for age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index, 25D-deficient patients had a higher incidence of postoperative stiffness requiring manipulation under anesthesia (OR, 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39-2.04; P<.001), surgical site infection requiring irrigation and debridement (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.25-2.48; P=.001), and prosthesis explantation (OR, 2.97; 95% CI, 2.04-4.31; P<.001) at 1 year. Patients who were 25D deficient also had higher rates of postoperative deep venous thrombosis (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.36-2.38; P<.001), myocardial infarction (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.41-3.15; P<.001), and cerebrovascular accident (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.17-2.57; P=.006). Thus, serum 25D levels below 20 ng/mL are associated with a higher incidence of postoperative complications and may be a perioperative modifiable risk factor in TKA. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(4):e489-e495.].