Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Orthopedics for March 2011. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Skeletal Immaturity Does Not Affect Broken Bones' Healing
THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- People who break both the radius and ulna before reaching skeletal maturity heal just as well as those who are skeletally mature, and subjective measures of illness may be more predictive of degree of disability than objective measures of impairment, according to research published in the March 16 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Early Rehabilitation Post-Knee Arthroplasty Beneficial
THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Starting rehabilitation within 24 hours of total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis reduces the average hospital stay and the requisite number of sessions to achieve autonomy and normal gait and balance, according to a study published online March 7 in Clinical Rehabilitation.
Abstract
Full Text
Suicide in Musculoskeletal Patients at Older Age
THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- Suicide victims who have back pain or other musculoskeletal diseases (MSD) are older than those without MSD, according to a study published in the April 1 issue of Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Two-Thirds of U.S. Residents Get Sufficient Vitamin D
WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- About two-thirds of the U.S. population takes in sufficient amounts of vitamin D, but 8 percent may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency, according to a March data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
More Information
Online Health Records Less Used by Minorities, Poor
WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Online personal health records (PHRs) are less frequently used by racial or ethnic minorities and patients with low annual income, according to a study published in the March 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Better Spine Stabilization With Circumferential Fixation
WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Circumferential fixation after a C5 corpectomy provides superior spine stabilization to anterior fixation or posterior fixation without anterior cage when facet capsules and posterior ligaments (PLs) are disrupted, according to a study published in the April 1 issue of Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Bariatric Surgery Linked to Bone Density Loss in Teens
MONDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Adolescents who undergo bariatric surgery have reductions in bone mineral density (BMD), although the level is still within the age-appropriate norm, according to a study published online March 28 in Pediatrics.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Depression Tied to Worse Arthritic Knee Pain in Elderly
FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults who have minimal to moderate radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) have an increased likelihood of having more severe symptoms if they have coexisting depression, according to a study published in the March 16 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Surgeon Enthusiasm for Spinal Surgery Drives Rates
FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- Surgical rates for degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine (DDLS) are mainly affected by surgeon enthusiasm for surgery and not by disease prevalence or community resources, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Spine.
Abstract
Full Text
Use of Strategies to Reduce Risk of Opioid Misuse Is Low
FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- The use of opioid risk-reduction strategies by primary care physicians is limited, even among patients at particular risk of misuse, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Fracture Rates Slightly Higher in HIV Patients
FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- People with HIV infection have a higher bone fracture rate compared to the general U.S. population, according to a study published online March 10 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Knee Replacement Improves Level of Physical Activity
THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- People who undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis experience substantial improvements in the level of physical activity within the first year after surgery, but their activity level is not correlated with clinical outcome, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Two-Level Skip Fusion Superior to Three-Level Fusion
THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- Fusion of the cervical spine across three levels for treatment of nonadjacent disease shows a marked increase in strain compared to a two-level fusion, which skips the unaffected level, according to a study published online March 15 in Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Reduced Hours for Trainees Has Had Little Effect in U.S.
THURSDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing work hours for doctors in training to less than 80 per week has had little impact on patient outcomes or postgraduate training in the United States, according to a literature review published online March 22 in BMJ.
Abstract
Full Text
Editorial
Qigong Comparable to Exercise for Treating Neck Pain
WEDNESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with chronic neck pain, Qigong is comparable to exercise therapy and superior to no treatment, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Dalteparin Not Superior to Unfractionated Heparin
TUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Dalteparin, a low-molecular-weight heparin, does not appear any more effective in lowering the incidence of proximal deep-vein thrombosis than unfractionated heparin, according to research published online March 22 in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text
Pelvic Asymmetry Identified in Cerebral Palsy Patients
TUESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with cerebral palsy (CP) often exhibit transverse pelvic asymmetry, which is most prominent above the acetabulum and more frequent in patients with windswept hips, according to a study published online March 10 in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Laminar Screw an Acceptable Alternative in C7 Fixation
MONDAY, March 21 (HealthDay News) -- Laminar screws used in spine fixation of C7 may be a better alternative than lateral mass screws when the use of a traditional transpedicular screw is unfavorable, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Neck Disability Index Estimates SF-6D Utility Scores
FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with cervical degenerative disorders, Short Form-6D (SF-6D) utilities can be estimated using a Neck Disability Index (NDI) regression model, according to a study published online March 15 in Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Four-Year Follow-Up Confirms Benefit of Hip Arthroplasty
FRIDAY, March 18 (HealthDay News) -- Total hip arthroplasty gives better hip function and improved quality of life compared to bipolar hemiarthroplasty in elderly, lucid patients with displaced fracture of the femoral neck, according to a study published in the March 2 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Professional Values of U.S. and U.K. Doctors Examined
THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- A core of professional values exists among doctors in the United States and the United Kingdom, though significant differences exist in how these values are expressed and prioritized, according to a study published online March 7 in BMJ Quality & Safety.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Decontamination of Autologous Bone Fragments Evaluated
THURSDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- Effective decontamination of autologous bone fragments which are accidentally dropped during operations can be achieved with minimal toxicity by using a povidone-iodine solution followed by a saline solution rinse, according to a study published in the March 2 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Short Nurse Staffing Linked to Higher Patient Mortality
WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Patient mortality appears to be higher when nurse staffing falls eight or more hours below target level and during nursing shifts when patient turnover is high, according to research published in the March 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
U.S. Death Rate Reaches All-Time Low
WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- The age-adjusted death rate for the United States has fallen for 10 straight years and has reached an all-time low of 741 per 100,000, or 2,436,682 deaths, in 2009, down 2.3 percent from 2008, according to a new report issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
More Information
Denervated Muscles Involved in Contracture Pathogenesis
WEDNESDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- Impaired growth of biceps and brachialis muscles causes elbow flexion contractures, and impaired subscapularis muscle growth causes shoulder internal rotation contracture following brachial plexus injuries in neonatal mice, according to research published in the March 2 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Exposure to Vibration May Worsen Herniated Discs
MONDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Vibration and shock loading cause enough mechanical injury to exacerbate pre-existing intervertebral disc herniations in an in vitro setting, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Surgery Found Suitable for Discogenic Low Back Pain
FRIDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Surgical therapy is suitable for patients with discogenic low back pain (DLBP), with posterolateral fusion with pedicle screws (PLF) reserved for patients who are unsuitable for anterior interbody fusion (ABF) surgery, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Preoperative Alcohol Use Tied to Arthroplasty Complications
WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Complications following total joint arthroplasty are significantly related to alcohol misuse in the year prior to surgery, according to a study published in the Feb. 16 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
HealthGrades Finds Rates of Patient Safety Events Vary
WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Patients treated at hospitals rated with a HealthGrades Patient Safety Excellence Award have, on average, a 46 percent lower risk of experiencing a patient safety incident compared to those treated at the lowest-ranked hospitals, according to the eighth annual HealthGrades Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study published online March 9.
Full Text
Ethnic Differences Seen in Academic Measures for U.K. Docs
WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- United Kingdom-trained physicians and medical students with ethnic minority backgrounds tend to underperform academically compared to their white peers, according to a meta-analysis published online March 8 in BMJ.
Abstract
Full Text
Editorial
Distal Radial Fractures Indicative of Osteoporosis
WEDNESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Osteoporosis prevalence is high in both male and female patients with distal radial fractures, compared to controls, according to a study published in the Feb. 16 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Pharmacological Meta-Analyses Rarely Report Disclosures
TUESDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Meta-analyses of pharmacological treatments rarely include information addressing primary study funding and conflicts of interest (COIs) of the authors for the included randomized control trials (RCTs), according to a study published in the March 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Corrective Lumbar Fusion Offers Modest Improvement
MONDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- Patients undergoing lumbar fusion to revise a prior surgery have modest health-related quality of life improvements, according to a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Ankle Replacement Provides Pain Relief in Gouty Arthritis
MONDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- Total ankle replacement provides significant pain relief and good functional results in patients with painful gouty ankle arthritis, and it is associated with a low risk of complications, according to a study published in the Feb. 16 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Progressive Spinal Metastases Respond to Reirradiation
FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- Stereotactic body radiotherapy results in good radiographic control and limited toxicity in progressive spinal metastases, according to a study published online Feb. 11 in Cancer.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Drugs Reach the Foci in Non-Sclerotic Tuberculosis
FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- Effective bactericidal concentrations (EBCs) of three antitubercular drugs are found in osseous tissues around spinal tuberculosis foci, except for an area of osseous tissues 4 mm surrounding the sclerotic wall, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Rule Predicts Ability to Walk After Spinal Cord Injury
FRIDAY, March 4 (HealthDay News) -- A new clinical prediction rule, which accounts for age and four neurological variables, can predict independent walking one year following traumatic spinal cord injury, according to a study published online March 4 in The Lancet.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Mild Idiopathic Scoliosis Impairs Postural Stability
THURSDAY, March 3 (HealthDay News) -- Girls newly diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) have balance disturbances in both simple and more complex postural tasks, even when their spine deformation is mild, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Helmets Protect Motorcyclists From Cervical Spine Injury
TUESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Motorcyclists who wear helmets are less likely to suffer a cervical spine injury after a collision, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
