Cynthia L. Emory

Establishing a Fracture Liaison Service: An Orthopaedic Approach

➤ Bone health evaluations should be incorporated into care pathways for fragility fractures in all patients who are fifty years of age or older.➤ A fracture liaison service (FLS) is an established and proven method to achieve recommended standards of care for fragility fractures, including intervention for osteoporosis, secondary fracture prevention, and bone health evaluation.➤ The FLS facilitates patient care by automatically including all patients with a fragility fracture within a health-care system to provide them with the intervention that they need and to prevent avoidable fracture-related complications or readmissions.➤ An FLS functions with three key personnel: the FLS coordinator (usually an advanced practice provider), a physician champion (usually an orthopaedic surgeon), and a nurse navigator.

Randomized Comparison of Volar Locking Plates and Intramedullary Nails for Unstable Distal Radius Fractures

PURPOSE To compare minimally invasive intramedullary nails (IMN) and volar locking plates (VLP) for the treatment of unstable distal radius fractures by evaluating postoperative subjective, radiographic, and functional outcomes. The hypothesis was that IMN patients would have less pain and required less pain medication in the early postoperative period and returned to work earlier than VLP patients. METHODS Sixty patients with closed, displaced, unstable, extra-articular, metaphyseal fractures of the distal radius were randomized to receive a VLP or an IMN for internal fixation. Functional outcomes (Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand, Michigan Hand Questionnaire), radiographic measurements (ulnar variance, radial height, inclination, and volar tilt), and range of motion were assessed until final follow-up at 2 years after surgery. Narcotic pain medication use was documented for 5 weeks following surgery. RESULTS There were 2 groups of 30 patients with IMN (mean age, 55 ± 14 y) or VLP (mean age, 55 ± 16 y) with similar demographics and comorbidities. Patients with IMN regained extension earlier but had similar range of motion to patients with VLP at final follow-up. There was similar improvement in Michigan Hand Questionnaire, Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand, and strength between groups. Five weeks after surgery, fewer IMN patients required narcotic pain medication (13%) than VLP patients (33%). Radiographic outcomes were similar at final follow-up. There were 3 failures with IMN versus 1 failure with VLP. All 10 employed patients with IMN returned to previous work compared with 10 of the 12 employed patients with VLP. Time to return to work was similar for both groups. CONCLUSIONS In a cohort of similar patients, IMN and VLP provided comparable improvement in functional and radiographic outcomes. Patients with IMN required less narcotic pain medication after surgery than VLP patients. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic II.

Bundled payments in total joint arthroplasty and spine surgery

Purpose of reviewThe goal of this manuscript is to provide an overview and analysis of bundled payment models for joint replacement and select spine procedures. Advantages and disadvantages of bundled payment models will be discussed.Recent findingsIn select populations, bundled payment models have been shown to reduce costs while maintaining satisfactory outcomes. These models have not been tested with complex patient cohorts, such as older adults with fragility hip fractures, and limited data exist with bundled payment analysis in spine procedures.SummaryThe reduction of healthcare costs, satisfactory patient outcomes, and favorable payments to healthcare systems can be achieved through bundled payments. Modifications of existing bundled payment models should be critically tested prior to implementation across higher risk populations. Bundled payment models will also require healthcare systems to define what services are necessary for an episode of care regarding a specific condition or disease.

An Orthopedic-Hospitalist Comanaged Hip Fracture Service Reduces Inpatient Length of Stay:

Introduction: Hip fractures are common in the elderly patients with an incidence of 320 000 fractures/year in the United States, representing a health-care cost of US

Angiotensin-(1-7) Attenuates Skeletal Muscle Fibrosis and Stiffening in a Mouse Model of Extremity Sarcoma Radiation Therapy

9 to 20 billion. Hip fracture incidence is projected to increase dramatically. Hospitals must modify clinical models to accommodate this growing burden. Comanagement strategies are reported in the literature, but few have addressed orthopedic-hospitalist models. An orthopedic-hospitalist comanagement (OHC) service was established at our hospital to manage hip fracture patients. We sought to determine whether the OHC (1) improves the efficiency of hip fracture management as measured by inpatient length of stay (LOS) and time to surgery (TTS) and (2) whether our results are comparable to those reported in hip fracture comanagement literature. Methods: A comparative retrospective–prospective cohort study of patients older than 60 years with an admitting diagnosis of hip fracture was conducted to compare inpatient LOS and TTS for hip fracture patients admitted 10 months before (n = 45) and 10 months after implementation (n = 54) of the OHC at a single academic hospital. Secondary outcome measures included percentage of patients taken to surgery within 24 or 48 hours, 30-day readmission rates, and mortality. Outcomes were compared to comanagement study results published in MEDLINE-indexed journals. Results: Patient cohort demographics and comorbidities were similar. Inpatient LOS was reduced by 1.6 days after implementation of the OHC (P = .01) without an increase in 30-day readmission rates or mortality. Time to surgery was insignificantly reduced from 27.4 to 21.9 hours (P = .27) and surgery within 48 hours increased from 86% to 96% (P = .15). Discussion: The OHC has improved efficiency of hip fracture management as judged by significant reductions in LOS with a trend toward reduced TTS at our institution. Conclusion: Orthopedic-hospitalist comanagement may represent an effective strategy to improve hip fracture management in the setting of a rapidly expanding patient population.

Treatment of Extra — Abdominal Desmoid Tumors with Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND Radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) of musculoskeletal tissue is a common complication of radiation therapy for extremity soft-tissue sarcoma, with no standardized strategy for prevention and treatment. Angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-[1-7]), a well-tolerated endogenous heptapeptide hormone with antitumor and antifibrotic properties, was tested as a radioprotectant for RIF and stiffening of irradiated muscles. METHODS Male CD-1 mice were randomized to one of three treatment groups: control, simulated sarcoma radiation therapy to the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, or radiation therapy along with continuous Ang-(1-7) delivery initiated three days before radiation therapy. The biologically equivalent dose of radiation (∼100.3 Gy) absorbed by normal musculature during the course of radiation therapy for extremity sarcoma was delivered by means of four dose fractions of 7.3 Gy over two weeks. Fibrosis (n = 5 per group) and mechanical properties (n = 4 to 6 per group) of the muscles were measured at six weeks and four months after radiation therapy, and the intramuscular concentration of the profibrotic cytokines transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) (n = 8 to 10 per group) were measured at six weeks. RESULTS Interstitial (p < 0.01) and perivascular (p < 0.05) fibrosis increased significantly in the muscles treated with radiation therapy alone versus the nonirradiated controls at both six weeks (interstitial, +89%; perivascular, +112%) and four months (interstitial, +154%; perivascular, +88%). The muscles treated with radiation alone also exhibited increased tension (p < 0.01) versus nonirradiated controls at both six weeks (+779%) and four months (+1761%) when placed under 5% strain, and at four months (+1390%; p < 0.001) under 10% strain. At four months, muscle stiffness had increased in the mice treated with radiation therapy alone (+90%; p = 0.002) compared with nonirradiated controls. TGF-β production was also greater in this group at six weeks (+37%; p = 0.06) versus control. Ang-(1-7) administration prevented RIF and stiffening, with no differences observed for any other outcome between those receiving radiation therapy with Ang-(1-7) and the nonirradiated controls. Likewise, Ang-(1-7) mitigated the increase in TGF-β and CTGF concentration from radiation therapy. CONCLUSIONS Ang-(1-7) attenuated RIF, stiffening, and production of profibrotic cytokines that were elevated in mouse skeletal muscles after simulated radiation therapy for extremity sarcoma. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Ang-(1-7) may serve as a potential therapy for the prevention of RIF in patients who require radiation therapy as adjuvant treatment for soft-tissue sarcoma.

Trichinellosis Masquerading as a Soft-Tissue Mass

Fibromatosis, or extra-abdominal desmoid tumor, is a benign disease which often has an aggressive clinical course that can be difficult to treat. We performed a retrospective review of 16 patients (12 females and four males) with a mean age of 34.2 years treated with methotrexate and vinblastine for newly diagnosed or recurrent extra-abdominal desmoid tumor. The mean age of our patient cohort was 34.2 years (range 11–70), and the mean tumor size was 11.5 cm (range 2.5–21.2 cm). The mean duration of therapy was 12 months with an average follow-up of 43 months (range 1–149 months). Fourteen of 16 patients demonstrated a clinical response to treatment. Eight of 14 patients demonstrated a radiologic decrease in tumor size. Only one patient progressed on therapy. Six patients developed recurrent symptoms after discontinuation of treatment. Chemotherapy-related symptoms including neutropenia, nausea, and vomiting were common and observed in most patients, however these side effects were mild and transient. Five patients developed peripheral neuropathy that prompted a change from vinblastine to vinorelbine during treatment. One potentially life-threatening complication (pneumocystis pneumonia) occurred which was diagnosed early and successfully treated. The use of methotrexate and vinblastine/vinorelbine in the management of fibromatosis appears to be an effective treatment with minimal treatment-related side effects.

The Impact of Medical Comorbidities on Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Reimbursements

Trichinellosis, also known as trichinosis and trichiniasis, is a rare infection caused by the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat containing viable encysted larvae of the parasitic roundworm Trichinella species1-3. Previously quite common, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently report only a few trichinellosis cases annually in the United States2,4. The scarcity of present-day cases is largely attributed to increased federal legislation over the past several decades that led to many public health measures to educate people regarding techniques for safe food preparation2,4-6. Trichinellosis usually presents acutely with circumorbital edema, fever, myalgia, and abdominal discomfort. We report a case in a fifty-seven-year-old woman who presented atypically with a soft-tissue mass in the forearm. Clinical presentation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this rare infection are discussed. The patient was informed that data concerning her case would be submitted for publication, and she provided consent. A fifty-seven-year-old woman presented to the orthopaedic oncology service for evaluation of a painless mass in the left forearm, which had been slowly enlarging over several years. The patients rheumatoid arthritis had caused finger deformities and diffuse rheumatoid nodules. At the time of presentation, the rheumatoid arthritis was being treated with abatacept, a T-cell costimulation modulator, but in the past it had been treated with other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Additionally, she had a twenty-year history of anterior interosseous nerve syndrome of the right forearm, and a one-year history of anterior interosseous nerve syndrome of the left forearm, although the cause of these bilateral syndromes was unknown. Physical examination demonstrated a firm, fixed, painless mass on the volar side of the left forearm, proximal to the wrist crease. The patient had an absence of flexor pollicus longus and flexor digitorium profundus function …

Hidradenocarcinoma presenting as soft tissue mass: Case report with cytomorphologic description, histologic correlation, and differential diagnosis

Medical comorbidities have been shown to cause an increase in peri-and postoperative complications following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the increase in cost associated with these complications has yet to be determined. Factors that influence cost have been of great interest particularly after the initiation of bundled payment initiatives. In this study, we present and quantify the influence of common medical comorbidities on the cost of care in patients undergoing primary TKA. A retrospective level of evidence III study was performed using the PearlDiver supercomputer to identify patients who underwent primary TKA between 2007 and 2015. Patients were stratified by medical comorbidities and compared using analysis of variance for reimbursements for the day of surgery and over 90 days postoperatively. A cohort of 137,073 US patients was identified as having undergone primary TKA between 2007 and 2015. The mean entire episode-of-care reimbursement was

Proving Osteoinductive Potential of a Decellularized Xenograft Bone Substitute

23,701 (range: