Nader Toossi

Performance Outcomes After Repair of Complete Achilles Tendon Ruptures in National Basketball Association Players

Background: A complete rupture of the Achilles tendon is a devastating injury. Variables affecting return to competition and performance changes for National Basketball Association (NBA) players are not readily evident. Hypothesis: Players in the NBA who ruptured their Achilles tendons and who underwent surgical repair would have more experience in the league, and the performance of those who were able to return to competition would be decreased when compared with their performance before injury and with their control-matched peers. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Data for 18 basketball players with Achilles tendon repair over a 23-year period (1988-2011) were obtained from injury reports, press releases, and player profiles. Variables included age, body mass index (BMI), player position, and number of years playing in the league. Individual season statistics were obtained, and the NBA Player Efficiency Rating (PER) was calculated for 2 seasons before and after injury. Controls were matched by playing position, number of seasons played, and performance statistics. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the effect of each factor. Results: At the time of injury, the average age was 29.7 years, average BMI was 25.6, and average playing experience was 7.6 years. Seven players never returned to play an NBA game, whereas 11 players returned to play 1 season, with 8 of those players returning for ≥2 seasons. Players who returned missed an average of 55.9 games. The PER was reduced by 4.57 (P = .003) in the first season and by 4.38 (P = .010) in the second season. When compared with controls, players demonstrated a significant decline in the PER the first season (P = .038) and second season (P = .081) after their return. Conclusion: The NBA players who returned to play after repair of complete Achilles tendon ruptures showed a significant decrease in playing time and performance. Thirty-nine percent of players never returned to play.

Risk and Cost of 90-Day Complications in Morbidly and Superobese Patients After Total Knee Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND This study investigated the risk and cost of postoperative complications associated with morbid and super obesity after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted of patients who underwent TKA using Medicare hospital claims data. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis code V85.4x was used to identify morbidly obese patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥40 kg/m(2)) and superobese patients (BMI ≥50 kg/m(2)) in 2011-2013. Patients without any BMI-related diagnosis codes were used as controls. Twelve complications occurred in the 90-day period after TKA were analyzed using multivariate Cox models, adjusting for patient demographic, morbidity, and institutional factors. In addition, hospital charges and payments were compared from primary surgery through subsequent 90 days. RESULTS Morbidly obese patients showed a significantly elevated risk in most complications examined, with a 2-fold or higher risk in dislocation and wound dehiscence. In addition, death, periprosthetic joint infection, acute renal failure, and knee revision had significant hazard ratios between 1.5 and 2.0. However, risk of deep vein thrombosis and acute myocardial infarction did not increase for the morbidly obese patients. Superobese patients had significant increase in risk of infection, wound dehiscence, acute renal failures, revisions, death, and readmission compared with patients with BMI 40-49 kg/m(2). Significant dose-response trend was found between the level of BMI and risk for death, dislocation, implant failure, infection, readmission, revision, wound dehiscence, and acute renal failure. Controlling for patient and institutional factors, each TKA had an average total hospital charges of

Surgical Risks and Costs of Care are Greater in Patients Who Are Super Obese and Undergoing THA.

75,884 among superobese patients, compared to

Percutaneous Column Fixation and Total Hip Arthroplasty for the Treatment of Acute Acetabular Fracture in the Elderly

65,118 for the control group, a difference of

The Validity of Administrative BMI Data in Total Joint Arthroplasty

10,767. Medicare payment for the superobese patients was also higher, but only by

Complications from a Distal Bicep Repair: A Meta-Analysis of a Single Incision Versus Double Incision Surgical Technique.

2703. CONCLUSION Morbidly obese patients pose a significantly higher risk profile than normal-weight patients in a broad range of complications after TKA. Superobese patients add another layer of risk compared with less obese patients and are considerably more expensive to treat by health care systems. Technical difficulties and the high demand on resources present a severe challenge for providing treatment for such patients.

The Relationship Between Knee Arthroscopy and Arthroplasty in Patients Under 65 Years of Age

BackgroundPatients with morbid obesity, defined as a BMI greater than 40 kg/m2, and super obesity, defined as a BMI greater than 50 kg/m2, increasingly present for total hip replacement. There is disagreement in the literature whether these individuals have greater surgical risks and costs for the episode of care, and the magnitude of those risks and costs. There also is no established threshold for obesity as defined by BMI in identifying increased complications, risks, and costs of care. Until recently, analysis of higher BMI data was limited to small cohorts from hospital-based data banks, based on BMI or height and weight only, often as part of a multivariate analysis. On October 1, 2010 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services added a fifth digit to the BMI data, V85.xx, in the Medicare data bank, which allowed data mining of cases of patients with higher BMI. To our knowledge, our study is the first large retrospective Medicare data mining study, which allows us to examine BMI levels greater than 40 and 50 kg/m2 to delineate risks, complications, and costs for these patients.Questions/purposesWe sought to quantify (1) the surgical risk, and (2) the costs associated with complications after THA in patients who were morbidly obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) or super obese (BMI ≥ 50 kg/m2).MethodsThis is a retrospective study of patients, using Medicare hospital claims data, who underwent THA. The ICD-9 Clinical Modification (CM) diagnosis code V85.4x was used to identify patients with morbid obesity and with super obesity from October 1, 2010 through December 31, 2014. Patients without any BMI-related diagnosis codes were used as the control group. Twelve complications occurring during the 90 days after THA were analyzed using multivariate Cox models adjusting for patient demographic, comorbidities, and institutional factors. In addition, hospital charges and payments were compared from primary surgery through the subsequent 90 days.ResultsPatients with morbid obesity had increased postoperative complications including prosthetic joint infection (hazard ratio [HR], 3.71; 95% CI, 3.2–4.31; p < 0.001), revision (HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.69–2.16; p < 0.001), and wound dehiscence (HR, 3.91; 95% CI, 3.14–4.86; p < 0.001). In addition, patients with morbid obesity had increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.14–1.79; p < 0.002), pulmonary embolism (HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.25–1.99; p < 0.001), implant failure (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.3–1.68; p < 0.001), acute renal failure (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.56–1.80; p < 0.001), and all-cause readmission (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.40–1.56; p < 0.001). However, death (HR, 0.94 95% CI, 0.73–1.19 p < 0.592), acute myocardial infarction (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.74–1.2 p < 0.631), and dislocation (HR 1.07; 95% CI, 0.85–1.34; p < 0.585) were not different between patients in the control and morbidly obese groups. Super obese patients had an increased risk of infection (HR, 6.48; 95% CI, 4.54–9.25; p < 0.001), wound dehiscence (HR, 9.81; 95% CI, 6.31–15.24; p < 0.001), and readmission (HR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.84–2.54; p < 0.001) compared with patients with normal BMI. Controlling for patient and institutional factors, each THA had mean total hospital charges of USD 88,419 among patients who were super obese compared with USD 73,827 for the control group, a difference of USD 14,591. Medicare payment for the patients who were super obese also was higher, but only by USD 3631.ConclusionsPatients who are super obese are at increased risk for serious complications compared with patients with morbid obesity, whose risks are elevated relative to patients whose BMI is less than 40 kg/m2. Costs of care for patients who were super obese, likewise, were increased. We present BMI outcomes to allow an objective basis for patient counseling, risk stratification, maintaining access to orthopaedic surgical care, and maintaining hospital operating margins.Level of EvidenceLevel III, therapeutic study.

Distal tibia fractures: locked or non-locked plating? A systematic review of outcomes

We used our database of primary total hip arthroplasties to identify those patients who had acetabular fractures fixed with percutaneous screws under the same anesthesia as for the arthroplasty procedure. There were 19 patients with the average follow-up of 22 months. Fourteen patients sustained the fracture secondary to a low-energy trauma, while the remaining patients were involved in a high-energy trauma accident. The mean survival time was calculated to be 2.5 ± 0.6 years for the low-energy group and 4 ± 1.4 years for the high-energy group. We believe that this unique treatment of acetabular fractures has a role in carefully selected patients and provides the necessary reduction and immediate stability of the fracture needed to ensure adequate fit for the acetabular cup in the subsequent THA.

Cost and determinants of acute kidney injury after elective primary total joint arthroplasty

Identifying BMI via administrative data is a useful way to evaluate outcomes in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) for varying degrees of obesity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concordance between BMI coding in administrative claims data and actual clinical BMI measurements in the medical record for patients undergoing TJA. Clinical BMI value was shown to be a significant determinant of whether ICD-9 codes were used to report the patients obesity status (P<0.01). Although a higher clinical BMI strongly increased the likelihood of having either of the ICD-9 diagnosis codes used to identify obesity status, only the accuracy of the V85 code increased with increasing levels of BMI.

Is Bmi an Independent Risk Factor for Unfavorable Outcomes Following Total Hip Arthroplasty?: Commentary on an article by Eric R. Wagner, Md, et al.

Objectives: Anatomical reinsertion of the distal biceps is critical for restoring elbow flexion and forearm supination strength. Surgical techniques utilizing one and two incisions have been reported in the literature, describing complications and outcomes. However, which technique is associated with a lower complication rate remains unclear. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the PubMed, Medline, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), SPORTSDiscus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials database to identify articles reporting distal biceps ruptures through August 2013. We included English language publications based on adult patients with a minimum of three cases. Both single and dual incision technique studies were incorporated. The demographic and outcome data of all studies was retrieved and pooled. A Meta-analysis on the pooled data was then conducted to determine the role of surgical technique on different complications. This was adjusted for age, gender and other independent variables. Results: Fifty-five articles met the inclusion criteria. The complication rate in the single incision group was 28.3% (222/785) versus 20.9% (104/498) in the double incision group. Neuropraxia was the most common complication in the single incision group at 9.8% (77/785), while heterotopic ossification was the most common in double incision cases at 7% (35/498). Re-rupture and failed reattachment occurred in 2.5% of single incision cases, versus 0.6% of double-incision cases (p < 0.034). Posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) palsy occurred in 2.7 % (13/785) of single incision procedures versus 0.2% (1/498) in the double incision group (p< 0.001). When combining heterotopic ossification and synostosis rates, the double incision group demonstrated complications in 9.8% of cases versus 3.2% for single incision cases. Conclusion: Surgical intervention for distal biceps ruptures may help restore function to an active individual; however, this procedure is not without risk of complications. The single incision technique has a higher rate of failed re-attachment and re-rupture compared to the double incision technique. The single incision technique also has a higher rate of overall nerve palsy (PIN, LABC, and Radial Nerve) compared to the double incision technique. The double incision technique does have higher rates of HO compared to the single incision. These complications are important for surgeons to consider and disclose to patients deciding on operative repair.