Sanjeev Sabharwal

Assessing Readability of Patient Education Materials: Current Role in Orthopaedics

BackgroundHealth literacy is the single best predictor of an individual’s health status. It is important to customize health-related education material to the individual patient’s level of reading skills. Readability of a given text is the objective measurement of the reading skills one should possess to understand the written material.Questions/purposesIn this article, some of the commonly used readability assessment tools are discussed and guidelines to improve the comprehension of patient education handouts are provided.Where are we now? Several healthcare organizations have recommended the readability of patient education materials be no higher than sixth- to eighth-grade level. However, most of the patient education materials currently available on major orthopaedic Web sites are written at a reading level that may be too advanced for comprehension by a substantial proportion of the population.Where do we need to go?There are several readily available and validated tools for assessing the readability of written materials. While use of audiovisual aids such as video clips, line drawings, models, and charts can enhance the comprehension of a health-related topic, standard readability tools cannot construe such enhancements.How do we get there?Given the variability in the capacity to comprehend health-related materials among individuals seeking orthopaedic care, stratifying the contents of patient education materials at different levels of complexity will likely improve health literacy and enhance patient-centered communication.

Methods for assessing leg length discrepancy.

The use of accurate and reliable clinical and imaging modalities for quantifying leg-length discrepancy (LLD) is vital for planning appropriate treatment. While there are several methods for assessing LLD, we questioned how these compared. We therefore evaluated the reliability and accuracy of the different methods and explored the advantages and limitations of each method. Based on a systematic literature search, we identified 42 articles dealing with various assessment tools for measuring LLD. Clinical methods such as use of a tape measure and standing blocks were noted as useful screening tools, but not as accurate as imaging modalities. While several studies noted that the scanogram provided reliable measurements with minimal magnification, a full-length standing AP computed radiograph (teleoroentgenogram) is a more comprehensive assessment technique, with similar costs at less radiation exposure. We recommend use of a CT scanogram, especially the lateral scout view in patients with flexion deformities at the knee. Newer modalities such as MRI are promising but need further investigation before being routinely employed for assessment of LLD.Level of Evidence: Level IV, diagnostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Readability of Online Patient Education Materials From the AAOS Web Site

One of the goals of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is to disseminate patient education materials that suit the readability skills of the patient population. According to standard guidelines from healthcare organizations, the readability of patient education materials should be no higher than the sixth-grade level. We hypothesized the readability level of patient education materials available on the AAOS Web site would be higher than the recommended grade level, regardless when the material was available online. Readability scores of all articles from the AAOS Internet-based patient information Web site, “Your Orthopaedic Connection,” were determined using the Flesch-Kincaid grade formula. The mean Flesch-Kincaid grade level of the 426 unique articles was 10.43. Only 10 (2%) of the articles had the recommended readability level of sixth grade or lower. The readability of the articles did not change with time. Our findings suggest the majority of the patient education materials available on the AAOS Web site had readability scores that may be too difficult for comprehension by a substantial portion of the patient population.

Assessment of Lower Limb Alignment: Supine Fluoroscopy Compared with a Standing Full-Length Radiograph

BACKGROUND While a full-length standing anteroposterior radiograph of the lower extremity provides the best radiographic method for assessing limb alignment, other methods must be used intraoperatively. We have employed intraoperative fluoroscopy with use of an electrocautery cord to assess limb alignment in the supine patient. METHODS We retrospectively compared the measurements of lower limb alignment that were obtained with use of supine intraoperative fluoroscopy with those that were obtained with use of a full-length standing anteroposterior radiograph of the lower extremity. A single examiner compared 102 sets of supine fluoroscopy images and full-length standing anteroposterior radiographs of the lower extremity to assess mechanical axis deviation and the joint line convergence angle. For the intraoperative fluoroscopic examination, an electrocautery cord was positioned overlying the center of the femoral head and the tibial plafond and an anteroposterior radiograph of the knee was made. The effect of age, gender, diagnosis, body mass index, pelvic height difference, joint line convergence angle, and the magnitude and direction of malalignment (varus or valgus) on the discrepancy in the observed mechanical axis deviation with use of the two methods was assessed. RESULTS The mean absolute difference between the two techniques was 13.4 mm for the measurement of mechanical axis deviation (p < 0.0001) and 2.8 degrees for the joint line convergence angle (p < 0.0001). The correlation coefficient (r) for the measurement of mechanical axis deviation with use of the two radiographic methods was 0.88. An increase in body mass index was associated with a greater magnitude of discrepancy in the measurement of mechanical axis deviation between the two techniques (p = 0.0014). Age, gender, pelvic height difference, and the direction of malalignment had no effect on the discrepancy in the measurement of mechanical axis deviation. Limbs with >2 cm of mechanical axis deviation and those with a joint line convergence angle of >3 degrees on the standing radiograph were significantly more likely to have >10 mm of discrepancy in the measurement of mechanical axis deviation with use of the two imaging techniques (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Intraoperative fluoroscopy with use of the electrocautery cord method is a useful tool for assessing lower limb alignment in patients with a normal body mass index and </=2 cm of mechanical axis deviation and </=3 degrees of joint line convergence angle on the standing anteroposterior radiograph. However, the results obtained with fluoroscopy should be interpreted with caution in patients who are obese or who have substantial residual mechanical axis deviation or pathologic laxity of the knee joint.

Impact of Obesity on Orthopaedics

The prevalence of obesity among children and adults is increasing worldwide. There are substantial health risks and financial costs associated with the obesity epidemic that impact the practice of orthopaedic surgery. Patients with increased body mass index are more prone to sustaining distal extremity injuries than are those with a normal body mass index. Obese individuals are more likely than nonobese individuals to seek treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee.

Readability of Spine-Related Patient Education Materials From Subspecialty Organization and Spine Practitioner Websites

Study Design. Analysis of spine-related websites available to the general public. Objective. To assess the readability of spine-related patient educational materials available on professional society and individual surgeon or practice based websites. Summary of Background Data. The Internet has become a valuable source of patient education material. A significant percentage of patients, however, find this Internet based information confusing. Healthcare experts recommend that the readability of patient education material be less than the sixth grade level. The Flesch-Kincaid grade level is the most widely used method to evaluate the readability score of textual material, with lower scores suggesting easier readability. Methods. We conducted an Internet search of all patient education documents on the North American Spine Society (NASS), American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), and a sample of 10 individual surgeon or practice based websites. The Flesch-Kincaid grade level of each article was calculated using widely available Microsoft Office Word software. The mean grade level of articles on the various professional society and individual/practice based websites were compared. Results. A total of 121 articles from the various websites were available and analyzed. All 4 categories of websites had mean Flesch-Kincaid grade levels greater than 10. Only 3 articles (2.5%) were found to be at or below the sixth grade level, the recommended readability level for adult patients in the United States. There were no significant differences among the mean Flesch-Kincaid grade levels from the AAOS, NASS, AANS, and practice-based web-sites (P = 0.065, ANOVA). Conclusion. Our findings suggest that most of the Spine-related patient education materials on professional society and practice-based websites have readability scores that may be too high, making comprehension difficult for a substantial portion of the United States adult population.

Computed radiographic measurement of limb-length discrepancy. Full-length standing anteroposterior radiograph compared with scanogram.

BACKGROUND Although a scanogram is commonly used to measure limb-length discrepancy, there are several potential pitfalls associated with this imaging technique. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the results obtained with use of a full-length standing anteroposterior radiograph of the lower extremities and to compare them with those obtained with use of a scanogram. Both imaging studies were performed using computed radiography. METHODS One hundred and eleven patients with limb-length discrepancy had a full-length standing anteroposterior radiograph and a scanogram made on the same day. The patients included seventy-nine children and thirty-two adults in whom the discrepancy was secondary to trauma (55%), congenital shortening (18%), Blount disease (14%), or another cause (13%). Limb length and limb-length discrepancy were measured utilizing both imaging studies. The agreement between the standing anteroposterior radiograph and the scanogram was assessed with use of the correlation coefficient r, and the limits of agreement between the two imaging studies were assessed. RESULTS An average magnification of 4.6% (3.3 cm) was observed in association with the measurement of lower extremity length with use of the full-length standing anteroposterior radiograph. The mean difference in limb-length-discrepancy measurements between the two techniques was 0.5 cm, and the limits of agreement (that is, the mean plus or minus two standard deviations) were 0.5 to 1.5 cm. When the limb-length discrepancy on the standing anteroposterior radiograph was compared with that on the scanogram, the correlation coefficient r was 0.96. A difference of >0.5 cm between the limb-length discrepancy measured on the standing radiograph and that measured on the scanogram was associated with a mechanical axis deviation of >2 cm. Remaining variables, including age, gender, etiology, and scanogram ruler inclination, did not correlate with a difference in the measurement of limb-length discrepancy with use of these two imaging studies. CONCLUSIONS The measurement of limb-length discrepancy on a standing anteroposterior radiograph was very similar to that on a scanogram, especially in the absence of substantial mechanical axis deviation. These findings support the use of a standing anteroposterior radiograph of the lower extremities as the initial imaging study for patients presenting with unequal limb lengths. This approach allows for a more comprehensive radiographic evaluation of the lower extremity, including deformity analysis, while reducing the expense and radiation exposure as compared with the use of additional imaging studies for the assessment of limb-length discrepancy.

Growth patterns after lengthening of congenitally short lower limbs in young children

The purpose of this study was to assess growth patterns after lengthening of the congenitally short femur or tibia in children younger than 6 years. Twenty such children underwent 28 bone segment lengthenings (13 femora and 15 tibiae) by distraction osteogenesis. Our results show that femoral lengthening in children younger than 6 years does not lead to growth inhibition, whereas isolated femoral lengthening may be associated with growth stimulation. Isolated tibial lengthening in children younger than 6 years does not lead to growth inhibition, whereas simultaneous femoral and tibial lengthening or two tibial lengthenings in close succession can lead to tibial growth inhibition.

Correlation of body mass index and radiographic deformities in children with Blount disease.

BACKGROUND Children with Blount disease tend to be heavier than their peers; however, the relationship between the magnitude of obesity and the severity of limb deformities in Blount disease has not been well studied. METHODS A retrospective review of the preoperative medical records and radiographs of patients with previously untreated Blount disease was conducted. Demographic information including gender, ethnicity, the age when deformity was first noted, the age at the examination, and the body mass index was recorded. Frontal and sagittal plane deformities were analyzed by one examiner using full-length standing radiographs. The association of body mass index with various demographic and deformity parameters was then analyzed. RESULTS Over an eight-year period, forty-five patients with sixty-five limbs affected by Blount disease were identified. Seventeen children (twenty-seven limbs) had early-onset Blount disease, and twenty-eight children (thirty-eight limbs) had late-onset disease. Fifteen of the children with early-onset disease and twenty-six of those with late-onset disease were overweight. There was no significant relationship between body mass index and gender, ethnicity, or laterality. The children with early-onset disease tended to have a lower body mass index but a greater magnitude of radiographic deformities compared with the children with late-onset disease. Greater varus malalignment (r = 0.74, p < 0.0001) and tibial procurvatum (r = -0.79, p = 0.002) were noted with an increasing body mass index in the early-onset, but not the late-onset, group of patients. Irrespective of the age at onset, the correlation of body mass index with frontal and sagittal plane deformities was stronger in extremely obese children (body mass index of > or =40). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant relationship between the magnitude of obesity and biplanar radiographic deformities in children with the early-onset form of Blount disease and in those with a body mass index of > or =40. These clinical findings are consistent with the literature concerning the effect of compressive forces on growth at the proximal tibial physis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic Level II.

Readability of Online Patient Education Materials on Adult Reconstruction Web Sites

Recommended readability of patient education materials is sixth-grade level or lower. Readability of 212 patient education materials pertaining to adult reconstruction topics available from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and 3 other specialty and private practitioner Web sites was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid grade formula. The mean Flesch-Kincaid score was 11.1 (range, 3-26.5). Only 5 (2%) articles had a readability level of sixth grade or lower. Readability of most of the articles for patient education on adult reconstruction Web sites evaluated may be too advanced for a substantial portion of patients. Further studies are needed to assess the optimal readability level of health information on the Internet.