Steven L. Bokshan

Effect of Sarcopenia on Postoperative Morbidity and Mortality After Thoracolumbar Spine Surgery.

Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass associated with aging and advanced disease. This study retrospectively examined patients older than 55 years (N=46) who underwent thoracolumbar spine surgery between 2003 and 2015. Each patients comorbidity burden was determined using the Charlson Comorbidity Index, and the Mirza Surgical Invasiveness Index was used to measure procedural complexity. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by measuring the total cross-sectional area of the psoas muscle at the L4 vertebrae using perioperative computed tomography scans. Of the 46 patients assessed, 16 were in the lowest third for L4 total psoas area (sarcopenic). Average follow-up time was 5.2 years (range, 6 days to 12.7 years). The cohort of patients with sarcopenia was significantly older than the cohort without sarcopenia (mean age, 76.4 vs 69.9 years; P=.01) but did not have a significantly different mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (3.3 vs 2.0; P=.32) or mean Mirza Surgical Invasiveness Index (7.1 vs 7.0; P=.49). Patients with sarcopenia had a hospital length of stay 1.7-fold longer than those without sarcopenia (8.1 vs 4.7 days; P=.02) and a 3-fold increase in postoperative in-hospital complications (1.2 vs 0.4; P=.02), and they were more likely to require discharge to a rehabilitation or nursing facility (81.2% vs 43.3%; P=.006). Patients with sarcopenia had a significantly lower cumulative survival (log rank=0.007). All 4 deaths occurred among patients with sarcopenia. Patients with sarcopenia have a significantly increased risk of in-hospital complications, longer length of stay, increased rates of discharge to rehabilitation facilities, and increased mortality following thoracolumbar spinal surgery, making sarcopenia a useful perioperative risk stratification tool. [Orthopedics. 2016; 39(6):e1159-e1164.].

Sarcopenia in Orthopedic Surgery.

Sarcopenia is a loss of skeletal muscle mass in the elderly that is an independent risk factor for falls, disability, postoperative complications, and mortality. Although its cause is not completely understood, sarcopenia generally results from a complex bone-muscle interaction in the setting of chronic disease and aging. Sarcopenia cannot be diagnosed by muscle mass alone. Diagnosis requires 2 of the following 3 criteria: low skeletal muscle mass, inadequate muscle strength, and inadequate physical performance. Forty-four percent of elderly patients undergoing orthopedic surgery and 24% of all patients 65 to 70 years old are sarcopenic. Although dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis may be used to measure sarcopenia and are relatively inexpensive and accessible, they are generally considered less specific for sarcopenia compared with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Sarcopenia has been shown to predict poor outcomes within the medical and surgical populations and has been directly correlated with increases in taxpayer costs. Strengthening therapy and nutritional supplementation have become the mainstays of sarcopenia treatment. Specifically, the American Medical Directors Association has released guidelines for nutritional supplementation. Although sarcopenia frequently occurs with osteoporosis, it is an independent predictor of fragility fractures. Initiatives to diagnose, treat, and prevent sarcopenia in orthopedic patients are needed. Further investigation must also explore sarcopenia as a predictor of surgical outcomes in orthopedic patients.

Assessment of Malpractice Claims Associated With Acute Compartment Syndrome

Background: Because acute compartment syndrome is one of the few limb-threatening and life-threatening orthopaedic conditions and is difficult to diagnose, it is a frequent source of litigation. Understanding the factors that lead to plaintiff verdicts and higher indemnity payments may improve patient care by identifying common pitfalls. Methods: The VerdictSearch legal claims database was queried for the term “compartment syndrome.” After 46 cases were excluded for missing information or irrelevancy, 139 cases were reviewed. The effects of plaintiff demographics, mechanism of injury, and complications were assessed. Results: Of 139 cases, 37 (27%) were settled, 69 (50%) resulted in a defendant ruling, and 33 (24%) resulted in a plaintiff ruling. Juries were more likely to rule in favor of juvenile plaintiffs than adult patients (P = 0.002) and female plaintiffs than male plaintiffs (P = 0.008), but indemnity payments were not affected by the age or sex of the plaintiff. Plaintiffs who experienced acute compartment syndrome as a complication of surgery were more likely to win their suit and receive higher awards (P < 0.05), compared with those in whom the condition developed as a result of trauma. Amputation or delay in diagnosis or treatment did not affect plaintiff verdicts or awards. Conclusion: Defendants were more likely to lose a lawsuit concerning the management of acute compartment syndrome if the patient was a woman or child or if acute compartment syndrome developed as a complication of a surgical procedure.

Comparison of 30-Day Morbidity and Mortality After Arthroscopic Bankart, Open Bankart, and Latarjet-Bristow Procedures: A Review of 2864 Cases:

Background: Surgical intervention for anterior shoulder instability is commonly performed and is highly successful in reducing instances of recurrent instability. Purpose: To determine and compare the incidence of 30-day complications and patient and surgical risk factors for complications for arthroscopic Bankart, open Bankart, and Latarjet-Bristow procedures. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: All arthroscopic Bankart, open Bankart, and Latarjet-Bristow procedures from 2005 to 2014 from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) prospective database were analyzed. Baseline patient variables were assessed, including the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Outcomes measures included length of operation, length of hospital stay, need for hospital admission, 30-day readmission, and 30-day return to the operating room. Binary logistic regression was performed for the presence of any complications after all 3 procedures. Results: There were 2864 surgical procedures (410 open Bankart, 163 Latarjet-Bristow, and 2291 arthroscopic Bankart) included. There was no significant difference with regard to age (P = .11), body mass index (P = .17), American Society of Anesthesiologists class (P = .423), or CCI (P = .479) for each group. The Latarjet-Bristow procedure had the highest overall complication rate (5.5%) compared with open (1.0%) and arthroscopic (0.6%) Bankart repairs. The Latarjet-Bristow procedure had significantly longer mean operative times (P < .001) in addition to the highest 30-day return rate to the operating room (4.3%; 95% confidence interval, 1.2%-7.4%). Smoking status was an independent predictor of a postoperative complication (P = .05; odds ratio, 8.0) after Latarjet-Bristow. Conclusion: Surgical intervention for anterior shoulder instability has a low rate of complication (arthroscopic Bankart, 0.6%; open Bankart, 1.0%; Latarjet-Bristow, 5.5%) in the early postoperative period, with the most common being surgical site infection, deep vein thrombosis, and return to the operating room.

Risk Factors for Hospital Admission Following Arthroscopic Bankart Repair

Arthroscopic Bankart repair, a commonly performed procedure in the United States, is usually done on an outpatient basis. All instances of arthroscopic Bankart repair from 2005 to 2014 from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program prospective database were analyzed. Both univariate analysis and binary logistic regression were performed to determine risk factors for admission following surgery. Of 2291 patients undergoing arthroscopic Bankart repair, 173 (7.6%) required inpatient hospital admission following surgery. Univariate analysis found the following to be associated with admission: female sex (P=.009), age older than 40 years (P<.001), white race (P=.002), body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2 (P=.001), and American Society of Anesthesiologists class greater than 3 (P<.001). Independent predictors of admission on multivariate analysis included female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-2.10; P=.023), increasing age (per year) (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.02-1.04; P<.001), diabetes (OR, 2.70; 95% CI, 2.30-3.10; P=.006), and longer operation time (per minute) (OR, 1.010; 95% CI, 1.009-1.011; P<.001). This study identified a 7.6% rate of admission following arthroscopic Bankart repair, with diabetes, female sex, increasing age, and longer operation time being independent risk factors for admission. Knowledge of these risk factors is important when setting patient expectations preoperatively and for optimizing care to obtain the best short-term outcome. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(5):e855-e861.].

Inpatient costs and blood transfusion rates of sarcopenic patients following thoracolumbar spine surgery

OBJECTIVE Sarcopenia, the muscle atrophy associated with aging and disease progression, accounts for nearly

Arthroscopic Bankart Repair for the Management of Anterior Shoulder Instability: Indications and Outcomes

18.5 billion in health care expenditures annually. Given the high prevalence of sarcopenia in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery, the goal of this study was to assess the impact of sarcopenia on inpatient costs following thoracolumbar spine surgery. METHODS Patients older than 55 years undergoing thoracolumbar spine surgery from 2003 to 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Sarcopenia was measured using total psoas area at the L-4 vertebra on perioperative CT scans. Hospital billing data were used to compare inpatient costs, transfusion rate, and rate of advanced imaging utilization. RESULTS Of the 50 patients assessed, 16 were sarcopenic. Mean total hospital costs were 1.75-fold greater for sarcopenic patients compared with nonsarcopenic patients (

Variability of online available physical therapy protocols from academic orthopedic surgery programs for arthroscopic meniscus repair

53,128 vs

Accuracy of internet images of ligamentous knee injuries

30,292, p = 0.04). Sarcopenic patients were 2.1 times as likely to require a blood transfusion (43.8% vs 20.6%, p = 0.04). Sarcopenic patients had a 2.6-fold greater usage of advanced imaging (68.8% vs 26.5%, p = 0.002) with associated higher diagnostic imaging costs (

Internet accuracy of publicly available images of meniscal tears

2452 vs