Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Orthopedics for September 2012. 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.
Medicare Knee Replacement Numbers Up Over Last 20 Years
TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- From 1991 to 2010 there was a 161.5 percent annual volume increase in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) among Medicare enrollees as well as an increase in per capita utilization, according to research published in the Sept. 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract
Full Text
Spinal Injury Incidence About 5 Percent in Iraq/Afghanistan
MONDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of spinal trauma sustained by military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan is about 5 percent, according to a study published in the Sept. 19 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Abstract
Full Text
AAP Strongly Discourages Home Trampolines
MONDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Home trampoline use is strongly discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), according to a policy statement published online Sept. 24 in Pediatrics.
Abstract
Full Text
IV Acetaminophen Eases Post-Spinal Op Pain for Children
FRIDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Children and adolescents given intravenously (IV)-administered acetaminophen after major spine surgery have significantly less postoperative pain, compared with those given placebo, but administration of acetaminophen does not reduce the need for opioids, according to a study published in the Sept. 15 issue of Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Decrease Seen in Global Peri-Op, Anesthesia-Related Mortality
FRIDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Over the last five decades, there has been a decrease in perioperative and anesthesia-related mortality, according to a study published in the Sept. 22 issue of The Lancet, a theme issue on surgery.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Study Looks at Pain Processing Abnormalities in Knee OA
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with knee osteoarthritis (K-OA), the lack of correlation between clinical pain and radiographic evidence of disease severity may be due to central sensitization, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Radiography Unnecessary After Spinal Fusion Surgery
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- In patients who have undergone spinal fusion surgery with intraoperative fluoroscopic guidance and have no postoperative problems, postoperative radiographs do not provide additional clinical information and are not cost-effective, according to a study published in the July issue of The Spine Journal.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Higher Mortality Risk With Preoperative Hyponatremia
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with preoperative hyponatremia have a higher risk of 30-day mortality and morbidity, including coronary events, surgical site wound infections, and pneumonia, according to research published online Sept. 10 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Evidence Lacking for Weight Trends After Joint Arthroplasty
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- There is no conclusive evidence on whether patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA) lose or gain weight after surgery, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Meta-Analysis: Acupuncture Reasonable Chronic Pain Option
THURSDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic pain conditions, including back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, and chronic headache, with pain relief superior to both no-acupuncture controls and sham-acupuncture groups, according to the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis published online Sept. 10 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
For Obese, Body Habitus, Not BMI Impacts Op Site Infection
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- For obese patients undergoing lumbar spine fusion surgery, the skin to lamina distance and the thickness of subcutaneous fat are significant risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI), according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of Spine.
Full Text
Epidural Steroid Injection Impairs Hip Bone Density
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) for radiculopathy negatively impact bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Costs of Neck and Back Conditions Increasing in U.S.
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- For individuals with back and neck conditions, costs have increased in the last decade, with the main increase due to rising medical specialist costs, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Not All Docs/Nurses Want to Be Asked About Hand Hygiene
FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Although most health care workers (HCWs) appreciate the role of patients in preventing health care-associated infection, a considerable proportion are uncomfortable with patients asking about their hand hygiene, according to a letter published online Sept. 3 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Bolus Epidural Fentanyl Cuts Post-Spinal Decompression Pain
THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Intraoperative bolus epidural fentanyl is effective at alleviating early postoperative pain after lumbar canal decompression, according to a study published online Aug. 27 in The Spine Journal.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Alzheimer's, ALS Death Rates Up for Football Players
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Neurodegenerative mortality is about three times higher among retired National Football League players, with Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mortality even higher, compared to the general U.S. population, according to a study published online Sept. 5 in Neurology.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
In RA, Hand Surgery Improves Function, Appearance
MONDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with severe hand deformities with a silicone metacarpophalangeal joint arthroplasty (SMPA) procedure produces significant, long-term improvement in hand function and appearance, according to research published in the September issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
