How many knee replacements are performed in patients younger than age 65? What percentage of orthopaedic practices provide physical therapy services? Is there any published research on risk of infection in orthopaedic procedures scheduled after a “dirty” case in the operating room?

Answers to these and other questions are available to AAOS members through a new service from the AAOS research and scientific affairs department: the Orthopaedic Research Assistance Center for Learning and Education (ORACLE).

ORACLE provides the following services:

• Statistical data on musculoskeletal conditions and treatment
• Statistical data on the orthopaedic workforce
• Literature search assistance from the AAOS medical librarian, including delivery of citations and abstracts from PubMed/MEDLINE

General reference assistance ORACLE is free for AAOS members. Additionally, the Academy’s research Web pages provide quick facts and access to AAOS research publications: www.aaos.org/research/research.asp.

Call ORACLE with your questions at (847) 384-4312 or e-mail oracle@aaos.org; ORACLE is available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CT). Depending on the degree of research required to respond to your request, it may take up to 5 business days, excluding weekends and holidays, for a complete response.

Kristin Hitchcock is the medical research librarian in the AAOS research and scientific affairs department.

She can be reached at hitchcock@aaos.org