Advances in Imaging and Treatments Mitigate Long-term Effects of Frostbite

Erin Cravez, MD; Alan M. Reznik, MD, MBA, FAAOS

This article is part two in a series about frostbite. Part one is available online at www.aaosnow.org. Frostbite is a severe soft tissue injury secondary to prolonged cold exposure and can result in a wide range of ischemic injuries.

Do Sex-based Differences in Shoulder Instability Exist?

Tierney A. Shannon, MD; David J. Tennent, MD; William N. Levine, MD; Anthony E. Johnson, MD

Shoulder instability is broadly defined as abnormal motion of the humeral head relative to the glenoid that is symptomatic during the patient’s active range of motion (ROM). Female athletes are commonly thought to have higher rates of shoulder instability, as well as poorer outcomes after treatment.

Cannabinoids Can Serve as Alternatives to Narcotic Pain Medication for Fracture Healing

Jeremy Korsh, MD; Sean Marvil, MD; Dan Guttmann, MD

Cannabidiol (CBD), a major nonpsychotropic cannabis constituent, has been shown to decrease pain—especially chronic and neuropathic pain—and may enhance bone metabolism. Currently, as the United States faces an opioid epidemic, many providers are either choosing or being forced to limit the number of narcotics they prescribe for pain in orthopaedic patients. Arthritis, osteoporosis, and low back pain constitute the majority of musculoskeletal disease burden in the United States.

Second Look - Clinical

Combined ACL and ALL reconstruction—A retrospective analysis published in Arthroscopy (online) found that professional athletes who underwent combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and anterolateral ligament (ALL) reconstruction had good postoperative outcomes.

The Death of Lasers in Spine Surgery?

Matthew S. Galetta, BA; Kris E. Radcliff, MD

In the early 1960s, dermatologists began using ruby lasers to remove port wine stains and melanomas. Since then, lasers have been used in other fields, including cosmetic surgery, genetics, oncology, and ophthalmology. The laser—an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation—plays a vital role in numerous medical fields. An intense, focused beam is created from emission of light waves in the same phase and at the same frequency (i.e., coherent).