Mobile or fixed bearings for UKA: Which is better?

Mary Ann Porucznik

Do mobile-bearing designs offer a clinical advantage over fixed-bearing designs for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA)? That was the debate between Craig J. Della Valle, MD, and Richard D. Scott, MD, during the combined Knee Society/American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons 2011 Specialty Day program.

Resurfacing and replacement: The biomechanics of stability

Jay D. Lenn

OREF grant recipient compares hip procedures Femoral head resurfacing, while not a new alternative to total hip arthroplasty (THA), has had a recent resurgence because of improvements in implant design. Although data on short-term outcomes of hip resurfacing are promising, few studies are available on long-term outcomes, the biomechanics of the implant, or the biomechanical differences between THA and resurfacing. Wael K.

Adding more to your plate

Daniel J. Stinner, MD; Brendan D. Masini, MD

A resident perspective on research Evidence-based medicine is important to orthopaedics not only because it supports improved outcomes for patients, but also because it will be the basis for compensation incentives and may be critical in a litigation scenario. Being part of the research process that leads to evidence-based treatment protocols should be important to surgeons and residents alike.

New technologies for diagnosing orthopaedic infection

Patrick F. Bergin, MD; Rocky S. Tuan, PhD

Molecular biology techniques under development may detect bacterial infection Postoperative infections are one of the most common and severe complications facing orthopaedic patients. Despite the frequent evaluation of patients suspected of harboring infections, diagnostic criteria are not universally established.

RCTs in orthopaedics: The challenge of doing them right

Annie C. Hayashi

ORS Clinical Research Forum tackles methodologic issues in RCTs Orthopaedic clinical trials are “challenged,” according to Mohit Bhandari, MD, one of the organizers of the Orthopaedic Research Society’s (ORS) Clinical Research Forum. The challenges, as outlined during the forum, include both design and participation issues. Despite the fact that orthopaedics is a device-driven medical specialty, only 84 of 1,000 industry-sponsored medical device trials registered in clinicaltrials.

100 years ago: Codman and the rotator cuff

William Mallon, MD

It was May 1911. A new huge cruise ship, the Titanic, expected to be the flagship of the White Star Line, was launched from Harland and Wolff Shipyards in Belfast, Northern Ireland, no one knowing at the time the fate that would befall it. In Mexico, Pancho Villa attacked government troops, and his revolution would succeed when those same troops surrendered on May 10, 1911.

AAOS issues call for manuscripts

The AAOS is soliciting manuscripts for the 2012 Kappa Delta Awards and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Clinical Research Award. Up to two $20,000 Kappa Delta awards, one $20,000 Kappa Delta Young Investigator award, and one $20,000 OREF award will be bestowed. Manuscripts should represent a large body of cohesive scientific work generally reflecting years of investigation. If the submission reflects a single project, it should be of high significance and impact.

Bone and soft-tissue allografts processing and safety

Steven Gitelis, MD; Ross Wilkins, MD

Human bone and soft-tissue allografts are increasingly being used in surgery. The Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation reports that more than 900,000 allografts are used each year in the United States. However, all allografts are not created equally. Surgeons must be familiar with their tissue processing bank and its procedures. Although disease transmission by an allograft is rare, it can be devastating.