Study Takes Close Look at Impact of ACL Surgery

Mary Ann Porucznik; Washington Health Policy Fellows

In the second of a series of studies examining the economic impact of orthopaedic procedures, researchers found that outcomes for patients who had appropriately selected anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction were both more effective (short- to intermediate-term) and less costly than rehabilitation alone.

SCIP VTE Measures Changing in 2014

Jennie McKee

Prophylaxis guidelines for venous thromboembolism (VTE) issued by the AAOS and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) have been at odds regarding whether aspirin should qualify as an acceptable prophylactic option. This difference in philosophy has had an impact on the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) measures, which are based on the ACCP guidelines, because aspirin was not recommended by the ACCP for prophylaxis in total joint arthroplasty patients.

Issues Surrounding Adverse Event Reporting

Stuart B. Goodman, MD, PhD; William M. Mihalko, MD, PhD; William J. Robb III, MD; Kevin J. Bozic, MD, MBA; Michael J. Goldberg, MD

The reporting of adverse events during the practice of medicine has received increasing attention by government agencies, insurance companies, industry, state and hospital credentialing committees, medical societies, and patient advocacy groups. Previously, the clinical results of various nonsurgical or surgical treatments for a specific disease or medical condition focused on the patient’s level of pain and other predefined functional variables, often tabulated in an outcome score.

CPG Update

The latest clinical practice guideline (CPG), “The Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee (OAK), Second Edition,” was approved in May and is available on the AAOS website. Articles on the guideline have appeared in the Journal of the AAOS (September), AAOS Now (June), and The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (Oct. 16). The OAK CPG has also been accepted by the national Guidelines Clearinghouse and the Guidelines International Network databases.

From Limb Deficiency to (Re)Generation

Catherine Rategan

Limb deficiencies are among the most common and disabling of all congenital anomalies. Many conditions, such as tibial hemimelia, involve the femur and anterior structures such as the tibia (Fig.1) and the great toe. The genetic root of most of these anomalies is still unknown and the embryologic basis by which the affected limb elements develop normally is scarcely understood. Sevan Hopyan, MD, PhD Dr.

Using Checklists to Ensure Patient Safety

Gregory H. Sirounian, MD

The regular use of surgical checklists—standardized, validated, evidence- or consensus-based processes—promotes consistency in surgery and helps provide safe, efficient, high-quality surgical patient care. The AAOS Patient Safety Committee identifies consistency through the use of checklists as one of the six “Critical Cs of Surgical Safety.” (In addition to consistency, the six critical Cs include consent, confirmation, communication, concentration, and collection.