The advocacy president

Annie Hayashi

E. Anthony Rankin, MD, plans focus on members’ needs, state societies “A great leader needs a vision, integrity, and experience,” says newly elected AAOS President E. Anthony Rankin, MD. “It is critical for a leader to be in touch with the members, to truly understand their needs and the environment in which they function.” To be such a leader, Dr. Rankin has his vision and plans firmly in place.

Building a national joint replacement registry

Annie Hayashi

Can the United States find its way? Why doesn’t the United States have a national joint registry when other developed countries such as Sweden, Britain, and Australia have one? What are the benefits and risks of such a system? What role should the AAOS play in the formation of a joint registry? Joshua J. Jacobs, MD, chair of the AAOS Council on Research, Quality Assessment, and Technology and a member of the AAOS Now editorial board, discussed the establishment of a U.S.

Setting AAOS Now Straight

‘Inappropriate’ transfers and ‘inconvenient’ services As an orthopaedic surgeon participating in general unassigned call at a level 1 trauma center, I found that the article regarding transfers for minor problems (AAOS Headline News Now, Jan. 25, 2008: “Study finds patients with minor injuries transferred to trauma centers”) barely touches the magnitude of this problem.

Bone and Joint Decade releases report on neck pain

The international Bone and Joint Decade 2000–2010 Task Force on Neck Pain has released its findings, which will be published in the journal Spine in February. The multidisciplinary, international task force, led by Prof Scott Haldeman from the University of California, Irvine, involved more than 50 researchers based in 9 countries and represented 14 different clinical and scientific disciplines. A key component of the report is a new four-level classification system for neck pain.

Tools and Technology Update

FDA clears low-dose X-ray imager Biospace med announced that it has received 510k clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market EOS, a new, digital X-ray imager in the United States for 2D imaging use. According to the company’s press release, the technology enables images to be obtained with a low dose of radiation and is capable of long-length digital imaging, permitting full-body, uninterrupted digital imaging with a single scan.

AAOS issues call for abstracts

The AAOS Program Committee is looking for abstracts on a wide variety of orthopaedic-related topics. Share your research and insights with orthopaedic professionals from around the world at the AAOS 76th Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Feb. 25-March 1, 2009. The latest in technology, science, and research are waiting to be presented at the next Annual Meeting. The deadline for submitting your abstract for a poster/podium presentation or a scientific exhibit is June 2, 2008.

It’s An Orthopaedic Thing

Do you know what an “orthopaedic thing” is? Here’s an example—the number 3. Almost everything in orthopaedics involves the number 3—triangulation, triple arthrodesis, three-point fixation, triplane fracture, triradiate cartilage, triple innominate osteotomy, and three planes in space forming a point.

Lessons from history: Past presidents have their say

Felasfa M. Wodajo, MD; Stuart Hirsch, MD

Advice for young orthopaedic surgeons Members of the AAOS Leadership Fellows Program (LFP)—which encourages leadership skills and mentors young orthopaedic surgeons—were charged with interviewing all the Academy’s living past presidents. This article is the second in a four-part series drawn from these varied and frank interviews.

Surgeon enlists to honor fallen son

Carolyn Rogers

At an age when most orthopaedic surgeons contemplate retirement, 61-year-old William B. Krissoff, MD, left a flourishing practice for a new life as a lieutenant commander in the Navy Medical Corps. Dr. Krissoff may be deployed to Iraq as early as this fall, to treat wounded Marines as a member of a combat surgical team. Although Dr. Krissoff says he feels “honored and privileged” to be part of the 4th Medical Battalion, the path that led him there is one that no parent wants to travel.

DTCA on trial: Addressing the issues

Stephen P. Makk, MD, MBA

Two recent articles in AAOS NOW—“DTCA: Improving patient education or simply increasing pharmaceutical profits?” (December 2007) and “Give them what they need, not what they ask for” (January 2008)—piqued my interest and begged for additional discussion and clarification. Together, they put direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) on trial while leaving room for additional, valuable discussion points.

Pat on the back…

Ramon L. Jimenez, MD, founding member and first president of the American Association of Latino Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Jimenez has been a champion for diversity at the AAOS and most recently chaired the Diversity Advisory Board. Pierce E. Scranton Jr., MD, who received a “Finalist” award in the Fiction/Thriller category from USA BookNews.