A systematic review of the treatment of distal humerus fractures in older adults: A comparison of surgical and non-surgical options.

Background: Fractures of the distal humerus are a common fragility fracture in older adults. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature to produce pooled estimates of the outcomes of treatment using total elbow arthroplasty (TEA), open reduction and locking plate fixation (ORIF), hemiarthroplasty or with conservative management. Methods: A systematic review of PUBMED and EMBASE databases was conducted for studies reporting outcomes of intra-articular fractures in older adults. Data extracted included patient-reported outcome measures as well as clinical outcomes including ROM, adverse events and all-cause reoperation rates. Results: Forty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria and included 1838 acute, intra-articular distal humeral fractures. There was no clinically important difference in patient-reported pain and function measured on the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (TEA = 89.3 (SD 20.0), Hemi = 88.4 (SD 10.6), internal fixation = 85.0 (SD 14.7), non-operative = 85.1 (SD 11.0)). Discussion: Each of the treatment modalities studies resulted in a reasonable level of elbow function. The included studies were largely non-comparative and at considerable risk of bias. As elbow replacement surgery becomes centralised in the UK, there is a real need for high-quality comparative research studies to inform practice.

Arthroscopic capsular shift surgery in patients with atraumatic shoulder joint instability: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of arthroscopic capsular shift surgery on pain and functional impairment for people with atraumatic shoulder (glenohumeral) joint instability. METHODS: We conducted a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial in a specialist secondary care facility. Patients aged 18 years and over who reported insecurity (apprehension) in their shoulder joint and had evidence of capsulolabral damage on arthroscopic examination were included. Patients were excluded if their shoulder apprehension symptoms were precipitated by a high velocity shoulder injury, they had bony or neural damage, a rotator cuff or labral tear, or previous surgery on the symptomatic shoulder. Sixty-eight participants were randomised and received diagnostic arthroscopy, followed by arthroscopic capsular shift or diagnostic arthroscopy alone. All participants received the same postoperative clinical care. The primary outcome was pain and functional impairment measured with the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index. The prespecified minimum clinically important effect was a reduction in pain and disability of 10.4 points. RESULTS: Mean reductions in pain and functional impairment for both groups were similar. Compared with diagnostic arthroscopy, arthroscopic capsular shift increased pain and functional impairment by means of 5 points (95% CI -6 to 16 points) at 6 months, 1 point (95% CI -11 to 13 points) at 12 months and 2 points (95% CI -12 to 17 points) at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with diagnostic arthroscopy alone, arthroscopic capsular shift confers, at best, only minimal clinically important benefit in the medium term. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01751490.

Surgeon involvement in clinical coding to improve data accuracy and remuneration in a shoulder and elbow unit.

BACKGROUND: Clinical coders are dependent on clear data regarding diagnoses and procedures to generate an accurate representation of clinical activity and ensure appropriate remuneration is received. The accuracy of this process may potentially be improved by collaboration with the surgical team. METHODS: Between November 2017 and November 2019, 19 meetings took place between the Senior Clinical Fellow of our tertiary Shoulder & Elbow Unit and the coding validation lead of our Trust. At each meeting, the Clinical Fellow assessed the operative note of cases in which uncertainty existed as to the most suitable clinical codes to apply and selected the codes which most accurately represented the operative intervention performed. RESULTS: Over a 24-month period, clinical coding was reviewed in 153 cases (range 3-14 per meeting, mean 8). Following review, the clinical coding was amended in 102 (67%) of these cases. A total of £115,160 additional income was generated as a result of this process (range £1677-£15,796 per meeting, mean £6061). Only 6 out of 28 (21%) cases initially coded as arthroscopic sub-acromial decompressions were correctly coded as such. DISCUSSION: Surgeon input into clinical coding greatly improves data quality and increases remuneration received for operative interventions performed.

SciKit-SurgeryGlenoid, an Open Source Toolkit for Glenoid Version Measurement.

Correct understanding of the geometry of the glenoid (the socket of the shoulder joint) is key to successful planning of shoulder replacement surgery. This surgery typically involves placing an implant in the shoulder joint to restore joint function. The most relevant geometry is the glenoid version, which is the angular orientation of the glenoid surface relative to the long axis of the scapula in the axial plane. However, measuring the glenoid version is not straightforward and there are multiple measurement methods in the literature and used in commercial planning software. In this paper we introduce SciKit-SurgeryGlenoid, an open source toolkit for the measurement of glenoid version. SciKit-SurgeryGlenoid contains implementations of the 4 most frequently used glenoid version measurement algorithms enabling easy and unbiased comparison of the different techniques. We present the results of using the software on 10 sets of pre-operative CT scans taken from patients who have subsequently undergone shoulder replacement surgery. We further compare these results with those obtained from a commercial implant planning software. SciKit-SurgeryGlenoid currently requires manual segmentation of the relevant anatomical features for each method. Future work will look at automating the segmentation process to build an automatic and repeatable pipeline from CT or radiograph to quantitative glenoid version measurement.

Does Hyaluronan improve pain or function following Arthroscopic Subacromial decompression (ASD) surgery of Shoulder? Results of a level 1 RCT.

BACKGROUND: Sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronan) can be used as a synovial fluid substitute following arthroscopic surgery. In this study, we examined its effect on pain and function following arthroscopic subacromial arthroscopic decompression (ASAD). METHODOLOGY: A prospective, randomized, and single-blinded design was used (13/LO0427) to compare the effect of a single postprocedure subacromial instillation of 10 ml hyaluronan, against 10 ml saline control. All patients had interscalene block along with general anesthesia and followed standard postoperative rehabilitation protocol. A power calculation for a 6-point difference in Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) indicated a minimum sample size of 44. Participants were assessed preoperatively, and at 12 weeks using the following outcome measures -Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), visual analog score (VAS), European quality of life score (EUROQOL), and Disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) scores. RESULTS: 46 patients were included for analysis. Both groups showed a mean improvement in OSS of 9 points (P = 0.0001), DASH (10 points, P < 0.05), and EUROQOL (0.13, P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between groups in any of the recorded outcomes. Apart from one case of frozen shoulder in each group, no other complications were noted. CONCLUSION: While both groups showed improved pain and function scores after ASAD, no significant difference was seen between groups receiving placebo or hyaluronan. The intervention is safe but, in this study, has not been shown to improve postoperative pain or function over ASAD alone. Level of evidence: I.

Primary pyomyositis: an unusual presentation in an older patient with no recognised risk factors.

Primary pyomyositis is a subacute deep bacterial infection of skeletal muscle. It is typically seen in tropical countries with Staphylococcus aureus being the commonest pathogen. Immunocompromised states and trauma are associated with cases in temperate climates where there is an increasing incidence, typically in children and young adults. However, the authors present a case of primary pyomyositis in a previously healthy 80-year-old female. The authors highlight the potential difficulties in early diagnosis of this rare condition in the UK indicating the need for early MRI imaging and the low sensitivity of blood cultures and serum creatine kinase measurements. Treatment, including early surgical drainage and appropriate antibiotic therapy, is discussed.

Linguistic analysis of verbal and non-verbal communication in the operating room.

Surgery can be a triumph of co-operation, the procedure evolving as a result of joint action between multiple participants. The communication that mediates the joint action of surgery is conveyed by verbal but particularly by non-verbal signals. Competing priorities superimposed by surgical learning must also be negotiated within this context and this paper draws on techniques of systemic functional linguistics to observe and analyse the flow of information during such a phase of surgery.

Formulation, conversation and therapeutic engagement.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to review psychodynamic formulation with respect to the language used and the evidence it provides about variations of clinical purpose. METHOD: The purpose of the psychodynamic formulation is considered in training and clinical contexts. Three formulations are presented: two written from alternative theoretical perspectives and one designed to be spoken to the patient. Linguistic comparisons are made using these examples, emphasizing differences in grammatical complexity, lexical density ('wordiness') and other qualities. RESULTS: The essential purpose of psychodynamic formulation is to develop an understanding that can be shared in the service of effective care. Significant differences were found between written and spoken versions with greater grammatical complexity and lower lexical density in the spoken form. An intrapsychic theoretical model was more grammatically complex and 'noun-based' compared to an inter-subjective model. Other differences are also described, including the tendency for the intrapsychic account to efface the sense of personal agency. This contributes to the impression of a subject under the influence of 'unseen' forces. CONCLUSIONS: The communicability of psychodynamic formulation is essential to its utility in clinical practice.

Medical workforce issues in Australia: "tomorrow's doctors--too few, too far".

The Australian medical workforce, like those of most developed countries, is increasingly "feminised" and exposed to the global market for doctors. Demand for healthcare services is increasing in the Australian community. Concern in relation to doctor shortages is increasing, particularly in rural areas. There should be greater flexibility for entry of highly-trained overseas doctors. There is an urgent need to increase medical school student intake. Issues of workforce practice, including "task" substitution, should be explored.