Better Patient Care Through Physician Extenders and Advanced Practice Providers.

Physician extenders and advanced practice providers (APPs) are now common in most adult and pediatric orthopaedic clinics and practices. Their utilization, with physician leadership, can improve patient care, patient satisfaction, and physician satisfaction and work/life balance in addition to having financial benefits. Physician extenders can include scribes, certified athletic trainers, and registered nurses, while APPs include nurse practitioners and physician assistants/associates. Different pediatric orthopaedic practices or divisions within a department might benefit from different physician extenders or APPs based on particular skill sets and licensed abilities. This article will review each of the physician extender and APP health care professionals regarding their training, salaries, background, specific skill sets, and scope of practice. While other physician extenders such as medical assistants, cast technicians, and orthotists/prosthetists have important roles in day-to-day clinical care, they will not be reviewed in this article. In addition, medical trainees, including medical students, residents, fellows, and APP students, have a unique position within some academic clinics but will also not be reviewed in this article. With the many different local, state, and national regulations, a careful understanding of the physician extender and APP roles will help clinicians optimize their ability to improve patient care.

Epidemiology of female youth ice hockey injuries presenting to United States emergency departments from 2002 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: This study documented injury types, rates and mechanisms for female youth ice hockey players reporting to US emergency departments to inform safety measures and sideline medical preparedness. METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was queried for ice hockey injuries (product code 1279) from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2019. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated using OpenEpi and compared between age divisions. Spearman's rank correlation was utilized to evaluate the correlation between age and injury incidence. USA Hockey membership statistics were used to establish the population at risk and calculate incidence rates (IR). RESULTS: An estimated 20,384 ice hockey injuries presented to participating United States emergency departments. The number of female youth ice hockey players increased significantly from 36,258 in 2002 to 65,072 in 2019 (p < 0.01). The most commonly injured body parts were the head (n = 5,519, IR = 62.1 [95%CI 54.3-70.0 per 10,000 athletes), trunk (n = 2,364, IR = 26.6 [95%CI 21.2-32.0] per 10,000 athletes), and wrist (n = 1,824, IR = 20.5 [95%CI 15.7-25.4] per 10,000 athletes). The most commonly reported mechanisms of injury were player-to-player collision (n = 4,746, IR = 53.4 [95%CI 46.4-60.5] per 10,000 athletes) and falls (n = 4,585, IR = 51.6 [95%CI 44.1-59.1] per 10,000 athletes). The most common diagnoses were traumatic brain injury (n = 5,333, IR = 60.0 [95%CI 52.3-67.8] per 10,000 athletes), contusion (n = 4,204, IR = 47.3 [95%CI 40.3-54.4] per 10,000 athletes) and strain/sprain (n = 3,601, IR = 40.5 [95%CI 34.1-47.0] per 10,000 athletes). A positive correlation was found between age and injury incidence, as well as increasing age and injuries from player-to-player collision and TBI's. CONCLUSIONS: Though body checking is illegal at all levels of women's ice hockey, player-to-player collision prevailed as the leading mechanism on injury. Hopefully this study informs players, parents, coaches, trainers and clinicians about the impact of player-to-player collisions on overall injury burden in the older age divisions of youth female hockey.

Survivorship and Functional Outcomes of Cementless versus Cemented Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Meta-Analysis.

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the evidence supporting the use of cementless versus cemented total knee arthroplasties (TKAs). Specifically, we evaluated (1) all-cause survivorship, (2) aseptic survivorship, and (3) functional outcomes (Knee Society Scores [KSS], Oxford Knee Scores, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC] scores, and ranges of motion [ROMs]). A literature search was performed for studies that evaluated cementless versus cemented TKAs published between 2000 and 2017. Selected studies included three randomized controlled trials, three retrospective observational studies, and one prospective observational study that met the following criteria: (1) primary TKAs, (2) compared cementless and cemented TKAs, (3) implant survivorship that described the causes of failure, and (4) at least one functional outcome. To compare the two cohorts, pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were used to calculate tibial and femoral implant survivorship, and pooled mean differences (MD) and 95% CI calculated the functional scores and ROMs. Based on pooled data from the few number of studies, cementless TKAs had a better all-cause survivorship (OR = 0.37; 95% CI, 0.15-0.92) and tended to have a better aseptic survivorship (OR = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.17-1.14). However, this is likely due to the 83.3% weight of the single cementless study potentially influencing the analysis. There were no differences in terms of KSS knee (MD = 1.03; 95% CI, -1.13-3.20) or function scores (MD = 5.36; 95% CI, -3.75-14.51), Oxford knee scores (MD = 0.36; 95% CI, -3.84-4.56), or WOMAC scores (MD = 0.62; 95% CI, -0.87-2.11). Moreover, there was no difference in ROMs (MD = 1.47; 95% CI, -0.11-3.05). Cementless TKA had a better all-cause survivorship when compared with cemented fixation, and similar functional outcomes were demonstrated. However, these findings are based on only a few number of studies (n = 7). Therefore, additional prospective, randomized control trials need to be performed to best compare cementless versus cemented outcomes.

Septic arthritis of the hip and knee treated surgically in pediatric patients: Analysis of the Kids' Inpatient Database.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated incidence over time, any association between race and demographics, and hospital-related parameters in pediatric patients with septic hip or knee arthritis. METHODS: The Kids' Inpatient Database was used to identify all children with a diagnosis of septic hip or knee arthritis who underwent incision and drainage (1997-2012). RESULTS: Between 1997 and 2012, overall incidence of septic arthritis of the knee (0.20-0.33 per 100,000) and hip (0.12-0.18 per 100,000) increased. CONCLUSION: Incidence of pediatric septic joint arthritis, an emergent orthopaedic condition, has increased over time. Patient demographics may vary with respect to both age and race.

Demographics of Tennis-Related Injuries that Presented to Emergency Departments in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Tennis injuries are not uncommon, and efforts have been made to reduce the risk of these injuries. There are a number of different factors that have been shown to influence injury rates of tennis players, in particular patient-related risks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of tennis-related injuries. Specifically, we evaluated: 1) demographics; 2) incidence and trends of injuries; and 3) incidence and trends of body parts that were injured. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study utilized the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database to collect all tennis-related sprains/strains that occurred between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2016. Patients were stratified into four groups based on their age: 13 years and younger, 14 to 29 years, 30 to 54 years, and 55 years and older. Race was reported as white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian, American Indian, Multiracial, and not stated. The various types of tennis-related injuries that occurred, and the different body parts that were affected were identified. RESULTS: There were a total of 150,747 tennis-related injuries that occurred during the study period. Thirty-nine percent of all injuries occurred in patients aged 55 years and older, 25% in patients between the ages of 14 and 29 years, 24% occurred between the ages of 30 and 54 years, and 12% occurred in patients aged 13 years and younger. In terms of gender, 56% were men and 44% were women. In terms of race, injuries most commonly occurred in patients who were white (48%). The most common overall injury pattern was sprains/strains, which represented 32% of all reported injuries, followed by fractures (15%) and contusions (11%). The most commonly injured body parts were the ankle (13%), wrist (9.4%), upper-trunk (8.5%), knee (7.8%), and lower-trunk (6.7%). Over the study period, there was a significant decrease in ankle injuries (R2=0.691, p=0.021) and a significant increase in upper-trunk injuries (R2=0.695, p=0.020). CONCLUSION: The present study provided important insight regarding tennis-related injuries in terms of demographics, injury types, and injury patterns. This information is paramount for the future treatment of all tennis-related injuries and for the implementation of prevention strategies for those injuries which are most prevalent.