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.

Radial head replacement versus reconstruction for the treatment of the terrible triad injury of the elbow: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The terrible triad injury of the elbow (TTIE) remains challenging to manage and has been associated with high complication rates and poor outcomes. There is a trend towards performing radial head replacement (REP) in preference to radial head reconstruction (REC) as arthroplasty provides early stability and may allow mobilisation sooner, potentially resulting in a better functional outcome. This systematic review compares the outcome of patients with TTIE treated with either REC or REP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL were searched for studies published in English involving at least ten patients exclusively with a TTIE managed operatively, including both patients with either REC or REP. Data collection was in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis protocol. The outcomes of interest were Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) and range of motion (ROM). Post-operative complications were also compared. RESULTS: 9 studies involving 210 patients were included (98 REPs and 112 RECs). There was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.51) demonstrated between in the mean MEPS of the REP group (mean 88.6) and REC group (mean 88.5). Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference demonstrated between the REP and REC groups in terms of ROM. The risk of re-operation was high in both the REP (18.4%) and REC (17.9%) group. The overall complication rate of all patients included in the study was high (65%). CONCLUSIONS: Comparable results with good outcomes in terms of functional scores and ROM can be achieved with both REP and REC when treating TTIE, although the re-operation rate for both remains relatively high. Given there is no apparent clear advantage between the two treatment groups, we would suggest that REC should be performed when a satisfactory fixation can be achieved as the longevity of REP in young patients with a TTIE is currently uncertain.

Is a persistent central canal a risk factor for neurological injury in patients undergoing surgical correction of scoliosis?

BACKGROUND: Scoliosis patients with associated syringomyelia are at an increased risk of neurological injury during surgical deformity correction. The syrinx is therefore often addressed surgically prior to scoliosis correction to minimize this risk. It remains unclear if the presence of a persistent central canal (PCC) within the spinal cord also poses a similar risk. The aim of this study is to determine whether there is any evidence to suggest that patients with a PCC are also at a higher risk of neurological injury during surgical scoliosis correction. METHODS: Eleven patients with a PCC identified on pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging who had undergone correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) over a 7-year study period at our institution were retrospectively identified. The incidence of abnormal intra-operative spinal cord monitoring (SCM) traces in this group was in turn compared against 44 randomly selected age- and sex-matched controls with no PCC who had also undergone surgical correction of AIS during the study period. Fisher's exact test was applied to determine whether there was a significant difference in the incidence of abnormal intra-operative SCM traces between the two groups. RESULTS: Statistical analysis demonstrated no significant difference in the incidence of abnormal intra-operative SCM signal traces between the PCC group and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates no evidence to suggest a PCC increases the risk of neurological complications during scoliosis correction. We therefore suggest that surgical correction of scoliosis in patients with a PCC can be carried out safely with routine precautions.