The Perceived Value of Same-Sex or Same-Race Mentors and Role Models in Academic Medicine.

This study aims to describe the perception of need for same-sex and same-race mentorship and role models at evolving stages of a medical career and to explore whether these differences affect career choices within the field of medicine. A total of 326 medical students, 309 resident physicians, and 200 faculty attending physicians at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine completed an online survey focused on their perceived value of same-sex and same-race mentorship throughout their stages of medical training and practice. The top three factors influencing specialty choice were lifestyle, time commitment, and supportive department. Although most respondents did not believe same-sex or same-race mentors or role models influenced their specialty choice, there were significant differences in the perceived importance and value of gender or race concordance between male versus female and white versus nonwhite populations. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 33(1):041-048, 2024).

Posttraumatic Cubitus Varus: Respect the Columns.

Posttraumatic cubitus varus is a multiplanar deformity that results from an improperly reduced supracondylar humerus fracture. The prevention of posttraumatic cubitus varus hinges on the stable restoration of all 3 columns of the distal humerus while avoiding malrotation. The collapse of any column leads to varying degrees of deformity in the coronal, sagittal, and/or axial plane. The purpose of this article is to explain the pattern of the deformity and use this to summarize preventative tactics for avoiding its described sequelae. We also summarize, illustrate, and present case examples for the various osteotomies used to correct the deformity, and speculate future directions.

Characteristics of operative pediatric trauma transfer patients.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric patients treated at trauma centers demonstrate improved outcomes, but investigation of optimal resource utilization surrounding the transfer is ongoing. We evaluated characteristics of operative pediatric trauma transfer patients for resource optimization. METHODS: A retrospective review of pediatric trauma patients transferred to a level 1 pediatric trauma center from 2009 to 2019 was performed. Patients were categorized by initial operative subspecialty. RESULTS: Of 4164 transferred patients, 33.9 â€‹% required operative intervention. 65 â€‹% of operations were performed on orthopedic patients, who were significantly less injured compared to other patients. General surgery patients were more likely to undergo surgery on day of transfer compared to orthopedic patients (39.4%vs 56.3 â€‹%, OR 2.0, CI 1.4-2.8). CONCLUSIONS: One-third of pediatric trauma transfer patients required operative intervention. The majority of surgeries were on orthopedic patients, who were less likely to undergo surgery on day of transfer. Critical evaluation of this patient population is required to safely utilize a less resource-intensive transfer process.

Does the American College of Surgeons New Level I Children's Surgery Center Verification Affect Treatment Efficiency and Narcotic Administration in Treating Pediatric Trauma Patients with Femur Fracture?

BACKGROUND: In 2015, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) created a new hospital improvement program to enhance the performance of pediatric care in US hospitals. The Children's Surgery Verification (CSV) Quality Improvement Program is predicated on the idea that pediatric surgical patients have improved outcomes when treated at children's hospitals with optimal resources. Achieving ACS level I CSV designation at pediatric trauma centers may lead to greater benefits for pediatric trauma patients; however, the specific benefits have yet to be identified. We hypothesize that achieving the additional designation of ACS level I CSV is associated with decreased narcotic use perioperatively and improved efficiency when managing pediatric patients with femur fractures. STUDY DESIGN: This study is a retrospective analysis of traumatic pediatric orthopaedic femur fractures treated at a verified level I pediatric trauma center before and after CSV designation (2010 to 2014 vs 2015 to 2019). Efficiency parameters, defined as time from admission to surgery, duration of surgery, and duration of hospital stay, and narcotic administration in oral morphine equivalents (OMEs) were compared. RESULTS: Of 185 traumatic femur fractures analyzed, 80 occurred before meeting ACS level I CSV criteria, and 105 occurred after. Post-CSV, there was a significant decrease in mean wait time from admission to surgery (16.64 hours pre-CSV, 12.52 hours post-CSV [p < 0.01]) and duration of hospital stay (103.49 hours pre-CSV, 71.61 hours post-CSV [p < 0.01]). Narcotic usage was significantly decreased in both the preoperative period (40.61 OMEs pre-CSV, 23.77 OMEs post-CSV [p < 0.01]) and postoperative period (126.67 OMEs pre-CSV, 45.72 OMEs post-CSV [p < 0.01]). CONCLUSIONS: Achieving ACS level I CSV designation is associated with increased efficiency and decreased preoperative and postoperative narcotic use when treating pediatric trauma patients.

Measuring the impact of a "Virtual Pediatric Trauma Center" (VPTC) model of care using telemedicine for acutely injured children versus the standard of care: study protocol for a prospective stepped-wedge trial.

BACKGROUND: The current standard of care in the treatment of children with physical trauma presenting to non-designated pediatric trauma centers is consultation with a pediatric trauma center by telephone. This includes contacting a pediatric trauma specialist and transferring any child with a potentially serious injury to a regionalized level I pediatric trauma center. This approach to care frequently results in medically unnecessary transfers and may place undue burdens on families. A newer model of care, the "Virtual Pediatric Trauma Center" (VPTC), uses telemedicine to make the expertise of a level I pediatric trauma center virtually available to any hospital. While the use of the VPTC model of care is increasing, there have been no studies comparing the VPTC to standard care of injured children at non-designated trauma centers with respect to patient- and family-centered outcomes. The goal of this study is to compare the current standard of care to the VPTC with respect to family-centered outcomes developed by parents and community advisory boards. METHODS: We will use a stepped-wedge trial design to enroll children with physical trauma presenting to ten hospitals, including level II, level III, and non-designated trauma centers. The primary outcome measures are parent/family experience of care and distress 3 days following injury. Secondary aims include 30-day healthcare utilization, parent/family out-of-pocket costs at 3 days and 30 days after injury, transfer rates, and parent/family distress 30 days following injury. We expect at least 380 parents/families of children will be eligible for the study following an emergency department physician's request for a level I pediatric trauma center consultation. We will evaluate parent/family experience of care and distress using previously validated instruments, healthcare utilization by family recollection and medical record abstraction, and out-of-pocket costs using standard economic analyses. DISCUSSION: We expect that the findings from this study will inform other level I pediatric trauma centers and non-pediatric trauma centers on how to improve their systems of care for injured children. The results will help to optimize communication, confidence, and shared decision-making between parents/families and clinical staff from both the transferring and receiving hospitals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04469036. Registered July 13, 2020 before start of inclusion.

Preoperative 3D Modeling and Printing for Guiding Periacetabular Osteotomy.

INTRODUCTION: Achieving adequate acetabular correction in multiple planes is essential to the success of periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). Three-dimensional (3D) modeling and printing has the potential to improve preoperative planning by accurately guiding intraoperative correction. The authors therefore asked the following questions: (1) For a patient undergoing a PAO, does use of 3D modeling with intraoperative 3D-printed models create a reproducible surgical plan to obtain predetermined parameters of correction including lateral center edge angle (LCEA), anterior center edge angle (ACEA), Tonnis angle, and femoral head extrusion index (FHEI)? and (2) Can 3D computer modeling accurately predict when a normalized FHEI can be achieved without the need for a concomitant femoral-sided osteotomy? METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on 42 consecutive patients that underwent a PAO. 3D modeling software was utilized to simulate a PAO in order to achieve normal LCEA, ACEA, Tonnis angle, and FHEI. If adequate FHEI was not achieved, a femoral osteotomy was simulated. 3D models were printed as intraoperative guides. Preoperative, simulated and postoperative radiographic ACEA, LCEA, Tonnis angle, and FHEI were measured and compared statistically. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients had a traditional PAO, and 2 had an anteverting-PAO. The simulated LCEA, ACEA, Tonnis angle, and FHEI were within a median difference of 3 degrees, 1 degrees, 1 degrees, and 0% of postoperative values, respectively, and showed no statistical difference. Of those that had a traditional PAO, all 34 patients were correctly predicted to need a traditional acetabular-sided correction alone and the other 6 were correctly predicted to need a concomitant femoral osteotomy for a correct prediction in 100% of patients. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that for PAO surgery, 3D modeling and printing allow the surgeon to accurately create a reproducible surgical plan to obtain predetermined postoperative hip coverage parameters. This new technology has the potential to improve preoperative/intraoperative decision making for hip dysplasia and other complex disorders of the hip.

Defining length stability in paediatric femoral shaft fractures treated with titanium elastic nails.

INTRODUCTION: Optimal paediatric femoral shaft fracture patterns or lengths amenable to titanium elastic nail stabilization have not been well defined. The purpose of this study is to identify radiographic parameters predictive of treatment failure with flexible intramedullary nails based upon fracture morphology. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all femoral shaft fractures treated with flexible intramedullary nails over a five-year period. All patients with at least six weeks of postoperative radiographic imaging were included. Fracture characteristics included location, pattern, length, obliquity, angulation, translation and shortening. Postoperative radiographs were reviewed to determine shortening and angulation. RESULTS: There were 58 patients with 60 femoral shaft fractures stabilized with titanium nails, with 46 healing within acceptable parameters and 14 considered malunions. Six of the 14 malunions developed complications requiring early unplanned intervention. No patients in the treatment success group had a complication. Between the treatment success and failure groups, fracture pattern, location, length, obliquity, angulation, translation or shortening were not statistically different. Mean nail canal fill was significantly lower in the failure group (0.72 versus 0.81; p = 0.0146), with a receiver operating characteristic curve identifying canal fill 76% as the optimal threshold. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to measure the length and obliquity of paediatric femoral shaft fractures and to determine their relationship to radiographic alignment after healing. None of the preoperative fracture characteristics were predictive of malalignment or shortening. We recommend the use of larger nail sizes in the treatment of paediatric femoral shaft fractures, especially if there is concern for residual instability. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

What Should I Wear to Clinic? A National Survey of Pediatric Orthopaedic Patients and Parents.

BACKGROUND: A number of factors have been shown to affect how surgeons are subjectively viewed, including their appearance in clinic. Patient preference for pediatric orthopaedic surgeon attire has not previously been studied, nor has its influence on initial perception of the surgeon. METHODS: At 5 pediatric regional sites across the United States, parents and patients presenting to the pediatric orthopaedic clinic were given anonymous surveys showing 8 photos of surgeons in different clinical dress including in business or scrub dress, each with or without white coat (WC). Subjects reported their demographics, single preferred photo, rated characteristics of the surgeons in each photo on a 5-point Likert scale, and answered specific questions on scrubs and WCs. The first consecutively completed 100 parent and 100 patient surveys were included from each site. RESULTS: One thousand surveys were collected from patients (500) and parents (500). The majority felt a surgeon's clinical dress would not affect how they are cared for (83%), and that it was ok to wear scrubs in clinic (90%). Overall, WC was preferred to those without no matter the age, but there was no difference between scrub and business choices. Of those stating a preference, woman in business and WC (24%) and woman in scrubs and WC (21%) were most selected, with the only geographic difference being the midwest's preference for man in business and WC. Females were more likely to prefer women photographs (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In general, pediatric orthopaedic patients and parents do not have a strong specific preference toward what their surgeon wears to clinic, including whether or not we are dressed in scrubs, but some initial biases exist. When asked to choose, the traditional WC worn over any attire is preferred, and female patients and parents uncover a preference for a surgeon of their own sex. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Flexible Femoral Nailing of an Awake Adult Muscular Dystrophy Patient.

Femoral fractures can be common in nonambulatory patients with myopathies because they present with notable osteoporosis. From the orthopaedic perspective, this can be complicated by a pre-existing knee flexion contracture and small femoral shaft size. The goals of treatment are to reduce external immobilization, maximize comfort for transfers, prevent functional loss, and preclude refracture. The purpose of our work is to describe the anesthetic and orthopaedic considerations in treating a bed-bound adult patient with nemaline dystrophy and a midshaft femur fracture. The authors have obtained the patient's informed written consent for print and electronic publication of the case report.

Clavicle Fracture Is Not Predictive of the Need for Microsurgery in Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy.

BACKGROUND: Brachial plexus birth palsy (BPBP) and clavicle fractures occur concurrently as well as in isolation during difficult deliveries. The concept that concurrent clavicle fracture may spare nerve injury has been advocated. Our aim was to compare those children with BPBP presenting to a tertiary care center with and without concurrent clavicle fractures and assess the utility of the presence of a clavicle fracture as a predictor of injury severity in children with BPBP. METHODS: Records of all patients belonging to a large prospective multicenter cohort study of infants with BPBP (Treatment and Outcomes of Brachial Plexus Injuries study) were analyzed for demographic information and birth information including risk factors, comorbidity, presence of clavicle fracture, and injury severity. RESULTS: The records of 639 children with BPBP were examined. Thirteen patients were excluded for incomplete data. Ninety-six children who sustained concurrent birth fracture and BPBP were identified (15%). Of these, 57 sustained clavicle fractures (9%), 44 sustained humerus fractures, and 4 sustained other fractures. Of the demographic factors analyzed, only the presence of gestational diabetes was found to be significantly higher in those children with fractures versus those without. The presence of a clavicle fracture did not change the rate of microsurgical intervention, nor did clavicle fracture rates differ by Toronto score, suggesting that there was no difference in injury severity between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: In a large multicenter prospective study, 9% of children presenting with BPBP also sustained a clavicle fracture at birth. The presence of a clavicle fracture did not correlate with the severity of brachial plexus injury. We suggest that in study populations of children with severe enough BPBP to present to a tertiary care center, compared with studies collected in the obstetric population, the presence of a clavicle fracture is neither protective from nerve injury nor predictive of injury severity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2-prognostic.