Comparison of Suprainguinal Fascia Iliaca Nerve Block and Epidural Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Periacetabular Osteotomy.

INTRODUCTION: Adequate pain control and early mobilization are critical in the postoperative period after periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). Regional anesthesia can reduce postoperative pain, but certain techniques can increase the risk of postoperative motor block and delayed functional recovery. Continuous lumbar epidurals can provide excellent analgesia but also create challenges with early ambulation. Recently, suprainguinal fascia iliaca (SIFI) single-shot blocks have been shown to provide effective analgesia in PAO patients. The goal of this study was to compare opioid use, time to achieve inpatient physical therapy (PT) goals, and length of stay (LOS) between a cohort of patients receiving SIFI blocks and a cohort of patients receiving epidural analgesia (EA). METHODS: This retrospective single-surgeon comparative cohort study included all patients who underwent a PAO between 2012 and 2022. Regional anesthetic technique (SIFI vs EA), length of hospital stay, intraoperative and postoperative opioid use, pain scores, and time to achievement of PT milestones before discharge were recorded. Patients were excluded if they had any preexisting neuromuscular syndrome or neurosensory deficit. All opioid use was converted to morphine-milligram equivalents using standard conversions. RESULTS: Two hundred four surgeries were done over the study period; 164 patients received EA, and 40 received a SIFI block. The average age of our cohort was 19.5 years (±6 yrs). The SIFI cohort had a significantly shorter mean LOS than the EA cohort (2.9 vs 4.1 days, P < 0.001). Patients in the SIFI cohort achieved all PT ambulation goals significantly sooner than the lumbar epidural group (P < 0.001), with lower total opioid use on each postoperative day. No notable differences were observed in sex, race, BMI, or pain scores at inpatient PT visits before discharge. CONCLUSION: After PAO surgery, the SIFI block is associated with shorter hospital LOS, reduced postoperative opioid use, and earlier mobilization when compared with those who were managed with an epidural.

When Is an Isolated Olecranon Fracture Pathognomonic for Osteogenesis Imperfecta?

BACKGROUND: Isolated fractures of the olecranon process of the ulna in pediatric patients with open physes are classically considered pathognomonic for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). The purpose of this study was to distinguish the clinical manifestations of isolated olecranon fractures in patients with and without OI to help practitioners assess when further evaluation for OI may be necessary. METHODS: All patients younger than 18 years old who were treated for an isolated olecranon fracture at a pediatric tertiary care center between 2009 and 2021 were identified. Patients without radiographs available for review, those with known skeletal dysplasia other than OI, and patients with multiple fractures (eg, polytraumas) or with concomitant dislocations were excluded. Of the 701 patients identified, 403 were included for analysis. Demographic variables, mechanism of injury, treatment type, and determination of OI diagnosis were collected. Patients with a previously confirmed diagnosis of OI or with genetic confirmation of OI following their fracture were designated as OI (+), and the remainder were designated OI (-). The Mann-Whitney U and χ2 tests were used to compare groups. RESULTS: Of the 403 patients, the median age was 7.8 years (interquartile range 5.2 to 12.5), and 270 (67%) were male. There were 14 confirmed cases of OI (3.5%). The OI (+) and OI (-) groups did not differ significantly by age or sex (P>0.05). OI (+) patients were more likely to sustain an injury from low-energy mechanisms (86% vs. 32%, P<0.001), sustain displaced fractures (86% vs. 21%, P<0.001) and undergo operative treatment (86% vs. 20%, P<0.001), and to report a history of previous fracture (79% vs. 16%, P<0.001) than OI (-) patients. 36% of OI (+) patients sustained a second olecranon fracture during the study period; there were no subsequent olecranon fractures in the OI (-) group. CONCLUSIONS: Isolated olecranon fractures may not be pathognomonic for OI. However, orthopaedists must be vigilant about the possibility of OI in patients who sustain displaced, isolated olecranon fractures under low-energy mechanisms with a history of previous fracture(s). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Quadriceps Tendon Autograft in Pediatric ACL Reconstruction: Graft Dimensions and Prediction of Size on Preoperative MRI.

BACKGROUND: There is increased interest in quadriceps autograft anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in the pediatric population. PURPOSE: To evaluate children and adolescents who underwent ACL reconstruction using a quadriceps autograft to determine the properties of the harvested graft and to assess the value of demographic, anthropometric, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements in predicting the graft size preoperatively. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A retrospective database search was performed from January 2018 through October 2020 for patients undergoing ACL reconstruction. Patients <18 years old at the time of surgery in whom a quadriceps tendon autograft was used were selected. Demographic data and anthropometric measurements were recorded, and graft measurements were abstracted from the operative notes. Knee MRI scans were reviewed to measure the quadriceps tendon thickness on sagittal cuts. Graft length and diameter were then correlated with anthropometric and radiographic data. RESULTS: A total of 169 patients (98 male) were included in the final analysis, with a median age of 15 years (range, 9-17 years). A tendon length ≥65 mm was harvested in 159 (94%) patients. The final graft diameter was 8.4 ± 0.7 mm (mean ± SD; range, 7-11 mm). All patients had a graft diameter ≥7 mm, and 139 (82%) had a diameter ≥8 mm. Preconditioning decreased the graft diameter by a mean 0.67 ± 0.23 mm. Age (P = .04) and quadriceps thickness on MRI (P = .003) were significant predictors of the final graft diameter. An MRI sagittal thickness >6.7 mm was 97.4% sensitive for obtaining a graft ≥8 mm in diameter. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that tendon-only quadriceps autograft is a reliable graft source in pediatric ACL reconstruction, yielding a graft diameter ≥8 mm in 82% of pediatric patients. Furthermore, preoperative MRI measurements can be reliably used to predict a graft of adequate diameter in children and adolescents undergoing ACL reconstruction, with a sagittal thickness >6.7 mm being highly predictive of a final graft size ≥8 mm.

Sticks or Carrots? How an Easy-to-Implement Incentive Plan Improved Our Performance on the In-training Exam.

BACKGROUND: In-training examinations (ITEs) are commonly used by residency programs to measure competency in their respective fields. It has been demonstrated that success on the ITE is correlated to First Time Pass Rate (FTPR) on the boards. Therefore, it is important to motivate residents to perform well on these exams. Previous studies indicate positive incentivization may contribute to improvement on examinations. The objective of our study was to determine whether introduction of a positive incentive could improve resident performance on the ITE and/or FTPR on the advanced certifying exam. METHODS: A positive incentive was introduced in 2017 (certificate of commendation, curriculum vitae honor, public recognition, and $500 in their books/travel allowance) to residents who achieved the target score on the ITE (80th percentile). A survey was then provided to these residents to determine which incentives contributed most to their motivation. RESULTS: Before the incentivization, 21 (15.1%) of the previous 149 senior residents reached the target score on the annual ITE. After incentivization, this improved to 28 (30.9%) of 81 (P = .0056). The FTPR on the advanced certifying exam was 90% before incentivization and 97.6% after (P = .14). The survey found that the primary motivators were extra funding, honor on their curriculum vitae, and public recognition. CONCLUSIONS: We found that our residents had significant improvements on the annual ITE after the introduction of positive incentives. This incentivization may be easily implemented by program directors in their respective medical residencies to increase examination performance.