Does Screw Order Matter? A Technique Tip to Prevent Loss of Fracture Reduction during Surgical Fixation of Lateral Malleolus Fractures.

When obtaining surgical fixation of lateral malleolus fractures, a cortical lag screw is commonly used to obtain anatomic reduction. Subsequently, a neutralization plate is applied. Slight loss of fracture reduction after plate placement occasionally occurs. Although this is frequently attributed to poor bone quality or suboptimal initial lag screw fixation, a frequently overlooked factor is screw order when applying the neutralization plate. The purpose of this technique tip is to highlight the biomechanical rationale behind this loss of reduction and advocate a specific screw order for lateral malleolus fixation.

The Lateral Drawer Test: A New Clinical Test to Assess Mortise Instability in Weber B Fibula Fractures.

Background: Assessment of mortise stability is paramount in determining appropriate management of ankle fractures. Although instability is readily apparent in bimalleolar or trimalleolar ankle fractures, determination of instability in the isolated Weber B fibula fracture often requires further investigation. Prior authors have demonstrated poor predictive value of physical examination findings such as tenderness, ecchymosis, and swelling with instability. The goal of this study is to test the validity of a new clinical examination maneuver, the lateral drawer test, against the gravity stress view (GSV) in a cohort of patients with Weber B fibula fractures. Secondary goals included assessing pain tolerability of the lateral drawer test, as well as testing interobserver reliability. Methods: Sixty-two patients presenting with isolated fibula fractures were prospectively identified by an orthopaedic nurse practitioner or resident. Three nonweightbearing radiographic views of the ankle as well as a GSV were obtained. Radiographs were not visualized before conducting the lateral drawer test. Two foot and ankle fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons performed and graded the lateral drawer test. Radiographs were then examined and medial clear space (MCS) was measured. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores were obtained before and after testing. The results of the lateral drawer test were compared with radiographic measurements of MCS on GSV. A cadaveric experiment was devised to assess interobserver reliability of the lateral drawer test. Results: Thirty (48%) of 62 consecutively enrolled patients demonstrated radiographic instability with widening of the MCS ≥5 mm on GSV. When correlated with MCS measurement, the lateral drawer test demonstrated a sensitivity of 83%, specificity of 97%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 96%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 86%. There was a strong correlation between the lateral drawer test grade and amount of MCS widening (Spearman correlation ρ = 0.82, P < .005). Patients tolerated the maneuver well with an average increase of 0.7 on the VAS pain scale. Testing of 2 observers utilizing the cadaveric model demonstrated a Cohen's Kappa coefficient of 0.7 indicating moderate interobserver agreement. Conclusion: The lateral drawer test demonstrates high sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV with moderate interobserver reliability compared with the MCS on GSV in patients presenting with Weber B fibula fractures. Although further external validation is required, the lateral drawer test may offer an adjunct tool via physical examination to help determine mortise stability. Level of Evidence: Level II, Prospective Cohort Study.

Quality of MIS vs Open Joint Preparations of the Foot and Ankle.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is growing in the field of foot and ankle, and the MIS burr is an emerging tool. Although commonly used to perform osteotomies, the burr can also be used for arthrodesis joint preparation that traditionally would be performed through open incisions. To date, there is no study comparing the quality of joint preparation between using a fluoroscopy-guided MIS technique compared to traditional open techniques. The goal of this cadaveric study is to compare the percentage of joint surfaces prepared between MIS and open techniques for the most common joints that are fused in foot and ankle surgery. METHODS: Open joint preparation was performed under direct visualization with open incisions. MIS joint preparation was performed percutaneously using fluoroscopic guidance alone, without arthroscopy. After joint preparation, cadaveric samples were disarticulated, and joint surfaces were analyzed for percentage of cartilaginous surface removed. The percentage of joint surface prepared was compared between the open and MIS techniques. RESULTS: Ten cadaveric samples were used for the MIS technique and 5 samples for the open technique. Percentage of joint surface prepared was similar for all joint surfaces. CONCLUSION: The MIS technique in the hands of experienced surgeons was found to provide overall similar percentages of surface area prepared compared to traditional open techniques. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: MIS joint preparation may be useful for specific patient populations. This study suggests that MIS joint preparation is a reasonable, and possibly advantageous, alternative to open preparation in arthrodesis surgery when performed by experienced MIS surgeons.

Range of Motion Measurements of the Fingers Via Smartphone Photography.

Background: Range of motion (ROM) measurements of the fingers are frequently obtained during hand physical examinations. While traditionally measured by manual goniometry, smartphone photography introduces an alternative method of ROM measurement that also has potential telemedicine applications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of smartphone photography measurements as an alternative to traditional goniometry, using the patient with Dupuytren disease as a model. Methods: Patients with a confirmed Dupuytren contracture were prospectively enrolled in this study. Range of motion measurements of the affected joints were obtained prior to any invasive treatments. Two sets of photographs were taken by both a clinical staff member and a nonclinical individual unaffiliated with the study. Both sets of photos were analyzed for degree of contracture via software analysis and compared against traditional goniometer measurements. Results: The study prospectively enrolled 50 consecutive patients with Dupuytren disease, comprising 123 affected joints. The mean contractures of all affected joints as measured by manual goniometry, trained photograph goniometry, and untrained photograph goniometry were 38.5, 35.3, and 35.5, respectively. The mean difference in contracture measurement was 3.2° between manual and trained photograph goniometry and 3.0° between manual and untrained photograph goniometry. There was no statistically significant difference between trained and untrained photo set measurements. Photograph measurements between separate raters demonstrated high consistency (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.92). Conclusions: Smartphone photography provides contracture measurements equivalent to the accepted error of a finger goniometer (3.2° compared with 5°). The accuracy of smartphone photography in measuring contractures offers potential telemedicine applications for both clinical and research needs.

Preoperative Opioid Use Negatively Affects Patient-reported Outcomes After Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Opioid use is a public health crisis in the United States and an area of increased focus in orthopaedic surgery. The aim of this study is to investigate whether preoperative opioid use had any effect on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) before and after total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: A total of 389 patients with THA with both preoperative and postoperative PROMs were reviewed: (1) 76 patients with preoperative opioid use (24%) and (2) 237 patients without preoperative opioid use (76%). Patient demographics and clinical information including opioid use, length of stay, and implant information. RESULTS: Preoperative opioid users were more likely to stay in the hospital longer (P = 0.004) and be discharged to a rehabilitation facility (P = 0.038). Postoperatively, the Physical Function Short Form 10a (P = 0.021) and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global-10 (P < 0.001 physical, P = 0.001, mental) were significantly lower in the preoperative opioid users. Within groups, both nonusers and preoperative opioid users saw improvements after THA in Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Physical Function Short Form (P < 0.001), Short Form 10a (P < 0.001), and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global-10 (P < 0.001, physical and P = 0.008, mental). DISCUSSION: Although all patients reported improvements after THA regardless of preoperative opioid use, preoperative opioid users undergoing THA had significantly lower patient-reported outcome scores, longer hospital stays, and a more likely discharge to rehabilitation.

The Impact of Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum Introduction on Dupuytren Treatment Patterns in the United States.

PURPOSE: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) in the United States in February 2010. This study addresses the impact of that approval on the number of Dupuytren contracture (DC) encounters and treatment patterns in the United States. METHODS: Using the Intercontinental Marketing Services Health Office-Based Medical Claims database, we identified the monthly number of DC encounters and DC procedures between January 2007 and December 2013. Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum usage data from March 2010 to December 2013 was derived from the U.S. CCH manufacturer's data warehouse. Using the combined data, the yearly increasing trends in DC encounters and treatment volume were compared before and after the introduction of CCH. Time trends in the relative procedure frequencies were then examined. Finally, the presence of seasonal variation was tested for in each treatment type. RESULTS: Dupuytren contracture encounters increased on average by 19,015 per year between 2007 and 2009, whereas between 2011 and 2013, DC encounters increased on average by 34,940 per year. In terms of absolute procedure counts, the surgery trend line began decreasing in 2010 with the release of CCH. Meanwhile, CCH continuously increased between 2010 and 2013, and needle aponeurotomy (NA) remained relatively stable. By the year 2013, minimally invasive techniques (NA and CCH) comprised 39% of all treatment, compared with only 14% in 2007. Lastly, there was a statistically significant seasonal increase in the number of surgical procedures during the wintertime but no seasonal variation in NA or CCH. CONCLUSIONS: After the introduction of CCH, the number of Dupuytren encounters increased at a greater annual rate. The introduction and growth of CCH coincided with a decrease in surgery. The number of NA procedures remained steady throughout the study period. The number of open surgery cases followed a predictable seasonal variation with more procedures during the winter months, but this seasonal variation was not seen with less invasive techniques. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Economic/Decision Analysis II.