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Background: Residency programs commonly use performance on the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) developed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) to identify residents who are lagging behind their peers and at risk for failing Part I of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Certifying Examination. This study was designed to investigate the utility of the OITE score as a predictor of ABOS Part I performance., Method: Results for 3132 examinees who took Part I of the ABOS examination for the first time from 2002 to 2006 were matched with records from the 1997 to 2006 OITE tests; at least one OITE score was located for 2852 (91%) of the ABOS Part I examinees. After OITE performance was rescaled to place scores from different test years on comparable scales, descriptive statistics and correlations between ABOS and OITE scores were computed, and regression analyses were conducted to predict ABOS results from OITE performance., Results: Substantial increases in the mean OITE score were observed as residents progressed through training. Stronger correlations were observed between OITE and ABOS performance during later years in training, reaching a maximum of 0.53 in years 3 and 4. Logistic regression results indicated that residents with an OITE score below the 10th percentile were much more likely to fail Part I compared with those with an OITE score above the 50th percentile., Conclusions: OITE performance was a good predictor of the ABOS score and pass-fail outcome; the OITE can be used effectively for early identification of residents at risk for failing the ABOS Part I examination.

Background: This study investigated the strength of the relationship between performance on Part I of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Certifying Examination and scores on United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Steps 1 and 2., Method: USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores on first attempt were matched with ABOS Part I results for U.S./Canadian graduates taking Part I for the first time between 2002 and 2006. Linear and logistic regression analyses investigated the relationship between ABOS Part I performance and scores on USMLE Step 1 and 2., Results: Step 1 and Step 2 individually each explained 29% of the variation in Part I scores; using both scores increased this percentage to 34%. Results of logistic regression analyses showed a similar, moderately strong relationship with Part I pass/fail outcomes: Examinees with low scores on Steps 1 and 2 were at substantially greater risk for failing Part I., Conclusions: There is continuing empirical support for use of Step 1 and Step 2 scores in selection of residents to interview for orthopedics residency positions.

Professionalism is one of the six core competencies of both the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). It is being taught and discussed at the medical school level as well as throughout residency and continues during the lifetime of an orthopaedic surgeon. This paper will review its definition as well as the virtues that are necessary to sustain medical professionalism.

The pathway to recertification of an orthopaedic surgeon was the most contentious issue facing orthopaedics in the 20 century. The history of this effort, conducted by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS), is herein chronicled, including the false starts, the opposition by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the subsequent compromises. These combined efforts have yielded a process of which all of orthopaedics can be proud. Before the ABOS can successfully embark upon the concept of Maintenance of Certification (MOC), however, the story of recertification must be understood. This paper is derived directly from the recorded minutes of meetings of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS). In addition, some information has been taken from minutes of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and from Resolutions of the Academy.

This report summarizes a symposium presented at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Association that was designed to assess the current status of recertification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) and to determine how it will change in the near future. Recertification is a process whereby the general public is assured of quality medical care by a competent and knowledgeable physician. As a professional organization, we have an obligation to provide quality care. The nature of the public demand for standards ensuring competence and the history of recertification in orthopaedic surgery are examined. The recertification of commercial airline pilots is reviewed, as it provides a model of an unrelated but highly skilled profession requiring intellectual and technical proficiency. The goals and plans of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), which encompasses the views of all twenty-four major specialty boards including orthopaedic surgery, are reviewed. Finally, the future plans of the ABOS for recertification are considered.

From 1978 through 1988, 27 severe slipped epiphyses (Grade III) in 23 adolescent patients were treated with a cuneiform osteotomy of the proximal neck of the femur. Average time of followup was 8 years 5 months. The results were graded by the criteria of Southwick, with emphasis on pain, function, range of motion, and radiographic appearance. Arbitrarily, no hips were rated excellent, because the authors thought that this rating should be reserved for normal hips that have not had any disease process nor surgical procedure. There were 19 good, 4 fair, and 4 poor results. The 4 poor results were in patients with avascular necrosis. The avascular necrosis rate was 15%. Eight hips had some joint space narrowing during the postoperative followup period. All joint space narrowing was resolved by 20 months postoperatively. All patients, including those with avascular necrosis, improved in joint flexion and joint internal rotation. Although the avascular necrosis rate of 15% is significant, the authors believe that the potential for restoring hip anatomy and providing a normally functioning hip in the adolescent patient makes this procedure a viable treatment option.

Study Design: Patients treated with a transpedicular anterior and posterior convex hemiepiphysiodesis and hemiarthrodesis for progressive congenital scoliosis were followed to evaluate this treatment., Objective: To evaluate an alternative to a separate anterior approach for performing an anterior hemiepiphysiodesis for progressive congenital scoliosis., Summary of Background Data: Previous investigators have reported a transpedicular anterior fusion combined with a bilateral posterior fusion. The authors are unaware of a previous report on a transpedicular anterior convex hemiepiphysiodesis and fusion combined with a unilateral convex posterior spinal fusion to treat progressive congenital scoliosis., Methods: Nineteen curves were fused in 16 patients who had a variety of congenital anomalies. The average age at surgery was 4.8 years (range, 11 months to 13 years) The average follow-up period was 4.8 years (range, 2 to 9.6 years)., Results: The average preoperative and postoperative fused curves measured 36 degrees and 38 degrees, respectively. Of the 19 fused curves, seven curves (37%) improved, eight curves (42%) were unchanged or progressed less than 7 degrees, three curves (16%) progressed 10 degrees to 15 degrees, and one curve (5%) progressed more than 15 degrees., Conclusions: This procedure appears to be most effective in arresting growth in the young patient who has an isolated hemivertebrae and no excessive kyphosis. The epiphysiodesis effect is less predictable.

Myositis (fasciitis) ossificans developed following minor trauma to the soft tissues of the posterior aspect of the right knee of a 5-month-old female infant. The clinical and pathological features of myositis ossificans are reviewed and the differential diagnosis of soft tissue ossification in early childhood is discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to present a progressive diagnostic and management program for osteoid osteoma of the femoral neck in the young athlete. Five young athletes with hip pain secondary to osteoid osteoma are presented. The average age of the patients was 15 years old, with an average followup of 4 years. Radioisotope bone scans, computed axial tomograms, and linear tomograms were valuable diagnostic aids. All five athletes were treated with a limited excisional biopsy via an anterior approach to the femoral neck. Associated treatment modalities, such as bone grafting, internal fixation, and cast immobilization, were not necessary. There were no major complications. The five young athletes returned to sports at an average of 4 months postoperatively. Osteoid osteoma of the femoral neck should be included in the differential diagnosis of hip pain in young athletes. A limited excisional biopsy provided a rapid return to sports for the young athlete without the potential morbidity associated with internal fixation, bone grafting, and cast immobilization.

Two children with segmental femoral shaft loss were treated by skeletal traction to maintain soft tissue length, followed by casting to allow the callus to solidify. Initial traction was used to preserve length and allow for the development of bridging callus. Callus formation in 3-6 weeks was a good indicator for sufficient remaining periosteal sleeve to support healing without the need for bone grafting or internal fixation. These cases demonstrate the regenerative ability of the periosteum in healing pediatric fractures.

A longitudinal study evaluating the degree of rotation of the bimalleolar axis of tibia and fibula at birth, 6 month, 12 months and 24 months revealed a gradual statistically significant external rotation from a mean of 4 degrees at birth to a mean of 11 degrees at 24 months. There was no correlation with the sex or race of the child or with the age at which the child began independent walking. It is concluded that this external rotation is a part of normal growth and development of the infants' lower extremities.

Neonatal infants with Ortolani-positive dislocated hips are easily managed by reduction and maintenance of the reduction using a divarication splint, cast, or Pavlik harness. Sixty-six patients with 85 complete, congenitally dislocated hips (Ortolani negative) unassociated with other neuromuscular disorders were examined to assess a method of prereduction traction in the treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip. Forty of the 66 patients were six months of age or younger at the beginning of traction treatment. The remaining 26 were younger than 12 months of age prior to the treatment protocol. Overhead traction with the hip flexed to 90 degrees was employed. Gradual hip abduction to 70 degrees (140 degrees combined abduction) was accomplished over the next ten to 14 days. If the dislocated hip was still in a station above Hilgenreiner's line, then cross traction was applied to add another vector of force to pull the femoral head distally. At an average of 18 days into the treatment protocol, an examination under anesthesia with closed reduction was performed and the patient immobilized in a double hip spica in the "human" position for six to eight weeks. This was followed by use of an Ilfeld divarication splint for nine months. This traction/reduction program was effective in 91% of these cases (60 of 66). Six patients (ten hips) required an open procedure because of persistent instability in spite of reducibility. To date, there is no incidence of avascular necrosis using the criteria of Salter for whole head avascular necrosis and the criteria of Kalamchi and MacEwen for partial head avascular necrosis.

Twenty patients with biopsy-proven osteogenic (11 cases) or Ewing's (nine cases) sarcoma were evaluated by MR imaging on a 0.15-T resistive unit to determine the value of MR in the diagnosis and treatment of these two neoplasms and to develop the best protocol for MR imaging. In all 20 cases, MR identified tumor spread into bone marrow, and it was superior to CT in five cases. Extension of tumor into the soft tissues adjacent to bone was shown better by MR than CT in six cases. Improved anatomic information from MR is the result of the ability to image in the axial, coronal, and sagittal planes. Compared with CT, MR identifies cortical disease but has inferior spatial resolution and defines calcium poorly. MR can be used to monitor tumor response to chemotherapy, and the relationship of tumor to adjacent vasculature can be determined without the use of contrast agents. Two pulse sequences are necessary for maximum display of disease, since, in general, tumor involvement of the bone marrow is best assessed on T1-weighted sequences, and tumor involvement of the soft tissue is best seen on T2-weighted sequences. Additional information about bone-marrow involvement, soft-tissue tumor extent, and the relationship of tumor to blood vessels makes MR a valuable adjunct to CT in the evaluation of these neoplasms.

A 4-year-old boy suffered hyperextension injury with small-bowel obstruction and renal injuries. This unusual constellation of findings is discussed in light of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of the injury. Hyperextension of the spine resulted in rupture of the anterior longitudinal ligament and avulsion of the L1-L2 disc; a loop of bowel was then drawn into the disc space. There also was an internal tear of the renal artery. Two years after uretero-ureterostomy with nephrostomy tube, the child is normotensive with adequate renal function and with normal growth and development.