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Chronic viral infections cause thymic involution yet the potential for broader, longer-term impact on thymic composition remains unexplored. Here we show that chronic, but not acute, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection promotes a unique population of immature B cells in the thymus. We show that chronic viral infection promotes signals within the thymus, including the expression of B-cell activating factor (BAFF), that favor the maturation of this population as these cells acquire expression of CD19 and immunoglobulin M. Mechanistically, type I interferon (IFN-I), predominantly IFNβ, signals to thymic hematopoietic cells, strongly delaying T-cell development at the earliest precursor stage. Furthermore, IFN-I signaling to the nonhematopoietic compartment provides a second signal essential to favor B-cell differentiation and maturation within the thymus. Importantly, chronic infection yields changes in the B-cell population for at least 50 days following infection, long after thymic atrophy has subsided. Thus, the inflammatory milieu induced by chronic viral infection has a profound, and long-lasting, effect on thymic composition leading to the generation of a novel population of thymic B cells., (© 2024 The Author(s). Immunology & Cell Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology, Inc.)

Background: Despite the ongoing opioid epidemic, most patients are still prescribed a significant number of opioid medications for pain management after arthroscopic surgery. There is a need for consensus among orthopaedic surgeons and solutions to aid providers in analgesic strategies that reduce the use of opioid pain medications., Purpose: This position statement was developed with a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of exclusively randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to synthesize the best available evidence for managing acute postoperative pain after arthroscopic surgery., Study Design: Position statement., Methods: The Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception until August 10, 2022. Keywords included arthroscopy , opioids , analgesia , and pain , and associated variations. We included exclusively RCTs on adult patients to gather the best available evidence for managing acute postoperative pain after arthroscopic surgery. Patient characteristics, pain, and opioid data were extracted, data were analyzed, and trial bias was evaluated., Results: A total of 21 RCTs were identified related to the prescription of opioid-sparing pain medication after arthroscopic surgery. The following recommendations regarding noninvasive, postoperative pain management strategies were made: (1) multimodal oral nonopioid analgesic regimens-including at least 1 of acetaminophen-a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-can significantly reduce opioid consumption with no change in pain scores; (2) cryotherapy is likely to help with pain management, although the evidence on the optimal method of application (continuous-flow vs ice pack application) is unclear; (3) and (4) limited RCT evidence supports the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and relaxation exercises in reducing opioid consumption after arthroscopy; and (5) limited RCT evidence exists against the efficacy of transdermal lidocaine patches in reducing opioid consumption., Conclusion: A range of nonopioid strategies exist that can reduce postarthroscopic procedural opioid consumption with equivalent vocal pain outcomes. Optimal strategies include multimodal analgesia with education and restricted/reduced opioid prescription., Competing Interests: One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: O.R.A. has received nonconsulting fees from CONMED. I.W. has received consulting fees from DePuy Mitek, Smith & Nephew, COMED, and Bioventus. J.W. has received research support from Arthrex, CONMED, Linvatec, Ossur, Smith & Nephew, and Zimmer Biomet; and education payments from Arthrex, CONMED, Linvatec, Ossur, Smith & Nephew, and Zimmer Biomet. J.G. has received research support from JRF Ortho, Arthrex, MiMedX, and InGeneron; education payments from Arthrex; and consulting fees from JRF Ortho, Vericel, Arthrex, and Tactile Orthopaedics. M.P. has received consulting fees from Arthrex and CONMED. R.D. has received research support from Smith & Nephew and honoraria from Sanofi. R.M. has received education payments from Arthrex, Gemini Medical, Smith & Nephew, and Linvatec; and consulting fees from Smith & Nephew. M.E.L. has received research support from Arthrex, CONMED, Linvatec, Ossur, Smith & Nephew, and Zimmer Biomet; and education payments from Arthrex, CONMED, Linvatec, Ossur, Smith & Nephew, and Zimmer Biomet. B.M. has received consulting fees from Arthrex and honoraria from Pendopharm. R.K.M has received a grant from Smith & Nephew; consulting fees from Smith & Nephew and Arthrex; nonconsulting fees from Tactile Orthopaedics; royalties from Tactile Orthopaedics; stock from Tactile Orthopaedics; and is on the Board for Tactile Orthopaedics. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Context: The long duration and high cost of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) rehabilitation can pose barriers to completing rehabilitation, the latter stages of which progress to demanding sport-specific exercises critical for a safe return to sport. A staged approach shifting in-person physiotherapy sessions to later months of recovery may ensure patients undergo the sport-specific portion of ACLR rehabilitation. Design/Objective: To compare postoperative outcomes of knee function in patients participating in a staged ACLR physiotherapy program to patients participating in usual care physiotherapy through a randomized controlled trial., Methods: One hundred sixty-two patients were randomized to participate in staged (n = 80) or usual care physiotherapy (n = 82) following ACLR and assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. The staged group completed the ACLR rehabilitation protocol at home for the first 3 months, followed by usual care in-person sessions. The usual care group completed in-person sessions for their entire rehabilitation. Outcome measures included the Lower Extremity Functional Scale, International Knee Documentation Committee Questionnaire, pain, range of motion, strength, and hop testing., Results: There were no statistically significant between-group differences in measures of knee function at 6 months postoperative. Patients in the usual care group reported significantly higher International Knee Documentation Committee scores at 3 months postoperative (mean difference = 5.8; 95% confidence interval,  1.3 to 10.4; P = .01)., Conclusion: A staged approach to ACLR rehabilitation does not appear to impede knee function at 6 months postoperative but may result in worse patient reported outcomes at early follow-ups.

When developing educational simulators, meaningful haptic feedback is important. To our knowledge, no shoulder arthroplasty surgical simulator exists. This study focuses on simulating vibration haptics of glenoid reaming for shoulder arthroplasty using a novel glenoid reaming simulator., Methods: We validated a novel custom simulator constructed using a vibration transducer transmitting simulated reaming vibrations to a powered nonwearing reamer tip through a 3D-printed glenoid. Validation and system fidelity were evaluated by 9 fellowship-trained shoulder surgeon experts performing a series of simulated reamings. We then completed the validation process through a questionnaire focused on experts' experience with the simulator., Results: Experts correctly identified 52% ± 8% of surface profiles and 69% ± 21% of cartilage layers. Experts identified the vibration interface between simulated cartilage and subchondral bone (77% ± 23% of the time), indicating high fidelity for the system. An interclass correlation coefficient for experts' reaming to the subchondral plate was 0.682 (confidence interval 0.262-0.908). On a general questionnaire, the perceived utility of the simulator as a teaching tool was highly ranked (4/5), and experts scored "ease of instrument manipulation" (4.19/5) and "realism of the simulator" (4.11/5) the highest. The mean global evaluation score was 6.8/10 (range 5-10)., Conclusions: We examined a simulated glenoid reamer and feasibility of haptic vibrational feedback for training. Experts validated simulated vibration feedback for glenoid simulation reaming, and the results suggested that this may be a useful additional training adjuvant., Level of Evidence: Level II, prospective study., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSOA/A526)., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To report on intraoperative and short-term postoperative adverse events after open Latarjet procedure in patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability. These complications were classified into different grades of severity based on the treatment required and the learning curve of the procedure., Methods: Ninety-six patients (102 shoulders) underwent open Latarjet procedure for recurrent post-traumatic anterior glenohumeral instability between 2012 and 2020. The minimum duration of patients' follow-up was 6 months. Adverse events were classified into 3 classes based on the severity and subsequent treatment. The complications in the first 50% of all cases were compared with the latter 50% to evaluate the role of learning curve on the complication rates., Results: The mean follow-up was 7.2 ± 2.8 months. The patients' mean age was 26.7 ± 8.9 years and consisted of 83 (86.4%) male and 13 (13.6%) female patients. The total adverse events rate was 18.6%. Adverse events requiring no additional treatment (class 1) occurred in 6 cases (5.8%) including fibrous union (3.9%) and asymptomatic resorption of the graft (1.9%). Adverse events requiring additional or extended nonoperative management (class 2) occurred in 8 cases (7.8%), including coracoid fracture (2.9%), musculocutaneous nerve palsy (1.9%), axillary nerve palsy (0.9%), suprascapular nerve palsy (0.9%), and stiffness (0.9%). All the nerve palsies recovered without long-term sequelae. Adverse events requiring secondary operative procedures (class 3) occurred in 5 cases (4.9%), including symptomatic hardware (1.9%), medial healing of the graft (0.9%), screw loosening (0.9%), and deep infection (0.9%). The rate of adverse events in revision cases was higher than primary cases in 11.7% and 6.8%, respectively (P = .119). The complication rate was significantly higher in the first half of the surgeons' practice (14.7%) than in the second half (3.9%) (P ≤ .05)., Conclusions: The overall complication rate reported in this open Latarjet series is 18.6%; however, the rate of class 3 adverse events that required additional surgery or long-term medical treatment was only 4.9%. Revision cases had a higher rate of complications than primary cases, and the learning curve has had a significant impact on the rate of adverse events., (Copyright © 2022 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Tests are shown to enhance learning: this is known as the "testing effect". The benefit of testing is theorized to be through "active retrieval", which is the effortful process of recalling stored knowledge. This differs from "passive studying", such as reading, which is a low effort process relying on recognition. The testing effect is commonly studied in random word list scenarios and is thought to disappear as complexity of material increases. Little is known about the testing effect in complex situations such as procedural learning. Therefore, we investigated if testing improves procedural learning of fracture fixation as compared to "passive studying"., Design, Setting, and Participants: Fifty participants watched an instructional video of an open reduction internal fixation of a Sawbones™ femur. Participants then performed the procedure under guided supervision (pretest). After randomization, they either read the steps (passive studying group), or wrote down the steps from memory (active retrieval group) for a period of 15 minutes. After a washout period, all participants performed the procedure without guidance (posttest) and then once more, 1 week after the initial testing (retention test). The participants were assessed using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill. Each performance was video recorded for data analysis purposes., Results: Participants in the passive studying group had significantly higher Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill scores during immediate assessment compared to the active retrieval group (p = 0.001), especially with respect to remembering the correct order of the steps (p = 0.002). The percentage of information forgotten was significantly less in the active retrieval group (p = 0.02) at the retention test., Conclusion: We demonstrated that, compared to passive studying, testing with active retrieval through writing resulted in better retention of fracture fixation knowledge (i.e., less forgetting). These findings can easily be applied and incorporated in existing curricula. Future studies are needed to determine the effects of different kinds of active retrieval methods such as verbal retrieval (e.g., dictating) in surgical practice., (Crown Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with complete rotator cuff tears who fail a course of nonoperative therapy can benefit from surgical repair., Purpose: This randomized trial compared mini-open (MO) versus all-arthroscopic (AA) rotator cuff repair., Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1., Methods: Patients with rotator cuff tears were randomized to undergo MO or AA repair at 9 centers by 23 surgeons. The primary outcome (Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index [WORC]) and secondary outcomes (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES] score, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index [SPADI] pain subscale, 12-Item Short Form Health Survey [SF-12], reported medication use, adverse events), as well as measurements of range of motion and strength, were collected at 1 month before surgery; at 2 and 6 weeks postoperatively; and at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postoperatively. A blinded radiologist evaluated rotator cuff integrity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline and 1 year. Intention-to-treat analysis of covariance with the preoperative WORC score, age, and tear size as covariates assessed continuous outcomes. Sex differences were assessed. A meta-analysis synthesized the primary outcome between MO and AA repair with previous trials., Results: From 954 patients screened, 411 were ineligible (276 because of recovery with physical therapy), 449 were screened at surgery (175 ineligible), and 274 completed follow-up (138 MO and 136 AA). The AA and MO groups were similar before surgery. WORC scores improved from 40 preoperatively to 89 (AA) and 93 (MO) at 2 years, for an adjusted mean difference of 3.4 (95% CI, -0.4 to 7.2). There were no statistically significant differences between the AA and MO groups at any time point. All secondary patient-reported outcomes were not significantly different between the MO and AA groups, except the 2-year SPADI pain score (8 vs 12, respectively; P = .02). A similar recovery in range of motion and strength occurred in both groups over time. MRI indicated minimal improvement in muscle relative to fat (AA: n = 3; MO: n = 2), with most worsening (AA: n = 25; MO: n = 24) or remaining unchanged (AA: n = 70; MO: n = 70). Opioid use was significantly reduced after surgery (from 21% to 5%). The meta-analysis indicated no significant standardized mean difference between groups in the primary outcome across all pooled studies (standardized mean difference, -0.06 [95% CI, -0.34 to 0.22])., Conclusion: Both AA and MO rotator cuff repair provide large clinical benefits, with few adverse events. There is strong evidence of equivalent clinical improvements., Trial Registration: NCT00128076.

Background: Exercise is widely regarded to improve pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) through building supportive muscle mass, facilitating weight loss, and through the other beneficial effects associated with it., Purpose: To explore literature that presents clinical guidelines for the use of exercise in the treatment of knee OA to inform an evidence-based position statement for the Arthroscopy Association of Canada., Study Design: Position statement., Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for guidelines commenting on the role of exercise for knee OA. The search was limited to guidelines published in the last 10 years. Articles were screened for relevance, focusing on recently published research with clinical guidelines. Inclusion criteria involved all articles providing clinical guidelines for exercise and knee OA., Results: Eight guidelines were identified. All eight recommended exercise as an important component of treatment for knee OA, with 6/8 strongly recommending it., Conclusion: Exercise is an effective and important component of the non-pharmacological management of knee OA. The Arthroscopy Association of Canada strongly recommends the use of exercise in the management of knee OA., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Background: Acquiring new motor skills to learn complex movements and master the use of a diverse range of instruments is fundamental for developing expertise in surgery. Although aspects of skill development occur through trial and error, watching the performance of another individual (action observation) is an increasingly important adjunct for the acquisition of these complex skills before performing a procedure. The aim of this review was to examine the evidence in support of the use of action observation in surgery., Methods: A narrative review of observational learning for surgical motor skills was undertaken. Searches of PubMed and PsycINFO databases were performed using the terms 'observational learning' OR 'action observation' AND 'motor learning' OR 'skill learning'., Results: Factors such as the structure of physical practice, the skill level of the demonstrator and the use of feedback were all found to be important moderators of the effectiveness of observational learning. In particular, observation of both expert and novice performance, cueing attention to key features of the task, and watching the eye movements of expert surgeons were all found to enhance the effectiveness of observation. It was unclear, however, whether repeated observations were beneficial for skill learning. The evidence suggests that these methods can be employed to enhance surgical training curricula., Conclusion: Observational learning is an effective method for learning surgical skills. An improved understanding of observational learning may further inform the refinement and use of these methods in contemporary surgical training curricula., (© 2018 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Advances in 3D technology mean that both robotic surgical devices and surgical simulators can now incorporate stereoscopic viewing capabilities. While depth information may benefit robotic surgical performance, it is unclear whether 3D viewing also aids skill acquisition when learning from observing others. As observational learning plays a major role in surgical skills training, this study aimed to evaluate whether 3D viewing provides learning benefits in a robotically assisted surgical task., Methods: 90 medical students were assigned to either (1) 2D or (2) 3D observation of a consultant surgeon performing a training task on the daVinci S robotic system, or (3) a no observation control, in a randomised parallel design. Subsequent performance and instrument movement metrics were assessed immediately following observation and at one-week retention., Results: Both 2D and 3D groups outperformed no observation controls following the observation intervention (ps < 0.05), but there was no difference between 2D and 3D groups at any of the timepoints. There was also no difference in movement parameters between groups., Conclusions: While 3D viewing systems may have beneficial effects for surgical performance, these results suggest that depth information has limited utility during observational learning of surgical skills in novices. The task constraints and end goals may provide more important information for learning than the relative motion of surgical instruments in 3D space.

Objective: The complexity of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) requires that trainees practice MIS skills in numerous training sessions. The goal of these training sessions is to learn how to move the instruments smoothly without damaging the surrounding tissue and achieving operative tasks with accuracy. In order to enhance the efficiency of these training sessions, the proficiency of the trainees should be assessed using an objective assessment method. Several performance metrics have been proposed and analyzed for MIS tasks. The differentiation of various levels of expertise is limited without the presence of an external evaluator., Methods: In this study, novel objective performance metrics are proposed based on mechanical energy expenditure and work. The three components of these metrics are potential energy, kinetic energy, and work. These components are optimally combined through both one-step and two-step methods. Evaluation of these metrics is accomplished for suturing and knot-tying tasks based on the performance of 30 subjects across four levels of experience., Results: The results of this study show that the one-step combined metric provides 47 and 60 accuracy in determining the level of expertise of subjects for the suturing and knot-tying tasks, respectively. The two-step combined metric provided 67 accuracy for both of the tasks studied., Conclusion: The results indicate that energy expenditure is a useful metric for developing objective and efficient assessment methods., Significance: These metrics can be used to evaluate and determine the proficiency levels of trainees, provide feedback and, consequently, enhance surgical simulators.

Purpose: Glenoid reaming is a technically challenging step during shoulder arthroplasty that could possibly be learned during simulation training. Creation of a realistic simulation using vibration feedback in this context is innovative. Our study focused on the development and internal validation of a novel glenoid reaming simulator for potential use as a training tool., Methods: Vibration and force profiles associated with glenoid reaming were quantified during a cadaveric experiment. Subsequently, a simulator was fabricated utilizing a haptic vibration transducer with high- and low-fidelity amplifiers; system calibration was performed matching vibration peak-peak values for both amplifiers. Eight experts performed simulated reaming trials. The experts were asked to identify isolated layer profiles produced by the simulator. Additionally, experts' efficiency to successfully perform a simulated glenoid ream based solely on vibration feedback was recorded., Results: Cadaveric experimental cartilage reaming produced lower vibrations compared to subchondral and cancellous bones ([Formula: see text]). Gain calibration of a lower-fidelity (3.5 [Formula: see text] and higher-fidelity (3.4 [Formula: see text] amplifier resulted in values similar to the cadaveric experimental benchmark (3.5 [Formula: see text]. When identifying random tissue layer samples, experts were correct [Formula: see text] of the time and success rate varied with tissue type ([Formula: see text]). During simulated reaming, the experts stopped at the targeted subchondral bone with a success rate of [Formula: see text]. The fidelity of the simulation did not have an effect on accuracy, applied force, or reaming time ([Formula: see text]). However, the applied force tended to increase with trial number ([Formula: see text])., Conclusions: Development of the glenoid reaming simulator, coupled with expert evaluation furthered our understanding of the role of haptic vibration feedback during glenoid reaming. This study was the first to (1) propose, develop and examine simulated glenoid reaming, and (2) explore the use of haptic vibration feedback in the realm of shoulder arthroplasty.

Background: Orthopaedic training programs are incorporating arthroscopic simulations into their residency curricula. There is a need for a physical shoulder simulator that accommodates lateral decubitus and beach chair positions, has realistic anatomy, allows for an objective measure of performance and provides feedback to trainees., Methods: A physical shoulder simulator was developed for training basic arthroscopic skills. Sensors were embedded in the simulator to provide a means to assess performance. Subjects of varying skill level were invited to use the simulator and their performance was objectively assessed., Results: Novice subjects improved their performance after practice with the simulator. A survey completed by experts recognized the simulator as a valuable tool for training basic arthroscopic skills., Conclusions: The physical shoulder simulator helps train novices in basic arthroscopic skills and provides objective measures of performance. By using the physical shoulder simulator, residents could improve their basic arthroscopic skills, resulting in improved patient safety., (Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Objective: Observing experts constitutes an important and common learning experience for surgical residents before operating under direct guidance. However, studies suggest that exclusively observing experts may induce suboptimal motor learning, and watching errors from non-experts performing simple motor tasks may generate better performance. We investigated whether observational learning is transferrable to arthroscopy learning using virtual reality (VR) simulation., Setting/design: In our surgical simulation laboratory, we compared students learning basic skills on a VR arthroscopy simulator after watching an expert video demonstration of VR arthroscopy tasks or a non-expert video demonstration of the same tasks to a Control group without video demonstration. Ninety students in 3 observing groups (expert, non-expert, and Control) subsequently completed the same procedure on a VR arthroscopy simulator. We hypothesized the non-expert-watching group would outperform the expert-watching group, and both groups to outperform the Control group. We examined performance pretest, posttest, and 1 week later., Participants: Participants were recruited from the final year of medical school and the very early first year of surgical residency training programs (orthopaedic surgery, urology, plastic surgery, and general surgery) at Western University (Ontario, Canada)., Results: All participants improved their overall performance from pretest to retention (p < 0.001). At initial retention testing, non-expert-watching group outperformed the other groups in camera path length p < 0.05 and time to completion, p < 0.05, and both the expert/non-expert groups surpassed the Control group in camera path length (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: We suggest that error-observation may contribute to skills improvement in the non-expert-watching group. Allowing novices to observe techniques/errors of other novices may assist internalization of specific movements/skills required for effective motor performances. This study highlights the potential effect of observational learning on surgical skills acquisition and offers preliminary evidence for peer-based practice (combined non-experts and experts) as a complementary surgical motor skills training strategy., (Copyright © 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Observational learning plays an important role in surgical skills training, following the traditional model of learning from expertise. Recent findings have, however, highlighted the benefit of observing not only expert performance but also error-strewn performance. The aim of this study was to determine which model (novice vs. expert) would lead to the greatest benefits when learning robotically assisted surgical skills., Methods: 120 medical students with no prior experience of robotically-assisted surgery completed a ring-carrying training task on three occasions; baseline, post-intervention and at one-week follow-up. The observation intervention consisted of a video model performing the ring-carrying task, with participants randomly assigned to view an expert model, a novice model, a mixed expert/novice model or no observation (control group). Participants were assessed for task performance and surgical instrument control., Results: There were significant group differences post-intervention, with expert and novice observation groups outperforming the control group, but there were no clear group differences at a retention test one week later. There was no difference in performance between the expert-observing and error-observing groups., Conclusions: Similar benefits were found when observing the traditional expert model or the error-strewn model, suggesting that viewing poor performance may be as beneficial as viewing expertise in the early acquisition of robotic surgical skills. Further work is required to understand, then inform, the optimal curriculum design when utilising observational learning in surgical training.

Purpose  Shoulder pain and disability pose a diagnostic challenge owing to the numerous etiologies and the potential for multiple disorders to exist simultaneously. The evidence to support the use of clinical tests for superior labral anterior to posterior complex (SLAP) is weak or absent. The purpose of this study is to determine the diagnostic validity of physical examination maneuvers for SLAP lesions by performing a methodologically rigorous, clinically applicable study. Methods  We recruited consecutive new shoulder patients reporting pain and/or disability. The physician took a history and indicated their certainty about each possible diagnosis ("certain the diagnosis is absent/present," or "uncertain requires further testing"). The clinician performed the physical tests for diagnoses where uncertainty remained. Magnetic resonance imaging arthrogram and arthroscopic examination were the gold standards. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios (LRs) and investigated whether combinations of the top tests provided stronger predictions. Results  Ninety-three patients underwent physical examination for SLAP lesions. When using the presence of a SLAP lesion (Types I-V) as disease positive, none of the tests was sensitive (10.3-33.3) although they were moderately specific (61.3-92.6). When disease positive was defined as repaired SLAP lesion (including biceps tenodesis or tenotomy), the sensitivity (10.5-38.7) and specificity (70.6-93.8) of tests improved although not by a substantial amount. None of the tests was found to be clinically useful for predicting repairable SLAP lesions with all LRs close to one. The compression rotation test had the best LR for both definitions of disease (SLAP tear present = 1.8 and SLAP repaired = 1.67). There was no optimal combination of tests for diagnosing repairable SLAP lesions, with at least two tests positive providing the best combination of measurement properties (sensitivity 46.1% and specificity 64.7%). Conclusion  Our study demonstrates that the physical examination tests for SLAP lesions are poor diagnostic indicators of disease. Performing a combination of tests will likely help, although the magnitude of the improvement is minimal. These authors caution clinicians placing confidence in the physical examination tests for SLAP lesions rather we suggest that clinicians rely on diagnostic imaging to confirm this diagnosis.

Minimally invasive skills assessment methods are essential in developing efficient surgical simulators and implementing consistent skills evaluation. Although numerous methods have been investigated in the literature, there is still a need to further improve the accuracy of surgical skills assessment. Energy expenditure can be an indication of motor skills proficiency. The goals of this study are to develop objective metrics based on energy expenditure, normalize these metrics, and investigate classifying trainees using these metrics. To this end, different forms of energy consisting of mechanical energy and work were considered and their values were divided by the related value of an ideal performance to develop normalized metrics. These metrics were used as inputs for various machine learning algorithms including support vector machines (SVM) and neural networks (NNs) for classification. The accuracy of the combination of the normalized energy-based metrics with these classifiers was evaluated through a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation. The proposed method was validated using 26 subjects at two experience levels (novices and experts) in three arthroscopic tasks. The results showed that there are statistically significant differences between novices and experts for almost all of the normalized energy-based metrics. The accuracy of classification using SVM and NN methods was between 70% and 95% for the various tasks. The results show that the normalized energy-based metrics and their combination with SVM and NN classifiers are capable of providing accurate classification of trainees. The assessment method proposed in this study can enhance surgical training by providing appropriate feedback to trainees about their level of expertise and can be used in the evaluation of proficiency., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objective  The purpose of this article is to determine whether patient-reported history items are predictive of shoulder pathology and have the potential for use in triaging patients with shoulder pathology to orthopaedic outpatient clinics. Setting  It is set at two tertiary orthopaedic clinics. Patients  All new patients reporting pain and/or disability of the shoulder joint were prospectively recruited. A total of 193 patients were enrolled, 15 of whom withdrew, leaving 178 patients composing the study sample. Design  Patients completed a questionnaire on the history of their pathology, then the surgeon took a thorough history indicating the most likely diagnosis. The clinician then performed appropriate physical examination. Arthroscopy was the reference standard for those undergoing surgery and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with arthrogram for all others. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios (LRs) of history items alone and in combination. We used the LRs to generate a clinical decision algorithm. Main Outcome Measures  Diagnosis was determined through arthroscopy or MRI arthrogram. Reporting was standardized to ensure review of all structures. Results  The physical examination and history agreed in 75% of cases. Of those that did not agree, the physical examination misdirected the diagnosis in 47% of our cases. In particular, history items were strong predictors of anterior and posterior instability and subscapularis tears and were combined in a tool to be utilized for screening patients. Conclusion  The patient-reported history items were effective for diagnosing shoulder pathology and should be considered for use in a triaging instrument.

The structure of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) affects the foot's overall function and its ability to dissipate plantar pressure forces. Previous research on the MLA includes measuring the calcaneal-first metatarsal angle using a static sagittal plane radiograph, a dynamic height-to-length ratio using marker clusters with a multisegment foot model, and a contained angle using single point markers with a multisegment foot model. The objective of this study was to use biplane fluoroscopy to measure a contained MLA angle between foot types: pes planus (low arch), pes cavus (high arch), and normal arch. Fifteen participants completed the study, five from each foot type. Markerless fluoroscopic radiostereometric analysis (fRSA) was used with a three-dimensional model of the foot bones and manually matching those bones to a pair of two-dimensional radiographic images during midstance of gait. Statistically significant differences were found between barefoot arch angles of the normal and pes cavus foot types (p = 0.036), as well as between the pes cavus and pes planus foot types (p = 0.004). Dynamic walking also resulted in a statistically significant finding compared to the static standing trials (p = 0.014). These results support the classification of individuals following a physical assessment by a foot specialist for those with pes cavus and planus foot types. The differences between static and dynamic kinematic measurements were also supported using this novel method.

The growing popularity of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) can be attributed to its advantages, which include reduced post-operative pain, a shorter hospital stay, and faster recovery. However, MIS requires extensive training for surgeons to become experts in their field of practice. Different assessment methods have been proposed for evaluating the performance of surgeons and residents on surgical simulators. Nonetheless, optimal objective performance measures are still lacking. In this study, three metrics for minimally invasive skills assessment are proposed based on energy expenditure: work, potential energy and kinetic energy. In order to evaluate these metrics, two laparoscopic tasks consisting of suturing and knot-tying are investigated, involving expert and novice subjects. This study shows that measures based on energy expenditure can be used for skills assessment: all three metrics can discriminate between experts and novices for the two tasks investigated here. These measures can also reflect the efficiency of subjects when performing MIS tasks. Further modification and investigation of these metrics can extend their use to different tasks and for discriminating between various levels of experience.

Background: Shoulder pain and disability pose a diagnostic challenge for clinicians owing to the numerous causes that exist. Unfortunately, the evidence in support of most clinical tests is weak or absent., Purpose: To determine the diagnostic validity of physical examination maneuvers for rotator cuff lesions., Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 1., Methods: Consecutive shoulder patients recruited for this study were referred to 2 tertiary orthopaedic clinics. A surgeon took a thorough history and indicated his or her certainty about each possible diagnosis. A clinician performed the physical examination for diagnoses where uncertainty remained. Arthroscopy was considered the reference standard for patients who underwent surgery, and MRI with arthrogram was considered the reference for patients who did not. The sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were calculated to investigate whether combinations of the top tests provided stronger predictions of the presence or absence of disease., Results: There were 139 participants. None of the tests were highly sensitive for diagnosing rotator cuff tears or tendinosis. Tests for subscapularis tears were all highly specific. No optimal combination of tests improved the ability to correctly diagnose rotator cuff tears. Closer analysis revealed the internal rotation and lateral rotation lag sign did not improve the ability to diagnose subscapularis or supraspinatus tears, respectively, although the lateral rotation lag sign demonstrated a discriminatory ability for tear size., Conclusion: No test in isolation is sufficient to diagnose a patient with rotator cuff damage. A combination of tests improves the ability to diagnose damage to the rotator cuff. It is recommended that the internal rotation and lateral rotation lag signs be removed from the gamut of physical examination tests for supraspinatus and subscapularis tears., (© 2014 The Author(s).)

Background: Previously reported complications in medial opening wedge (MOW) high tibial osteotomy (HTO) vary considerably in both rate and severity., Purpose: (1) To determine the rates of adverse events in MOW HTO classified into different grades of severity based on the treatments required and (2) to compare patient-reported outcomes between the different adverse event classifications., Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4., Methods: All patients receiving MOW HTO at a single medical center from 2005 to 2009 were included. Internal fixation was used in all cases, with either a nonlocking (Puddu) or locking (Tomofix) plate. Patients were evaluated at 2, 6, and 12 weeks; 6 and 12 months; and annually thereafter. Types of potential surgical and postoperative adverse events, categorized into 3 classes of severity based on the subsequent treatments, were defined a priori. Medical records and radiographs were then reviewed by an independent observer. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores were compared in subgroups of patients based on the categories of adverse events observed., Results: A total of 323 consecutive procedures (242 males) were evaluated (age, mean ± standard deviation, 46 ± 9 years; body mass index, mean ± standard deviation, 30 ± 5 kg/m(2)). Adverse events requiring no additional treatment (class 1) were undisplaced lateral cortical breaches (20%), displaced (>2 mm) lateral hinge fracture (6%), delayed wound healing (6%), undisplaced lateral tibial plateau fracture (3%), hematoma (3%), and increased tibial slope ≥10° (1%). Adverse events requiring additional or extended nonoperative management (class 2) were delayed union (12%), cellulitis (10%), limited hardware failure (1 broken screw; 4%), postoperative stiffness (1%), deep vein thrombosis (1%), and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 1 (1%). Adverse events requiring additional or revision surgery and/or long-term medical care (class 3) were aseptic nonunion (3%), deep infection (2%), CRPS type 2 (1%), and severe hardware failure with loss of correction (1%). Additional surgery rate was 3%. Class 1 and 2 adverse events did not affect patient-reported outcomes at 6, 12, or 24 months postoperatively. Patients with class 3 adverse events had significantly lower total WOMAC scores at 6 months but not at 12 or 24 months postoperatively., Conclusion: The most common adverse event in MOW HTO requiring extended nonoperative treatment (class 2) is delayed union (12%). The rate of severe adverse events requiring additional surgery and/or long-term medical care (class 3) is low (7%).

Background: Surgery is an environment in which being an expert requires the ability to manage the unexpected. This feature has necessitated a shift in surgical decision-making research. The present study explores the processes by which surgeons assess and respond to nonroutine challenges in the operating room., Methods: We used a grounded theory methodology supported on intraoperative observations and postoperative interviews with 7 faculty surgeons from various specialties. A total of 32 cases were purposively sampled to compile a dataset of challenging situations., Results: Thematic data analysis yielded 3 main themes that were linked in a cyclic model: assessing the situation, the reconciliation cycle, and implementing the planned course of action. These elements were connected through 2 points of transition (ie, active and confirmatory reconciliation), during which time the surgeons continue to act although they may change the course of their action., Conclusions: The proposed model builds on existing theories of naturalistic decision making from other high-stakes environments. This model elaborates on a theoretic language that accounts for the unique aspects of surgery, making it useful for teaching in the operating room., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Many challenges exist when teaching and learning arthroscopic surgery, carrying a high risk of damaging the joint during the learning process. To minimize risk, the use of arthroscopy simulators allows trainees to learn basic skills in a risk-free environment before entering the operating room. A high-fidelity physical knee arthroscopy simulator is proposed to bridge the gap between surgeons and residents. The simulator is composed of modular and replaceable elements and can measure applied forces, instrument position and hand motion, in order to assess performance in real time. A construct validity study was conducted in order to assess the performance improvement of novices after practicing with the simulator. In addition, a face validity study involving expert surgeons indicated that the simulator provides a realistic scenario suitable for teaching basic skills. Future work involves the development of better metrics to assess user performance.

Septic arthritis is an orthopedic emergency that can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Polyarticular involvement is a relatively rare phenomenon occurring primarily in high-risk patients. In this article, we report the rare case of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis presenting with an acute episode of septic arthritis involving most of the joints of the body. Surprisingly, his bilateral total hip arthroplasties were completely unaffected. Unusual polyarticular presentations of septic arthritis, though rare, must still be considered within the differential diagnosis by all healthcare providers when treating certain high-risk groups.

Adhesive capsulitis is a common and challenging condition to treat. Arthroscopic capsular release is usually contemplated when conservative treatment fails or when there is severe and/or chronic loss of range of motion. This procedure can be difficult to perform because of difficult access to the joint, poor visualization, and loss of working space from retraction of the joint capsule. The articular surfaces and the axillary nerve are also at higher risk of injury. Arthroscopic scissors, shavers, and electrocautery are typically used to perform the capsular release. To perform a safer and more precise arthroscopic shoulder capsular release, a creative and innovative use of a flexible hip arthroscopy radiofrequency ablator is described.

The goal of this research was to create accurate task decompositions for arthroscopic shoulder and knee procedures. The methodology used has previously shown to be effective in other minimally invasive surgeries. Future research will integrate these task decompositions into surgical simulators and, along with movement and force data, will help create evaluation tools for surgical students.

The complexity of knee arthroscopy makes it difficult to teach and assess skill level during real surgery. Simulator-based training is ideal for this complex procedure. To address the limitations of existing systems, a physical simulator, capable of providing skills assessment and feedback has been developed. The simulator measures the forces applied on the femur and acting on the tools. An experimental evaluation was conducted to assess the differences in task completion time and applied forces for fourteen tasks performed by trainees and expert surgeons. Initial results show that the simulator, together with well-chosen tasks, can potentially be used to assess user performance.

Since 1974, our approach to treatment of teratologic dislocation of the hip in children has been surgical. We retrospectively reviewed 20 teratologic hip dislocations in 13 children with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Closed treatment failed in most of the hips. At a mean age of 13 months, 11 patients (18 hips) had an open reduction and a one-and-a-half hip spica. It was followed in most of these hips by a femoral varus derotational osteotomy 6 weeks later. Only three hips had an open reduction followed by 3 months of casting. One of these three hips had salmonella infection and a redislocation. Our main complication was avascular necrosis in 20% of hips, two patients (two hips) ending with a leg length discrepancy. There was some limitation of motion in 65% of hips but 76% of patients had a good functional hip score. There was no difference in the results of unilateral versus bilateral dislocation. Poor results were found in three patients and could be explained by trunk hypotonia, marked limitation of motion and severe involvement of upper extremities, multiple deformities and fixed flexion in the lower extremities, generalized weakness and developmental delay. In spite of these difficulties and complications, results are encouraging.