Cervical degenerative index: a new quantitative radiographic scoring system for cervical spondylosis with interobserver and intraobserver reliability testing

Background  The lack of a widely available scoring system for cervical degenerative spondylosis encouraged the authors to establish and validate a systematic quantitative radiographic index. Materials and methods  This study included intraobserver and interobserver reliability testing among three reviewers with different years of experience. Each observer independently scored four cervical radiographs of 48 patients at separate intervals, and statistical analysis of the grading was performed. Results  There was high intraobserver and interobserver reliability between the two experienced observers. There was fair reliability between the less experienced observer and the more experienced observers. Conclusions  The cervical degenerative index appears to be a reliable and reproducible radiographic assessment of cervical spondylosis. The index will have direct applicability for longitudinal study of cervical spondylosis and may be clinically relevant as well.     

A resilience intervention involving mindfulness training for transplant patients and their caregivers

Solid organ and stem cell transplant patients and their caregivers report a substantial level of distress. Mindfulness‐based stress reduction has been shown to alleviate distress associated with transplant, but there is limited experience in this population with other mindfulness‐based interventions, or with combined transplant patient and caregiver interventions. We evaluated a novel, 6‐week mindfulness‐based resilience training (MBRT) class for transplant patients and their caregivers that incorporates mindfulness practice, yoga, and neuroscience of stress and resilience. Thirty‐one heart, liver, kidney/pancreas, and stem cell transplant patients and 18 caregivers at Mayo Clinic in Arizona participated. Measures of stress, resilience, depression, anxiety, health‐related quality of life, positive and negative affect, and sleep were completed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3 months postintervention. At 6 weeks and 3 months, patients demonstrated significant (P<.005) improvements from baseline in measures of perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and negative affect. Quality‐of‐life mental component (P=.006) and positive affect (P=.02) also improved at follow‐up. Most participants adhered to the program, were satisfied with class length and frequency, and reported improved well‐being as a result of the class. MBRT holds promise as an intervention to enhance resilience and manage stress for transplant patients and their caregivers.     

Patient‐Specific Orthopaedic Implants

Patient‐specific orthopaedic implants are emerging as a clinically promising treatment option for a growing number of conditions to better match an individual's anatomy. Patient‐specific implant (PSI) technology aims to reduce overall procedural costs, minimize surgical time, and maximize patient outcomes by achieving better biomechanical implant fit. With this commercially‐available technology, computed tomography or magnetic resonance images can be used in conjunction with specialized computer programs to create preoperative patient‐specific surgical plans and to develop custom cutting guides from 3‐D reconstructed images of patient anatomy. Surgeons can then place these temporary guides or “jigs” during the procedure, allowing them to better recreate the exact resections of the computer‐generated surgical plan. Over the past decade, patient‐specific implants have seen increased use in orthopaedics and they have been widely indicated in total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, and corrective osteotomies. Patient‐specific implants have also been explored for use in total shoulder arthroplasty and spinal surgery. Despite their increasing popularity, significant support for PSI use in orthopaedics has been lacking in the literature and it is currently uncertain whether the theoretical biomechanical advantages of patient‐specific orthopaedic implants carry true advantages in surgical outcomes when compared to standard procedures. The purpose of this review was to assess the current status of patient‐specific orthopaedic implants, to explore their future direction, and to summarize any comparative published studies that measure definitive surgical characteristics of patient‐specific orthopaedic implant use such as patient outcomes, biomechanical implant alignment, surgical cost, patient blood loss, or patient recovery.     

Maximizing Weight Loss After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass May Decrease Risk of Incident Organ Cancer

Background

Recent studies have suggested that metabolic surgery reduces cancer risk. This study aims to determine if incident cancer is associated with the extent of weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

Methods

Patients at a large tertiary bariatric surgery center were retrospectively reviewed to identify patients with no history of cancer at the time of RYGB. Diagnoses in the electronic health record, a tumor registry, and chart review were used to identify postoperative incident solid organ cancer. The overall incidence of organ cancer was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. The percent total body weight loss (%TWL) in the 48 months after surgery but prior to cancer was compared between those that developed organ cancer versus those that did not using repeated measures linear regression.

Results

The 2943 patients had a mean age of 45.6 years (SD?=?11.1), 81 % were female, and a mean baseline body mass index (BMI) of 47.2 kg/m² (SD?=?7.9). Median follow-up after surgery was 3.8 years (range?=?[<1, 12]). Incident organ cancer developed and was verified in 54 of the 2943 patients (1.8 %). Kaplan-Meier estimates for cancer at 3, 5, and 10 years postsurgery were 1.3, 2.5, and 4.2 %. After adjusting for age, BMI, sex, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, patients that developed organ cancer achieved less weight loss (?1.5 % TWL, 95 % CI?=?[?2.9 %, ?0.1 %], p?=?0.034).

Conclusions

Greater weight loss after metabolic surgery may be associated with lower organ cancer risk.

     

Femoral neck fracture following ipsilateral total knee replacement: an analysis of associations and risk factors

There have been case reports of ipsilateral femoral neck fracture after total knee replacement. This occurrence has been attributed to risk factors such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, steroid use and poor mobility. The aim of this study was to see if total knee replacement is a risk factor for neck of femur fracture and to study the associated risk factors. Twenty two patients who had sustained subsequent ipsilateral femoral neck fracture were identified from 1,362 patients who had previously undergone a posterior cruciate ligament-substituting total knee replacement. Clinical chart review and radiological assessment were performed. The average age of the patients was 77(±7) years and the fracture occurred 35(±27) months following the total knee replacement. Positive associations were identified between ipsilateral neck of femur fracture and total knee replacement (P < 0.01), age (P < 0.01), female sex (P < 0.025) and rheumatoid arthritis (P < 0.05). We did not find an association between ipsilateral neck of femur fracture following total knee replacement and preoperative knee deformity (P > 0.5). We also observed an increased risk of supracondylar fracture of the ipsilateral femur in patients who had sustained a neck of femur fracture following total knee replacement (P < 0.001).