Authorship decision-making in the field of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine

PurposeTo facilitate decision-making in authorship positions, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editor (ICMJE) developed a guideline that stipulates criteria authors should meet in order to merit authorship. Authors who did not meet these criteria and still enlisted as authors, are called ‘honorary’ authors. In this study, the prevalence and characteristics of honorary authorship (HA) is assessed in the field of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.MethodsA survey was distributed among corresponding authors of articles published in 2019 in six Orthopedics-dedicated journals.Results479 of the 1392 approached authors responded, leading to a response rate of 34.4%. 91.6% of the respondents were aware of the ICMJE guidelines, whereas 67.8% were aware of the issue of HA. Overall, the prevalence of guideline-based HA was 41.9%, while the prevalence of self-perceived HA was 14.7%. Having a senior member automatically enlisted as author on the departments, was associated with a higher rate of guideline-based HA (OR 5.03) and self-perceived HA (OR 3.31).ConclusionsThe prevalence of HA in the field of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine is high, but comparable to other medical fields. Transparency in authorship decision-making is crucial to maintain liability in scientific articles.     

Does post dural puncture headache exist in idiopathic intracranial hypertension? A pilot study

Background/ObjectiveOccurrence of post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) after diagnostic lumbar puncture (LP) for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) may seem very unlikely in clinical practice. Nevertheless, it has been suggested by several studies, mainly in sub-group analyses. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of PDPH in an IIH population and determine any eventual predictive factors of PDPH occurrence.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective multiple-center observational study. All newly diagnosed IIH patients who met the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) or the Dandy modified criteria were included from three different French hospitals. They all underwent LP following the same process with the same type of needle. We recorded PDPH occurring within five days after LP, as defined by ICHD-3 criteria.ResultsSeventy-four IIH patients were recruited, of whom 23 (31%) presented with PDPH. Neither classical risk factors for PDPH such as body mass index, age or gender, nor cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure, or specific IIH features were associated with occurrence of PDPH.ConclusionPDPH can occur after LP in IIH patients. Clinicians should be aware of this possible event during the IIH diagnosis assessment and should not automatically reconsider IIH diagnosis. PDPH prevention using an atraumatic needle and dedicated PDPH treatment seem relevant in IIH patients.     

Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life of Induction Chemotherapy Compared With Concurrent Cisplatin and Radiation Therapy in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

AimsOrgan preservation, an important goal in the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), may include induction chemotherapy and cisplatin with radiation therapy (CRT). To our knowledge, no reports have directly compared the impact of induction chemotherapy with that of CRT on health-related quality of life (HRQOL).Materials and methodsIn a phase II trial, we assessed the HRQOL of patients treated with induction chemotherapy followed by CRT. Eligible patients had stage III–IV HNSCC. HRQOL questionnaires were administered at baseline, the end of induction (EOI), the end of CRT (EOCRT) and after CRT. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT version 4) assessed HRQOL. We carried out a comparison of changes in HRQOL from baseline to EOI and from EOI to EOCRT. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01566435).ResultsThirty patients were enrolled in the study. Most HRQOL questionnaires were completed (88%). The mean total FACT scores did not differ from baseline to EOI (general: 83.8 versus 79.1, P = 0.08; head and neck: 109.7 versus 105.8, P = 0.33; Total Outcome Index: 69.7 versus 62.3, P = 0.03; respectively, using P ≤ 0.01 to adjust for multiple simultaneous tests of differences). However, total FACT scores significantly worsened from EOI to EOCRT (79.1 versus 62.3, P = 0.01; 105.8 versus 74.2, P < 0.01; 62.3 versus 34.2, P = 0.01; respectively). Within domains, the head and neck cancer subscale score did not differ from baseline to EOI (median 28.5 versus 27.0, P = 0.69), but significantly worsened from EOI to EOCRT (27.0 versus 9.5, P < 0.01). Swallowing, oral pain and voice quality improved from baseline to EOI, but worsened from EOI to EOCRT. Physical and functional scores worsened from baseline to EOI and from EOI to EOCRT. The emotional well-being score improved from baseline to EOI but worsened from EOI to EOCRT.ConclusionsOverall, HRQOL did not significantly change from baseline to EOI but dramatically worsened from EOI to EOCRT.     

The relationship between ankle dorsiflexion range of motion,frontal plane projection angle,and patellofemoral pain syndrome

BackgroundAnkle range of motion abnormalities have been often linked with alteration in knee kinematics leading to the development of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Literature exploring the relationship between ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DF ROM) and knee kinematics during functional tasks is scanty. This study aims to assess the relation between ankle DF ROM and frontal plane projection angle (FPPA), one of the knee kinematic variables, in individuals with and without PFPS during a step-down test.MethodsThis is a case-control study in which seventy PFPS patients and other 70 asymptomatic control subjects had their ankle DF ROM measured using an inclinometer with the knee flexed and extended. Their FPPA angles were measured using Kinovea software while doing the step-down test.ResultsWhen the two groups were compared, ankle DF ROM measured with the knee flexed was higher in the control group (33.15 ± 4.96) than in the PFPS group (30.20 ± 6.93) (p = 0.03). In both the PFPS group and the control group, the correlation between FPPA and ankle DF ROM with the knee flexed was statistically insignificant (p = 0.075 and 0.323 respectively).ConclusionDecreased ankle DF ROM can be one of the contributing factors to the development of PFPS in the context of greater dynamic knee valgus.