Older, Heavier, Arthritic, Psychiatrically Disordered, and Opioid‐Familiar Patients Are at Risk for Opioid Use After Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction
Purpose To investigate which factors predispose patients for prolonged opioid use after medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction. Methods A retrospective review of all patients who underwent MPFL reconstruction at a single institution between January 2013 and June 2020 was conducted. Opioid consumption before and after surgery was recorded and confirmed using Michigan Automated Prescriptions System monitoring program. Patients were classified into preoperative opioid users and nonusers. Risk factors for continued opioid use were assessed by collecting patient demographic variables, psychiatric history, number of previous patellar dislocations, and operative factors. Results A total of 102 patients were included during the time frame of interest. Patients were on average 21.6 ± 8.5 years old with a mean body mass index of 28.2 ± 7.9. Thirty patients (29.0%) sustained >10 dislocations preoperatively. Preoperative opioid use was present in 13 (12.7%) patients. Greater than 10 dislocations (odds ratio [OR] 5.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12‐20.92) and psychiatric history (OR 3.33, 95% CI, 1.2‐9.1; P = .016) significantly predicted opioid refills the first month after surgery. Risk factors for opioid refills at 2 to 12 months postoperatively included smoking (OR 4.50, 95% CI 1.13‐17.96), preoperative opioid use (OR 7.32, 95% CI 1.88‐28.47), psychiatric disorder (OR 3.77, 95% CI 2.3‐6.2; P < .001), age >30 years (OR 7.03, 95% CI 3.63‐13.61; P < .001), and obesity (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.40‐5.14; P = .002). Compared with Outerbridge 0, a greater percentage of patients with Outerbridge 1 or 2 and 3 or 4 continued using opioids 2 to 12 months after surgery (OR 3.06, 95% CI 1.33‐7.02; P = .006 and OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.24‐6.59; P = .010, respectively). Conclusions For patients undergoing MPFL reconstruction, preoperative opioid use, cartilage damage, age >30 years, smoking history, body mass index >30, and history of psychiatric disorder were found to be significantly associated with prolonged opioid use after surgery. Postoperative opioid refills in this cohort declined after 1 month. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective cohort study.
Social Media Use Continues to Increase Among Orthopaedic Residency Programs in the United States
Purpose To evaluate the social media usage of orthopaedic residency programs, program directors (PDs), and department chairs across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and to determine which types of social media posts are indicative of increased user following. Methods A systematic online search strategy was performed in October 2020 to identify all allopathic orthopaedic surgery residency program accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Instagram posts were further analyzed to evaluate the type of post that significantly correlated with increased follower counts. Results Of 158 orthopaedic surgery programs, 69 (43.7%) had Instagram accounts, 52 (32.9%) had Facebook accounts, and 54 (34.2%) had Twitter accounts. Program presence on Instagram and Twitter continued to grow exponentially ( R 2 = 0.99 and R 2 = 0.95, respectively). Regarding program leadership, a total of 151 PDs and 156 chairs were identified. Of these, 21 PDs (14%) and 8 chairs (5.1%) had Instagram accounts. The number of posts and the numbers of educational, social, program information, and operative posts ( P < .01) significantly correlated with increased followers on Instagram. Conclusions Fewer than one‐half of orthopaedic surgery residency programs and fewer than one‐quarter of PDs and department chairs have a social media presence. However, the number of residency programs on social media continues to rise year‐over‐year. The total number of posts; the amount of educational, social, and program information; and the number of operative posts significantly correlated with increased followers on Instagram. Clinical Relevance With the growing prevalence of social media, orthopaedic surgery residency programs have the opportunity to connect with future applicants and disseminate informational content regarding their programs.