Citations

Background: The efficacy of a neuromuscular training (NMT) program to ameliorate known hip biomechanical risk factors for athletes with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is currently unknown. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose was to quantify the effects of an NMT program on hip biomechanics among athletes with ACLR and to compare posttraining hip biomechanics with a control group. The hypotheses were that known hip biomechanical risk factors of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury would be significantly reduced among athletes with ACLR after the NMT program and that posttraining hip biomechanics between the ACLR and control cohorts would not differ. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Twenty-eight athletes (n = 18, ACLR; n = 10, uninjured) completed a 12-session NMT program. Biomechanical evaluation of a jump-landing task was done before and after completion of the program. Repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to understand the effect of NMT within the ACLR cohort. Two-way analysis of variance was used to compare both groups. Post hoc testing was done for significant interactions. Hip biomechanical variables at initial contact are reported. Results: The athletes with ACLR who completed the NMT program had a significant session × limb interaction ( P = .01) for hip external rotation moment and a significant main effect of session for hip flexion angle ( P = .049) and moment ( P < .001). There was a significant change for the involved ( P = .04; 528% increase) and uninvolved ( P = .04; 57% decrease) limbs from pre- to posttraining for hip rotation moment. The ACLR cohort had an increase in hip flexion angle (14% change) and a decrease in hip flexion moment (65% change) from pre- to posttraining. Posttraining comparison for these same hip biomechanical variables of interest revealed no significant interactions ( P > .05) between the ACLR and control cohorts. There was a significant main effect of group ( P = .02) for hip flexion angle, as the ACLR cohort demonstrated greater hip flexion angle than that of the control group. Conclusion: For athletes with ACLR, hip biomechanical measures of ACL injury risk show significant improvements after completion of an NMT program. Clinical Relevance: Athletes with ACLR who are participating in an NMT program may ameliorate known hip biomechanical risk factors for an ACL injury.

Objectives: Professional baseball pitchers are at high risk for tears of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the elbow, often requiring subsequent surgical reconstruction. Despite acceptable published return to play outcomes, multiple techniques and graft types have been described. There is a paucity of clinical data in the current literature comparing UCL reconstruction surgical technique and graft type. Even less is known about the risks for subsequent injury, surgery, or revision UCL reconstruction. Accordingly, this study compares UCL reconstruction outcomes based on tunnel configuration and graft type. Methods: Following approval from our institutional review board and Major League Baseball (MLB), 566 professional baseball pitchers who underwent UCL reconstruction between 2010 and 2014 were identified and included. The following patient demographics were analyzed: age, pitching role (starter vs. reliever), level of play (MLB vs. Minor League Baseball [MiLB]), and throwing side dominance. Surgical factors analyzed included reconstruction technique (Docking vs. Modified Jobe), graft type (palmaris longus autograft vs. gracilis autograft), and concomitant procedures. Primary outcome measures consisted of: the ability to return to play at any level (RTP), to return to the same level of play (RSL), the time to return, subsequent elbow injuries, and the need for subsequent or revision elbow surgery. The impact of the patient and surgical factors on outcomes were analyzed using multivariate linear and logistic regression modeling. Results: The overall RTP was 79.9% and RSL was 71.2%. There were no significant differences in the time to RTP or RSL based on reconstruction technique or graft type. RTP rates were similar for the Docking vs. Modified Jobe techniques (80.1% vs. 82.4%; p=0.537) and for the two primary graft types (83.1% for palmaris vs. 80.7% for gracilis; p=0.596). The risk of subsequent elbow surgery was 10.5% for the Docking Technique vs. 14.8% for the Modified Jobe (p=0.203); and the risk for subsequent UCL revision reconstruction surgery was 2.9% vs. 6.2% for the Docking vs. Modified Jobe Techniques, respectively (p=0.128). Significant trends towards an increasing use of palmaris autograft (p=0.023) and the docking technique (p=0.006) were observed. MLB pitchers were more likely than MiLB pitchers to RTP (p<0.001) and to RSL (p<0.001), but they required a longer time to return (mean difference 35 days; p=0.039), had a higher likelihood of subsequent elbow (OR 3.58; 95% CI 2.055 to 6.231; p<0.001) and forearm injuries (OR 5.695; 95% CI 1.99 to 16.302; p=0.004), but not subsequent elbow surgery. No specific variables were noted to be predictive of subsequent elbow or revision surgery in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Surgical outcomes in professional baseball players are not significantly influenced by ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction technique or graft type usage. Major League players are more likely to RTP and RSL, but they have a higher frequency of subsequent elbow and forearm injuries. Both the Docking Technique and palmaris autograft are increasing in popularity amongst surgeons treating professional baseball players.

AbstractObjectivesFetal endoscopic tracheal occlusion (FETO) is offered to fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and severe lung hypoplasia to promote lung growth and may secondarily affect left heart growth. The effects of FETO on left heart hypoplasia (LHH) are not described post‐CDH repair.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for fetuses with left‐sided CDH who underwent FETO and severity‐matched controls from 2007 to 2016 at our institution. Echocardiographic, ultrasound, and MRI data were reviewed. Left heart dimensions were assessed prenatally and postnatally. Primary clinical outcome evaluated was death.ResultsTwelve FETO patients and 18 controls were identified. Fetal LHH was noted in both groups and worsened after FETO. Postnatal mitral valve dimensions were larger in the FETO group pre‐CDH repair (P = .03). Post‐CDH repair, mitral valve and left ventricular dimensions were not significantly different between groups (P = .79 and P = .63 respectively) while FETO aortic valve dimensions were smaller (P = .04). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use was lower in the FETO group. No associations were found between left heart dimensions and outcomes.ConclusionAlthough increased lung growth was seen after FETO, fetal LHH persisted with relative normalization seen post‐repair. Persistent LHH post‐FETO could be secondary to a small contribution of pulmonary venous return to the fetal left heart and increased intrathoracic pressures post‐FETO.

Abstract Background In the past decade, opioid use in the general population of the US has increased dramatically. Concomitantly, opioid-related morbidity and mortality have also risen steeply. The causes of opioid over-prescribing are multifactorial, with pressure from medical agencies, patients, aggressive patient-directed marketing, and use of patient surveys as an evaluation tool to unduly influence medical providers' decision-making. Providers also have significant concerns regarding scrutiny from their medical board and exposure to medicolegal liability. Content To provide the basis for best practice recommendations, several aspects of modern opioid prescribing practice require review. The practicing clinician should be aware of: (a) the pervasiveness of current opioid prescribing within the US; (b) the availability and applicability of clinical tools used to assess patient risk; (c) the new guidelines designed to facilitate appropriate and safe medical use of opioids; (d) the incorporation of clinical tools and best documentation practices to reduce medicolegal exposure. Summary On completion of this review, the reader should be able to recognize the magnitude of the problem of opioid over-prescribing in the US and identify several patient risk factors for opioid misuse, abuse, and/or diversion. Specifically, better familiarity with the recently published CDC guidelines for opioid prescribing will help ensure the adoption of best-use practices that maximize therapeutic efficacy while attenuating the possibility of harm to patients. A thorough review of the legal principles and risk-mitigation strategies relevant to opioid prescribing will also lessen the clinician's exposure to medicolegal liability.

Abstract Electronic health record (EHR) algorithms for defining patient cohorts are commonly shared as free-text descriptions that require human intervention both to interpret and implement. We developed the Phenotype Execution and Modeling Architecture (PhEMA, http://projectphema.org) to author and execute standardized computable phenotype algorithms. With PhEMA, we converted an algorithm for benign prostatic hyperplasia, developed for the electronic Medical Records and Genomics network (eMERGE), into a standards-based computable format. Eight sites (7 within eMERGE) received the computable algorithm, and 6 successfully executed it against local data warehouses and/or i2b2 instances. Blinded random chart review of cases selected by the computable algorithm shows PPV ≥90%, and 3 out of 5 sites had &gt;90% overlap of selected cases when comparing the computable algorithm to their original eMERGE implementation. This case study demonstrates potential use of PhEMA computable representations to automate phenotyping across different EHR systems, but also highlights some ongoing challenges.