Citations

Abstract: The COVID-19 crisis has challenged the U.S. health-care system in a variety of ways, including how we teach and train orthopaedic surgery residents and fellows. During the spring of 2020, the cessation of all elective surgical procedures and the diminished number of outpatient visits challenged graduate medical education. While residency programs in less affected areas may not have had to make many dramatic adjustments, some of those located in pandemic hotspots had to redirect trainees from orthopaedic rotations to COVID-19 units. No matter the region, the time that trainees have spent in rotations has been altered, and absences have occurred due to quarantines. This symposium summarizes the impact of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic on residency and fellowship programs from the perspectives of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), a program director, and a graduating resident. Although new opportunities for virtual curricula, virtual surgical simulation, and virtual interviews have been innovated, residency programs and residents report primarily a negative effect from the pandemic due to decreased surgical volumes and the limitation of patient-care experiences. Ultimately, program directors have an obligation to the program, the trainee, and the general public to graduate only those residents and fellows who are truly prepared to practice independently; they have the responsibility of making the final decision regarding graduation. The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to underscore the need for competency-based medical education. Assessing competency includes evaluation of the knowledge, the operative skills, the nonoperative patient-care skills, and the professional behavior of each and every individual graduating from orthopaedic residency and fellowship training programs. A hybrid model for time and competency-based training, with established national standards not only for accreditation for our training programs but also for board certification of our graduating residents, was enhanced by the COVID-19 pandemic and is highlighted in this symposium.

Case: We report a case of a 71-year-old man diagnosed with high-grade undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma in the left thigh. He underwent partial resection of the quadriceps and proximal femoral bone, followed by reconstruction with a latissimus dorsi free muscle flap through end-to-end vascular and nerve anastomosis with the femoral vessels and a branch of the femoral nerve, respectively. Recovery of 3/5 knee extension function was achieved 3 months postsurgery without complications. Conclusion: Free neurotized latissimus dorsi muscle transfer is a successful reconstructive option to restore knee extension after quadriceps resection. Level of Evidence: Level IV.

Abstract: The observation of decreased resident autonomy, ultimately influencing the readiness of a new graduate to practice, has been supported with a number of recent surveys. This perceived lack of autonomy is felt to be due, in part, to many reasons, including duty-hour regulations, increased supervision requirements, patient safety measures, concern for complication rates, and other performance measures. Pressure on faculty members to have increased clinical productivity may not allow for more resident autonomy. Increased clinical exposure to improve resident independence may come from several suggested areas. First, restructuring the residency program to allow for more clinical time may be one way to improve education. Second, increased use of surgical simulation will allow for more experience to develop technical skills within a controlled environment. Surgical simulators can be used to acquire new skills and also as a means of assessing competence. Third, competency-based education (CBE) has been offered as a way to improve resident education. At its core, CBE offers criterion-based assessments for residents and faculty that allow for more frequent feedback.

Background: The objective of this study is to determine the time-dependent dissipation of extrinsic wrist ligament tension following the application external fixation with axial distraction of the wrist in a cadaveric model. Methods: Six paired fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens underwent mechanical testing simulating external fixation with 1 arm of each pair osteotomized to simulate a distal radius fracture. The change in tension was then recorded over 24 hours. Results: The rate of stress relaxation decreased with time. The average loss in tension in the control arms and osteotomized arms was 55% and 59%, respectively, over a 24-hour period. There was no statistically significant difference in the stress relaxation behavior between the 2 groups. Conclusion: This study further supports the recommendation that comminuted distal radius fractures treated with an external fixator should have Kirschner wire augmentation or other additional means of fixation to help maintain fracture length and alignment. The results of this study call in to question the efficacy of ligamentotaxis alone through external fixation as the sole means of maintaining reduction of displaced, unstable distal radius fractures.

Hand gangrene following vascular cannula placement is uncommon and is usually the result of thrombotic occlusion of an artery. We describe a case of hand gangrene resulting in wrist disarticulation, following multiple unsuccessful attempts at internal jugular vein cannulation in a critically ill patient.

Abstract The economics of medicine have drastically changed during the past quarter century. Institutions may be faced with difficult decisions concerning graduate medical education (GME), particularly as it relates to the growth of existing programs and the creation of new programs. The authors describe a tool that they developed that can consistently measure the value of individual training programs while aligning with an institution's strategic priorities. This tool, the assessment metric scorecard, permits the annual prioritization of GME programs by the leadership of Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. The scorecard also provides valuable data regarding the strengths and weaknesses of individual programs. The metric seeks to evaluate GME programs on the basis of four broad areas: Research, Teaching, Patient Service, and a General category. The assessment metric scorecard has been used since 2004; this article reports on its use for the academic years 2004–2005 and 2005–2006. The scorecard has proved to be a helpful tool for the yearly evaluation and prioritization of GME programs at the authors' institution. The overall mean score of the GME programs increased, which suggests a positive trend. This scorecard is flexible; modifications of the relative weights of the metrics can be made to align it with the strategic priorities of other institutions. The resources necessary to implement the scorecard are minimal.

A unique case of combined intrauterine vascular insufficiency and complete brachial plexus palsy is described in a newborn delivered by cesarean section. Intrauterine vascular insufficiency resulted in a right below elbow amputation at 3 weeks of age. Amputation length was preserved after a pedicled thoracoabdominal flap. Function of the C5, C6, and C7 nerve roots returned to normal by 3 months of age.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of routine wrist radiography in the evaluation of patients with a wrist ganglion. In the setting of a University-based hand surgery practice, 103 consecutive patients with a dorsal or volar wrist ganglion underwent posteroanterior, lateral, and oblique radiographs of the involved wrist. There were 24 men and 79 women with an average age of 34 years (range 4–67 years). A retrospective review of the medical records was performed. Abnormalities on plain radiographs were noted in only 13 patients (13%). Findings included six cases of thumb carpometacarpal joint arthritis and one case each of an enchondroma, congenital distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) anomaly, DRUJ degenerative changes, intraosseous ganglion, carpal boss, radiocarpal arthritis, and thumb metacarpophalangeal joint osteoarthritis. In only one case (1%) did the findings alter the management. At our institution, the professional and technical charge for three views of the wrist is $172. This confers a cost of $17,716 per therapeutically significant finding in our series. We conclude that routinely performing wrist radiography is not cost-effective in the evaluation and treatment decision-making process in patients with a wrist ganglion.