Braithwaite, Collin

Background: Tobacco use is a known risk factor for poor healing after rotator cuff repair (RCR), but the effects of nontobacco nicotine products remain unclear. Purpose: To compare postoperative complications among nontobacco nicotine users, tobacco users, and nonusers undergoing RCR. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Using the PearlDiver database, the authors identified patients who underwent arthroscopic RCR with ≥2 years of follow-up. Three 1:1 propensity-matched comparisons were conducted: nontobacco nicotine users versus nonusers (n = 4844), tobacco users versus nonusers (n = 19,182), and nontobacco nicotine users vs tobacco users (n = 4882). Outcomes included 90-day complications and 2-year revision surgeries. Results: Nontobacco nicotine users had mildly higher rates of lysis of adhesions than controls (0.7% vs 0.4%; OR, 1.95; P = .033) but no other significant differences. Tobacco users showed increased rates of acute kidney injury (AKI), pneumonia, infections, emergency department (ED) visits, readmissions, and revision surgery compared to controls. Compared to tobacco users, nontobacco nicotine users had moderately strong lower risks of pneumonia (0.6% vs 1.2%; OR, 0.46), ED visits (8.8% vs 13.6%; OR, 0.62), and readmissions (0.8% vs 1.5%; OR, 0.54) (all P < .01). Conclusion: While nontobacco nicotine use was associated with a modestly increased risk of lysis of adhesions after RCR, it did not significantly elevate the risk of major medical complications, infections, or revision surgery when compared to nonnicotine users. In contrast, tobacco users demonstrated consistently worse postoperative outcomes across multiple domains, including higher rates of AKI, pneumonia, surgical site infection, ED visits, readmissions, and revision procedures. Notably, when compared directly to tobacco users, nontobacco nicotine users had significantly lower rates of pneumonia, ED utilization, and readmissions. These findings suggest that although nontobacco nicotine products may not be entirely benign, their perioperative risk profile appears to be less severe than that of traditional tobacco use.

Background Long-term corticosteroid (LTC) use is a known risk factor for adverse outcomes after various surgical procedures. However, the impact of LTC use on surgical complications after TSA remains underexplored. This study aims to assess the influence of LTC use on 90-day and 5-year complications following TSA. Methods A retrospective cohort study utilizing the PearlDiver database was conducted. Patients undergoing primary TSA with a minimum 5-year follow-up were included. LTC users were propensity-matched 1:10 with controls based on demographic variables and comorbidities. Postoperative complications within 90 days of surgery and long-term complications within 5 years were compared between groups. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to compare complications controlling for demographic variables and comorbidities. Results In a matched cohort of 556 LTC users to 4942 controls, corticosteroid users exhibited a 2.91-fold higher risk of pneumonia (95% CI: 1.69–4.80, p < 0.001) and a 2.19-fold higher risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) (95% CI: 1.30–3.51, p = 0.001) within 90 days following TSA. No significant differences in 5-year surgical outcomes were observed. Discussion LTC users are at a heightened risk for 90-day medical complications, including pneumonia and VTE following TSA. However, their 5-year risk of surgical complications was comparable to patients without LTC use.

Abstract Background Little research exists regarding geographic comparisons within the United States for Medicaid reimbursement. We compared Medicaid reimbursement for a broad range of orthopedic surgery codes from each state on a geographic and state level. Methods We obtained Medicaid reimbursement rates in each state for 211 orthopedic procedure codes along with corresponding work Relative Value Units (wRVUs). Rates were divided by wRVUs to control for differences between procedures and subspecialties. States were designated as either West, Midwest, South, or Northeast. Kruskal-Wallis tests with Dunn’s post-hoc analyses ascertained differences between regions and each orthopedic subspecialty by state. Coefficient of variation (CoV) values were calculated to measure the amount of variability in rates. A Kruskall-Wallis with Dunn’s post-hoc test assessed differences in quartiles for reimbursement compared to a square miles per orthopedic surgeon ratio. Results The West region reimbursed the highest at $72.92/wRVU and the Northeast reimbursed the lowest at $51.78. Hand surgery was the highest reimbursing subspecialty ($94.58/wRVU) and Oncology the lowest ($62.89/wRVU). The CoV ranged from 0.15–0.77 by state and 0.27–0.50 by subspecialty. A linear regression model between wRVU-adjusted Medicaid reimbursement and square miles per surgeon yielded an R2 value of 0.453. States with the most land area relative to orthopedic surgeons reimbursed significantly higher. Conclusion The West geographic region is associated with the highest Medicaid reimbursement for orthopedic procedures, and the Northeast the lowest. Wide variability was seen in rates, both between states and within states. Large, sparsely-populated states may increase Medicaid reimbursement as a tactic to attract physicians. Level of Evidence: IV; Economic Analysis

Purpose To assess the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify common sports‐related pathologies using radiologic imaging and to compare ChatGPT 4.0 with 2 competitors, Grok 2 and Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Methods ChatGPT 4.0, Grok 2, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet were used. Five common orthopaedic sports pathologies were chosen: anterior cruciate ligament tears, posterior cruciate ligament tears, meniscal tears, chondral pathologies, and rotator cuff tears. Fifty images representing each pathology were collected from a radiologic imaging database when possible, which included radiographic images, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Normal images were collected that corresponded to each diagnostic category. Receiver operator characteristic curves and area under the curve values were calculated to assess the accuracy of each AI platform. Results ChatGPT 4.0, Grok 2, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet accurately identified the pathology in 23.6%, 15.7%, and 17.1% of diseased images, respectively. ChatGPT and Grok were most accurate at identifying meniscus pathologies (ChatGPT: 48%, Grok: 42%), whereas Claude Sonnet was most accurate at identifying anterior cruciate ligament pathologies (30%). The area under the curve for ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude Sonnet was 0.21, 0.16, and 0.15, respectively (ChatGPT 4.0 vs Grok 2, P = .30; ChatGPT 4.0 vs Claude 3.5 Sonnet, P = .24; Grok 2 vs Claude 3.5 Sonnet, P > .99). There were no differences in performance between the 3 platforms overall or within any of the diagnostic categories. Conclusions ChatGPT 4.0, Grok 2, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet correctly identified the pathology in less than 25% of images of common sports‐related pathologies and showed area under the curve values well below 0.5, indicating poor accuracy. Based on these findings, we do not recommend the current use of these generative AI models for image‐based diagnosis in orthopaedics. Clinical Relevance As the use of AI becomes more popular within the general public, it becomes increasingly important to make aware the capabilities and limitations of popular AI platforms in regard to their current image‐based diagnostic capabilities.

Background: To our knowledge, there are no studies assessing associations between patients on preoperative estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) undergoing distal radius open reduction and internal fixation (DRORIF) and postoperative outcomes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare surgical and medical complications in patients on ERT undergoing DR-ORIF with a matched control cohort. Materials and Methods: The PearlDiver Mariner database was searched for female patients who took ERT within 3 months of the index procedure. Patients were matched 1:4 with non-ERT controls using propensity score matching. Complications were assessed at 90 days, 2 years, and 5 years. Statistical analyses were conducted using odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Statistical significance was determined at a P value of <.05. Results: The ERT cohort consisted of 1,815 ERT users, and the control cohort consisted of 7,247 patients. At 2 years, the ERT cohort was associated with a slightly greater incidence of malunion/nonunion (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.13–2.18) but with no increased risk of revision surgery (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.50–2.10). Similarly, at 5 years, the ERT cohort was associated with a slightly higher likelihood of a malunion/nonunion diagnosis (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.24–2.30). Conclusion: The current study suggests that patients on preoperative ERT had a slightly increased risk of malunion/nonunion at 2 years and 5 years after DR-ORIF. We did not find associations between increases in the risk of any other major or minor complications and the cohort of patients on preoperative ERT within 5 years postoperatively.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the ability of three popular open-source artificial intelligence platforms to diagnose common trauma-related fractures using radiologic imaging. METHODS: Design: Retrospective diagnostic performance comparison study. Setting: Publicly accessible online radiologic imaging databases. Patient Selection Criteria: Five common orthopedic trauma fractures were assessed: ankle, tibial plateau, intertrochanteric, femoral neck, and humerus. Radiographs and computed tomography (CT) images were collected. Images were randomly selected from confirmed diagnoses on Radiopaedia.org. Outcome Measures and Comparisons: ChatGPT 5, Grok 3, and Claude 4.5 Sonnet were queried with each image. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and performance by modality (X-ray vs. CT) were assessed. The reference standard was the expert-verified diagnosis provided by Radiopaedia.org, limited to cases labeled with a “diagnosis certain” tag. RESULTS: Each model was provided with 30 radiographs and 20 CT images whenever possible. ChatGPT 5, Grok 3, and Claude 4.5 Sonnet accurately diagnosed diseased images in 26.8%, 18.8%, and 22.4% of cases, respectively. By fracture type, ChatGPT 5 demonstrated the highest correct classification rates for ankle (10%), femoral neck (38%), humerus (40%), and tibial plateau (44%) fractures. Grok 3 demonstrated the highest correct classification rate for intertrochanteric fractures (6%). Overall sensitivities were 0.267, 0.187, and 0.223 for ChatGPT 5, Grok 3, and Claude 4.5 Sonnet, respectively. ChatGPT 5 and Grok 3 outperformed Claude 4.5 Sonnet (both P < 0.001). No modality-based performance differences were observed for any model. CONCLUSIONS: Among the publicly available large language models evaluated for radiologic interpretation of orthopedic trauma imaging, ChatGPT 5 demonstrated the highest overall diagnostic accuracy, followed by Claude 4.5 Sonnet and Grok 3. Despite relative variation between the models, overall diagnostic accuracy for fracture detection was low across all platforms (<27%). In their baseline forms, these publicly accessible large language models are not recommended for radiologic imaging interpretation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Abstract Despite the reported benefits of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), prior studies have shown that TRT is correlated with increased incidence of adverse outcomes after orthopedic procedures. There is a paucity of literature assessing the outcomes of patients on preoperative TRT undergoing distal radius open reduction and internal fixation (DR-ORIF). Our purpose was to evaluate rates of surgical and medical complications in patients on TRT undergoing DR-ORIF with a matched control cohort. The PearlDiver database was queried for patients who used TRT within 3 months prior to the index procedure. Patients were matched 1:4 with nonuser controls using propensity score matching. Matching was conducted based on age, Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, hypogonadism, osteoporosis, and other comorbidities. Complications were assessed at 90 days and 2 years. Statistical analyses were conducted using chi-square tests. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each complication. Statistical significance was determined at a p-value of < 0.05. The matched group included 657 TRT users and 2,236 controls. There were significant differences in depression (control: 40.6% vs. TRT: 45.7%, p = 0.02) and rates of hypogonadism (control: 74.1% vs. TRT: 77.9%, p = 0.05) between the groups. No other statistically significant demographic or characteristic differences were noted. TRT use was not associated with increased surgical or medical complication rates at 90 days postoperatively. At 2 years, TRT use was associated with a greater incidence of revision (OR: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.34–5.85) and nonunion (OR: 2.76, 95% CI: 1.59–4.81). There were no other associations noted at 2 years. Preoperative TRT was associated with an increased risk of revision surgery and nonunion at 2 years postoperatively. No other significant associations in the risk of major or minor complications were observed. Level III

Background Carpal tunnel release (CTR) is one of the most frequently performed procedures in the United States, with both open (OCTR) and endoscopic (ECTR) techniques widely used. As surgical practices evolve and outpatient care expands, understanding future utilization trends across care settings is increasingly important. This study projects the use of OCTR and ECTR through 2040 to inform shifting surgical preferences and healthcare demands. Methods This study analyzed procedural data from 2010 to 2019 using the PearlDiver Mariner all-payer claims database. Cases of OCTR and ECTR were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes. Procedures were further stratified by inpatient or outpatient status based on the documented site of service field within the database. Log-linear, Poisson, negative binomial regression, and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were applied to procedural volumes to project trends through 2040. The ARIMA model was selected based on the lowest normalized root mean square error and overall model performance. Results In 2019, there were 31,190 outpatient ECTR, 155 inpatient ECTR, 101,334 outpatient OCTR, and 1359 inpatient OCTR procedures. By 2040, outpatient ECTR is projected to grow to 65,072 cases (95% CI, 62,471–67,781) at 3.79% annually. Inpatient ECTR is projected to reach 181 cases (95% CI, 97–340) with 2.13% annual growth. Outpatient OCTR is expected to decline to 77,834 cases (95% CI, 76,287–79,413), and inpatient OCTR to 962 cases (95% CI, 809–1143), with annual decreases of 1.19% and 1.48%, respectively. Conclusions By 2040, demand for outpatient ECTR is projected to increase by 110.31% compared to 2019, whereas outpatient OCTR is expected to decline by 20.31%. Although inpatient utilization remains limited, the adoption of endoscopic techniques is anticipated to rise across all care settings, in contrast to the continued decline of open procedures. These trends highlight the ongoing shift toward minimally invasive, ambulatory surgical care. Strategic planning in surgical training, healthcare infrastructure, and reimbursement models will be critical to meet changing demands. Further research is needed to validate these projections in broader populations and across diverse healthcare systems.

ABSTRACTBackground and ObjectivesMedicaid reimbursement to physicians has been demonstrated to be lower than reimbursement from Medicare and private insurance. Studies on Medicaid reimbursement for orthopedic oncology procedures, however, are limited. This study compares Medicaid reimbursement rates to Medicare for 38 common musculoskeletal oncology procedures and assesses variability among states.MethodsWe collected 38 current procedural terminology (CPT) codes for commonly performed orthopedic oncology procedures. Medicare rates were obtained from the 2023 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid physician (CMS) fee schedule. Medicaid rates were collected from electronic state website fee schedules. Reimbursement for the two insurance types were compared with state and national averages. Dollar differences were adjusted for work relative value units (RVU) to ascertain procedural variability. The Medicare Wage Index, representing differences in wages across states, was used to adjust medicaid rates to compare more accurately to medicare. Coefficient of variation values, calculated by dividing the standard deviation by the mean, were calculated to assess variation among procedures.ResultsMedicaid reimbursed orthopedic oncologists 22.1% less than medicare on average, increasing to 33.0% when adjusting for wage differences. State Medicaid reimbursement ranged from 37% to 131% of Medicare, with 38 states reimbursing less than Medicare on average. The coefficient of variation for Medicaid procedures ranged from 0.24 to 0.46, indicating wide variability among states and procedures, while for Medicare, the coefficient of variation was low at 0.06 to 0.07.ConclusionsMedicaid reimbursement for common orthopedic oncology procedures is substantially lower and more variable than Medicare, despite the often urgent nature of these surgeries. Disparities in reimbursement may impact access to care for this population, highlighting the need for policy reform.

Background: Although it is well established that the type of organism can be a risk factor for failure in patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), no study to date has examined the impact of the number of positive cultures on treatment outcomes in patients undergoing 2-stage exchange. The purpose of this multicenter study was to determine the prognostic utility of multiple positive cultures at resection as a predictor of failure following reimplantation. Methods: This retrospective multicenter study identified 437 patients with chronic knee PJI who had undergone 2-stage exchange arthroplasty with a minimum of 1 year of follow-up following reimplantation. PJI was defined with use of the 2013 Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) criteria. Patients with culture-negative PJI were excluded (n = 138). Treatment failure was defined as either any reoperation for infection or PJI-related mortality. Multivariable regression controlling for risk factors for failure after a 2-stage arthroplasty was performed to determine whether ≥2 positive intraoperative cultures at resection can predict outcomes following reimplantation when compared with a single positive culture. Results: Two hundred and ninety-nine patients were included. At a mean follow-up of 6.2 ± 2.6 years, 48 patients (16.1%) experienced failure. Patients who had a failure were more likely to have had a longer interstage interval (p = 0.038) and were also more likely to have had ≥2 positive cultures at the time of resection arthroplasty (95.8% versus 75.3%; p = 0.001). On regression analysis, ≥2 positive cultures at resection was the only variable that was identified as a risk factor for failure following reimplantation in both the univariate (odds ratio [OR], 7.55 [95% CI, 2.24 to 47.0]; p = 0.006) and multivariable models (OR, 8.12 [95% CI, 2.31 to 51.9]; p = 0.005). Conclusions: This is the first study to examine the impact of the number of positive cultures on outcomes in patients with PJI. We found that the presence of ≥2 positive cultures at resection was an indicator of a poor prognosis and resulted in a greater than eightfold increase in the risk of treatment failure in patients undergoing a 2-stage exchange. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.