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Background Metastatic bone disease is a substantial burden to patients and the healthcare system as a whole. Metastatic disease can be painful, is associated with decreased survival, and is emotionally traumatic to patients when they discover their disease has progressed. In the United States, more than 250,000 patients have metastatic bone disease, with an estimated annual cost of USD 12 billion. Prior studies suggest that patients who receive prophylactic fixation for impending pathologic fractures, compared with those treated for realized pathologic fractures, have decreased pain levels, faster postoperative rehabilitation, and less in-hospital morbidity. However, to our knowledge, the relative economic utility of these treatment options has not been examined. Questions/purposes We asked: (1) Is there a cost difference between a cohort of patients treated surgically for pathologic fractures compared with a cohort of patients treated prophylactically for impending pathologic lesions? (2) Do these cohorts differ in other ways regarding their utilization of healthcare resources? Methods We performed a retrospective study of 40 patients treated our institution. Between 2011 and 2014, we treated 46 patients surgically for metastatic lesions of long bones. Of those, 19 (48%) presented with pathologic fractures; the other 21 patients (53%) underwent surgery for impending fractures. Risk of impending fracture was determined by one surgeon based on appearance of the lesion, subjective symptoms of the patient, cortical involvement, and location of the lesion. At 1 year postoperative, four patients in each group had died. Six patients (13%) were treated for metastatic disease but were excluded from the retrospective data because of a change in medical record system and inability to obtain financial records. Variables of interest included total and direct costs per episode of care, days of hospitalization, discharge disposition, 1-year postoperative mortality, and descriptive demographic data. All costs were expressed as a cost ratio between the two cohorts, and total differences between the groups, as required per medical center regulations. All data were collected by one author and the medical center’s financial office. Results Mean total cost was higher in patients with pathologic fractures (cost unit [CU], 642 ± 519) than those treated prophylactically without fractures (CU, 370 ± 171; mean difference, 272; 95% CI, 19–525; p = 0.036). In USD, this translates to a mean of nearly USD 21,000 less for prophylactic surgery. Mean direct cost was 41% higher (nearly USD 12,000) in patients with a pathologic fracture (CU, 382 ± 300 versus 227 ± 93; mean difference, 155; 95% CI, 9–300; p = 0.038). Mean length of stay was longer in patients with pathologic fractures compared with the group treated prophylactically (8 ± 6 versus 4 ± 3 days; mean difference, 4; 95% CI, 1–7; p = 0.01). Conclusions These findings show economic and clinical value of prophylactic stabilization of metastatic lesions when performed for patients with painful lesions compromising the structural integrity of long bones. Patients sustaining a pathologic fracture may represent a more severe, sicker demographic than patients treated for impending pathologic lesions. Level of Evidence Level IV, economic and decision analysis.

Background: Meniscal injuries in children continue to increase, which may be attributable to increasing levels of athletic participation and may be associated with additional injuries or need for additional surgeries. Purpose: To better understand the patterns of pediatric meniscal injuries by analyzing tear location, morphologic features, and associated injury patterns over a 16-year period. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Pediatric patients were identified and were included in the study if age at the time of initial surgery for meniscal tear was between 5 and 14 years for female patients and 5 and 16 years for male patients. Patients were observed until age 18, and any subsequent surgeries were noted. Demographic factors, tear type and location, associated injuries, and treatment type were analyzed. Results: Mean patient age at surgery was 13.3 years, and 37% of patients were female. A total of 1040 arthroscopic meniscal surgeries in 880 pediatric patients were evaluated. There were 160 reoperations in 138 patients, representing a reoperation rate of 15%. These included 98 reoperations on the ipsilateral knee in 88 patients and 62 operations for injuries to the contralateral knee in 50 patients; 53% of surgeries were meniscal repair, as opposed to partial meniscectomy, and the most common technique was an all-inside repair (91%). Significant differences were identified between male and female patients. Male patients were more likely to have lateral meniscus (74% vs 65%), posterior horn (71% vs 60%), peripheral (45% vs 30%), and vertical tears (31% vs 21%); concomitant ACL injury (50% vs 40%); and an associated osteochondritis dissecans lesion (7% vs 4%). Female patients were more likely to have medial meniscus (24% vs 17%), anterior horn (25% vs 15%), and degenerative tears (34% vs 26%); discoid meniscus (33% vs 24%); and isolated meniscal tears (47% vs 33%). Conclusion: This evaluation of a large series of patients has helped characterize injury patterns associated with pediatric meniscal surgeries. Most meniscal tears were repaired (53%) and were associated with additional injuries (62%), especially anterior cruciate ligament injuries (48%). More than 25% of patients had a discoid meniscus. Injury patterns differed significantly between male and female patients.

The management of shoulder instability in children and adolescents continues to evolve. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of shoulder stabilization procedures in a large, nationally representative pediatric population. The Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database was queried for patients 18 years and younger undergoing surgical shoulder stabilization between 2008 and 2017. Patients undergoing arthroscopic surgery were compared with patients undergoing complex (open or bony augment stabilization) procedures. Annual trends were calculated using linear regression. A total of 3925 procedures were performed, of which 92.9% were arthroscopic Bankart repairs. There was a significant increase in overall pediatric shoulder stabilizations and arthroscopic repairs between 2008 and 2017. Complex procedures were performed most often in the Northeast, but the annual frequency did not increase nationally. [Orthopedics. 2023;46(3):e167–e172.]

Osteochondral autograft (OAU) transfer and osteochondral allograft (OAL) transfer are options for treating sizable articular cartilage lesions in the knee, but there is little evidence to support one technique over another. The goal of this study is to compare the rate of reoperation among children and adolescents undergoing OAU or OAL of the knee. In this retrospective cohort study, the Pediatric Health Information System, a national database consisting of 49 children's hospitals, was queried for all patients undergoing OAU and OAL between 2012 and 2018. A total of 732 subjects with a mean age of 15.4±2.4 years were included. Of these, 393 (53.7%) initially underwent OAL and 339 (46.3%) underwent OAU. The overall reoperation rate was 144 of 732 (19.7%) at a median of 6.6 months (range, 0.6–53.5 months) after the index operation. This rate was similar for OAL and OAU. For 18 subjects (2.5%), OAU, OAL, or autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) was performed at the time of revision surgery. When analyzing only open procedures, we found that the reoperation rate was 25.5% for open OAU compared with 16.5% for open OAL (P=.03). When adjusting for covariates in multivariate regression, we found that those who underwent open OAU had 1.7 times higher odds of requiring a future reoperation than those who underwent open OAL (95% CI, 1.1–2.8; P=.04). Although the rate of reoperation after OAU or OAL among children and adolescents is relatively high, few require revision OAU, OAL, or ACI. Patients undergoing open OAU have higher odds of ultimately requiring reoperation than those undergoing open OAL. [Orthopedics. 20XX;XX(X):xx–xx.]

Objectives: Operative fixation of pediatric tibial spine avulsion fractures (p-TSF) is traditionally performed using either screws (SCF) or sutures (SF). However, literature lacks comparisons with \"hybrid fixations\" (HF), which uses sutures and screws. Our study aims to compare these fixation strategies in a large pediatric cohort. Methods: A multicenter retrospective study across 10 centers was performed to evaluate operatively treated p-TSF between 2000-2019. Patients with SCF, SF and HF were included in the study with a minimum of 1-year follow-up. Functional outcomes (Range of motion and post-operative laxity) were assessed at the first (1-2 months), interim (3-4 months), and final follow-up. Additionally, complications and return to the operating room (ROR) were also assessed. Bivariate analysis was performed. Results: Of the 550 operative patients enrolled, 192 patients were included in the study with 117 SF (60.9%, n=117/192), 49 screw fixations (25.6%, n=49/192), and 26 HF (13.5%, n=26/117). Mean time to the first, interim, and final follow-up were 40.71 ± 12.0 days, 99.8 ± 24.3 days, and 2.21 ± 1.6 years. Groups were similar in regard to age, side, fracture type, and mean pre-op anterior lip displacement (Table 1); however, SCF versus SF and HF underwent open reduction (22% vs. 9.4% and 4%, p=0.023) and post-operative casting (55% vs. 9.4% and 30%, p<0.001) more frequently. HF (110 degrees, 75 – 125) had a greater median flexion compared to SF and SCF (95 degrees, 75 – 120; and 85 degrees, 60 – 90 respectively) at the first visit (p=0.011), while SF (135 degrees, 120 – 140) had a greater median flexion compared to HF and SCF (125 degrees, 110 - 137.5 and 120 degrees, 114.5 – 135 respectively) at the interim follow-up (p=0.017) (Table 2). However, no differences were noted in Laxity, median flexion at final follow-up and with extension at all three time points (p >0.05). The proportion of patients with functional motion was higher with SF (76%) and SCF (70.5%) than with HF (42.8%) at interim follow-up (p<0.008). ROR due to cartilage injury was higher with HF versus SF and SCF (7.6% vs. 0.8% and 0%, p=0.023). Hardware removal was performed at a higher rate with SCF and HF versus SF (40.3% and 34.6% vs 0.8%, p=0.023). Complications and other reasons for ROR were similar (p>0.05). Conclusions: This is the first study to examine hybrid fixations with suture and screw fixations, with post-operative outcomes found to be largely similar across all fixation strategies. However, we noted better early flexion recovery with sutures or hybrid fixations, prompting surgeons to consider the slower flexion recovery and need for hardware removal associated with screws.

Background: Meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) was developed with the goal of delaying the progression of degenerative disease in the setting of substantial meniscal deficiency. This may be especially important in children and adolescents; however, there is a paucity of literature on MAT in this population. Purpose: To evaluate the epidemiology of MAT at pediatric hospitals in the United States, with specific attention to regional and characteristic trends. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: The Pediatric Health Information System, a national database consisting of 49 children’s hospitals, was queried for all patients younger than 25 years who underwent MAT between 2011 and 2018. Characteristic information and surgical history were collected for each patient. The database was also queried for all patients who underwent other meniscal surgeries (including debridement, meniscectomy, and meniscal repair) during the same period (controls). Characteristic and geographic data from the control group were compared with those of the patients who underwent MAT. Univariate analysis was followed by purposeful entry multivariate regression to adjust for confounding factors. Results: A total of 27,168 meniscal surgeries were performed in 47 hospitals, with MAT performed 67 times in 17 hospitals. Twelve (18%) patients underwent a subsequent procedure after transplantation. In multivariate analysis, each year of increasing age resulted in 1.1 times higher odds of having undergone MAT (95% CI, 1.03-1.1; P = .002) compared with repair or meniscectomy. Patients who underwent MAT also had 2.0 times higher odds of being women (95% CI, 1.2-3.3; P = .01) and 2.0 times higher odds of being privately insured (95% CI, 1.1-3.6; P = .02). MAT was performed most frequently in the Northeast (4.9/1000 meniscal surgeries) and least often in the South (1.1/1000 meniscal surgeries) (P < .001). Conclusion: In the United States, pediatric and adolescent patients who underwent MAT were older and more likely to be female and have private insurance than those undergoing meniscal repair or meniscectomy. MAT was only performed in 17 of 47 children’s hospitals that perform meniscal surgery. These trends highlight the need for further research, especially regarding differences along the lines of sex and insurance status.

Background: Anterolateral ligament reconstruction (ALLR) and lateral extra-articular tenodesis (LET) show promise in lowering the risk of rerupture after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), but there are little data on surgeon practices and preferences in children and adolescents. Purpose: To quantify surgeon practices regarding ALLR and LET in the pediatric population. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: An electronic survey was administered to 87 surgeons in the Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine society. The questionnaire asked several questions about surgeon and practice characteristics as well as indications, preferences, and techniques for ALLR or LET in the context of primary and revision pediatric ACLR. Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to evaluate factors that affect surgical preferences. Results: A total of 63 surgeons completed the survey, of whom 62% performed ≥50 pediatric ACLRs annually; 56% sometimes performed anterolateral augmentation with primary ACLR, and 79% with revision ACLR. The most common indications for ALLR or LET in the primary setting were high-grade pivot shift, knee hyperextension, generalized laxity, and type of sports participation. Surgeons whose practice was >75% sports medicine were more likely to perform ALLR or LET with both primary and revision ACLR (P = .005 and P < .001, respectively). Those who had completed a sports medicine fellowship were more likely to perform these procedures than those with only pediatric orthopaedic training, in both primary (68% vs 36%; P = .01) and revision scenarios (92% vs 60%; P = .002). Of the 28 respondents who did not perform ALLR or LET with primary ACLR, 75% cited insufficient evidence as the reason. However, 96% of surgeons who did perform these procedures expressed interest in studying them prospectively, and 87% were willing to randomize patients. Conclusion: Findings indicated that 56% of pediatric sports surgeons sometimes perform anterolateral augmentation with primary ACLR and 79% with revision ACLR. Surgeons with sports medicine fellowship training or a mostly sports practice were more likely to perform these procedures. Insufficient evidence was the most common reason given by surgeons who did not perform anterolateral augmentation. However, there was substantial willingness to prospectively study and even randomize pediatric patients to assess the impact of ALLR or LET in this population.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of race, insurance status, and socioeconomic status on successful or unsuccessful healing of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions in the pediatric knee. The authors retrospectively reviewed patients younger than 18 years who were treated for a knee OCD lesion between 2006 and 2017. Patients were required to have at least 6 months of clinical and radiographic follow-up to be included, unless complete healing was achieved sooner. The primary outcome of interest was healing of the OCD lesion based on radiographic and clinical examination. A total of 204 OCD lesions in 196 patients with a mean follow-up of 15.8±6.4 months were included. The mean age at initial presentation was 12.4±2.8 years. At most recent follow-up, 28 (13.7%) lesions did not show radiographic or clinical evidence of healing. Nonhealing lesions were found in 25.0% of Black children compared with 9.4% of White children (P=.02). After controlling for age, sex, sports participation, lesion size and stability, skeletal maturity, and operative vs nonoperative treatment in a multivariate model, Black children had 6.7 times higher odds of unsuccessful healing compared with their White counterparts (95% CI, 1.1–41.7; P=.04). In this study, Black children with OCD of the knee were significantly less likely to heal than were White patients, even when controlling for numerous other factors in a multivariate model. Although the exact etiology of this finding is unclear, future work should focus on the social, economic, and cultural factors that may lead to disparate outcomes. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(3):e378–e384.]

Background: Across the health care landscape, patients experience disparities based on insurance, sex, gender, race, and other determinants. Such findings have been reported in orthopaedic sports medicine; nonetheless, the overall quality of the literature, including its limitations and impact, is unknown. Understanding this will allow researchers to address areas of need and ultimately reduce disparities. Purpose: To explore trends in orthopaedic sports medicine disparities research, with attention to study design, community engagement, and the development of interventions. Study Design: Scoping review; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: The Clarivate Web of Science platform was queried for English-language articles in the orthopedics and sports sciences categories between 2013 and 2022 with the following keywords: “disparities,”“disparity,”“inequity,”“inequities,”“diversity,”“socioeconomic,”“sex,”“gender,”“insurance,”“race,” and “neighborhood.” Abstracts were reviewed manually to determine study inclusion. Bibliometric data were collected, as was information on the area of focus, study design, determinants of interest, funding sources, and intervention design. Descriptive statistics were recorded. Results: The query yielded 7274 articles, of which 86 addressed disparities or diversity topics in sports medicine. A total of 57 (66.3%) articles were published between 2019 and 2022, and 24 (27.9%) were published in 2022. Predominant journals included the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine (23.3%) and the American Journal of Sports Medicine (12.8%). Also, 29 articles (33.7%) focused on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, and 12 (14%) on rotator cuff tears. Of the 80 observational research articles, the majority (63.8%) were retrospective, and there was a lack of randomized controlled trials or qualitative/mixed methods designs. No studies primarily utilized a community-engaged approach. A total of 31 publications (36%) studied multiple determinants or descriptive data, while 30.2% focused on sex or gender, and 18.6% on insurance. Only 2 (2.3%) studied neighborhood factors. Notably, only 1 study focused on an intervention. Further, only 3 studies (3.5%) were supported directly by the National Institutes of Health funding. Conclusion: This study provides insights into the evolving landscape of sports medicine disparities research. Although the volume of this research has increased substantially in recent years, the literature consists mostly of retrospective studies with a lack of qualitative methodology, community engagement, and development of interventions to reduce disparities. These findings highlight areas for future research.

Background: Debate persists regarding which radiographic measurements are important when investigating a possible discoid lateral meniscus and the utility of x-rays in the diagnostic workup. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in various measurements between healthy knees and those with a discoid meniscus while controlling for other patient characteristics. Methods: Radiographs of patients with a confirmed discoid lateral meniscus were matched by age and sex to those with a healthy knee (verified by magnetic resonance imaging). The following parameters were associated with discoid meniscus in previous studies and were measured on x-ray for each subject: lateral joint space height (both in the central and medial portion of the compartment; LJSH-C and LJSH-M, respectively), medial joint space height, fibular head height (FHH), lateral tibial spine height, femoral inter-epicondylar distance, lateral tibial plateau obliquity, and chordal distance of the femoral condyle (medial and lateral). Ratios were calculated between LJSH-C/M and medial joint space height. Univariate analysis was followed by multivariate regression to adjust for confounders. Results: The study included 57 patients with a discoid meniscus and 55 controls with a mean age of 11.0±3.5 years (50% female). The median LJSH-C for subjects with a discoid meniscus was 7.3 mm [interquartile range (IQR) 2.1] compared to 5.8 mm (IQR 2.2) in normal knees (p<0.001). A similar difference was found for LJSH-M [6.9 mm (IQR 2.9) vs. 5.4 mm (IQR 2.4), p=0.002]. Mean FHH was lower for discoid menisci than controls (12.5±4.0 mm vs. 14.9±5.9 mm, p=0.01). No other radiographic measurements were significantly different between cases and controls. When adjusting for covariates in regression analysis, the presence of a discoid meniscus was predictive of a higher LJSH-C and LJSH-M and lower FHH. Of note, age and sex were also significantly predictive in these models. Patients with a discoid meniscus had 3.5 times higher odds of LJSH-C ≥7 mm [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5-8.3, p=0.005), 3.3 times higher odds of LJSH-M ≥6 mm (95% CI 1.4-7.9, p=0.006), and 3.1 times higher odds of FHH <16 mm (95% CI 1.2-7.8, p=0.02). Conclusion: After controlling for other factors, LJSH-C, LJSCH-M, and FHH on plain radiographs were associated with a discoid lateral meniscus. However, many previously reported measurements were not predictive. While these parameters may aid diagnostic decision making when there is suspicion for a discoid meniscus, age and sex must also be considered. Advanced imaging may be required to confirm the diagnosis.