All About Ortho: A New App
Research was just given a convenience update. If you are an orthopedic specialist who regularly checks in with orthobullets.com — a free, online learning and collaborative physician resource — you can now enjoy its key take-home messages using the Orthobullets app. Like the website, the free app includes information about a spectrum of orthopedic topics, including common sports-related injuries, rare tumors and management strategies.
With the Orthobullets app, you can also access charts, core articles and references, embedded videos and lectures, graphics, question banks and tables. Plus, the app includes basic anatomy info for students up to attendings, detailed surgical information for orthopedic residents, and multimedia functions.
Disjointed Finding: Study Finds Increase in Hip Prosthesis Dislocations
Physicians and patients who have embraced the use of hip prostheses during the past two decades may be concerned to learn of a recent study presented as part of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Annual Meeting Virtual Experience. Led by Kevin Pirruccio, a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania, the study investigated the annual volume of prosthetic hip dislocations that present to emergency departments in the United States.
According to the study, volume more than tripled between the years 2000 to 2018, going from 2,500 in 2000 to more than 8,000 in 2018. Pirruccio identified these cases of prosthetic hip dislocations by exploring the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database.
While Pirruccio reported that the rate of dislocations did not change significantly over time, he underscored that there is room for improvement in prosthetics, which may be achieved by enlarging femoral head diameters, implementing dual-mobility cups and using radiologic templating to discourage discrepancies in limb length.
An Alternative to Opioids: Is Ibuprofen the Answer for Orthopedic Trauma Patients?
A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma finds that intravenous ibuprofen provides effective pain relief in orthopedic trauma patients. Based on the results of the study, researchers concluded that some patients might not need to rely on opioid medications to manage pain.
The study was a randomized controlled trial that was double-blind, parallel and placebo-controlled. It was set in a Level 1 Trauma Center and randomized 99 consecutive orthopedic trauma patients to receive either 800 milligrams of IV ibuprofen or placebo. Each option was administered every six hours for a total of eight doses within 48 hours of admission. The administration of IV ibuprofen significantly reduced and delayed the consumption of opioids compared to placebo.