Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Orthopedics for February 2017. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Strategies Suggested to Protect Practices From Hackers
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Steps should be taken to protect medical practices, including small practices, from hackers, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Diazepam Not Beneficial for Acute Low Back Pain in ER
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There is doubt as to whether diazepam provides benefit in the treatment of low back pain in the emergency department environment, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Physician Burnout Eroding Sense of Calling
TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For physicians across specialties, burnout is associated with reduced odds of a sense of calling, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Supreme Court Rules Patient Safety Data Subject to Litigation
MONDAY, Feb. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The Supreme Court of Florida has reversed a District Court of Appeal decision deeming information related to patient safety unprotected from litigation discovery, according to a report published from the American Medical Association.
$20 Million Awarded for Quality Payment Program Training
FRIDAY, Feb. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — About $20 million has been awarded to 11 organizations for the first of a five-year program to provide training and education about the Quality Payment Program for clinicians in individual or small group practices, with up to $80 million to be invested over the remaining four years, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Similar Outcomes for Disc Surgery in Older, Younger Patients
FRIDAY, Feb. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Older patients, over the age of 65, seem to experience the same lower back pain relief as their younger peers from surgery for a herniated lumbar disc, according to a research letter published online Feb. 22 in JAMA Surgery.
Ultrasound Does Not Appear to Speed Up Fracture Healing
THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) to help speed the healing of broken bones is an inefficient use of health care resources, according to a review and subsequent clinical practice guideline published online Feb. 21 The BMJ.
Abstract/Full Text – Review
Clinical Practice Guideline
Cyberattacks Remain Serious Threat to Health Providers
THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Cyberattacks remain a serious threat to small providers as well as big institutions, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Health Information Theft a Pressing Concern for U.S. Patients
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Forty-four percent of U.S. adults are worried about having their personal health care information stolen, according to findings from the Xerox eHealth Survey published Feb. 9 in HIT Consultant.
Pediatric ACL Injuries Continue to Rise, Especially Among Girls
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears has steadily increased among 6- to 18-year-olds in the United States, rising more than 2 percent a year over the last two decades, according to a report published online Feb. 22 in Pediatrics.
Trials Highlight Benefits, Risks of Testosterone Treatment
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Testosterone treatment can boost bone density and reduce anemia in older men with low levels of the hormone, but it might also increase the risk of future adverse cardiovascular events, a new set of trials suggests. The research was published Feb. 21 in either the Journal of the American Medical Association or JAMA Internal Medicine.
Abstract/Full Text – Anemia Trial
Abstract/Full Text – Bone Trial
Abstract/Full Text – Cardiovascular Trial
Abstract/Full Text – Cognition Trial
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Abstract/Full Text – Cardiovascular Study
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
CMS Rule Set to Stabilize Small Health Insurance Markets
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a rule in relation to new reforms intended to stabilize individual and small group health insurance markets for 2018.
Internet-Delivered Exercise, Pain-Coping Skills Alleviate Knee Pain
TUESDAY, Feb. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — An internet-delivered physical therapist-prescribed home exercise and pain-coping skills training (PCST) intervention is beneficial for individuals with chronic knee pain, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Insurance Status Linked to Patient Safety in Lumbar Fusion
MONDAY, Feb. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Insurance status is associated with adverse patient safety indicators (PSI) among patients undergoing inpatient lumbar fusion, according to a study published in the March issue of The Spine Journal.
Increased Active Vitamin D May Help Optimize Muscle Strength
MONDAY, Feb. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — High blood levels of active vitamin D may increase muscle strength, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in PLOS ONE.
Early PT Not Tied to Lower Health Care Use Later On
MONDAY, Feb. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Early use of physical therapy (PT) for new low back pain in older adults is not associated with less subsequent back pain-specific health care utilization, compared with patients not receiving early PT, according to a study published in the March issue of The Spine Journal.
Higher ASA Class Not Tied to 30-Day Morbidity in Spinal Surgery
FRIDAY, Feb. 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing single-level elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (SLE-ACDF), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification is not associated with 30-day morbidity, according to a study published in the March issue of The Spine Journal.
Health Care Spending Expected to Grow 5.6% Annually to 2025
THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Health care spending is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.6 percent from 2016 to 2025, according to a report published online Feb. 15 in Health Affairs.
Patient Complaints of Surgeon Attitude Tied to Worse Outcomes
THURSDAY, Feb. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients treated by surgeons with a history of patient complaints regarding their personalities or attitude are at increased risk of surgical and medical complications, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in JAMA Surgery.
Evidence of CTE Identified in Former Soccer Players
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For the first time, evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in retired soccer players has been confirmed, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Acta Neuropathologica.
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Patient Knowledge of Radiation Involved in Spinal Imaging Poor
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients have a lack of understanding relating to radiation exposure associated with common spinal imaging modalities, according to a study published in the March issue of The Spine Journal.
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ACP Issues Guideline for Treating Acute, Subacute, Chronic LBP
TUESDAY, Feb. 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) — First-line therapy for patients with low back pain should be simple non-pharmacological remedies — from heat wraps to physical therapy, according to a new clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians (ACP) published online Feb. 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Review 1
Review 2
Clinical Practice Guideline
Yoga Linked to Low Back Pain Relief, Improvement in Function
FRIDAY, Feb. 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients experiencing low back pain, yoga may be an effective pain reliever, according to a review published online Jan. 12 in The Cochrane Library.
Full Text
Treatment of Hips Beneficial in Patients With Low Back Pain
MONDAY, Feb. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For individuals presenting with a primary complaint of mechanical low back pain (LBP), prescriptive treatment of the hips seems beneficial in addition to treatment of the lumbar spine, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
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Comorbidities Up Resource Use in Pediatric Spinal Fusion
FRIDAY, Feb. 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For children with medical complexity undergoing spinal fusion, chronic respiratory insufficiency, bladder dysfunction, and epilepsy are significantly associated with hospital resource use, according to a study published online Feb. 2 in Pediatrics.
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NSAIDs Found to Be of Little Benefit to Patients With Back Pain
THURSDAY, Feb. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) don’t help most patients with back pain, according to a review published online Feb. 2 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
Surgery Can Benefit T2DM Control for Patients With Lumbar Stenosis
THURSDAY, Feb. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Successful lumbar surgery is associated with improved glycemic control for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2), according to a study published in the February issue of The Spine Journal.
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Gout Linked to Increased Hip Fracture Risk in Women
THURSDAY, Feb. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For women, a history of gout is associated with increased risk of hip fracture, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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