Shoulder/Elbow News

CHICAGO — At the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Annual Meeting, Kristy L. Weber, MD, FACS, said there is gender bias and disparity in orthopedics. She said orthopedists need to be aware of their bias and mindful of what they say in the workplace.

CHICAGO — At the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Annual Meeting, Augustus D. Mazzocca, MS, MD, interviewed Anthony A. Romeo, MD, about being president of the group and the current state of the society.

CHICAGO — Patients who received scapular notching while undergoing reverse total shoulder arthroplasty showed worse outcome measures compared with no scapular notching, according to results presented at the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Annual Meeting.

Despite efforts to control the price of procedures, implants and physician reimbursement, health care costs continue to increase. According to 2016-2025 Projections of National Health Expenditures Data from CMS, the U.S. spends $3.4 trillion on health care. This has now reached 17.8% of gross domestic product, which is projected to increase to 19.9% by 2025. There is constant pressure on all components of health care to control cost.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polyether­therketone or CFR-PEEK implants have been used in orthopedic surgery, and spine surgery in particular, for almost 2 decades. However, the increased use of these carbon-reinforced implants has recently occurred in orthopedic traumatology, sports medicine and oncology.

CHICAGO — Results presented at the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Annual Meeting showed no difference in functional outcome scores and revision rates between different surgical techniques in total shoulder arthroplasty treated with an all-polyethylene glenoid designed for bone ingrowth. However, autograft bone had greater rates of osseous integration.

CHICAGO — Major League Baseball pitchers with ulnar collateral ligament heterogeneity, posterior medial impingement and humeral-sided partial tears may be at risk for future placement on the disabled list, according to results presented here.

CHICAGO — Although patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability experienced high levels of satisfaction, return to sport and improvement in clinical outcomes after glenoid reconstruction with either distal tibia allograft or a latarjet procedure, results presented at the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Annual Meeting showed latarjet led to better return to contact sports.

CHICAGO — Patients treated with indomethacin after a two-incision distal biceps repair experienced eight-times greater odds of developing heterotopic ossification, according to results presented here.

CHICAGO — Results presented at the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Annual Meeting showed glenoid bone loss of 6.8% after a first-time anterior instability event and loss of 22.8%, with a high prevalence of bony Bankart lesions, in cases of recurrent instability.