Bulletin of the NYU hospital for joint diseases
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Informed consent is a legal document that summarizes what will take place in a study in a language the study subjects can understand and is the process by which a person decides whether or not to participate in a study. The document is not limited to explaining the intervention or potential risks and benefits but is also the source of understanding why the study is being done and what the particular study will add to what is already known. ⋯ The central role of an informed consent document in any study could be vitally expanded and enhanced with inclusion and full disclosure of its content through clinical trial registries and published reports in the literature, bringing improved transparency to the entire clinical trial process. Transparency is important for the maintenance of high standards in clinical research and for public trust of the process, a sometimes underrecognized factor in healthcare initiatives.
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Bull NYU Hosp Jt Dis · Jan 2010
The effectiveness of tricyclic antidepressants on lumbar spinal stenosis.
Tricyclic antidepressants have not been explicitly studied in the conservative treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. A retrospective chart review was conducted in a subset of patients with chronic low back pain and lumbar spinal stenosis managed with low dose tricyclic antidepressants. Of 26 patients, 20 reported improvement in back pain. ⋯ Patients with both leg and back pain reported improvement in greater proportion than patients with back pain alone. According to this study tricyclic antidepressants appear to be effective in controlling lumbar spinal stenosis symptoms in this patient population. Tricyclic antidepressants need to be further analyzed in randomized controlled studies as a means to conservatively manage lumbar spinal stenosis with stratification based on location of pain.
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Bull NYU Hosp Jt Dis · Jan 2010
Assessment of arthroscopic training in U.S. orthopedic surgery residency programs--a resident self-assessment.
There has been an increasing number of arthroscopic surgeries performed in general orthopedic surgery practice, as well as a rapid evolution of arthroscopic techniques. The objective of this investigation was to assess the adequacy of arthroscopic training in U.S. orthopedic residency programs from a resident and program director perspective. ⋯ Fifth-year residents who were surveyed felt less prepared in arthroscopic training, compared to open surgical procedures. Program directors surveyed over estimated confidence levels in fifth-year residents performing arthroscopic procedures. To ensure that graduating residents are appropriately prepared for the current demands of a clinical setting, it may be necessary to reexamine residency requirements to ensure adequate practice in developing arthroscopic surgical skills.