Journal of surgical orthopaedic advances
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Total hip arthroplasty (THA) has been shown to improve long-term quality of life, although the immediate postoperative period can be associated with intense postoperative pain that hampers rehabilitation. Effective postoperative analgesia is paramount in the recovery period. ⋯ Appropriate pain management can reduce the associated total direct medical costs for lower extremity joint replacement surgeries by reducing hospital stays and the services needed during hospitalization. Factors contributing to the shorter lengths of stay include homogenous entities such as regular staff and continuity of nursing care, the use of timely and up-to-date information including expectations on a short stay, functional discharge criteria, early mobilization, and the use of a multimodal analgesia approach centered on opioid sparing.
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Pain management following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can be challenging. Inadequate pain management following TKA may inhibit rehabilitation, increase morbidity and mortality, decrease patient satisfaction, and lead to chronic persistent postsurgical pain. ⋯ With careful planning and a multimodal analgesic approach instituted perioperatively, appropriate pain management following TKA can be achieved. Utilizing an extensive review of the literature, this article discusses the analgesic techniques available for the perioperative management of TKA.
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This study examines the amputees from the Army and Marine Corps, the two military branches that have sustained the majority of combat-related amputations. All U. S. service members who sustained major extremity amputations from October 2001 through July 2011 were analyzed. ⋯ Marine amputees were significantly (p < .0001) more likely to be dismounted than Army amputees. The number of multiple amputees increased substantially in 2010 and 2011. Marine amputees, particularly dismounted, are at an increased risk of sustaining multiple amputations.
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The objective of this study was to determine demographic characteristics and epidemiology of hand, wrist, and forearm fracture patients treated in the emergency departments (EDs) to identify the at-risk populations. The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample database collected by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was used to estimate ED visits for hand, wrist, and forearm fractures during 2008. The overall rate of ED visits for these injuries was 54 per 10,000 population. ⋯ A secondary increase in ED visits occurred at age 50 and rose with age. Metacarpals were the most common fracture location in adults aged 16 to 25, while radius and ulna were the most common fracture location in all other age groups. Demographic analysis identified children, adult males aged 16 to 25, and the elderly as target populations for preventive interventions.