WMJ : official publication of the State Medical Society of Wisconsin
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Changes in physician behavior are difficult to accomplish. We hypothesized measuring physicians' vitamin D levels would increase measurement of their patients' levels. ⋯ Physicians with low vitamin D testing rates were receptive to a personal intervention involving measurement of their own vitamin D levels. High workload appeared to attenuate this effect. These novel but preliminary observations require confirmation in future studies.
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It has been estimated that 10%-35% of patients who undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA) have chronic postoperative pain, most often located at the greater trochanter. After greater trochanteric bursectomy (GTB), patients also may continue to experience chronic surgical site pain. Chronic pain has a neuropathic component, which often responds poorly to opioids. In an attempt to provide increased pain relief for patients with intractable chronic pain, unconventional agents and interventional management approaches have received considerable attention. Peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) has been used with increased frequency as a minimally invasive and safe intervention for the management of intractable neuropathic postoperative pain. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of PNFS for treatment of chronic hip pain after THA and GTB. ⋯ PNFS provides an effective alternative treatment option for select patients with chronic postoperative pain after THA and GTB who have failed conservative treatment.