The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
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J Am Acad Orthop Surg · Dec 2015
ReviewAcute Management of Traumatic Knee Dislocations for the Generalist.
Acute knee dislocations are an uncommon injury that can result in profound consequences if not recognized and managed appropriately on presentation. Patients presenting with knee pain in the setting of high- or low-energy trauma may have sustained a knee dislocation that spontaneously reduced. Prompt reduction of the dislocated knee and serial neurovascular examinations are paramount. ⋯ Patients with asymmetric pulses or an ABI <0.9 in the presence of pulses may be treated urgently depending on the results of additional vascular imaging, and patients with absent pulses and clear signs of vascular compromise should be treated emergently. Some knee dislocations are not reducible and should be taken emergently to the operating room for an open reduction. Persistent joint subluxation or severe soft-tissue injuries after reduction require temporary external fixation before definitive repair or reconstruction of ligaments is performed.
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J Am Acad Orthop Surg · Dec 2015
Readability of Orthopaedic Oncology-related Patient Education Materials Available on the Internet.
A person's health literacy is one of the most important indicators of a patient's health status. According to national recommendations, patient education materials should be written at no higher than the sixth- to eighth-grade reading level. The purpose of our study was to assess the readability of online patient education materials related to orthopaedic oncology on the websites of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Cancer Society (ACS), Bone and Cancer Foundation (BCF), and National Cancer Institute (NCI). ⋯ Online patient education materials related to orthopaedic oncology appear to be written at a level above the comprehension ability of the average patient.
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J Am Acad Orthop Surg · Dec 2015
Body Morphology and Its Associations With Thoracolumbar Trauma Sustained in Motor Vehicle Collisions.
This study investigates the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the patterns of thoracolumbar spinal fractures sustained by patients in motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). ⋯ This study characterizes the relationship between body morphology and the thoracolumbar injury patterns associated with MVC to improve understanding of the overall morbidity and mortality of these injuries. These results corroborate research demonstrating the unique relationships between patients who are obese and specific patterns of injury and higher injury severity caused by MVCs and establish a rationale for specifically including thoracolumbar spine parameters in crash safety standards.