Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to create a pipeline for standardized data extraction from lumbar-spine MRI radiology reports using a large language model (LLM) and assess the agreement of the extracted data with research-grade semi-quantitative scoring. Methods: We included a subset of data from a multi-site NIH-funded cohort study of chronic low back pain (cLBP) participants. After initial prompt development, a secure application programming interface (API) deployment of OpenAIs GPT-4 was used to extract different classes of pathology from the clinical radiology report. Unsupervised UMAP and agglomerative clustering of the pathology terms embeddings provided insight into model comprehension for optimized prompt design. Model extraction was benchmarked against human extraction (gold standard) with F1 scores and false-positive and false-negative rates (FPR/FNR). Then, an expert MSK radiologist provided comprehensive research-grade scores of the images, and agreement with report-extracted data was calculated using Cohens kappa. Results: Data from 230 patients with cLBP were included (mean age 53.2 years, 54% women). The overall model performance for extracting data from clinical reports was excellent, with a mean F1 score of 0.96 across pathologies. The mean FPR was marginally higher than the FNR (5.1% vs. 3.0%). Agreement with comprehensive scoring was moderate (kappa 0.424), and the underreporting of lateral recess stenosis (FNR 63.6%) and overreporting of disc pathology (FPR 42.7%) were noted. Conclusions: LLMs can accurately extract highly detailed information on lumbar spine imaging pathologies from radiology reports. Moderate agreement between the LLM and comprehensive scores underscores the need for less subjective, machine-based data extraction from imaging.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Atraumatic hip pain in children is one of the most common orthopaedic complaints in this population. This review details the important elements of the pediatric hip physical exam and provides an overview of pertinent clinical exam findings in specific diagnoses of common pediatric hip pathology. RECENT FINDINGS: A thorough physical exam is critical for the diagnosis of pediatric hip pathology, as many conditions have exam findings that are very commonly associated with the pathology, if not pathognomonic for the disorder. Additionally, pediatric hip pathology is strongly age-related, so an understanding of typical exam findings and common hip conditions by age can be invaluable in forming a correct diagnosis. Inspection, palpation, range of motion, gait analysis, and provocative tests provide clues about potential diagnoses. Together with history and risk factors, pediatric clinicians can make appropriate diagnosis of pediatric hip disorders.

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STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective comparative study. OBJECTIVE: To compare patient-reported physical activity between anterior thoracic vertebral body tethering and posterior lumbar spine tethering (ATVBT/PLST) and posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion (PSIF) with minimum 2 year follow-up. METHODS: Consecutive skeletally immature patients with idiopathic scoliosis and a thoracic and lumbar curve magnitude ≥40° who underwent either ATVBT/PLST or PSIF from 2015-2019 were included. The primary outcome was rate of returning to sport. Secondary outcomes included ability to bend and satisfaction with sport performance as well as weeks until return to sport, school, physical education (PE) classes, and running. RESULTS: Ten patients underwent ATVBT/PLST and 12 underwent PSIF. ATVBT/PLST patients reported significantly faster return to sport (13.5 weeks vs 27.9 weeks, P = .04), running (13.3 weeks vs 28.8 weeks, P = .02), and PE class (12.6 weeks vs 26.2 weeks, P = .04) compared to PSIF patients. ATVBT/PLST patients reported that they had to give up activities due to their ability to bend at lower rates than PSIF patients while reporting no changes in their ability to bend after surgery at higher rates than PSIF patients (0% vs 4% giving up activities and 70% vs 0% reporting no changes in bending ability for ATVBT/PLST and PSIF, respectively, P = .01). Compared to PSIF patients, ATVBT/PLST patients experienced less main thoracic and thoracolumbar/lumbar curve correction at most recent follow-up (thoracic: 41 ± 19% vs 69 ± 18%, P = .001; thoracolumbar/lumbar: 59 ± 25% vs 78 ± 15%, P = .02). No significant differences in the number of revision surgeries were observed between ATVBT/PLST and PSIF patients (4 (40%) and 1 (8%) for ATVBT/PLST and PSIF, respectively, P = .221). CONCLUSIONS: ATVBT/PLST patients reported significantly faster rates of returning to sport, running, and PE. In addition, ATVBT/PLST patients were less likely to have to give up activities due to bending ability after surgery and reported no changes in their ability to bend after surgery more frequently than PSIF patients. However, the overall rate of return to the same or higher level of sport participation was high amongst both groups, with no significant difference observed between ATVBT/PLST and PSIF patients.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: For pediatric osteomyelitis and septic arthritis, 10-24% of cases occur in the upper extremity (UE). Due to delays in presentation and diagnosis, UE infections are often more complex and severe than infections of the lower extremity (LE). This review evaluates the literature from the past 6 years related to pediatric osteomyelitis and septic arthritis of the UE and provides a guide for professionals managing these conditions in children. RECENT FINDINGS: The shoulder and elbow are the most commonly affected joints, and the humerus is the most commonly affected bone. As with the LE, diagnosis of UE osteoarticular infections is based on clinical evidence, laboratory data, and diagnostic imaging. While Staphylococcus aureus is the primary bacteria identified in UE infections, there is an underappreciation of the burden from Kingella kingae as a causative organism in culture-negative patients where PCR is not performed. Septic joints should be treated with irrigation and debridement urgently, with subsequent antibiotic therapy for a minimum of 2-4 weeks. For acute osteomyelitis without abscess or concomitant septic joints, antibiotic therapy is standard of care. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is associated with more severe infection requiring more surgeries. Various strategies exist for managing segmental bone loss in chronic osteoarticular infections. Osteomyelitis and septic arthritis tend to occur less frequently in the UE than the LE but have a devastating impact on the health and quality of life of children around the world. Complete resolution of disease can be achieved through an individualized approach to antibiotic and operative management. Further study is needed to assess the efficacy of aspiration as a primary treatment strategy in UE joints.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review aims to analyze the impact of martial arts on youth, addressing the physical and psychosocial benefits, as well as the injury risks associated with increased participation. RECENT FINDINGS: Data from the National Federation of State High School Associations indicates a notable increase in youth participation in martial arts, with a rise of over 13,000 participants from 2018 to 2022. In addition to physical benefits, recent studies highlight that martial arts can significantly enhance mindfulness, reduce stress, and improve self-control, thus diminishing bullying behaviors in school-aged children. Additionally, the therapeutic application of martial arts techniques has been effective in managing pain in children with chronic diseases and in alleviating emotional distress in their siblings. However, the popularity of the sport brings concerns over a spectrum of injuries, especially more severe cases in competitive settings. Martial arts provide a dynamic platform for fostering robust physical health and psychological resilience among youth. While the benefits are substantial, they are accompanied by risks that require careful management through informed practices and supervision. This review underscores the importance of understanding the dual nature of martial arts - its capacity to empower and its potential to harm - to maximize its benefits and safeguard young athletes.

PURPOSE: With life expectancies increasing worldwide, there is a concomitant rise in the incidence of fragility fractures. As such, low-income and lower-middle-income countries (LICs and LMICs) will be faced with increased incidences of hip fractures. The care of these fractures is adversely affected by various factors that include under-resourced healthcare systems and large socioeconomic disparities, which disproportionately affect patient care in these regions relative to high-income countries. The purpose of this study was to determine treatment trends and outcomes of hip fracture care in lesser resourced regions as reported in primary literature sources through a systematic review. DATA SOURCES: The article search was conducted on December 16, 2020, and April 14, 2022, in 3 databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase. A search strategy unique to each database was developed with a research librarian using English search terms. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were selected using DistillerSR systematic review software. Two rounds of screening were performed for inclusion: 1) title and abstract screening and 2) full-text screening. Two researchers independently reviewed all articles. No articles were excluded based on language. DATA EXTRACTION: The extracted information included country, study demographics and design, hip fracture location, treatment, and outcomes. DATA SYNTHESIS: Of the 2533 initially identified abstracts, a total of 24 articles met the criteria for inclusion and were selected for final data extraction after full-text screening. CONCLUSION: This systematic review demonstrates a paucity of research evaluating geriatric hip fractures in LICs and LMICs. Additional research is needed to better characterize the preferred treatment by fracture type and associated complications in resource-limited environments.

The field of bone regeneration has primarily focused on investigating fracture healing and nonunion in isolated musculoskeletal injuries. Compared to isolated fractures, which frequently heal well, fractures in patients with multiple bodily injuries (polytrauma) may exhibit impaired healing. While some papers have reported the overall cytokine response to polytrauma conditions, significant gaps in our understanding remain in how fractures heal differently in polytrauma patients. We aimed to characterize fracture healing and the temporal local and systemic immune responses to polytrauma in a murine model of polytrauma composed of a femur fracture combined with isolated chest trauma. We collected serum, bone marrow from the uninjured limb, femur fracture tissue, and lung tissue over 3 weeks to study the local and systemic immune responses and cytokine expression after injury. Immune cell distribution was assessed by flow cytometry. Fracture healing was characterized using microcomputed tomography (microCT), histological staining, immunohistochemistry, mechanical testing, and small angle X-ray scattering. We detected more innate immune cells in the polytrauma group, both locally at the fracture site and systemically, compared to other groups. The percentage of B and T cells was dramatically reduced in the polytrauma group 6 h after injury and remained low throughout the study duration. Fracture healing in the polytrauma group was impaired, evidenced by the formation of a poorly mineralized and dysregulated fracture callus. Our data confirm the early, dysregulated inflammatory state in polytrauma that correlates with disorganized and impaired fracture healing.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence supporting the use of nonoperative strategies in the treatment of glenohumeral osteoarthritis (GHOA). Recent clinical practice guidelines have stated that it is unclear whether nonoperative management of GHOA would produce a clinically important difference in pain or function. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of nonoperative treatment on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and to identify factors that could predict which patients would undergo total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). METHODS: 62 patients with primary GHOA were recruited. Patients could choose to receive or refuse different nonoperative modalities, including physical therapy (PT) and corticosteroid injections, based on their preference. American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score were administered at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months to evaluate treatment response. Demographic, clinical, and radiographic characteristics were compared between patients who failed and did not fail nonoperative management. Failure was defined as having undergone TSA. RESULTS: 14 (23%) patients who initially attempted nonoperative management underwent TSA at 7.7 months (range, 1.6-25.2 months). In patients who continued nonoperative management, only 19 (31%) patients met the minimum clinical important difference and 26 (42%) patients achieved patient acceptable symptom state. There was no significant difference in the change in ASES score between patients who did and did not undergo PT (P = .524). A lack of belief in PT (HR = 33.6 [95% CI: 5.26-214], P < .001), decrease in ASES score (HR = 6.25 [95% CI: 2.04-20.0], P = .001]), female sex (HR = 5.38 [95% CI: 1.31-22.1], P = .020), and lower resilience (HR = 7.14 [95% CI: 1.78-33.3], P = .006) were independently associated with failure of nonoperative treatment. Patients who received at least one glenohumeral corticosteroid injection (HR = 0.16 [95% CI: 0.04-0.67], P = .012) or had more joint space remaining (HR = 0.22 [95% CI: 0.06-0.80], P = .021) had a decreased risk of failure. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately, 30% of patients with GHOA who chose their nonoperative treatment regimen had clinically meaningful improvements in symptoms. Despite this, patients elected to undergo TSA less than 25% of the time at short-term follow-up. PT was not beneficial in the treatment of GHOA. Screening questionnaires that evaluate a patients belief in PT and resilience could potentially be used to identify which patients will fail nonoperative treatment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Fatty infiltration (FI) of the rotator cuff is a critical determinant of clinical outcomes following rotator cuff injuries and repairs. This review examines the natural history, pathophysiology, imaging evaluation, and treatment strategies for FI, highlighting recent insights into its cellular mechanisms and emerging therapeutic approaches. RECENT FINDINGS: Animal models demonstrate that FI begins shortly after tendon injury, progresses with muscle retraction and denervation, and is largely irreversible despite repair. Key cellular drivers include fibroadipogenic progenitor cells (FAPs), influenced by mechanical loading and inflammatory signaling pathways. Clinical studies show that FI is associated with advanced age, female sex, and full-thickness tears. Higher degrees of preoperative FI correlate with poorer functional outcomes and increased re-tear rates. Novel therapeutic targets, including pathways regulating FAP activity, TGF-β, and cell-based therapies, show promise in preclinical studies. Emerging strategies such as leukocyte-poor platelet-rich plasma (PRP) may mitigate FI progression in clinical settings. Fatty infiltration remains a significant barrier to successful rotator cuff repair and functional recovery. While surgical repair may slow FI progression, it is not consistently effective in reversing established muscle degeneration. Improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving FI has identified potential therapeutic targets, but their clinical applicability requires further validation. Future advances in regenerative medicine, including cell-based therapies and modulation of fibroadipogenic progenitors, offer hope for mitigating FI and improving long-term outcomes.