M Bhandari

..The number and quality of well-designed scientific studies in the orthopaedic literature are limited. The purpose of this review was to determine the methodological qualities of published meta-analyses on orthopaedic-surgery-related topics...

....

..To identify predictors of in-hospital mortality and hospital stay following hip fractures...

..Irrigation and debridement are essential in the initial management of traumatic wounds. The relative efficicacy of low pressure irrigation compared with high pressure irrigation remains unclear...

..6%, p=0.04). When orthopaedic surgeons anticipate small sample sizes for their study, they can optimize their study's statistical power by choosing a continuous outcome variable...

..In this study, we compared the effects of various irrigating solutions on the number and function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts and we examined the effectiveness of these solutions in removing adherent bacteria from bone...

..The terminology authors often use to convey blinding status (single, double, and triple blinding) may be open to various interpretations...

..The relative merits of reamed versus unreamed nails in the treatment of open tibial fractures remain uncertain...

..2 s (standard deviation 1.2 s). No patellar tendon ruptures or bleeding complications were seen in the postoperative period. The course of fracture healing was not altered by this new percutaneous technique of pin insertion...

..The purpose of our study was to evaluate the practicality of functional outcome instruments found in the current literature in the elderly following postoperative hip fracture...

....

..Among those examined, the number of cortices bridged by bone appears to be a reliable, and easily measured radiological variable to assess the healing of fractures after intramedullary fixation...

..Best practice rehabilitation protocols can guide postoperative care while minimizing heterogeneity within studies. Functional outcome scores should be sensitive, responsive, and able to reliably detect small changes...

..Given that radial bone mass tended to decrease while bone density was unchanged, we conclude that the effect of casting was modulated by changes in gross bone morphology rather than in material characteristics...

....

..The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between types of declared conflict of interest and reported study outcomes in orthopaedic research...

..We aimed to determine the reporting quality of Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) published in the most frequently cited general orthopaedic journals...

..Our objective was to clarify current opinion with regard to the operative treatment of displaced fractures of the femoral neck...

..Closed and open grade I (low-energy) tibial shaft fractures are a common and costly event, and the optimal management for such injuries remains uncertain...

..Investigators reported differences between subgroups in 31 (57%) of the analyses, all of which were featured in the summary or conclusion. These inferences may be misleading, making their application to clinical practice unwarranted...

..Investigators who adhere to these principles are more likely to succeed during the conduct of their trials...

..Our objective was to clarify current opinion with regard to the irrigation of open fracture wounds...

....

..Through planning, organization, and committing time and resources to minimizing loss to follow-up, other orthopedic trauma trials can hope to achieve the same high rates of follow-up...

..Opinion leaders have been shown to have significant influence on the practice of health professionals and patient outcomes...

..Accurate prediction of likelihood of reoperation in patients with tibial shaft fractures would facilitate optimal management. Previous studies were limited by small sample sizes and noncomprehensive examination of possible risk factors...

..A meta-analysis of existing trials would improve inferences regarding the treatment effect...

..We aimed to identify the perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge of Canadian orthopaedic surgeons with regard to intimate partner violence...

..We assessed the degree of geographic variation in use of intramedullary nailing for intertrochanteric femoral fractures among Medicare beneficiaries between 2000 and 2002...

..The impact of stressors on health-related quality of life has not been evaluated among orthopedic surgical residents. The current study aimed to determine predictors of unsatisfactory resident quality of life during trauma rotations...

..It is not known what forms of management for tibial fractures predominate among Canadian orthopedic surgeons. We therefore asked a representative sample of orthopedic trauma surgeons about their management of tibial fracture patients...

..Therefore, we examined perceptions and competence in evidence-based medicine among Dutch orthopaedic surgeons...

..Teaching this process and its necessary content requires as with everything else, dedication, knowledge and practice. The best way to teach both patient care and EBM is by example...

..The objective of our study was to investigate the extent of psychological symptoms that patients experience following orthopedic trauma and whether these are associated with quality of life...

....

..To identify current opinions among orthopedic traumatologists relating to technical aspects of internal fixation and arthroplasty for patients with femoral neck fractures...

..To determine the effect of high pressure pulsatile lavage (HPPL) and low pressure pulsatile lavage (LPPL) on cortical and soft tissue blood flow in a canine humerus segmental fracture model...

....

....

..The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether positive findings rendered a manuscript submitted to The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American Volume) more likely to be accepted for publication...

..Ongoing research focuses on both the prevention and treatment of this condition...

..The aim of the current study was to evaluate the interobserver agreement among reviewers, with varying levels of epidemiology training, in categorizing the levels of evidence of these clinical studies...

..Although the explanation for variability in outcomes remains unclear, previous studies of other surgical procedures have suggested nonsurgery-related causes account for much of the variability in outcomes...

..This article uses examples from orthopedics to outline EBM principles and methods and the advantages of EBM over traditional approaches. It also discusses challenges in implementing EBM and suggests EBM-related resources for physicians...

..3. OTA website abstract database: 8 abstracts. Total number potentially relevant articles: 29 (following review of all study titles and abstracts). Total number included after review: 17 (1-17) ...

....

..Thorough preparation before the study and the establishment of stricter guidelines to limit the presentation of preliminary data at national and international meetings may improve publication rates...

..examine whether antibodies to insulin-like growth factor (IGF) I, IGF II, or indomethacin (an inhibitor of the inflammatory process) affect bone formation following intramedullary reaming...

..Until such reporting occurs, clinicians will be left with uncertainty about the validity of RCTs that guide their clinical practice...

..Varying definitions of nonunion and malunion may influence the decision to intervene in an effort to promote fracture healing and/or realign the fracture...

..A three-dimensional system, which determines the functional mechanical axis of the knee and tibiotalar joints, may be a valuable and reliable method by which to determine malunion after fracture fixation...

..As evidence-based practitioners, surgeons need to understand study methodology to critically appraise and conduct research...

..Researchers should not assume that the widespread availability and potential ease of Internet-based surveys will translate into higher response rates...

..Most studies were observational, less than half reported on the rate of patient follow-up. Many abstracts followed by publication had a smaller sample size in the published paper. Half of all studies were graded level IV evidence...

..The English literature was systematically reviewed and the rates of malunion, nonunion, infection, fixation failure, and secondary surgical procedures were extracted...

..Our findings should be interpreted cautiously, because the mechanism of the association between scapular fractures and mortality remains unclear...

....

..LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic study, Level II-1 (retrospective study). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence...

..High variability in the surgeons' perceptions of the Garden classification system provides a rationale for discontinuing the use of this system in daily practice...

..Further biomechanical and clinical studies are necessary to validate the efficacy of the Trochanteric Fixation Nail, but in our experience this is an improvement over the currently available devices...

....

..Larger, prospective studies are needed to further explore our findings...

..We undertook an observational study to determine whether concealment of randomization or blinding was used in RCTs that failed to report these bias-reducing strategies...

....