Aims. The use of technology to assess balance and alignment during total knee surgery can provide an overload of numerical data to the surgeon. Meanwhile, this quantification holds the potential to clarify and guide the surgeon through the surgical decision process when selecting the appropriate bone recut or soft tissue adjustment when balancing a total knee. Therefore, this paper evaluates the potential of deploying supervised machine learning (ML) models to select a surgical correction based on patient-specific intra-operative assessments. Methods. Based on a clinical series of 479 primary total knees and 1,305 associated surgical decisions, various ML models were developed. These models identified the indicated surgical decision based on available, intra-operative alignment, and tibiofemoral load data. Results. With an associated area under the receiver-operator curve ranging between 0.75 and 0.98, the optimized ML models resulted in good to excellent predictions. The best performing model used a random forest approach while considering both alignment and intra-articular load readings. Conclusion. The presented model has the potential to make experience available to surgeons adopting new technology, bringing expert opinion in their operating theatre, but also provides insight in the surgical decision process. More specifically, these promising outcomes indicated the relevance of considering the overall limb alignment in the coronal and sagittal plane to identify the appropriate surgical decision

Aims. To assess if older symptomatic children with club foot deformity differ in perceived disability and foot function during gait, depending on initial treatment with Ponseti or surgery, compared to a control group. Second aim was to investigate correlations between foot function during gait and perceived disability in this population. Methods. In all, 73 children with idiopathic club foot were included: 31 children treated with the Ponseti method (mean age 8.3 years; 24 male; 20 bilaterally affected, 13 left and 18 right sides analyzed), and 42 treated with primary surgical correction (mean age 11.6 years; 28 male; 23 bilaterally affected, 18 left and 24 right sides analyzed). Foot function data was collected during walking gait and included Oxford Foot Model kinematics (Foot Profile Score and the range of movement and average position of each part of the foot) and plantar pressure (peak pressure in five areas of the foot). Oxford Ankle Foot Questionnaire, Disease Specific Index for club foot, Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 were also collected. The gait data were compared between the two club foot groups and compared to control data. The gait data were also correlated with the data extracted from the questionnaires. Results. Our findings suggest that symptomatic children with club foot deformity present with similar degrees of gait deviations and perceived disability regardless of whether they had previously been treated with the Ponseti Method or surgery. The presence of sagittal and coronal plane hindfoot deformity and coronal plane forefoot deformity were associated with higher levels of perceived disability, regardless of their initial treatment. Conclusion. This is the first paper to compare outcomes between Ponseti and surgery in a symptomatic older club foot population seeking further treatment. It is also the first paper to correlate foot function during gait and perceived disability to establish a link between deformity and subjective outcomes. Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-7:384–391

Aims

Orthopaedic surgeries are complex, frequently performed procedures associated with significant haemorrhage and perioperative blood transfusion. Given refinements in surgical techniques and changes to transfusion practices, we aim to describe contemporary transfusion practices in orthopaedic surgery in order to inform perioperative planning and blood banking requirements.

Aims

There is little published on the outcomes after restarting elective orthopaedic procedures following cessation of surgery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, the reported perioperative mortality in patients who acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection while undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery was 18% to 20%. The aim of this study is to report the surgical outcomes, complications, and risk of developing COVID-19 in 2,316 consecutive patients who underwent elective orthopaedic surgery in the latter part of 2020 and comparing it to the same, pre-pandemic, period in 2019.

Aims

Patients undergoing limb reconstruction surgery often face a challenging and lengthy process to complete their treatment journey. The majority of existing outcome measures do not adequately capture the patient-reported outcomes relevant to this patient group in a single measure. Following a previous systematic review, the Stanmore Limb Reconstruction Score (SLRS) was designed with the intent to address this need for an effective instrument to measure patient-reported outcomes in limb reconstruction patients. We aim to assess the face validity of this score in a pilot study.

Aims

Patient-reported outcome measures have become an important part of routine care. The aim of this study was to determine if Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures can be used to create patient subgroups for individuals seeking orthopaedic care.

Aims

The purpose of our study was to determine which groups of orthopaedic providers favour virtual care, and analyze overall orthopaedic provider perceptions of virtual care. We hypothesize that providers with less clinical experience will favour virtual care, and that orthopaedic providers overall will show increased preference for virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic and decreased preference during non-pandemic circumstances.

Aims

COVID-19 represents one of the greatest global healthcare challenges in a generation. Orthopaedic departments within the UK have shifted care to manage trauma in ways that minimize exposure to COVID-19. As the incidence of COVID-19 decreases, we explore the impact and risk factors of COVID-19 on patient outcomes within our department.

Introduction

Virtual fracture clinics (VFCs) are being increasingly used to offer safe and efficient orthopaedic review without the requirement for face-to-face contact. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we sought to develop an online referral pathway that would allow us to provide definitive orthopaedic management plans and reduce face-to-face contact at the fracture clinics.

Aims

Healthcare systems have been rapidly restructured to meet COVID-19 demand. Clinicians are working to novel clinical guidelines, treating new patient cohorts and working in unfamiliar environments. Trauma and orthopaedics (T&O) has experienced cancellation of routine clinics and operating, with redistribution of the workload and human resources. To date, no studies have evaluated the mental health impact of these changes on the T&O workforce. We report the results of a novel survey on the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of our orthopaedic workforce and the contributory factors.