The MACI Biopsy Question: Why Only One in Three Patients Returns for Implantation
Really intriguing study from Rothman. 202 patients with 243 chondral defects were treated with the two-step MACI procedures…
Sep 10, 2026
RY
Robin Young
102 articles
Articles by Robin Young
AAOS President: CMS’s 2027 Payment Cuts Could Reshape Orthopedic Care
Dr. Wilford Gibson, AAOS President spoke with OTW about CMS’s proposed 20% cuts to total hip, total knee, total shoulder and shoulder hemiarthroplasty payments.
Sep 10, 2026
The “Borderline” Bone Density Result That May Not Be So Benign After Joint Replacement
Interesting retrospective study of 3,302 THA and TKA patients, stratified according to bone health and actual re-operation rate.
Sep 9, 2026
Could Oral Contraceptives Help Protect an ACL Reconstruction?
This is a most provocative and exciting study. The signal from 26,000 ACL reconstructions on women athletes is clear.
Sep 9, 2026
More Metal, Same Problem? Obesity and Earlier Failure After Total Ankle Arthroplasty
Greater body mass means greater forces crossing an implant that must preserve motion while surviving years of repetitive loading.
Sep 9, 2026
5-Steps to Prepare for CMS’s 2027 Insidious Campaign to Cut Orthopedic and Spine Reimbursement
Red Alert. CMS is cutting reimbursement for orthopedic and spine surgeries. Details are in the fine print.
Sep 9, 2026
Could a Trigger Finger Point Toward Amyloidosis?
Does amyloidosis in one muscle indicate future Amyloidosis in other muscles?
Sep 4, 2026
A Steeper Hill, a Stronger Safety Net: Tibial Slope, LET, and the Young ACL
For a young athlete, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is supposed to reopen the door to cutting, pivoting, and competition.
Sep 4, 2026
Benzoyl Peroxide Before Spine Surgery: An Acne Staple Takes Aim at Implant Infection
This is a fun study. Grab that bottle of cheap benzoyl peroxide, put those spine surgery patients on a 3-day pre-op peroxide scrub protocol and…
Sep 3, 2026
Open or Closed? For Young Femoral Neck Fractures, the Bigger Problem May Be the Fracture
Are there any good answers for femoral neck fractures in younger (35-40 years) patients?
Sep 3, 2026
Is the Internal Brace Ready to Stand Alone?
That bad ankle sprain never healed. Bostrom repair, time tested, dependable is the go-to treatment.
Sep 1, 2026
Does Immobilization Choice Change Proximal Humerus Fracture Outcomes?
That darn immobilization sling is your patient’s constant companion as their fracture heals.
Sep 1, 2026
The Talus Rarely Gets the Last Word
New registry study puts a population-level number on an uncommon but technically challenging orthopedic trauma case — stabilizing and repairing a talus fracture.
Sep 1, 2026
Arthroscopic Latarjet at Five Years: Stability With a Re-Op Price Tag
This 85 patient, Oslo University study of the arthroscopic Latarjet procedure raises some interesting sports medicine questions.
Aug 31, 2026
Does Polyethylene Cross-Linking Matter in Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty?
Cross-linked shoulder polyethylene…should surgeons care?
Aug 31, 2026
When “Fracture-Friendly” Cementless Stems Are Not Friendly Enough
A displaced femoral neck fracture in an older adult rarely arrives with the luxury of time.
Aug 27, 2026
Do Antidepressants Raise Ankle Nonunion Risks?
Antidepressants, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, somehow seem to have an active effect on ankle fusion, most particularly tibiotalar arthrodesis.
Aug 27, 2026
When the Ankle Stops Moving, Does the Subtalar Joint Pay the Price?
Apparently, load sharing occurs among ankle joints too.
Aug 27, 2026
Anabolic Bone Therapy Cuts Junctional Failure Risk 49%
Can spine surgeons cut the risk of proximal junctional kyphosis in half by attending to bone quality pre-operatively?
Aug 27, 2026
XLPE Looks Better at 15 Years – but the Humeral Head Still Gets a Vote
For all the advances in anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty, the glenoid remains the side of the reconstruction most likely to keep surgeons awake at night.
Aug 27, 2026
Three Ways to Fix the Syndesmosis – and No Clear Winner
Suture, screw or a hybrid or both for unstable ankle syndesmosis?
Aug 26, 2026
The BMI 40 Dilemma: Higher Risk After Total Hip Arthroplasty—or the Wrong Way to Select Patients?
Should a 40+ BMI be a hard cut-off for total hip arthroplasty?
Aug 26, 2026
Keep the Remnant, Vent the Bone: A New Rotator Cuff Strategy
Two rotator cuff repair surgeries. Both delivered excellent outcomes in this 56 patient study. BUT…
Aug 26, 2026
One Plate or Two for Proximal Humerus ORIF?
Terrific proximal humerus ORIF study asks; one plate or two?
Aug 26, 2026
How Many Hours Are Enough? Rethinking Brace Prescriptions in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Timely study measures adolescent idiopathic scoliosis bracing wear time. Fascinating outcomes.
Aug 26, 2026
GLP-1 Drugs and Joint Replacement: A 90-Day Signal Surgeons Can’t Ignore
Pre-op use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with significantly improved total joint arthroplasty outcomes and risk reduction.
Aug 26, 2026
After 7 Years, Shockwave Patients Had Fewer Re-Ops
At nearly seven years, extracorporeal shockwave therapy and ultrasound-guided needling produced similarly excellent outcomes…
Aug 25, 2026
Wide Awake, Faster Out? WALANT Meets MICA in Hallux Valgus Surgery
For orthopedic surgeons performing minimally invasive hallux valgus correction, the osteotomy may be small, but the perioperative footprint is not.
Aug 25, 2026
The Forgotten Motion After Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty
Tucking in a shirt, managing a belt, washing the back, fastening clothing, and attending to toileting are foundational to patient satisfaction after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.
Aug 20, 2026
Laminoplasty Cuts Reoperation Risk – but Don’t Put Away the Rods Yet
A 4,412 patient study compared laminoplasty with cervical fusion outcomes. Good study.
Aug 20, 2026
The Robot Stayed Late, but the Patient Left Early
This VCU, Duke and Northeastern Ohio team compared robotic assist surgery to “free-hand” surgery in unicompartmental knee surgery. Who won?
Aug 20, 2026
The Lead That Couldn’t Take the Stress
The FDA has issued a recall for Boston Scientific’s Infinion CX spine stim leads but only those in inventory, NOT implanted leads.
Aug 20, 2026
Large ACL Study Links Quad Graft to Poor Outcomes
Strong study out of Stockholm looks at quad grafts and patient outcomes.
Aug 19, 2026
Distal Lordosis: The 4 Degrees That May Change a Five-Year Fusion Story
The index operation goes well. And the patient improves…for a few years.
Aug 18, 2026
OFIX 1H 2026: Limb Recon Leads, Spine Gains Traction, Europe’s Plot Twist
Orthofix looks like a duck: Smooth on the surface, paddling like hell underneath.
Aug 13, 2026
The Blueprint of OrthoCarolina and Advocate Health’s New Deal
One large hospital system and one large physician ortho practice decide to “affiliate.” Mazel Tov?
Aug 13, 2026
The World's Largest Ortho Supplier Looks Beyond Implants
Zimmer Biomet delivered the type of quarter mature market leaders hope to produce.
Aug 13, 2026
The Best Orthopedic Hospital in America Doesn't Have a Trauma Center
The U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings have been released, and, in orthopedics, a familiar hospital took the top spot yet again…
Aug 12, 2026
Can Weight Loss Replace Knee Replacement?
Terrific new peer reviewed study, the INKA trial, asked a very clear question: Can weight loss prevent or delay knee arthroplasty?
Aug 12, 2026
Is Alphatec Building the Apple Ecosystem of Spine Surgery?
Is Alphatec the APPLE of spine surgery? CEO Pat Miles repeatedly says he is building an ecosystem for spine surgery.
Aug 12, 2026
Compliance Isn't Optional: SpineFrontier CFO Pleads Guilty
Here’s the latest chapter in the ongoing, multi-year SpineFrontier litigation saga.
Aug 11, 2026
New Endoscopic Thoracic Disc Surgery Approach Proposed
Thoracic disc surgery. Comes with lots of baggage whether you approach anteriorly or posteriorly.
Aug 11, 2026
We Dissect CMS’s New ASM Spine Payment Model
CMS has announced new rules that monetarily penalize or reward spine surgeons based on their ability to manage colleagues and patients.
Aug 6, 2026
Can Albumin Help You Read the Post-Arthroplasty Tea Leaves?
The pressure to ALWAYS have a Eureka (!) outcome is truly problematic.
Aug 6, 2026
The 30 Minutes That Can Make – or Break – a Spine Practice
What does a Formula One Pit Crew have to teach spine operating room teams? A lot, it turns out.
Aug 4, 2026
When the Subtalar Joint Runs Out of Room
This is a great ankle osteoarthritis study. Must read for every foot and ankle surgeon.
Aug 4, 2026
The Hidden Tear That Could Undermine Your ACL Reconstruction
The ACL tunnels are perfect. Graft tension: ideal. Fixation: rock solid. Yet months later the patient still complains that something doesn't feel quite right.
Aug 4, 2026
Can the Lesser Trochanter Reveal Too Much?
Femoral version has become one of the most influential variables in modern hip preservation surgery.
Aug 3, 2026
The Second Clavicle Break Nobody Wants
How often do clavicle fractures re-break and could that hardware removal have played a role?
Aug 3, 2026
The MRI Cartilage Tumor Clue You May Be Overlooking
"Is this simply another chondrosarcoma — or is it something far more dangerous?"
Aug 3, 2026
The Other Joint That Determines Total Knee Arthroplasty Success
The question has never been whether the spine matters in large joint arthroplasty. It clearly does.
Jul 29, 2026
Do Orthopedic Residents Slow Down Hip Fracture Care?
Do residents add sand to the smooth running gears of a hospital trauma center? Nope. Not even close.
Jul 28, 2026
Culture-Negative PJI May Not Be the Worst-Case Scenario
Culture negative periprosthetic joint infection, when no one knows the enemy, is like walking through a dark house without a flashlight.
Jul 28, 2026
Three Weeks to Driving After Volar Plate Surgery?
When can a distal radius fracture patient return to driving? Not a trivial question.
Jul 28, 2026
The Psychology of Persistent Pain After Total Knee Arthroplasty
How much does psychology — depression, anxiety, catastrophizing — exacerbate post-op total knee pain?
Jul 27, 2026
Bone's Hidden Battery: Future of Fracture Healing?
A fracture appears almost lifeless on postoperative radiographs. Weeks later, almost imperceptibly, biology awakens.
Jul 27, 2026
Orthopedic Surgeons Have Lost Over Half the Value of Their Work
Between 2000 and 2025, orthopedic surgeons have lost more than half the value of their work…and the work has become immeasurably more complex.
Jul 27, 2026
Aspirin Strikes Back
: Aspirin for VTE. Cheap. Convenient. No Injection. No lab monitoring. No renal dose adjustments.
Jul 27, 2026
Dr. Gabriele P. Jasper, MD (1955–2026)
: We are deeply saddened to announce the tragic passing at 70-years-old of Dr. Gabriele Jasper and members of his family in a July 13th plane crash in upstate New York.
Jul 23, 2026
Can a Pain Patch Replace Celecoxib After Total Knee Arthroplasty?
Super new study tested a post-op pain patch head-to-head against celecoxib in knee arthroplasty patients for post-op pain relief. Result?
Jul 23, 2026
Can Patients Run After a Knee Replacement? Ask Ten Orthopods, Get Ten Answers
What activities, based on evidence, should TKA patients avoid postoperatively? Running? Jumping? Riding Horses? Skiing? Sex?
Jul 23, 2026
Do Short Stems Really Preserve Bone or Is It Design Over Length?
A new meta-analysis covering nearly 400 patients in six RCT studies finds that some short stems do, some do not. The difference?
Jul 23, 2026
Could AI Predict Bone Healing Before the X-ray Does?
At 6 weeks, the fracture looks acceptable. At 12 weeks, healing seems slower than expected. Is this simply delayed biology?
Jul 22, 2026
Are Kaplan Fibers the Missing Piece in ACL Rotational Instability?
New study puts the focus on an understudied, possibly overlooked “actor” in ACL injury recovery — the Kaplan Fibers.
Jul 22, 2026
Second Chances for the Meniscus: Repair the Re-Tear, Ditch the Shaver?
The meniscal repair has failed, tissue is damaged, time to reach for the arthroscopic shaver?
Jul 21, 2026
The Hardest Part of a Two-Stage PJI Induced Revision Isn't the Surgery
What happens to patients while they're waiting for that reimplantation — the so-called “interstage period”?
Jul 21, 2026
Augmented Reality Shoulder Surgery Comes to the Desert
Augmented reality shoulder surgery comes to the desert — more specifically, to OrthoArizona and Dr. Shelden Martin.
Jul 21, 2026
Can AI Replace Your Shoulder Fellowship? Not Even Close – But It Might Make You a Better Surgeon
Interesting new review of the state of play for AI (aka: machine or deep learning) in shoulder surgery applications.
Jul 21, 2026
Can a Robot Fix a Surgeon? Australia's Registry Says…Not So Fast
A fascinating new analysis from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry tested whether robots help surgeons whose revision rates are higher than average.
Jul 20, 2026
Can Vitamin B12 Prevent One of Orthopedics' Most Feared Complications?
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) has long been one of orthopedics' most frustrating postoperative complications.
Jul 20, 2026
Is Hyaluronic Acid Just Expensive Salt Water? A Level I Trial Reignites THAT Debate
Both hyaluronic acid products improved pain and function — but so did saline.
Jul 20, 2026
A Smarter Way to Get TKA Patients Home Faster?
New TKA study — same implant — same surgeon — same hospital. Completely different recovery.
Jul 17, 2026
Location, Location, Location: Why Pediatric Bone Cyst Surgery Isn't One-Size-Fits-All
New 106 patient pediatric study of bone cysts unearths a number of basic lessons for clinic including anatomy dictates mechanics, mechanics influence biology, and together they shape outcomes.
Jul 15, 2026
Is Bigger Really Better? New Study Challenges How Much Valgus Correction Is Enough for Femoral Neck Nonunion
Surgeons have relied on Pauwels' principles and personal experience when planning valgus osteotomies.
Jul 15, 2026
Crossing the Line: Nebraska Orthopedic Surgeon Faces Misconduct Allegations
Patients trust physicians with their lives, hospitals trust them with their reputations, and colleagues trust them to foster a safe, professional workplace.
Jul 15, 2026
Why Can’t Nearly One in Three Proximal Humerus Fracture Patients Sleep?
Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) proximal humerus fracture patients can’t sleep at night. The reasons are, to state the obvious, multifactorial.
Jul 14, 2026
Modified INFIX Technique Promising for Pubic Symphysis Diastasis
Few injuries challenge orthopedic trauma surgeons quite like pubic symphysis diastasis (PSD).
Jul 14, 2026
A Better Cocktail for Total Knee Arthroplasty – One That Cuts Opioid Use?
): Few products have had the profound effect on patient outcomes that liposomal bupivacaine (LP) has...new study.
Jul 14, 2026
When a Seizure Dislocates a Shoulder: Complex Is Where These Start
Epileptic seizure shoulder dislocations create a confounding set of problems. This new study illuminates them and their frequency.
Jul 13, 2026
ACL Reconstruction for Cervical Spine Levels C1-C2?
Really fascinating new study that suggests ligament reconstruction between C1-C2 for transverse atlantal ligament rupture, not fusion.
Jul 13, 2026
CMS Just Fired the Starting Gun on the Outpatient Surgery Revolution
Medicare just announced the largest expansions of ASC-eligible spine and MSK procedures in Medicare's history.
Jul 7, 2026
GLP-1 Success Story...or Pre-op Malnutritional?
This new, small study from a large orthopedic center found that GLP-1 arthroplasty patients had a 6x risk of malnutrition prior to surgery.
Jul 7, 2026
The Therapeutic Toolbox for Osteoarthritis Keeps Expanding
Bottom line, the therapeutic toolbox for osteoarthritis continues to expand and improve on non-surgical OA treatment.
Jul 6, 2026
The Three Red Flags That Can Derail a Two-Stage Revision for Infected Total Knees
A new, well-designed study, boils down the three most powerful, independent predictors of a two-stage revision knee surgery failure.
Jul 6, 2026
GLP-1 Drugs Lower Pseudarthrosis Rates After ACDF?
Not long ago, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) were primarily the domain of endocrinologists.
Jul 6, 2026
The Intelligent Operating Room: How AI and Robotics Are Rewriting Orthopedic and Spine Surgery
Where are we with robotics, navigation, and the AI wave? And, more provocatively, where are we heading?
Jul 2, 2026
Toe-In, Toe-Out, Tune-Up: Can a Five-Degree Gait Change Slow Knee Osteoarthritis?
Really interesting new study. Simple walking adjustment (personalized for each patient) improved pain and delayed TKA surgery a year or more.
Jul 2, 2026
Femoral Fracture Complication Rates Post THA: New Study
Femoral fractures within 30 days of a total hip arthroplasty are more than a catastrophic event.
Jul 2, 2026
Robotics, Navigation, and Infection: Is there a link?
Do robotics or NAV in spine surgery raise infection risk?
Jul 1, 2026
The Boot That Beat the Plate? Rethinking Weber B Ankle Fractures
Could thousands of Weber B patients avoid surgery simply by standing up?
Jul 1, 2026
When the Talus Leaves the Building: The Grim Reality of Talar Body Extrusion
Rare but devastating, that is the conclusion of this excellent new study of one of orthopedic trauma’s (thankfully) rarest but most challenging injuries — the talar body extrusion.
Jun 30, 2026
Can a Better Rod Bend the Curve on Proximal Junctional Kyphosis?
Across the board, patients treated with pre-contoured rods had less proximal junctional kyphosis than patients treated with surgeon bent rods
Jun 29, 2026
NYU Langone’s Super Bowl Ad – In Case You Missed It
The best ad in this year’s Super Bowl was from and about NYU Langone Health.
Feb 18, 2025
When Surgery Isn’t an Option, This Knee Tumor May Still Be Treated
Your patient presents with pain, swelling and impaired knee function. One rare diagnosis is non-malignant tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). How to distinguish from arthritis and how to treat are explored in this article.
Feb 13, 2025
Ramon Gustilo, Father of Trauma Classification, Dies age 94
Ramon Gustilo, John Anderson, Trauma Classification System, Hennepin County Medical Center.
Jan 8, 2025
Shawn Collins, Attorney for Spine Surgery, Dies Age 67
Without Shawn Collins, a Chicago attorney, the North American Spine Society would not likely exist, and the development of modern spine surgery would have turned out very differently. This is OTW’s remembrance of one of the most consequential people in the history of modern spine surgery, Shawn Collins.
Dec 30, 2024
Meditations on Violent Acts
The murder of Brian Thompson on a New York City street shocked the entire musculoskeletal community. The most tragic aspect of this attack was that we’ve seen this before—as similarly violent acts against orthopedic and spine caregivers.
Dec 11, 2024
Metal vs PEKK – PEKK Wins, It’s Not Close
Time to take a long hard look at non-metal constructs? We’re referring to PEKK, not PEEK. PEKK is antibacterial, a bio-mechanical twin to cortical bone, hypoallergenic, modifiable in the OR, and a friendlier implant than metal. Yes, it’s time.
Dec 9, 2024
New Implant Coating Destroys 99.999% Bacteria – The New Standard
On Friday, April 5, the FDA granted De Novo authorization to a new standard in antibacterial technology. Onkos Surgical’s technology, covered by 27 patents and tested in 63 studies, obliterates 99.999% of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria that come into contact with the implant surface.
May 15, 2024
The Incredible Story of Jack Eichel and His Artificial Disc
Jack Eichel, the scoring machine that the hockey gods labeled a “generational player”, was on the verge of leaving the sport he loved and dominated, when his team refused to let him get a cervical artificial disc. He divorced that team, got his disc and went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2023. It’s a hell of a story.
Jan 12, 2024
Clinical Trial Enrollment Done for Novel Thumb Joint Replacement
Thumb Hemi-Arthroplasty with Natural Kinematics (THANKS) study for thumb base osteoarthritis.
Oct 13, 2023
FDA Approves TOPS for Spondylolisthesis and Stenosis
In a major announcement, the FDA has approved for commercial sale in the United States the TOPS™ motion-preserving facet replacement system.
Jun 19, 2023