American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting brief review #1

I had the opportunity to speak at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting last week in New Orleans.  My talk on virtual reality to curb opioid abuse highlighted how this novel technique can be used to treat patients for postoperative pain and chronic pain.  I will provide a link to my presentation soon.

Overall, it was a very good meeting that highlighted new techniques in orthopedic surgery to improve our patients' outcomes.  A few takeaways from the meeting are:

1.  The optimal treatment for rotator cuff tears is still controversial.  This is especially true in regards to the role of superior capsule reconstructions or tendon transfers for chronic rotator cuff tears.
2.  Indications for a reverse shoulder prosthesis continue to expand.  The role of a reverse shoulder prosthesis in my practice continues to be for rotator cuff arthropathy and severe proximal humerus fractures.
3.  Elbow stiffness after injury continues to be very common.  Both arthroscopic and open techniques are successful in improving range of motion.  In my practice, arthroscopy is my preferred technique due to its minimally invasive nature and quicker recovery.

I will post some links to interesting presentations from the conference the next few days.