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The article focuses on review papers regarding the development of a national strategy for suicide prevention. It states that the Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network (SPAN) commissioned the papers for a national conference about suicide prevention that was held in Reno, Nevada in October 1998. It mentions that the strategy aims to determine, support, and coordinate integrated programs against suicidal behaviors in Americans at the community and national perspective.

The article offers information on 69th annual conference of Society For Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis from October 10-14, 2018 at Las Vegas, Nevada U.S. It mentions several presentation in the conferences including contribution of professional health care providers in hypnosis; science behind a conceptually driven egoistic mind; and challenges with increasing patient expectations and greater efficiency are to be reconciled with cost reductions.

Presents the conference of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association on a research poster session in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 6 to 10, 2002. Topics of the research reports; Use of a poster presentation format; Guidelines for the paper selection process.

Reports on the annoucement of the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers regarding submission requirements for articles to be discussed during the association's August 2004 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The article presents abstracts on medical topics which include the influence of nucleotide on the executive functioning following traumatic brain injury, the association between employment and sports among patients with spinal cord injury, and motor tasks among hemiparetic stroke patients.

Bioinformatics and Genomics are closely related disciplines that hold great promises for the advancement of research and development in complex biomedical systems, as well as public health, drug design, comparative genomics, personalized medicine and so on. Research and development in these two important areas are impacting the science and technology. High throughput sequencing and molecular imaging technologies marked the beginning of a new era for modern translational medicine and personalized healthcare. The impact of having the human sequence and personalized digital images in hand has also created tremendous demands of developing powerful supercomputing, statistical learning and artificial intelligence approaches to handle the massive bioinformatics and personalized healthcare data, which will obviously have a profound effect on how biomedical research will be conducted toward the improvement of human health and prolonging of human life in the future. The International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine (http:// www.isibm.org) and its official journals, the International Journal of Functional Informatics and Personalized Medicine (http://www.inderscience.com/ijfipm) and the International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design (http:// www.inderscience.com/ijcbdd) in collaboration with International Conference on Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (Biocomp), touch tomorrow's bioinformatics and personalized medicine throughout today's efforts in promoting the research, education and awareness of the upcoming integrated inter/multidisciplinary field. The 2007 international conference on Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BIOCOMP07) was held in Las Vegas, the United States of American on June 25-28, 2007. The conference attracted over 400 papers, covering broad research areas in the genomics, biomedicine and bioinformatics. The Biocomp 2007 provides a common platform for the cross fertilization of ideas, and to help shape knowledge and scientific achievements by bridging these two very important disciplines into an interactive and attractive forum. Keeping this objective in mind, Biocomp 2007 aims to promote interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary education and research. 25 high quality peer-reviewed papers were selected from 400+ submissions for this supplementary issue of BMC Genomics. Those papers contributed to a wide-range of important research fields including gene expression data analysis and applications, high-throughput genome mapping, sequence analysis, gene regulation, protein structure prediction, disease prediction by machine learning techniques, systems biology, database and biological software development. We always encourage participants submitting proposals for genomics sessions, special interest research sessions, workshops and tutorials to Professor Hamid R. Arabnia (hra@cs.uga.edu) in order to ensure that Biocomp continuously plays the leadership role in promoting inter/multidisciplinary research and education in the fields. Biocomp received top conference ranking with a high score of 0.95/1.00. Biocomp is academically cosponsored by the International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine and the Research Laboratories and Centers of Harvard University -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Indiana University - Purdue University, Georgia Tech -- Emory University, UIUC, UCLA, Columbia University, University of Texas at Austin and University of Iowa etc. Biocomp - Worldcomp brings leading scientists together across the nation and all over the world and aims to promote synergistic components such as keynote lectures, special interest sessions, workshops and tutorials in response to the advances of cutting-edge research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents information on American Personnel and Guidance Association's convention held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 1969 APGA Convention in Las Vegas will officially open Monday morning, March 31, 1969, and conclude on Thursday noon, April 3, 1969. All general sessions during the Convention will be morning sessions. Proposals should be sent directly to the appropriate Divisional Program. When programs cut across division lines, they may be submitted to the Program Chairman of one of the divisions involved or to the Program Coordinator for assignment to a Divisional Program Chairman. APGA members are invited to submit research papers for programs under the theme, "Research Papers." Papers will be invited to present their papers at these `Convention programs in order to communicate to the practitioner the latest discoveries relevant to the personnel and guidance field. Presenters will be asked to bring reproductions of their papers for pass-outs at the sessions. Individual presentations to the audience will be no longer than five minutes, during which the researcher will state his problem, succinctly describe design, state his hypothesis, present his findings and conclusions.

The IEEE Consumer Communications and Networking Conference (CCNC 2013) was held on January 11-14, 2013 at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel. The conference started on the last day of CES 2013, at which, for the first time, a new, consolidated IEEE booth highlighted innovation and scholarship in various engineering disciplines relevant to consumer electronics. IEEE ComSoc's part of the booth featured selected research prototype demonstrations from IEEE CCNC demonstration session participants, as well as samples of publications and calls for papers of our conferences, and information on IEEE ComSoc sponsored standards and standardization projects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The advent of high-throughput next generation sequencing technologies have fostered enormous potential applications of supercomputing techniques in genome sequencing, epi-genetics, metagenomics, personalized medicine, discovery of non-coding RNAs and protein-binding sites. To this end, the 2008 International Conference on Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (Biocomp) - 2008 World Congress on Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Applied Computing (Worldcomp) was designed to promote synergistic inter/multidisciplinary research and education in response to the current research trends and advances. The conference attracted more than two thousand scientists, medical doctors, engineers, professors and students gathered at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA during July 14-17 and received great success. Supported by International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine (ISIBM), International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design (IJCBDD), International Journal of Functional Informatics and Personalized Medicine (IJFIPM) and the leading research laboratories from Harvard, M.I.T., Purdue, UIUC, UCLA, Georgia Tech, UT Austin, U. of Minnesota, U. of Iowa etc, the conference received thousands of research papers. Each submitted paper was reviewed by at least three reviewers and accepted papers were required to satisfy reviewers' comments. Finally, the review board and the committee decided to select only 19 high-quality research papers for inclusion in this supplement to BMC Genomics based on the peer reviews only. The conference committee was very grateful for the Plenary Keynote Lectures given by: Dr. Brian D. Athey (University of Michigan Medical School), Dr. Vladimir N. Uversky (Indiana University School of Medicine), Dr. David A. Patterson (Member of United States National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering, University of California at Berkeley) and Anousheh Ansari (Prodea Systems, Space Ambassador). The theme of the conference to promote synergistic research and education has been achieved successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IEEE Consumer Communications and Networking Conference (CCNC 2015), the leading international conference dedicated to driving the advance of networked consumer technologies, will hold its 12th annual meeting of global communications experts from January 9 - 12, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Held each year in conjunction with the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the "Call for Papers" deadline is September 7, 2014 for original technical paper submissions. We invite papers that explore key industry topics ranging from wireless home and vehicular networking and peer-to-peer video conferencing to phishing and spam detection, mobile cloud computing, gamification and social signal processing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Information about the Annual IEEE Consumer Communications and Networking Conference which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 10-13, 2009 is presented. It was held with the Consumer Electronics Show and was attended by nearly 450 participants. The event was highlighted with its theme "Empowering the Connected Consumer."

This study seeks to find: (a) the level and influence of support students receive to attend a graduate student research conference in hospitality and tourism, and (b) what they do as the next step with the research they present at the conference (publish, continue working on the project, or terminate research). A total of 110 attendees at the 14th Annual Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality & Tourism in Las Vegas, Nevada were surveyed. There is a significant positive relationship between presenting a conference paper and later submitting journal publications, with doctoral students having more intention than master's students to publish the material they presented at the graduate conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on several conventions related to systems research and behavioral science, including the 51st Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Systems Sciences to be held at Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan from August 5 to 10, 2007, the 5th IIGSS Workshop to be held at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China from June 14 to 17, and the ISOneWorld2007 Conference to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada from April 11 to 13.

A calendar of events in 2009 is presented, including the third International Conference ACE-X 2009 in Rome, Italy from June 22-23, and the ninth in a series of conferences sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada from September 28-30, 2009.

This paper reports the results of a consensus conference of the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) to discuss the experiential training component of residency education in the emergency department (ED) and to make recommendations on structuring clinical training. Self-selected emergency medicine (EM) educators discussed experiential training focusing on three topic areas: 1) methods to optimize training in the clinical setting, 2) identification of goals and objectives by training year, and 3) determination of measurable behaviors demonstrating achievement of goals and objectives by residents. Topic areas were organized into the following questions: 1) what is the optimal number and evolution of ED shifts for EM residents during their residency training, 2) what clinical skills are expected of a resident at each level of training, and 3) what objective measures should be used to provide evidence of resident competency? Participants attended a lecture on the goals of the conference, the questions to be answered, and the role and implementation of deliberate practice into experiential training. Attendees were divided into three groups, each discussing one question. Each group had two discussion leaders. All discussions were digitally recorded for accuracy. After discussion all groups reconvened and reported summaries of discussions and recommendations to ensure group agreement. There were 59 participants representing 42 training programs. Educators agree that essential features of designing the ED clinical experience include the need to: 1) structure and tailor the clinical experience to optimize learning, 2) establish expectations for clinical performance based on year of training, and 3) provide feedback that is explicit to year-specific performance expectations. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:S78-S86 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the activities for the March meeting of the American Physical Society in Las Vegas, Nevada. Conduction of a free on-line training workshop; Schedule for the invited sessions; Enumeration of awardee physicists. INSET: Invited papers and special sessions.

Objectives: To develop machine learning algorithms to predict failure of surgical procedures that address cartilage defects of the knee and detect the most valuable variables associated with failure. Methods: A single institution prospectively collected database of cartilage procedures was queried for procedures performed between 2000 and 2018. Failure was defined as revision cartilage surgery and/or knee arthroplasty. One hundred and one preoperative and intraoperative features were evaluated as potential predictors. The dataset was randomly divided into training (70%) and independent testing (30%) sets. Four machine learning algorithms were trained and internally validated. Algorithm performance was assessed using area under curve (AUC) and the Brier score. Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) was utilized to assess the optimized algorithm fidelity. Results: A total of 1091 patients who underwent surgical procedures addressing cartilage defects in the knee with a minimum of 2-years of follow-up were included. The mean follow-up was 3.5 ± 2.8 years. The mean age was 40.5 ± 15 years. There were 205 (18.8%) patients who failed at final follow-up. The Random Forest algorithm was found to be the best performing algorithm, with an AUC of 0.765 and a Brier score of 0.135. The 10 most important features for predicting failure following surgical procedures addressing cartilage defects of the knee were: symptom duration, age, body mass index (BMI), lesion grade, total lesion area (sum of all lesion areas), number of previous surgeries, number of lesions in the knee, gender, athletic level, and traumatic etiology. LIME analysis allowed for assessment of the optimized algorithm fidelity, as well as provided a patient-specific comparison for the risk of failure of an individual patient being assigned various types of cartilage procedures. Conclusions: Machine learning algorithms were accurate in predicting the risk of failure following cartilage procedures of the knee, with the most important features being symptom duration, age, BMI, lesion grade, and total lesion area. Machine learning algorithms may be used to compare the risk of failure of specific patient-procedure combinations in the treatment of cartilage defects of the knee. Integrated human and machine learning decision-making may improve patient selection and bring about the new era of patient-tailored evidence-based clinical care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCL-R) surgeries have increased significantly in amateur and professional baseball pitchers. While high school (HS) showcase participation has been considered an injury risk factor, limited data corroborating this association exists. Despite concern that showcase participation in amateur athletes may lead to higher risk of future injury, there is a scarcity of UCL injury-specific research on elite amateur pitchers using reliably recorded pitch velocity and other performance data rather than self-reported metrics. The objectives of this study were to examine the age at which elite high school pitchers began to achieve high fastball velocity, specifically greater than 90, 92, and 95 mph (≥90/92/95 mph), as well as to examine the relationship between showcase participation and future need for UCL-R during their professional career. We hypothesize that pitchers achieving fastball velocities ≥90/92/95 mph at younger ages are more likely to undergo UCL-R earlier in their professional careers compared to pitchers not achieving these velocity thresholds. Additionally, we hypothesize that pitchers participating in high showcase volumes are more likely to undergo UCL-R compared to pitchers participating in fewer showcases. Methods: Demographic, HS showcase performance, and injury data from pitchers selected in the first 5 rounds of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft (2011-2020) were gathered from publicly available databases. Demographic data collected for each pitcher included date of birth, height/weight/body mass index at time of MLB Draft, position (left- vs. right-handed pitcher), MLB Draft year, MLB Draft round and overall pick, high school state/country, college (if attended), whether pitcher entered professional baseball directly after HS, U.S. region, MLB organization which drafted pitcher. Performance data were collected for each pitcher exclusively from PG (www.perfectgame.org) and PBR (www.prepbaseballreport.com) events participated in during their HS careers prior to MLB draft. Performance metrics included: peak fastball velocity at HS showcases, age at which a pitcher achieved ≥90/92/95 mph at a HS showcase, age at which slider was first thrown in a HS showcase, peak slider velocity in a HS showcase. UCL injury data included: age at UCL-R, specific amateur or professional level when injured, and recovery time (in months). Continuous and categorical variables for pitchers undergoing UCL-R and those not undergoing UCL-R were compared, and multivariable analysis was performed using logistic regression. Standard deviations of ±1 SD were used to define "early" versus "late" UCL-R subgroups after normal distribution was confirmed (Shapiro-Wilk test, p = 0.183). Trends in time were evaluated using linear regression. The significance of trends over time was evaluated using linear regression. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Version 27 (IBM Corp). A two-tailed P<0.05 was used for determining statistical significance. Results: There were 845 pitchers selected in the first five rounds of the MLB Draft in the 10-year period selected for this study (2011-20). Overall, 659 of 845 pitchers (78.0%) had retrievable showcase performance data. Of 845 pitchers, 229 (27.1%) underwent UCL-R. Peak fastball velocity recorded at showcases was the strongest predictor of UCL-R (adjusted odds ratio 1.19, 95% CI 1.02, 1.39; p = 0.03) (Figure 1). Peak fastball velocity in high school (HS) was significantly higher among pitchers who underwent UCL-R compared the no UCL-R group (91.57 vs. 90.71 mph, 95% CI -1.43, -0.29; p < 0.01). Pitchers who achieved a peak fastball velocity of ≥ 90 mph in HS were more likely to undergo UCL-R compared to those who did not (p = 0.03). Similarly, pitchers who achieved a peak fastball velocity of ≥ 92 mph in HS were more likely to undergo UCL-R compared to pitchers who did not (p < 0.01). Age at which pitchers participated in their first HS showcase was significantly younger for the "early" versus the "late" UCL-R group (15.53 vs. 16.51 years, 95% CI -1.53, -0.41; p < 0.01). Elite pitchers with "early" UCL-R participated in more showcases compared to the "late" UCL-R group (5.38 vs. 2.89, 95% CI 0.48, 4.50; p = 0.02) (Figure 2). Upon multivariable analysis, peak fastball velocity in HS and a peak fastball velocity of ≥95 mph in HS were primary independent predictors of undergoing UCL-R. The likelihood of undergoing UCL-R increased 19% for every unit (mph) increase in peak fastball velocity at HS showcases (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.02, 1.39; p = 0.03). Between 2011-2022, significant trends were identified among pitchers chosen in the first five rounds of the MLB Draft (Figure 3). Mean age at which a pitcher underwent UCL-R decreased steadily over the decade by over 3.5 years (23.85 vs. 20.29 years, p < 0.001). Mean age at which a pitcher attended his first HS showcase steadily declined as well over the ten-year period (16.53 vs. 15.63 years, p < 0.001). Mean number of HS showcases a pitcher attended more than doubled during the decade (2.88 vs. 6.00 total showcases, p < 0.001). Additionally, mean age at which a pitcher achieved ≥90 mph fastball in a HS showcase also declined (17.19 vs. 16.71 years, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Peak fastball velocity recorded at HS showcase events is the strongest predictor of UCL-R in elite pitchers. Achieving fastball velocity thresholds of ≥90 mph and ≥92 mph at HS showcase events significantly increased the likelihood of UCL-R in elite pitchers. Younger age at first HS showcase, and younger age achieving ≥90 mph in a HS showcase significantly increased the likelihood of early UCL-R compared to late UCL-R in this cohort. Overall, our study findings provide statistically significant results which support a formal recommendation to limit showcase participation in adolescent and HS pitchers to age 16 years and older. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the humeral capitellum is an often painful condition that typically affects the adolescent athlete. There is little consensus on treatment and a scarcity of long-term outcomes data. The purpose of this study was to (1) report the long-term outcomes associated with both operative and non-operative management of capitellar OCD, (2) identify factors associated with failure of non-operative management, and (3) determine whether delay in surgery affects final outcomes. Methods: All patients diagnosed with OCD of the capitellum from 1995-2020 within a defined geographic cohort were included. Medical records, imaging studies, and operative reports were manually reviewed to record demographic data, treatment strategies, and outcomes. Surgical treatment was considered delayed if it occurred more than 6 months after symptom onset. Results: A total of 50 elbows with a mean follow-up of 9.4 years were included. Of these, 7 (14%) were treated non-operatively and never underwent surgery during follow-up, while 43 (86%) underwent surgical intervention: 27 had early surgery and 16 underwent delayed surgery after ≥ 6 months of non-operative treatment. When compared to non-operative management, surgical management resulted in superior MEPI scores (90 vs 83, p=0.05), decreased persistence of mechanical symptoms (9% vs 50%, p<0.01), and better elbow flexion (141° vs 131°, p=0.01) at long-term follow up. Older patients had a trend toward increased failure of non-operative management (p=0.06). The presence of an intra-articular loose body strongly predicted failure of non-operative management (p=0.01; OR 13). Plain radiography and MRI had poor sensitivities for identifying loose bodies (27% and 40%, respectively). Differences in outcomes following early versus delayed surgical management were not demonstrated. Conclusions: Patients with capitellar OCD initially treated nonoperatively failed nonoperative management 70% of the time. Elbows that did not undergo surgery had slightly increased symptoms and decreased functional outcomes compared to those treated surgically. In this cohort, the greatest predictors for failure of non-operative treatment were older age and presence of a loose body; however, an initial trial of non-operative treatment did not adversely impact the success of future surgery at long term follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several papers discussed at the conference sponsored by the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) on the developments of the non-destructive testing (NDT) industry in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2007. Claudia Kropas-Hughes, chairperson of the association, has discussed some technical and social exchange in NDT community to promote personal, national and economic safety of individuals. Among of the notable speakers were Rod Standley and Dan Keck. INSET: Images of Lincoln at Gettysburg... and Carestream Health at ASNT.

Background: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients receive an overwhelming amount of information at the time of diagnosis, with most of the information transferred through oral conversations and abstract medical terminology that's difficult for patients to understand. Oral conversations have a low accuracy memory recall of 14%.1 However, when visuals are integrated into discussions, the accurate memory recall of conversations has a median of 80%.2 We ask, "How can nurse navigators help patients feel informed, empowered, and more easily communicate with their healthcare team on a more equal level through using a visual toolkit to guide the discussions?" This paper describes both the process and outcomes of developing a visual conversation aid, the "Dandelion Toolkit." While several resources3-6 offer advice and guidelines on how to develop materials for specific audiences, a holistic, patient-centered, defined framework could help nurse navigators structure the development and testing of materials. Objectives: 1) Develop a visual aid for helping MBC patients and healthcare providers (HCPs) improve their communication during initial diagnosis and treatment discussions; 2) design a set of visual tools to communicate in a time-effective way and appeal to a wide demographic of MBC patients of various literacy levels; and 3) increase patient engagement in treatment decisions despite emotional distress. Toolkit Development Methods: The toolkit was developed following the "U.S.E.R." (User, System, Establish, Realize) Design Thinking Framework.7 This patient-centered, mixed-method approach used action research, iterative prototyping, interviews, and co-creative methods to identify problems and develop solutions within the health system, working with >80 MBC patients and HCPs. Results: The U.S.E.R. design process offered an organized and holistic framework to involve both MBC patients and HCPs in the development of a communication tool. User testing was done throughout the development, which resulted in an evidence-based solution delivered in a short time frame (2 months). The design outcome was a visual metaphor that visualized the behavior, subtype, and treatment options for metastatic cancer. Initial testing of the toolkit in a community cancer clinic revealed it was highly valued by patients and HCPs. HCPs who used the toolkit found the visual approach offered a better method for educating patients as opposed to oral communication alone; it aided in simplifying treatment options, managing patient anxiety, and navigating difficult topics. Patients found that the metaphor helped them to understand more comprehensively what a metastatic diagnosis meant and the spectrum of treatments; the toolkit helped them navigate conversations with other healthcare professionals and family members and to feel an improved sense of control. Conclusions: Initial testing demonstrated the effectiveness of the toolkit developed with the U.S.E.R. Design Thinking Framework for both HCPs and MBC patients. To more fully investigate the toolkit, it is now being used in clinical trials across 7 sites nationwide and internationally. This will provide data to better understand the toolkit's impact on patient knowledge, HCP effectiveness, and best practices for integrating visuals into discussions for improved patient experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: 1) To improve understanding and completion of a CNA driven by Standard 3.1 Patient Navigation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center (LSCVAMC); and 2) to incorporate patient and staff input into development and implementation of the CNA. Methods: A CNA form was selected to initiate screening for Standard 3.1 Patient Navigation. The CNA was distributed and completed by 50 veterans from February 2014 to September 2014. During the survey completion, input from veterans and staff assisting in completion of the CNA reported the form was complex and difficult to fill out. The CNA questionnaire was reviewed by an interdisciplinary group consisting of an oncology social worker, oncology psychologist, medical oncologist, survivorship advanced practice nurse, 3 oncology nurse care coordinators, and the cancer center program administrator. The questionnaire was reformatted due to the complexity of the form and decreased readability reported by those completing the forms. The original CNA consisted of 2 pages, with each area scored on a Likert scale. The reformatted CNA was presented to the Cancer Committee for review and approval. The revised CNA is currently being disseminated and completed by veterans in the infusion clinic and will be also disseminated at the upcoming LSCVAMC Cancer Fair. Results: The CNA continues to cover all 4 spheres of physical, social/practical, emotional, and spiritual/religious areas. The CNA was reformatted, increasing the font size and decreasing the length to 1 side of the paper instead of 2. The Likert scale was removed and replaced with a yes/no nominal scale. Travel was added to the needs assessment in addition to system-specific questions. Future review of the new CNA will be with the Patient Education Resource Center to improve health literacy. More specific data regarding community needs are forthcoming and will be presented at the conference. Conclusions: The CNA will allow the LSCVAMC to identify barriers to cancer care and potential areas for improvement to ensure continuous quality improvement and access for our veterans with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Despite successful return to sport (RTS) outcomes after posteromedial osteophyte resection, one possible consequence of removing this osteophyte is increased stress on the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), leading to a UCL injury. It is currently unknown how often overhead athletes who have an isolated posteromedial osteophyte resection progress to require UCL reconstruction (UCLR). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to report outcomes following arthroscopic resection of posteromedial osteophyte in overhead athletes and determine if baseball pitchers who underwent arthroscopic posteromedial osteophyte resection for posteromedial impingement went on to require UCL surgery. Methods: All patients who underwent elbow arthroscopy from 2010-2020 were reviewed. Patients were included if they underwent isolated arthroscopic posteromedial osteophyte resection without concomitant UCL surgery, were overhead athletes at the onset of posteromedial impingement symptoms and had no history of prior elbow surgery. Primary outcomes included RTS rate, complications, subsequent shoulder and elbow injury/surgery and several patient-reported outcome measures (Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic score, Timmerman-Andrews Elbow score, Conway-Jobe score). Results: Overall, 36 overhead athletes were evaluated at 5.1 years post-operatively, including 28 baseball pitchers, 3 baseball catchers, 3 softball players, 1 tennis player, and 1 volleyball player. 77% of overhead athletes RTS and had a mean KJOC score of 70, with 89% of athletes having either an excellent (73%) or good (16%) Conway-Jobe score at long-term follow-up. Subsequent UCLR was required in 18% (n=5) of baseball pitchers at a median of 13 months post-op. Three of the five UCLR were performed shortly after posteromedial osteophyte resection (6, 7, and 13 months post-op), while the other two UCLRs were performed at 6.2 and 7.5 years post-op. Conclusions: Following arthroscopic posteromedial osteophyte resection, 77% of athletes were able to RTS. Baseball pitchers who undergo arthroscopic posteromedial osteophyte resection have an 18% risk of subsequent UCLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Suprascapular neuropathy due to nerve compression or tension at the suprascapular notch is an uncommon source of shoulder pain and rotator cuff weakness with recent increased recognition and treatment. Long considered an elusive diagnosis, work-up can be lengthy and patients may experience treatment delay. We aimed to review presentation patterns and outcomes of arthroscopic suprascapular nerve decompression in a predominantly young and active military population. Methods: The surgical databases of two surgeons were queried for patients treated with arthroscopic suprascapular nerve decompression at the suprascapular notch from 2013 to 2021. Patient data, presentation and workup findings, and outcome measures were collected through review of the electronic medical record. Primary outcome measures were rate of return to active-duty military service, shoulder abduction and external rotation strength, and VAS pain scores. Secondary outcome measures were American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Shoulder Score, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation (SANE) score. Results: Twenty-five patients were identified. Average age was 26.6 years and follow-up 17.9 months (4-62 months). There were two distinct primary presentation types in this cohort: the chief complaint was pain in 13 patients (52%) and weakness in 12 (48%). Supraspinatus and/or infraspinatus atrophy was present on MRI in 10/12 patients with weakness and 0/13 with pain. Electromyography was positive in 9/12 with weakness and negative when obtained in 5 patients with pain. Ultrasound-guided suprascapular nerve injection was performed in 10/13 with pain and provided mean 91% symptom relief. Patients with pain had longer duration of pre-operative symptoms (22.2 [±13.1] vs. 10.3 [±13.6] weeks). Postoperatively, the pain group had significant improvement in VAS scores (6.2 [±1.6] to 1.0 [±0.9]), while the weakness group had significant improvement in abduction and external rotation motor grading (3.7 [±0.7] to 4.7 [±0.4] and 3.3 [±0.8] to 4.4 [±0.6] respectively). Return to duty or sport was 92% at a mean of 14.6 (±9.3) weeks. Conclusions: In this young, active cohort, suprascapular neuropathy presented with one of two distinct primary presenting complaints: pain or weakness. Given different expected work-up findings, categorizing patients into one of these two groups may be beneficial in effectively diagnosing and treating suprascapular neuropathy. Outcomes after arthroscopic suprascapular nerve release at the suprascapular notch predictably led to successful pain relief and strength improvement in patients presenting with pain and weakness respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Patellar dislocations are associated with a high risk of patellofemoral osteoarthritis (OA). The risk is further elevated for adolescent patients and patients who experience multiple dislocations. Quantitative MRI using T1ρ relaxation time mapping characterizes cartilage properties based on concentration of proteoglycans. Elevated T1ρ values identify cartilage degradation that could develop into post-traumatic OA. The current study compares T1ρ relaxation times throughout the knee between adolescents being treated for a single dislocation, multiple dislocations, and healthy controls. The hypothesis of the study is that patellar dislocation will increase T1ρ relaxation times for patellofemoral cartilage, with higher T1ρ relaxation times for multiple dislocations than single dislocations. Methods: The IRB-approved study included 13 patients (16 ± 2 years; 5 females; BMI: 23 ± 3 kg/m², 47 ± 38 days since dislocation) being treated for an initial, unilateral traumatic lateral patellar dislocation, 10 being treated for multiple unilateral dislocations (17 ± 2 years, 2 females; 23 ± 4 kg/m², 55 ± 24 days since most recent dislocation), and 10 healthy controls (16 ± 2 years, 5 females; 22 ± 2 kg/m²). MRI scans included a 3D water excitation dual energy steady state (DESS) scan of the knee for segmentation of cartilage surfaces (slice thickness of 0.7 mm) and a T1ρ relaxation time scan (fat saturated scan, slice thickness = 4 mm, spin lock times = 0, 10, 40, and 80 ms, spin-lock frequency = 500 Hz). Automated algorithms based on machine learning were used to automatically segment cartilage into six compartments: patella, trochlear groove, lateral/medial femur, lateral/medial tibia. The cartilage on the patella and within the trochlear groove were further divided into medial, lateral and central regions. The central region was centered on the patellar ridge for the patella and the deepest points throughout the trochlear groove and extended one-third of the distance to the medial and lateral edges. Additional automated algorithms mapped T1ρ relaxation times to the reconstructed cartilage surfaces (Fig. 1). Mean T1ρ relaxation times were quantified within each region for each knee. The mean T1ρ relaxation times within the regions were compared between the three groups with ANOVA's and Student-Newman-Keuls post-hoc tests. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: T1ρ relaxation times were significantly longer for injured knees (both single and multiple dislocations) than controls at the medial and central patella, central trochlear groove, and lateral tibia (Fig. 2). For regions on the patella, the significant differences represented a difference between injured and control knees of 20% or larger. For the other significant regions, the difference was approximately 10%. No significant differences were identified between single and multiple dislocations. Conclusions: For adolescent patients, a patellar dislocation is associated with elevated T1ρ relaxation times for cartilage throughout the knee. Elevated T1ρ values indicate loss of proteoglycan content that reduces cartilage integrity and could be an initiation point for progression to OA. Elevated relaxation times from quantitative MRI is consistent with previous studies focused on patellar dislocations. The current study uniquely focuses on an adolescent population and uniquely compares single to multiple dislocations in the acute phase following injury. The results set a baseline for characterization of progressive cartilage degradation to OA following patellar dislocation for adolescents. The elevated T1ρ relaxation times within the patellofemoral joint are consistent with high risk of long term patellofemoral OA for adolescents who experience patellar dislocations. The elevated T1ρ relaxation times at the lateral tibia indicate an additional risk of tibiofemoral OA. The similar T1ρ relaxation times for single and multiple dislocations was not expected due to the higher risk of patellofemoral OA following multiple dislocations. Traumatic impact of the medial patella against the lateral femoral condyle during a dislocation is a primary contributor to cartilage degradation in the acute phase following a patellar dislocation, as demonstrated by the largest difference between injured knees and controls occurring at the medial patella for first time dislocators. Additional dislocations did not further increase T1ρ relaxation times at the medial patella. Recurrent dislocations could be less traumatic due to previous injury to medial soft tissue restraints, decreasing the influence on cartilage properties. Inflammation and pathologic anatomy can also contribute to cartilage degradation in adolescents experiencing patellar dislocations. Traumatic injury induces an inflammatory response that can be detrimental to cartilage. Pathologic anatomy associated with patellar dislocations includes patella alta, trochlear dysplasia and a lateral position of the tibial tuberosity. Pathologic anatomy can create loading conditions during daily function that adversely influence cartilage. Inflammation and anatomy likely contribute to the significantly elevated T1ρ relaxation times away from the medial patella. Over the long term, inflammation and anatomy may play a greater role in the risk of OA for multiple dislocators than repeated impact injuries. To continue to characterize the continuum from patellar dislocation to OA, additional recruitment is warranted to determine if significant differences can be identified in additional regions. Additional characterization of the influence of inflammation and pathologic anatomy on cartilage degradation is also warranted to identify patients at highest risk of OA and develop treatment strategies to preserve cartilage following patellar dislocations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]