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The NASA InSight Lander on Mars includes the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package HP3 to measure the surface heat flow of the planet. The package uses temperature sensors that would have been brought to the target depth of 3–5 m by a small penetrator, nicknamed the mole. The mole requiring friction on its hull to balance remaining recoil from its hammer mechanism did not penetrate to the targeted depth. Instead, by precessing about a point midway along its hull, it carved a 7 cm deep and 5–6 cm wide pit and reached a depth of initially 31 cm. The root cause of the failure – as was determined through an extensive, almost two years long campaign – was a lack of friction in an unexpectedly thick cohesive duricrust. During the campaign – described in detail in this paper – the mole penetrated further aided by friction applied using the scoop at the end of the robotic Instrument Deployment Arm and by direct support by the latter. The mole tip finally reached a depth of about 37 cm, bringing the mole back-end 1–2 cm below the surface. It reversed its downward motion twice during attempts to provide friction through pressure on the regolith instead of directly with the scoop to the mole hull. The penetration record of the mole was used to infer mechanical soil parameters such as the penetration resistance of the duricrust of 0.3–0.7 MPa and a penetration resistance of a deeper layer (> 30 cm depth) of 4.9 ± 0.4 MPa . Using the mole’s thermal sensors, thermal conductivity and diffusivity were measured. Applying cone penetration theory, the resistance of the duricrust was used to estimate a cohesion of the latter of 2–15 kPa depending on the internal friction angle of the duricrust. Pushing the scoop with its blade into the surface and chopping off a piece of duricrust provided another estimate of the cohesion of 5.8 kPa. The hammerings of the mole were recorded by the seismometer SEIS and the signals were used to derive P-wave and S-wave velocities representative of the topmost tens of cm of the regolith. Together with the density provided by a thermal conductivity and diffusivity measurement using the mole’s thermal sensors, the elastic moduli were calculated from the seismic velocities. Using empirical correlations from terrestrial soil studies between the shear modulus and cohesion, the previous cohesion estimates were found to be consistent with the elastic moduli. The combined data were used to derive a model of the regolith that has an about 20 cm thick duricrust underneath a 1 cm thick unconsolidated layer of sand mixed with dust and above another 10 cm of unconsolidated sand. Underneath the latter, a layer more resistant to penetration and possibly containing debris from a small impact crater is inferred. The thermal conductivity increases from 14 mW/m K to 34 mW/m K through the 1 cm sand/dust layer, keeps the latter value in the duricrust and the sand layer underneath and then increases to 64 mW/m K in the sand/gravel layer below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing Interests: The author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request.

Background: Patient-reported experience measures (PREMs), such as the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE) or the Wake Forest Trust in Physician Scale (WTPS), have notable intercorrelation and ceiling effects (the proportion of observations with the highest possible score). Information is lost when high ceiling effects occur as there almost certainly is at least some variation among the patients with the highest score that the measurement tool was unable to measure. Efforts to identify and quantify factors associated with diminished patient experience can benefit from a PREM with more variability and a smaller proportion of highest possible scores (that is, a more limited ceiling effect) than occurs with currently available PREMs., Questions/purposes: In the first stage of a two-stage process, using a cohort of patients seeking musculoskeletal specialty care, we asked: (1) What groupings of items that address a similar aspect of patient experience are present among binary items directed at patient experience and derived from commonly used PREMs? (2) Can a small number of representative items provide a measure with potential for less of a ceiling effect (high item difficulty parameters)? In a second, independent cohort enrolled to assess whether the identified items perform consistently among different cohorts, we asked: (3) Does the new PREM perform differently in terms of item groupings (factor structure), and would different subsets of the included items provide the same measurement results (internal consistency) when items are measured using a 5-point rating scale instead of a binary scale? (4) What are the differences in survey properties (for example, ceiling effects) and correlation between the new PREM and commonly used PREMs?, Methods: In two cross-sectional studies among patients seeking musculoskeletal specialty care conducted in 2022 and 2023, all English-speaking and English-reading adults (ages 18 to 89 years) without cognitive deficiency were invited to participate in two consecutive, separate cohorts to help develop (the initial, learning cohort) and internally validate (the second, validation cohort) a provisional new PREM. We identified 218 eligible patients for the initial learning cohort, of whom all completed all measures. Participants had a mean ± SD age of 55 ± 16 years, 60% (130) were women, 45% (99) had private insurance, and most sought care for lower extremity (56% [121]) and nontraumatic conditions (63% [137]). We measured 25 items derived from other commonly used PREMs that address aspects of patient experience in which patients reported whether they agreed or disagreed (binary) with certain statements about their clinician. We performed an exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to identify groups of items that measure the same underlying construct related to patient experience. We then applied a two-parameter logistic model based on item response theory to identify the most discriminating items with the most variability (item difficulty) with the aim of reducing the ceiling effect. We also conducted a differential item functioning analysis to assess whether specific items are rated discordantly by specific subgroups of patients, which can introduce bias. We then enrolled 154 eligible patients, of whom 99% (153) completed all required measures, into a validation cohort with similar demographic characteristics. We changed the binary items to 5-point Likert scales to increase the potential for variation in an attempt to further reduce ceiling effects and repeated the CFA. We also measured internal consistency (using Cronbach alpha) and the correlation of the new PREM with other commonly used PREMs using bivariate analyses., Results: We identified three groupings of items in the learning cohort representing "trust in clinician" (13 items), "relationship with clinician" (7 items), and "participation in shared decision-making" (4 items). The "trust in clinician" factor performed best of all three factors and therefore was selected for subsequent analyses. We selected the best-performing items in terms of item difficulty to generate a 7-item short form. We found excellent CFA model fit (the 13-item and 7-item versions both had a root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] of < 0.001), excellent internal consistency (Cronbach α was 0.94 for the 13-item version and 0.91 for the 7-item version), good item response theory parameters (item difficulty ranging between -0.37 and 0.16 for the 7-item version, with higher values indicating lower ceiling effect), no local dependencies, and no differential item functioning among any of the items. The other two factors were excluded from measure development due to low item response theory parameters (item difficulty ranging between -1.3 and -0.69, indicating higher ceiling effect), multiple local dependencies, and exhausting the number of items without being able to address these issues. The validation cohort confirmed adequate item selection and performance of both the 13-item and 7-item version of the Trust and Experience with Clinicians Scale (TRECS), with good to excellent CFA model fit (RMSEA 0.058 [TRECS-13]; RMSEA 0.016 [TRECS-7]), excellent internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.96 [TRECS-13]; Cronbach α = 0.92 [TRECS-7]), no differential item functioning and limited ceiling effects (11% [TRECS-13]; 14% [TRECS-7]), and notable correlation with other PREMs such as the JSPPPE (ρ = 0.77) and WTPS (ρ = 0.74)., Conclusion: A relatively brief 7-item measure of patient experience focused on trust can eliminate most of the ceiling effects common to PREMs with good psychometric properties. Future studies may externally validate the TRECS in other populations as well as provide population-based T-score conversion tables based on a larger sample size more representative of the population seeking musculoskeletal care., Clinical Relevance: A PREM anchored in trust that reduces loss of information at the higher end of the scale can help individuals and institutions to assess experience more accurately, gauge the impact of interventions, and generate effective ways to learn and improve within a health system., Competing Interests: Each author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request., (Copyright © 2024 by the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.)

Background: The role of surgery in normal or very mild median neuropathy can be questioned given that surgery in the absence of pathophysiology may offer only nonspecific effects that can be achieved without surgery, which raises ethical concerns. It's also important to avoid misdiagnosis: given that mild median neuropathy is prevalent and generally well-accommodated, notable symptoms from mild median neuropathy can signal unhelpful thoughts and feelings of distress that are a more pressing health priority., Methods: We identified 38 studies that categorized electrodiagnostic (EDX) measured median neuropathy severity among people being evaluated for carpal tunnel syndrome. We converted the different EDX grades used into one general grading classification. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the ratio of moderate/severe to mild/normal EDX findings between tests ordered by a surgeon or a nonoperative clinician., Results: The median (interquartile range) ratio of moderate/severe to mild/normal EDX findings of median neuropathy at the carpal tunnel was 1.2 (0.91 to 1.8) among tests ordered by nonoperative clinicians and 3.3 (1.5 to 5.3) among tests ordered by surgeons ( P  = .0023). Only 4.1% of the patients who had EDX testing ordered by a surgeon had no measurable neuropathy. There were zero patients with normal EDX findings in 10 of the 17 (59%) studies in surgeon practices and in 10 of the 21 (48%) in the practices of nonoperative clinicians., Conclusions: The observation that in case series documenting EDX severities of median neuropathy, surgeons are mostly treating and operating on moderate to severe pathophysiology, emphasizes that while mild median neuropathy is highly prevalent it is uncommonly considered for surgery., Level of Evidence: Level II, Prognostic study., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: DR received royalties from Skeletal Dynamics for an internal joint stabilizer elbow and from Wolters Kluwer. DR is a deputy editor for Hand and Wrist and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.® DR received honoraria from various CME providers, hospitals, and universities.

Objectives: To seek the factors associated with timing, staging, and type of surgery in the management of multiligament knee injuries., Design: Cross-sectional scenario-based experiment., Setting: Fifteen fictional patient scenarios with randomized elements., Participants: Fracture surgeons of the Science of Variation Group, an international collaborative of musculoskeletal surgeons who studies variation in care, were invited to participate. Surgeons with limited experience treating multiligament knee injuries were asked to self-exclude., Outcome Measures and Comparisons: Surgeon recommendations for operative treatment, timing of surgery, and use of open surgery in addition to arthroscopy were measured. Patient factors (age, time from injury, contralateral fracture, knee dislocation, combinations of ruptured ligaments, and preexisting osteoarthritis) and surgeon factors (gender, practice location, years of experience, and supervision of trainees) associated with surgeon recommendations were assessed., Results: Eighty-five surgeons participated, of which most were men (89%) and practiced in the United States (44%) or Europe (38%). Operative treatment was less likely among older patients (odds ratio [OR] = 0.051) and preexisting osteoarthritis (OR = 0.32) and more likely in knee dislocation (OR = 1.9) and disruption of anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, and lateral collateral ligament with or without medial collateral ligament (MCL; OR = 5.1 and OR = 3.1, respectively). Disruption of anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, and medial collateral ligament was associated with shorter time to surgery (β = -11). Longer time to surgery was associated with contralateral fracture (β = 9.2) and surgeons supervising trainees (β = 23) and practicing in Europe (β = 13). Surgeon factors accounted for more variation in timing than patient and injury factors (5.1% vs. 1.4%, respectively). Open surgery was more likely in patients with lateral collateral ligament injury (OR = 2.9 to 3.3)., Conclusions: The observation that surgeons were more likely to operate in younger patients with more severe injury has face validity, while the finding that surgeon factors accounted for more variation in timing of surgery than patient or injury factors suggests that treatment variation is based on opinion more so than evidence., Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level V. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence., Competing Interests: D. Ring reports other from Skeletal Dynamics, personal fees from Deputy Editor for Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, personal fees from Universities and Hospitals, personal fees from Lawyers, personal fees from Health Services and Resource Administration and Department of Justice, personal fees from Premier Healthcare Solutions, personal fees from Wolters Kluwer Health, grants from National Institutes for Health, personal fees from Everus, other from MyMedicalHub, outside the submitted work. The remaining authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To determine the relative influence of mindset and fracture severity on 9-month recovery trajectories of pain and capability after upper extremity fractures., Design: Secondary use of longitudinal data., Setting: Single Level-1 trauma center in Oxford, United Kingdom., Patient Selection: English-speaking adults with isolated proximal humerus, elbow, or distal radius fracture managed operatively or nonoperatively were included, and those with multiple fractures or cognitive deficit were excluded., Outcome Measures and Comparisons: Incapability (Quick-DASH) and pain intensity (11-point rating scale) were measured at baseline, 2-4 weeks, and 6-9 months after injury. Cluster analysis was used to identify statistical groupings of mindset (PROMIS Depression and Anxiety, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia) and fracture severity (low/moderate/high based on OTA/AO classification). The recovery trajectories of incapability and pain intensity for each mindset grouping were assessed, accounting for various fracture-related aspects., Results: Among 703 included patients (age 59 ± 21 years, 66% women, 16% high-energy injury), 4 statistical groupings with escalating levels of distress and unhelpful thoughts were identified (fracture severity was omitted considering it had no differentiating effect). Groups with less healthy mindset had a worse baseline incapability (group 2: β = 4.1, 3: β = 7.5, and 4: β = 17) and pain intensity (group 3: β = 0.70 and 4: β = 1.4) (P < 0.01). Higher fracture severity (β = 4.5), high-energy injury (β = 4.0), and nerve palsy (β = 8.1) were associated with worse baseline incapability (P < 0.01), and high-energy injury (β = 0.62) and nerve palsy (β = 0.76) with worse baseline pain intensity (P < 0.01). Groups 3 and 4 had a prolonged rate of recovery of incapability (β = 1.3, β = 7.0) and pain intensity (β = 0.19, β = 1.1) (P < 0.02)., Conclusions: Patients with higher levels of unhelpful thinking and feelings of distress regarding symptoms experienced worse recovery of pain and incapability, with a higher effect size than fracture location, fracture severity, high-energy injury, and nerve palsy. These findings underline the importance of anticipating and addressing mental health concerns during recovery from injury., Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mounting evidence suggests that mental health accounts for greater variation in levels of comfort and capability than pathophysiology severity across a range of musculoskeletal conditions. Using nationwide Dutch Arthroplasty Register (LROI) data, we tested the null hypothesis that none of the available mental, social, and pathophysiological factors are associated with variation in levels of comfort and capability among people with shoulder osteoarthritis prior to arthroplasty., Methods: We included all adult patients who underwent primary total shoulder arthroplasty for osteoarthritis in the period 2014-2021 with complete measures of shoulder specific capability (Oxford Shoulder Score), pain intensity (10-point Numeric Rating Scale), general wellbeing (the EQ-5D 3-L), the grade of pathophysiology (Walch classification) and categorized social health based on a social deprivation index. In total, 1342 patients with shoulder osteoarthritis preparing for shoulder arthroplasty were included in a regression analysis to seek factors associated with variation in levels of pain intensity and capability., Results: Greater pain intensity at rest was associated with greater symptoms of anxiety and depression (Regression Coefficient [RC] = -0.41; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.17 to 0.64; P = <0.01), and women (RC = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.11 to 0.66; P = <0.01). Greater incapability was associated with greater symptoms of anxiety and depression (RC = -3.2; 95% CI = -4.0 to -2.4; P = <0.01), an ASA score of III and IV (RC = -3.1; 95% CI = -4.8 to -1.4; P = <0.01), older age (RC = -0.098; 95% CI = -0.15 to -0.047; P = <0.01), and women (RC = -3.9; 95% CI = -4.9 to -3.0; P = <0.01). Neither comfort nor capability were associated with Walch classification or social deprivation index., Conclusion: The confirmation that variation in levels of comfort and capability among people preparing for shoulder arthroplasty are associated with mindset rather than a measure of glenoid pathophysiology points to the potential benefits of addressing mental health in musculoskeletal health strategies., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: There is mounting evidence that, among musculoskeletal patients, variation in capability has more notable associations with variations in mental and social health factors than with variation in pathophysiology severity. This study sought factors that could limit the integration of this evidence into more comprehensive care models., Methods: In two scenario-based experiments, surgeon participants in an international collaborative, the Science of Variation Group, reviewed scenarios of (a) nontraumatic (83 participants) and (b) trauma-related (130 participants) pathophysiologies for which tests and treatments were discretionary. The following demographic, mental, and social health elements were varied randomly: sex, age, race/ethnicity, mindsets, social health aspects, and specific pathophysiologies. For each scenario, participants rated their likelihood to offer surgery (continuous) and their sense of presence of an opportunity to address better mental or social health in treatment (yes or no). Factors associated with each rating were sought in multivariable analysis., Results: Greater likelihood to offer discretionary surgery for nontraumatic pathophysiologies was associated with greater pathophysiology severity, trapeziometacarpal arthritis, and greater distress and unhelpful thoughts regarding symptoms. Lateral elbow enthesopathy was associated with a lower likelihood. For trauma-related pathophysiologies, an ankle fracture with slight articular subluxation was associated with greater likelihood to offer surgery, and several other trauma-related pathophysiologies were associated with a lower likelihood. For both nontraumatic and trauma-related pathophysiologies, surgeons noticed unhelpful thinking, distress, and social issues as reasons to consider addressing mental and social health in treatment, relatively independent of pathophysiology., Conclusion: Surgeons seem to recognize opportunities to address mental and social needs but ultimately base their decision to offer discretionary surgery on pathophysiological factors., Clinical Relevance: Comprehensive, whole-person care for musculoskeletal illness might be supported by strategies for ensuring that aspects of stress and distress that contribute to greater symptom intensity are not misinterpreted as a reflection of greater pathophysiology severity., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Competing Interests: Each author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research ® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request.

This cross-sectional study looked for factors associated with feelings of weakness, level of capability and pain intensity in people seeking musculoskeletal speciality care for non-traumatic upper extremity conditions. A survey was conducted in 139 English-speaking adults, with 135 participants completing it. We found that greater intensity of feelings of weakness correlated with higher distress regarding symptoms and with older age. Lower level of capability was associated with greater intensity of feelings of weakness, greater distress regarding symptoms and older age. Higher pain intensity was associated with greater distress regarding symptoms and greater intensity of feelings of weakness. These findings suggest that the symptom of weakness may be a cue to explore potential distress about symptoms in addition to examining for actual weakness. This understanding could be a guide to a more compassionate approach to alleviate distress rather than focusing on neuromuscular pathophysiology alone, with the potential to reduce unnecessary tests and treatments. Level of evidence: IV., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors disclosed the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to her research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: DR certifies receipt of personal payments or benefits, during the study period, in an amount of less than US$1000 from Wolters-Kluwer and less than US$100,000 from Skeletal Dynamics. All other authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Symptoms of depression have been associated with greater incapability following total hip arthroplasty (THA). A brief, 2-question, measure of symptoms of depression - the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) - may be sufficient to measure associations with the magnitude of incapability during recovery from THA. This study investigated whether preoperative symptoms of depression (measured with the PHQ-2) correlated with levels of incapability 6 weeks and 6 months after THA, accounting for demographic and clinical factors., Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study across 5 centers and recruited 101 patients undergoing THA, of whom 90 (89%) completed follow-up. Patients completed demographics, a preoperative 2-item (PHQ-2) measure of symptoms of depression, and the Hip Dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement (HOOS JR) at 6-weeks and 6-months postoperatively. Negative binomial regression models determined factors associated with HOOS JR at 6 weeks and 6 months, accounting for potential confounders., Results: Accounting for potential confounding factors, we found that higher preoperative PHQ-2 scores (reflecting greater symptoms of depression) were associated with lower HOOS JR scores (reflecting a greater level of hip disability) at both 6 weeks (regression coefficient = -0.67, P < .001) and 6 months (regression coefficient = -1.9, P < .001) after THA., Conclusions: Symptoms of depression on a 2-question preoperative questionnaire are common, and greater symptoms of depression are associated with reduced capability within the first year following THA. These findings support the prioritization of routine mental health assessments before THA. Measuring mindset using relatively brief instruments will be important considering the current shift toward implementing self-reported measures of health status in clinical practice and incorporating them within alternative payment models., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Notable surgeon-to-surgeon variation in rates of uncommon surgery can reflect appropriate concentration of expertise with technically difficult or risky procedures that address problematic impairment due to objective pathophysiology. Examples include vascularized tissue transfer or transplantation to address complex tissue loss and release of bony elbow ankylosis. Perhaps more problematic is notable variation in straightforward, discretionary surgeries intended to alleviate pain, offered in the absence of objectively measurable pathophysiology, and without experimental evidence of benefit over placebo and other nonspecific effects. Evidence of concentration of this type of surgery in the hands of a few surgeons might point to inordinate influence of surgeon opinions on patient behavior. A study of variation in operations for upper extremity peripheral mononeuropathy has the potential to uncover potentially problematic variation. There are billing codes specific to common surgeries that can benefit patients with objectively verifiable neuropathies. And there are billing codes that represent less common nerve decompression surgeries that in many cases are offered in the absence of both objective evidence of pathophysiology as well as experimental evidence that surgery alleviates pain better than simulated surgery., Questions/purposes: We asked the following questions: (1) Among surgeons who billed a mean of at least 10 carpal tunnel releases (CTRs) per year in patients with Medicare insurance in the United States, how many also performed at least one less common peripheral nerve release and cubital tunnel release (CubTR) per year? (2) Among surgeons who billed a mean of at least one less common peripheral nerve release or CubTR on average per year, what is the median and range of the number of less common peripheral nerve releases and CubTRs and the relative proportion of these compared with CTRs per year? (3) Are there any differences in gender, specialty, and number of CTRs and CubTRs between surgeons who performed at least one less common nerve decompression and surgeons who, on average, performed none?, Methods: Using the Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners - by Provider and Service database, we identified surgeons who perform a minimum of 10 CTRs per year. Because this database has all surgeries billed to Medicare performed in any setting by individual surgeons, it is well suited to the study of surgeon-specific operative rates among Medicare patients. Among 7259 clinicians who billed one or more nerve procedure to Medicare between January 2013 and December 2019, we excluded 120 nonsurgical clinicians, 47 podiatrists, and 1561 clinicians who billed procedures as an organization. Among the remaining 5531 surgeons, 5439 performed at least 10 CTRs on average per year, which we considered representative of surgeons who include nerve decompression surgery as a part of their practice. Among these 5439 surgeons, we calculated the mean number of CTRs, CubTRs, and less common peripheral nerve releases (including decompression of a digital nerve, nerve in hand or wrist, ulnar nerve at the wrist, brachial plexus, and unspecified nerve) per year between 2013 and 2019. Decompression of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel, the ulnar nerve at the cubital tunnel, and, much less frequently, the ulnar nerve at the wrist typically addresses measurable neuropathy. The other nerve releases are often performed for illnesses characterized by pain that are defined, in part, by the absence of experimentally verifiable pathophysiology such as radial tunnel and pronator (or lacertus) syndromes. We counted the number of surgeons who billed an average of at least one less common peripheral nerve release and CubTR per year; the median and range of the number of less common nerve releases and CubTRs and their relative proportion among those subsets of surgeons; and differences in the number of surgeons who performed one or none less common surgery by gender, specialty, and volume of CTR/CubTR surgery., Results: Of 5439 surgeons who performed a mean of at least 10 CTRs per year, 2% (93) performed a mean of at least one less common peripheral nerve release per year among patients on Medicare, 14% (775) at least one CubTR, and 1% (47) performed both. Surgeons who performed a mean of at least one less common peripheral nerve release per year performed a median (IQR) of 7 (3 to 17) per year (with a maximum of 153 per year), representing approximately one less common peripheral nerve release for every five CTRs. Sixty-five percent (4076 of 6272) of all less common nerve procedures were performed by the top 20 billing surgeons. Gender was not associated with doing one or more uncommon nerve releases (women 1% [6 of 413], men 2% [87 of 5026]; p = 0.84), but specialty was, with plastic surgeons leading (6% [20 of 340] compared with 1% [73 of 5087] for other types of surgeons; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: The observation that a relatively small number of surgeons perform a large majority of the surgery for nerve syndromes conceptualized as accounting for arm pain suggests that most surgeons are cautious about ascribing pain to conceptual nerve compression syndromes and offering surgery., Clinical Relevance: An approach to surgical care founded on ethical principles regards this type of notable variation as a signal of inordinate influence of surgeon opinion on patient behavior, suggesting that professional conduct may be supported by safeguards such as checklists that help guide patients to choices consistent with their values unclouded by surgeon beliefs, false hope, and common misconceptions., Competing Interests: All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request., (Copyright © 2024 by the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.)

Background: Primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) aims to improve the level of capability (ability to perform valued life activities) associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, some evidence suggests a substantial proportion of patients remain dissatisfied with their outcomes after this procedure. We sought to better understand the association between mental health, specifically symptoms of depression, with postoperative outcomes. Symptoms of depression are shown to be common among orthopaedic populations in general and can be briefly and conveniently evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) in a less burdensome manner compared with longer mental health surveys. This study assesses the association between preoperative depressive symptoms (PHQ-2) and levels of capability at 6 weeks and 6 months after TKA., Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving 114 patients with knee OA across five clinics in California and Texas scheduled for TKA. Participants completed a preoperative PHQ-2 and Knee Injury and OA Outcome Score for Joint Replacement (KOOS JR) survey at 6 weeks and 6 months post-TKA. We analyzed these data using bivariate and multivariable regression., Results: Preoperative PHQ-2 scores were significantly associated with lower KOOS JR scores at 6 weeks and 6 months post-TKA. Latino/Hispanic race was also associated with lower KOOS JR scores at 6 weeks. The association between preoperative depressive symptoms and level of capability after TKA were more pronounced at 6 months compared with 6 weeks., Conclusion: Preoperative symptoms of depression are strongly associated with reduced capability after TKA and can be screened for using the PHQ-2-a brief tool that can be feasibly incorporated into clinical workflows. User-friendly assessment of depressive symptoms can assist orthopaedic surgeons in identifying and addressing mental health at the outset during the management of knee OA., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)