When it comes to a career in the National Football League, athletes who undergo surgical trimming of a torn meniscus should be more concerned than those who undergo ACL reconstruction. A recent study presented at the 2009 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting found that the career of NFL players was likely to be shortened if they undergo meniscus surgery. In contrast, athletes who underwent ACL reconstruction were found to have longer careers and play in more games.

This is a surprising study given that most people, surgeons included, think of meniscus surgery as relatively mnor in comparison to ACL reconstruction. Furthermore, the rehab following ACL surgery is much more extensive than rehab after a meniscus tear. Why do you think NFL player are more likely to have long-term success after ACL reconstruction? Leave your thoughts below!

Related: ACL Rehab | Meniscus Trimming Surgery (Meniscectomy)

Brophy RH et al. Effect of ACL reconstruction and meniscectomy on career length in NFL athletes: A case control study. Presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine 2009 Annual Meeting. June 9-12, 2009. Keystone, Colo.

A new study has looked at surgeon perfomance with different types of music being played during surgery. The study compared surgeon performance of surgical skills when listening to Mozart, a mix of German folk music and heavy metal, or with no music playing. The study found that surgeons were most efficient with Mozart or silence, but accuacy was best with Mozart playing.

Did you have music playing in the operating room during your surgery? Do you remember what it was? I like to have music playing, but try to keep it at a volume that is pleasing but not distracting to anyone in the room. How do you feel about your surgeon having music playing in the background during your surgery? Leave your comments below...

Sources: "Musical surgeon examines the OR soundtrack" Boston Globe, 12/7/2009.

Emergencies happen, and often at the worst times. Many hospital emergencies occur in the middle of the night, a time when many doctors and nurses are fast asleep. These doctors, nurses, and other support staff are willing and able to help in the event of an emergency, but sometimes, it may be best to wait.

A new study has investigated the difference in surgery for broken shin bones (tibias) and thigh bones (femurs) when the surgery is done in the daytime compared to at night. When the surgery is done at night, often the 'on-call' team of medical professionals performs the surgery. This team may have worked a full day, have full day ahead, or worse, both.

This study found that the chance of requiring a second, unplanned surgery was much higher (27% compared to 3%) when the surgery was done at night.

Bottom Line: Sometimes, work must be done in the middle of the night. There are emergency situations that should not wait until the following day. However, there are also times when surgery should be delayed until the team performing the surgery is ready and rested.

Thoughts on surgery at night? Leave your comments below...

_{Sources: Ricci WM, et al. "Is after-hours orthopaedic surgery associated with adverse outcomes?" J Bone Joint Surg (Am). 2009;91:2067-72.}

Image © Jonathan Cluett, MD

A new study has been published, confirming a link between high impact exercise and arthritis--something many people feel causes their arthritis. The study found that exercises that include impact activities such as running and jumping were more likely to contribute to the development of arthritis.

The study looked at middle-aged men and women who have varying levels of athletic and non-athletic activity. The participants were evaluated for their level of activity and the extent of arthritis as assessed by MRI. The study found increasing evidence of arthritis and knee joint damage in participants who had higher activity scores.

The study only included participants who were in a healthy weight range, and did not comment on the comparison of joint damage caused by exercise versus joint damage caused by obesity.

Do you think joint damage caused your arthritis? Leave your comments...

_{Sources: "Higher Risk Of Knee Arthritis Linked To Too Much Exercise"}