Podcast: Overuse in orthopedics (HealthNewsReview)
On the website of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is this statement:
To foster conversations between patients and physicians about what care is really necessary, the AAOS recently released a list of five specific tests or procedures that are commonly ordered but not always necessary. The effort is part of the Choosing Wisely® campaign.
Here are the five procedures that AAOS put on its list:
We recommend against performing routine postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) ultrasonography screening in patients who undergo elective hip or knee arthroplasty.
We recommend against the use of needle lavage to treat patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee for long-term relief.
We recommend against the use of glucosamine and chondroitin to treat patients with symptomatic OA of the knee.
We recommend against the use of lateral heel wedges to treat patients with symptomatic OA of the knee.
We recommend against the use of postoperative splinting of the wrist after carpal tunnel release for long-term relief.
You can see that there are no surgical procedures on this list of “not always necessary” offerings ...
