Newsroom Hospital for Special Surgery

Hospitals Are Focusing on a New ‘Vital Sign’: How Patients Actually Feel

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:29:00 -0400

Newsweek reported on how patients are increasingly turning to Patient-Reported Outcome Measures, or PROMs, to identify potential gaps in patient experience, featuring insight from Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, associate surgeon-in-chief and director of quality and safety at HSS.

For many clinicians, PROMs are becoming something akin to a new vital sign. The implications extend far beyond patient satisfaction scores. PROMs are increasingly influencing how hospitals evaluate treatments, allocate resources and prepare for reimbursement changes tied to value-based care.

Dr. Bostrom shared PROMs have been part of HSS's care model since the 1990s, but their role has evolved dramatically over the past decade.

“It’s morphed from a research tool to something that’s really measuring quality and measuring how well patients are doing,” he said.

Read the full article at newsweek.com.

Not All Health Care Is Equal. Medicare Shouldn’t Pay Like It Is

Mon, 18 May 2026 10:07:00 -0400

The Well News published a piece authored by Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, Associate Surgeon-in-Chief and Director of Quality and Safety at HSS, on payment reform and its potential impact on patient care.

The article warns that while new “site-neutral payment” rules aim to cut costs, they risk overlooking meaningful differences in care quality. As Dr. Bostrom writes, "Not all outpatient care is interchangeable. And treating it that way could actually reduce patients’ access to highly specialized care that has been proven to lower long-term costs.“

This highlights the value of specialized hospitals like HSS in delivering coordinated, high-expertise treatment, and it concludes that overly broad payment changes could limit access to top-tier care and lead to worse outcomes if not implemented thoughtfully.

Read the full article at thewellnews.com.

Hospital for Special Surgery Appoints Dr. Joel M. Press as Physician-in-Chief

Wed, 06 May 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health, today announced the appointment of Joel M. Press, MD, as Physician-in-Chief, effective May 1, 2026,

In this role, Dr. Press will help shape the future of non-operative musculoskeletal care across HSS – supporting regional expansion, optimizing practice operations, enhancing access and the patient experience across all sites of care, and overseeing a diverse portfolio of clinical programs.

Dr. Press will report to Douglas E. Padgett, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director at HSS, and will work closely with Associate Surgeon-in-Chiefs Drs. Answorth Allen and Mathias Bostrom, as well as department and service leaders, to advance and integrate non-operative musculoskeletal care across the institution. He will also have a central leadership role in institutional initiatives focused on quality, safety, innovation, and strategic growth.

“Dr. Press has made significant contributions to the advancement of musculoskeletal medicine and is one of the most highly regarded physiatrists in the diagnosis and management of non-operative sports and spine conditions,” said Bryan Kelly, MD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of HSS. “His leadership will play a pivotal role in advancing HSS’s mission to expand access to high-quality non-operative care, deepen physician engagement, and drive innovation in musculoskeletal health.”

Dr. Press is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He brings decades of experience building and leading high-performing, multidisciplinary musculoskeletal programs and is widely respected for his collaborative leadership style and commitment to advancing value-based, patient-centered care.

“Dr. Press will be a strong asset to our executive team as we work to shape HSS’s next chapter—one defined by expanded access, integrated care, clinical innovation, and enduring leadership in musculoskeletal health,” said Douglas E. Padgett, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director at HSS.

Dr. Press is currently Physiatrist-in-Chief at HSS and Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. He has built a distinguished clinical and leadership career in musculoskeletal care, including his prior role as founder and director of the Spine and Sports Rehabilitation Centers at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

A prolific scholar and educator, Dr. Press has authored more than 75 peer-reviewed publications, edited multiple textbooks, and has held national leadership roles across major professional societies in musculoskeletal medicine, rehabilitation, and sports medicine. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at Northwestern University.

For 25 years, Dr. Press has been consistently named among the best doctors in the country by Castle Connolly.

“I am honored to serve as Physician-in-Chief at HSS during such a pivotal moment in the evolution of musculoskeletal care,” said Dr. Press. “I look forward to partnering with my colleagues to build on HSS’s extraordinary legacy and help shape what comes next not just at HSS but within the field of musculoskeletal health at large.”

HSS-Founded Consortium Brings Global Orthopaedic Leaders Together in the Netherlands

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:00:00 -0400

Orthopaedic surgeons, researchers, and health care executives from some of the world’s leading musculoskeletal institutions gathered in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, from April 15 to 18 for the 12th Conference of the International Society of Orthopaedic Centers, known as ISOC. Held every 18 months, the meeting has become a quiet but influential forum where global leaders in orthopaedic care compare approaches, share hard-earned lessons, and consider the future of their field.

ISOC was founded in 2006 by Thomas P. Sculco, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus at Hospital for Special Surgery, and is currently led by Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, HSS Associate Surgeon-in-Chief. Though independently incorporated as a nonprofit organization, the society continues to draw significant administrative and intellectual support from HSS, including leadership from administrators Briana Bloom and Nicole Earley. Today, ISOC’s 23 member centers span multiple continents and represent a collaborative network committed to advancing musculoskeletal care through shared knowledge and collective ambition.

This year’s conference unfolded around the theme Beyond the Bone: The Power of Corporate Culture in Orthopaedic Care, reflecting a growing recognition that excellence in patient outcomes depends as much on institutional culture as on surgical technique. Led by Drs. Tim Simmers and Mark Stegman of the Sint Maartenskliniek, the program explored topics ranging from organizational identity and safety systems to physician well-being and workforce sustainability. Steven Forti, Chief Wellness and Resiliency Officer at HSS, presented the hospital’s widely recognized approach to clinician wellness, an area of increasing urgency across medicine.

Beyond the formal sessions—which included more than 100 presentations, research discussions, roundtables, and keynote lectures—the conference placed equal weight on conversation and connection. The result was both an exchange of ideas and a renewal of professional bonds across borders. With six ISOC centers ranked among the world’s top specialized orthopaedic hospitals by Newsweek, the meeting underscored the society’s role as a convening force for many of the field’s most influential voices.

Next year will mark a milestone for the organization. In 2027, ISOC will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its first conference, held in New York City in 2007 and hosted by HSS. To commemorate the occasion, member institutions will once again convene in New York, where HSS will host the 13th ISOC Conference—bringing the society back to where its global experiment in collaboration began.

Top New York surgeon: Americans have better data for choosing restaurants than surgeons. That has to change

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:35:37 -0400

Fortune has published an opinion piece authored by Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, Associate Surgeon-in-Chief and Director of Quality and Safety at HSS.

The piece focuses on the importance of hospital reliability and quality transparency; and how patients can evaluate surgeons and hospitals using objective performance data before making important decisions about their care.

“Americans commonly check restaurant reviews and ratings to make sure they don’t get a bad meal. It should be just as common for patients to compare their physicians and hospitals before undergoing a major procedure. And it’s up to the healthcare system to start proactively providing that evidence. Patients deserve nothing less,” said Dr. Bostrom.

Read the full article at fortune.com. A subscription is required to access.

Let's Make Sure Medicare's Latest Cost-cutting Plan Doesn't Backfire

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 09:59:00 -0500

In a piece with Real Clear Health, Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, Associate Surgeon-in-Chief and Director of Quality and Safety at HSS, discusses the importance of ensuring Medicare's cost-cutting reforms, like site-neutral payments, don't compromise access to specialized care.

Here's a healthcare puzzle. When a doctor administers chemotherapy in their office, Medicare pays one rate. When the same doctor performs the same procedure in a hospital's outpatient facility down the street, Medicare often pays more.

This disparity is at the heart of a push among some lawmakers for "site-neutral payments," which would broadly require Medicare to pay the same rate for the same service regardless of where it's performed. A bipartisan framework from Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., estimates that site-neutral payments could save Medicare over $100 billion in the next decade.

The argument for site-neutral payments makes sense. The current policy encourages hospitals to buy up independent physician practices just to charge Medicare higher rates. And it requires Medicare beneficiaries to pay more out of pocket for a given service based solely on where it's delivered.

But in the rush to fix this genuine problem, policymakers risk creating another one. Site-neutral payment reforms, as currently proposed, could jeopardize the ability of super-specialty hospitals and their outpatient facilities to deliver the high-quality care they're renowned for.

These aren't your typical community hospitals that handle everything from broken arms to pneumonia. Super-specialty hospitals focus on specific types of care -- think cancer treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering, joint replacements at the Hospital for Special Surgery, or pediatric care at the likes of Children's Hospital Colorado.

Super-specialty hospitals' outpatient facilities aren't converted doctor's offices with a hospital logo plastered on the door. They're purpose-built extensions of the main hospital, offering the same sophisticated care but in more accessible locations.

The difference matters for three key reasons.

Read the full article at realclearhealth.com.

Unique Vertebral Stem Cells Carries Potential to Revolutionize Patient Care

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 10:53:25 -0400

In a groundbreaking study published in Nature, a team of researchers at HSS and Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered a new stem cell uniquely present in the spine. Vertebral stem cells, distinct from any stem cells in the body, hold the key to understanding a range of conditions affecting the spine – including its higher incidence of cancerous tumor metastases, particularly from breast, prostate, and lung cancers. Learn more from primary investigator, Matthew Greenblatt, MD, PhD, associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and assistant scientist in the HSS research division, clinical collaborator Sravisht Iyer, MD, spine surgeon at HSS, and Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, associate surgeon-in-chief and director of quality and safety at HSS.

Watch the video at youtube.com.

Hospital for Special Surgery in the headlines: 16 notes

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 19:17:00 -0500

Becker's Spine Review highlights several HSS leadership transformations in 2023 including expanding its presence in New York and Florida and more.

1. HSS named Tara McCoy as CEO of its Florida division. She was previously division chief executive of GenesisCare. As CEO of HSS Florida, she will focus on expanding orthopedic care in the state.

2. Bryan Kelly, MD, succeeded Louis Shapiro as president and CEO of HSS. Dr. Kelly is a recognized leader in the field of hip preservation. He launched the hip preservation service at HSS in 2010, which is now the largest in the nation. In 2019, Dr. Kelly was named surgeon-in-chief and medical director.

3. Douglas Padgett, MD, was named HSS's surgeon-in-chief and medical director following Dr. Kelly's promotion to CEO. Dr. Padgett is chief emeritus of adult reconstruction and replacement services, and he works as a professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. He was named HSS' associate surgeon-in-chief in 2019.

4. Spine surgeon Frank Cammisa, Jr., MD, and Brooklyn Nets and NY Liberty owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai were honored by HSS in June. Dr. Cammisa was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the spine surgery industry.

5. HSS received a $10 million grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation to support expansion of its main campus and construction of the HSS Kellen Tower.

6. HSS named Mary Cassai, RN, executive vice president and COO.

7. David Helfet, MD, orthopedic trauma surgeon at HSS, was named executive medical director of HSS at NCH in Naples, Fla.

8. HSS named Answorth Allen, MD, and Mathias Bostrom, MD, as associate surgeons-in-chief.

9. HSS appointed David Mayman, MD, and Daniel Green, MD, to its leadership team. Dr. Mayman will serve as chief of the adult reconstruction and joint replacement service, and Dr. Green will serve as chief of the pediatric orthopedic surgery service.

10. HSS opened a location in Southampton, N.Y. The location is the first office in Suffolk County and the second outpatient location on Long Island.

11. Researchers at HSS and Weill Cornell Medicine discovered a new stem cell that could affect spine care. The findings, published in Nature, uncovered vetebral stem cells that are uniquely present in the spine. It was previously believed that all bones formed through ossification, but the collaborative research team found that certain vertebral skeletel stem cells have a key role in the development of spinal vertebrae.

12. HSS at NCH in Naples, Fla. named Justin Blohm as vice president of the musculoskeletal service line.

13. Healthgrades included HSS on its best hospital lists for orthopedics, spine surgery and joint replacement.

14. OrthoVentions invested in Gemini, a company created in partnership with HSS. Gemini is focused on developing MRI imaging and volumetric analysis products to create interactive views of joints. The investment will fund product development and an initial commercial launch.

15. HSS and Naples, Fla.-based NCH Healthcare have started construction on an 80,000-square-foot orthopedic care facility on the NCH North Naples Hospital campus.

16. HSS received support from Schmidt Futures to advance artificial intelligence and machine learning efforts.

Read the full article here: beckersspine.com.

Hospital for Special Surgery appoints chiefs of joint, pediatric surgery

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 18:11:00 -0400

Healio reports that HSS has appointed David J. Mayman, MD, chief of the adult reconstruction and joint replacement service and Daniel W. Green, MD, MS, as the chief of pediatric orthopedic surgery service.

Dr. Mayman is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip and knee replacements. His main research interest includes incorporating new technologies into arthroplasty to achieve better outcomes for patients. Dr. Mayman will take over for Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, who will be moving into the role of associate surgeon-in-chief in September.

Dr. Green is currently the Mary Kathryn and Alexander Navab Chair for Pediatric Research at HSS. His research focuses on surgical outcomes and techniques to treat patella dislocation, osteochondritis dissecans, discoid meniscus and pediatric ACL tears. Dr. Green succeeds Roger. F. Widmann, MD, who has led the pediatric surgical service for nearly 20 years.

Read the full article at Healio.com.

HSS Announces Leadership Successions in Specialties of Joint and Pediatric Surgery

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0400

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health, today announced the appointments of David J. Mayman, MD, as chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement (ARJR) Service and Daniel W. Green, MD, MS, as chief of the Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Service.

Dr. Mayman will succeed Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, who, along with sports medicine surgeon Answorth A. Allen, MD, was recently appointed Associate Surgeon-in-Chief at HSS after serving as ARJR chief for the past four years. Dr. Green will succeed Roger F. Widmann, MD, who has led the Pediatric Surgical Service since 2004. Dr. Widmann will continue to care for pediatric patients with spine and limb deformities and will lead a new center of excellence dedicated to robotic-assisted surgery at HSS. Both appointments will go into effect September 5.

“We are grateful to Drs. Bostrom and Widmann for their steadfast leadership over the years,” said Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA, president, surgeon-in-chief and medical director of HSS. “Drs. Mayman and Green are not only talented surgeons, they are collaborative leaders who bring a wealth of expertise and experience to their new roles. These appointments will allow us to continue to advance excellence for our joint replacement and pediatric surgical patients.”

In their new roles, Drs. Mayman and Green will each lead highly integrated multidisciplinary teams. The ARJR service is comprised of programs focused on hip and knee osteoarthritis and other problems requiring joint replacement in adults, while Pediatrics covers the spectrum of conditions requiring orthopedic surgery in children, ranging from sports medicine injuries and trauma to congenital issues of the spine and hip.

David Mayman

David J. Mayman, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacements. A member of the Hip and Knee Societies, Dr. Mayman is a leader in the field of robotic and navigated joint replacement surgery. His primary research interest lies in incorporating new technologies into arthroplasty, with the goal of achieving more favorable outcomes for patients.

“I’m honored to take on this new role, leading and collaborating with a deeply talented team of surgeons in order to deliver scientific breakthroughs and address joint pain challenges,” said Dr. Mayman. “HSS is recognized as the leader in joint replacement, and by harnessing the power of our musculoskeletal expertise, we will advance the overall health and wellness of generations to come.”

Daniel Green

Daniel W. Green, MD, MS, is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee surgery.

A holder of the Mary Kathryn and Alexander Navab Chair for Pediatric Orthopedic Research at HSS, Dr. Green’s clinical research has focused on surgical outcomes and techniques used to treat patella dislocation, osteochondritis dissecans, discoid meniscus and pediatric ACL tears.

“I am honored to be asked to represent such a talented group of pediatric orthopedic surgeon leaders dedicated to taking care of children at the hospital ranked no. 1 in the world for orthopedics,” said Dr. Green. “We are positioned to maintain our leadership position as national and international thought leaders and dedicated to increasing access to our care.”

“HSS is home to an unparalleled number of talented and knowledgeable experts who specialize in caring for patients with various conditions throughout the lifespan,” said Louis A. Shapiro, CEO of HSS. “These appointments highlight the depth of leadership and experience across each area of the organization.”

HSS Announces Next Generation Medical Leadership to Advance Patient Care, Research, Education, and Innovation

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0400

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world's leading academic medical center specialized in musculoskeletal health, today announced the appointment of Answorth A. Allen, MD, and Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, as Associate Surgeons-in-Chief. The announcement was made by Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA, Surgeon-in-Chief, Medical Director and President, and Douglas E. Padgett, MD, the current Associate Surgeon-in-Chief. Padgett will succeed Kelly in the senior medical role on September 5, when Kelly succeeds Louis A. Shapiro as CEO.

Drs. Kelly, Padgett, Allen, and Bostrom will work within a new leadership structure, together with Physician-in-Chief S. Louis Bridges, MD, PhD, to support and ensure the highest standards in patient care, research, education,innovation, compliance, and quality control are upheld as HSS expands. Additionally, they will identify and support emerging initiatives focused on injury prevention, non-surgical and surgical care.

"Leading the world’s greatest concentration of medical talent in our field at this moment of unprecedented need and opportunity is a special responsibility and privilege," said Dr. Kelly. "Under Dr. Padgett’s leadership, Dr. Allen and Dr. Bostrom will help ensure HSS remains the best place in the world for patients to receive the care we provide, and the best place in the world for the most gifted medical providers to realize their potential."

Specialized in orthopedics, rheumatology and related disciplines since 1863, HSS is today a world leader in research, innovation, and education. It has been ranked no. 1 in orthopedics worldwide by Newsweek for the past three years, and nationwide by U.S. News & World Report for the past 14 years. US News & World Report also ranks HSS no. 2 in the nation for Rheumatology and a Best Hospital for Pediatric Orthopedics.

In 2022, HSS provided care to 200,000 patients from all 50 states and 80 countries and performed more than 38,000 surgical procedures. It provides continuing clinical education to more than 27,000 medical specialists in 165 countries.

"The success of an organization is connected to the strength and values of its leadership,” said Dr. Padgett, who was appointed the first Associate Surgeon-in-Chief and Deputy Medical Director at HSS in 2019. “I am honored to work alongside Answorth and Mathias, who are uniquely qualified to help further our mission and ensure we continue to provide the highest quality musculoskeletal care to all our patients.”

Answorth A. Allen, MD

Dr. Allen, the medical director for HSS West Side, is a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon specializing in shoulder, knee, and elbow surgery, as well as a Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC). He earned his medical degree from WCMC, completed residency programs at The New York Orthopaedic Hospital and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and did a fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on shoulder, knee, and elbow conditions.

“I am honored to be joining the medical leadership team at HSS, which is committed to delivering best-in-class healthcare experiences,” said Dr. Allen. “HSS has and will continue to grow exponentially, and I look forward to assisting in the next phase of advancement and excellence.” Dr. Allen will succeed Dr. Padgett as Deputy Medical Director.

Dr. Allen is the team orthopedist for the New York Knicks professional men’s basketball team and an orthopedic consultant for the West Indies Cricket Board of Control. Previously, he has served as an assistant team physician for both the New York Saints lacrosse team and the New York State Racing Association; a staff physician for the New York State Athletic Commission and the Hunter Mountain Ski Sports Center; and an assistant team physician for the University of Pittsburgh and assistant company physician for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

Mathias P. Bostrom, MD

In 2019, Dr. Bostrom was appointed chief of adult reconstruction and joint replacement at HSS, succeeding Dr. Padgett. He has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications, been the principal investigator of NIH-funded research, and served as director of HSS Education and Academic Affairs since 2003. He has led the HSS Fellowship Program from 2002 to 2019 and its nationally top-ranked Residency Program from 2005 to 2019 and served as chief of the HSS Hip Service from 2014 to 2019.

“HSS is known for providing comprehensive and collaborative care to all our patients, and I am committed to building upon that legacy,” said Dr. Bostrom, who in addition to becoming Associate Surgeon-in-Chief will be appointed Director of Quality and Safety. “I am also grateful for this leadership opportunity, and I am excited to work alongside talented and remarkable teams to advance the field of musculoskeletal health.”

Dr. Bostrom specializes in hip and knee surgery, including complex reconstructions and treatment of musculoskeletal infections. A graduate of the University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins, he completed his residency and two fellowships at HSS before joining the faculty in 1996. Dr. Bostrom currently practices at the HSS main campus in New York City and sees patients at HSS Westchester. Dr. Bostrom is a member of the Hip Society, the Orthopaedic Research Society, and the International Society for Fracture Repair.

Drs. Allen and Bostrom will assume their new roles in the HSS Office of Medical Leadership on September 5, 2023.

“The leadership team have demonstrated outstanding stewardship qualities, and their concentration in executing key health and operational initiatives will continue to advance HSS as a recognized global leader in the healthcare market,” said Shapiro. “It’s an exciting time at HSS as leadership advances our Purpose: to help people get back to what they need and love to do, better than any other place in the world.”

Healthgrades Rates the Best Hospitals for Outpatient Knee and Hip Joint Replacements

Thu, 11 May 2023 17:39:00 -0400

Healthline.com interviews Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service at HSS on the 2023 Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Awards, which names the top spots in the US for outpatient knee and hip replacement procedures.

Dr. Bostrom told Healthline that outpatient total joint replacement surgeries are “rapidly becoming an alternative for patients who qualified for outpatient procedures.”

He continued on to say the big advantage of these procedures is that you leave the hospital and recuperate in your own home environment without needing to stay in a hospital for an extended period of time, however noted this option isn’t right for everyone. You often have to be relatively healthy and young enough to qualify for an outpatient joint replacement “and have the right support network” in place.

Dr. Bostrom advised that finding the right provider is key. “It’s really important that the institution has a great track record in both inpatient and outpatient surgeries, but it’s also important you pick the surgeon who has the right track record of being able to perform the surgery with the least amount of complications.”

Read the full article at healthline.com

Additional coverage: beckersspine.com.

Salem woman’s leg saved by 2nd opinion

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 14:52:00 -0400

WTNH-TV interviews HSS patient Nancy Rodgers about a scare a few years ago that threatened to interrupt her active lifestyle.

In 2011, Rodgers had a successful knee replacement, and then underwent a revision surgery. In 2018, she split the bone on the tibia and developed a knee infection that would not go away.

“Then, I was told that I was probably going to lose my leg,” Rodgers said. “I was going to have to amputate it, that was my only option, and I, did not want that.”

That’s when she decided to get a second opinion which led Rodgers to her surgeon Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement service at HSS.

Dr. Bostrom told her she’d be able to keep her leg. “We took away a large portion of her knee cap and her extensor mechanism, but at the same time that’s where the infection was looming and that’s why we’re able to be so successful,” he said.

With the infection gone, doctors made Rodgers a knee hinge, then performed a procedure called a a muscle flap using her calf muscle.

Today, Rodgers remains mobile, enjoying time with her family.

Read the full article at wtnh.com.

On Your Mind

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 13:09:00 -0400

Consumer Reports on Health discusses the longevity of a knee replacement and includes guidance from Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service at HSS.

According to Dr. Bostrom, “For people age 65 and older, there’s a very high likelihood that if they get a knee replaced, it will last the rest of their lives.”

He added that after a knee replacement it’s best to avoid high-impact activities such as running and opt for walking, swimming, using an elliptical or dancing.

This article appeared in the August 2022 edition of the magazine .

A Study in Hipness

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 10:16:00 -0500

Radiology Today featured an update on HSS research on MRI & adverse tissue reactions in asymptomatic hip patients and included insight from authors Hollis G. Potter, MD, Chairman, Department of Radiology and Imaging, and Matthew F. Koff, PhD, assistant scientist at HSS.

The article also featured commentary on the clinical implications from Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service at HSS, and Geoffrey H. Westrich, MD, hip and knee surgeon at HSS.

According to Dr. Potter, “At the end of the day, we can’t cure osteoarthritis, but we can treat it. As the population gets older, more people will require hip and knee implants.”

She continued that joint replacements also are going into younger people, many of whom lead active lifestyles, “which means the demands on the implants are greater. Noting the newer materials used in hip replacements are considered safer. However, some patients still have adverse reactions.

According to Dr. Bostrom, “Where you have dissimilar materials touching each other, you could have problems.”

Dr. Koff explained that patients’ genetic makeup typically determines whether they will have an adverse tissue reaction, “but, unfortunately, there’s no way to predict whether someone is genetically predisposed.”

Dr. Potter and colleagues have been working on software that makes MRI the go-to tool to detect adverse tissue reactions in total hip arthroplasty and hip resurfacing, which is an alternative to completely replacing the hip.

Drs. Potter, Koff, and colleagues published a December 2021 study in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research finding that MRI identifies adverse tissue reactions in asymptomatic individuals after hip resurfacing arthroplasty. Previous studies have been limited to metal-on-metal implants.

The HSS researchers determined MRI identified adverse local tissue reactions in 25% of patients who had hip resurfacing arthroplasty. Dr. Potter said the finding was surprising because the patients who had reactions had symptoms similar to, or even less severe than, patients with ceramic-on-polyethylene and metal-on-polyethylene total hip replacements.

“We found that patients can be completely asymptomatic and have high-functioning hip scores while harboring reactions that could start to destroy the soft tissues around the hip,” Dr. Potter noted. “If you have an adverse tissue reaction, and it goes unchecked, it could destroy the tissues in half your pelvis.”

Dr. Koff added that the benefit of finding adverse reactions early cannot be underestimated. “If a patient has an adverse tissue reaction and you don’t find it early, if you have to do a revision, the revision surgery is going to take much longer,” he says. “It’s a lot more challenging, the recovery is longer, and there is a greater cost associated with every aspect of it, including the rehabilitation.”

Dr. Bostrom noted the HSS study is cutting edge and groundbreaking. “It will revolutionize the way we assess total joint replacement. I don’t think you can understate that.”

Dr. Westrich agreed that it would be worth following high-risk hip replacement patients with MRI but to exercise caution. “It would be extremely costly for the hospital, the patient, and the insurance carrier, and, in this era of cost containment, we have to pick carefully what tests we’re going to have. If the hip has no cobalt or chrome, that’s not the patient I would order an MRI for,” he said.

Dr. Westrich underscored that not all radiologists are able to use MRI to evaluate hip implants as successfully as Dr. Potter and those at HSS. “With MRIs, it’s very dependent on who’s doing it and whether they are dedicated to figuring out the best methods of doing metal suppression MRIs,” he added.

He continued, “MRI quality and technique vary tremendously from location to location. At our institution, we have the highest-resolution MRIs, the most powerful magnets, and the latest technology.”

Read the full article at Radiologytoday.net. The article also appeared as the cover story in the January/February print issue of the magazine.

Emerging Technologies Address Orthopedic Surgical Infections

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 11:13:00 -0500

BONEZONE discusses emerging technologies that address orthopedic surgical infections and includes insight from Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service at HSS, about a simple blood test can be used to detect periprosthetic joint infections.

Dr. Bostrom explained, “Hip, knee and shoulder are great operations. No question about it. The downside, unfortunately, is that a very small percentage can get infected. The problem is that we can’t just wash out the joint and give you a ton of antibiotics because we still have all this retained hardware in there. We can’t take that out. So one of the challenges we have is not only treatment but also diagnosis. We never really know what the organism is that’s caused [the infection]. The only way to find out is to put a needle in the hip or the knee and pull out the fluid.”

Alongside a large team, Dr. Bostrom has developed a faster, less intrusive method for identifying infections using cell-free DNA.

He explained, “Cell-free DNA is the genetic material that’s floating around in your bloodstream. It will give you a signal that an organism has been in blood and that there is an infection taking place. I started looking at cell-free DNA in pregnancy to look for abnormalities. But this is now applied to infections.”

Dr. Bostrom and colleagues worked with the medical technology firm Karius to discover that the method could detect infections in joint replacement patients via a simple blood test rather than pulling fluid out of knees, hips and shoulders. According to Dr. Bostrom, this method of infection detection allows experts to recognize specific sensitivities related to bacteria and identify multiple organisms, an asset not available through conventional methods.

He added, “Treating the infection means usually taking everything out, cleaning it out, applying an IV and antibiotics, and then finally time to put a new knee or hip in the patient. We never really know when it is the right time to take these steps. But this technology could be very useful in that setting. If the cell-free DNA is negative, it’s probably a good time to replant it. On the other hand, if the cell-free DNA sample is still positive for an infection, we gotta be aggressive and do something different, not put a brand new hip or knee in there.”

Read the full article at Bonezonepub.com.

Karius Cell-Free DNA Method to Detect Infection Validated in Study

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 16:32:00 -0400

360Dx reports on a new HSS study published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery co-authored by Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service, finding that a simple blood test can be used to detect periprosthetic joint infections.

Dr. Bostrom explained, “The diagnosis of prosthetic joint infections can be challenging” due to the time it takes for culture results and more painful specimen sampling. He added that the simple blood test is a “paradigm-shifting approach.”

Although it shouldn't be used as the only test for an infection, Dr. Bostrom said it would be a “very useful adjunct” for culture and serology tests, such as white blood cell count tests. Furthermore, he noted the blood test provides more information than a culture because it can determine whether there are multiple organisms in the infection.

Dr. Bostrom stated the blood test can also be used to help clinicians determine whether to put in a new joint. The current standard of care is to take the joint out, put the patient on antibiotics for six weeks, and put a new joint in. With this method, “we don't have a great way to truly determine whether the infection's gone,” he added. The blood test could provide a clearer picture of whether the infection has been eliminated.

Dr. Bostrom concluded the joint study was conducted on a limited number of patients and that more patients would be needed to fully validate the test.

Read the full article at 360dx.com. A subscription is required to access.

Researchers Identify Bacteria Causing Prosthetic Joint Infections Using a Simple Blood Test

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 14:07:53 -0400

A Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)-led team of investigators is the first to demonstrate that bacterial DNA from prosthetic joint infections can be detected in circulating blood and sequenced to identify the bacteria causing the infection. The innovative approach has the potential to help doctors treat patients who develop prosthetic joint infections with targeted antibiotics faster than is currently possible with standard lab cultures and monitor infection clearance before conducting revision surgeries. The study was published July 22 online first in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

More than one million Americans undergo knee, hip, elbow and shoulder replacements annually. About one in 75 patients, less than two percent, develop bacterial infections around the joint implants, called prosthetic joint infections. Though the numbers of affected patients are small, the consequences of prosthetic joint infection can be severe.

HSS performs more joint replacement surgeries than any other hospital in the world—a total of 11,000 annually. “Our infection rate is significantly below the national average, but prosthetic joint infections are devastating for affected patients,” says Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service at HSS. “Many do not return to the full potential of their original joint replacement.”

It is essential to identify the bacteria causing an infection so that a patient receives the right antibiotic. Since current blood tests only report levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, surgeons typically collect a fluid sample from the joint via needle aspiration. However, standard lab test results take at least three days and fail to identify the infectious pathogen in 15 to 20 percent of cases due to the challenges of growing bacteria in culture.

When bacterial identification is unknown, surgeons withhold antibiotics until they obtain tissue samples during the implant removal surgery. The removal procedure involves taking out the contaminated implant hardware and infected soft tissue. Surgeons insert a temporary spacer containing high-dose antibiotics, and they may also place antibiotic beads into the joint. Patients are also treated with high-dose intravenous antibiotics. It takes about six weeks to three months for an infection to clear before patients can undergo another operation to remove the spacer and receive a new permanent joint implant.

The idea for finding a new way to improve the diagnostic approach for patients with prosthetic joint infections began with principal investigator Laura Donlin, PhD, co-director of the Derfner Foundation Precision Medicine Laboratory and a member of the arthritis and tissue degeneration program of the HSS Research Institute. She attended a talk by a professor of bioengineering at Stanford University who had analyzed DNA shed from transplanted organs circulating in blood, called cell-free DNA, as an early detection system for transplant rejection. But through genomic sequencing of circulating cell-free DNA, he had also found increased levels of viral cell-free DNA in some patients’ blood indicating they had developed viral infections while taking immunosuppressant medications.

Dr. Donlin wondered if it would be possible to use the same approach to identify bacteria in patients with prosthetic joint infections. “It was unknown whether bacterial DNA from localized tissue infections around joint implants would be detectable in blood,” says Dr. Donlin. “It’s a challenging environment with many other bits of circulating microbial DNA from skin flora, the gut microbiome and other infections.”

For their proof-of-concept study, Dr. Donlin together with orthopedic surgeons including Michael P. Cross, MD and Dr. Bostrom and colleagues at HSS and Weill Cornell Medicine collected blood samples from 53 patients with known hip or knee prosthetic joint infections beginning in 2018. Karius, a genomic insights company based in Redwood City, California, sequenced blood samples collected from patients before treatment for infection and at the time of reimplantation surgery. They compared microbial cell-free DNA in the blood samples to their proprietary database of more than 1,300 known microbial genomes. The HSS investigators compared sequencing findings with results from standard tissue cultures.

Among surgical tissue samples from these 53 patients, traditional lab cultures identified the bacterial species in 35 cases and the bacterial genus in 11 cases, an overall detection rate of 87 percent. Microbial cell-free DNA sequencing identified the bacterial species in 23 cases in agreement with standard culture results. The new approach also identified the bacterial species in eight cases where cultures identified the bacterial genus only and four cases where cultures failed to determine the presence of bacteria.

On its own, microbial cell-free DNA sequencing pinpointed the bacterial species in 66 percent of samples. However, as an addition to standard culture results, it increased pathogen detection from 87 to 94 percent of samples. Microbial cell-free DNA sequencing was three days faster reporting the bacterial species for cases where culture results had only identified the bacterial family.

Analyses of follow-up blood samples after joint removal surgery and treatment with antibiotics showed undetectable or reduced bacteria levels. “For most patients, we saw microbial cell-free DNA levels drop below detection, indicating the infections had most likely cleared,” says Dr. Donlin. “But there were some cases with lower yet detectable levels after six weeks of antibiotic treatment. Considering that cell-free DNA lives in the bloodstream for only a few minutes, that meant these patients still had an ongoing infection and might require modification to their antibiotic treatment plan.”

“An indication that there is an infection, at least to the genus level for samples that fail to show results in standard cultures, will be beneficial for diagnosing and treating patients earlier for improved outcomes,” says Dr. Bostrom. “As a monitoring tool, microbial cell-free DNA sequencing has the potential to provide important information on the right time to change or stop antibiotics and for reimplantation surgery.”

Dr. Donlin and colleagues are improving the sensitivity and specificity of the new diagnostic method in collaboration with Karius and planning a multicenter study to test it on a larger scale. “In the future, we hope microbial cell-free DNA sequencing will prove to be a useful tool for detecting joint infections more quickly than is currently possible,” Dr. Donlin says. “We’re very excited that our innovation may one day translate to improved outcomes for patients.”

The study was supported by funding provided by the Price Family Foundation, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Complex Joint Reconstruction Center at HSS, the Feldstein Medical Foundation, the Carson Family Charitable Trust, the Ambrose Monell Foundation, the HSS Research Institute’s David Z. Rosensweig Center for Genomics Research, the National Institutes of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the National Science Foundation.

Has your Joint Replacement Surgery Been Postponed?

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 10:27:00 -0400

Arthritis Today shares advice for those whose joint replacement surgery has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a very difficult decision to decide to get hip or knee replacements,” says Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, chief of the adult reconstruction and joint replacement service at HSS, who recognizes that a postponement may feel like a setback since the patients are now ready to move forward. “And now [with social distancing], throw in that you’re isolated, and it is very frustrating.”

Dr. Bostrom advises to be patient and to try to manage the pain as much as possible. “Trying to maintain some exercise is so critically important,” he adds.

Dr. Bostrom says that the good news is that any unexpected delay will not result in long-term damage. “It’s unlikely that you are going to make [your arthritis] worse by waiting one, two or even three months; your pain will be worse, but not the outcome of the operation,” he explains.

Read the full article at Arthritis.org.

What to Know About Hip and Knee Replacements

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 18:50:00 -0400

AARP Magazine reports on the changes of how hip and knee replacement procedures are performed, and how to determine if you are the right candidate for surgery, according to experts.

AARP Magazine spoke to Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, chief of Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service at HSS, who explained surgery is warranted if x-rays show significant arthritis or other joint problems and the patient is symptomatic. “A lot of people have bad X-rays but they're functioning fine,” said Dr. Bostrom. In this case, it's generally safe to hold off on surgery. However, Dr. Bostrom noted, “If your X-ray looks horrible and you're functioning fine, let's leave well enough alone. On the other hand, if your X-ray looks bad and you are waking up at night, walking less and less, and not doing the things you want to do, then it's probably time to fix it."

Dr. Bostrom discussed the recuperation time, and a patient’s return to regular activities. “Our patients return to work in about 30 to 40 days,” he said. Furthermore, Dr. Bostrom added that most patients who undergo hip replacement generally have a faster, less painful return to regular activities. “The majority of them forget they had their hip replaced after a while,” he cited.

Read the full text article at AARP.org.

Wait, They’re Cutting You Open?

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 15:32:00 -0400

TLC’s The Little Couple followed Jen Arnold’s journey as she underwent hip replacement surgery at HSS performed by Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, chief of the HSS ARJR Service.

“The surgery went exactly as planned,” said Dr. Bostrom. “It went as smoothly as we could, you know, really possibly ask for,” he added.

This episode aired on August 6, 2019 at 9PM. Watch Jen’s journey at HSS on TLC.com. Please note a username and password for your cable provider is required to access.

Hospital for Special Surgery creates medical leadership office to ensure high standards are met — 3 takeaways

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 18:37:07 -0400

Becker’s Spine Review reports on the newly established Office of Medical Leadership at HSS under the direction of the incoming HSS Surgeon-in-Chief, Bryan T. Kelly, MD. The new office will ensure the highest standards in patient care, teaching, research and innovation.

Douglas E. Padgett, MD, current chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service (ARJR) at HSS, will assume the new role of Associate Surgeon-in-Chief and Deputy Medical Director, effective July 1. Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, hip and knee surgeon at HSS, will succeed Dr. Padgett as chief of the HSS ARJR Service.

Read the full article at BeckersSpine.com.

Additional coverage: Orthopedics This Week.

US #1 in Orthopedics HSS Broadens Medical Leadership to Further Advance Patient Care, Research, Education

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 09:54:19 -0400

Douglas Padgett, MD, Named Inaugural Associate Surgeon-in-Chief and Deputy Medical Director

Mathias Bostrom, MD, to Succeed Padgett as Chief of Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health, today announced the creation of an Office of Medical Leadership under the direction of incoming Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director Bryan T. Kelly, MD. The new structure will ensure the highest standards of quality in patient care, teaching, research, and innovation. The office will include a new position of Associate Surgeon-in-Chief and Deputy Medical Director.

HSS has been the nation’s top-ranked hospital for Orthopedics for the past nine consecutive years according to U.S.News & World Report, and is a world leader in research, innovation and education. HSS currently ranks third in the nation for Rheumatology, and as a Best Hospital for Pediatric Orthopedics. It provides continuing medical education to more than 27,000 medical specialists in 130 countries In 2018, HSS provided care to 135,000 patients from all 50 states and 80 countries, and performed more than 32,000 surgical procedures.

Douglas E. Padgett, MD, has been appointed the first Associate Surgeon-in-Chief and Deputy Medical Director at HSS. Dr. Padgett has served as chief of the Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement Service (ARJR) at HSS since 2008. He will assume his new role on July 1, joining the HSS Office of Medical Leadership.

“HSS has earned the privilege and responsibility of making the highest quality musculoskeletal healthcare more widely available to people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe,” said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO. “Formation of the HSS Office of Medical Leadership, and Dr. Padgett’s appointment to join Dr. Kelly there, is the culmination of careful planning to equip HSS to further advance quality, value and impact.”

Last month HSS announced that Dr. Kelly will become Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director on July 1, succeeding Todd J. Albert, MD. Dr. Albert will focus on his practice as a spine surgeon and other leadership activities within HSS, as the third actively serving Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus.

“HSS is at the forefront of driving high quality patient care and outstanding surgical outcomes primarily because of the unparalleled expertise, insight and experience of its medical staff,” said Dr. Kelly. “Dr. Padgett’s extensive experience and proven leadership will be valuable assets in this newly established role. I look forward to working with him closely to help advance HSS leadership.”

Together, Drs. Kelly and Padgett will work to further patient care, education, research and innovation, and ensure compliance, quality control measures and standards are upheld as HSS expands. They will also identify and support emerging initiatives that advance injury prevention, non-surgical care, and the reliability and efficiency of surgery when necessary.

“I am immensely excited about this opportunity to build on the strong foundation that currently exists,” explained Dr. Padgett. “HSS has a long-standing commitment to excellence and I’m honored to work with all the outstanding and talented physicians and colleagues to advance our history of delivering excellent patient care and service.”

Dr. Padgett joined HSS in 1993. He advanced to serve as chief of the HSS Hip Service from 2006 to 2014, and in 2008 became chief also of the HSS ARJR Service. Dr. Padgett has served on the Board and remains a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and is a past president and current member of the Hip Society. He is also a member of the Knee Society and the International Hip Society. As a Battalion Surgeon in the early 1980s in Grenada and Lebanon, he was awarded the Naval Achievement Medal. He was also deployed to the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991.

Long-time HSS Leader and Educator Bostrom to Succeed Padgett

Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, will succeed Dr. Padgett as chief of the ARJR Service at HSS on July 1. Dr. Bostrom has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, been the principal investigator of NIH funded research, and served as director of HSS Education and Academic Affairs since 2003. He has led the HSS Fellowship Program since 2002, and its nationally top-ranked Residency Program since 2005, and has served as chief of the HSS Hip Service since 2014.

The ARJR service has been leading the field both in innovations and volume of hip and knee replacements since HSS physicians pioneered the first modern knee replacement over four decades ago. HSS surgeons now perform more than 10,000 hip and knee replacements each year, which is more than any other hospital in the nation.

“HSS is an academic medical center committed to training future generations of orthopedic surgeons,” said Dr. Padgett. “Our patients are able to benefit from our experience with the most complex cases, the latest treatment options and the newest technologies and most importantly, a strong team of clinicians. Dr. Bostrom is well suited to lead our service as we continue to provide superior outcomes to our patients.”

Dr. Bostrom specializes in hip and knee surgery including complex reconstructions and treatment of musculoskeletal infections. A graduate of University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins, he completed his residency and two fellowships at HSS before starting his medical practice there in 1996. Dr. Bostrom currently practices at the HSS main campus in New York City and also sees patients at HSS Westchester.

“I’m honored to take on this new opportunity, and dedicated to leading this talented team of surgeons as we continue to uncover innovative solutions for joint pain,” said Dr. Bostrom. “HSS is recognized as the leader in joint replacement and I look forward to continuing our mission to provide high-quality care and the best patient experience.”

Dr. Bostrom is a member of the Hip Society, the Orthopaedic Research Society, and the International Society for Fracture Repair.

“Dr. Bostrom is a distinguished physician leader at our organization and plays a major role in the HSS Education Institute especially with our Global Academic Partnerships and our residency and fellowship programs,” said Mr. Shapiro. “Dr. Bostrom personifies our tradition of enabling the most discerning students, physicians and researchers to advance their knowledge and skills while championing approaches to patient care and safety.”

HSS COMPARES OXINIUM CORROSION RATES TO COBALT CHROM

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 17:13:00 -0400

Orthopedics This Week (OTW) highlights research from HSS recently published in The Bone & Joint Journal which compared the fretting and corrosion rates of OXINIUM (OxZr, oxidized zirconium, Smith & Nephew, Memphis, Tennessee) femoral heads with those from a matched cohort of cobalt-chromium (CoCr) femoral heads.

Co-author Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, hip and knee surgeon at HSS, provided a statement to OTW regarding the findings of the study, who said, “We observed very little corrosion on the OxZr heads, at least in the short term, and developed a methodology to assess corrosion in the female taper of the heads which was technically challenging. With CoCr heads increased corrosion was associated with increasing head size. OxZr heads behave more like ceramic heads and pose little chance of developing trunion corrosion.”

Read the full article at ryortho com.

Virtual reality technology helps surgeons practice and prepare

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 07:00:00 -0500

WABC visits the Bioskills Education Laboratory at HSS to demonstrate a new tool that is used to train orthopedic residents.

They watched as a resident practiced partial knee replacement using virtual reality technology. "There is no substitute for the real muscle memory of dealing with actual tissue and the patient in the operating room," says Yuri Pompeu, MD, orthopedic resident at HSS. "But absolutely - as a supplement and a complement to everything else that we do, it's very valuable."

"It lets them practice in a very safe environment," explains Mathias P. Bostrom, MD, hip and knee surgeon at HSS and vice chairman of Education and Academic Affairs. "It lets us assess their performance and lets them assess how they're doing as well. And they can do it over and over again."

Watch the segment at ABC7NY.com. This aired on February 6, 2019.

Additional Coverage:

Becker's Spine Review: Hospital for Special Surgery uses VR technology for orthopedic surgery training: 4 notes

Medical residents can now practice virtual operations before they ever touch a live patient

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 07:00:00 -0400

Crain's New York Business featured HSS vice chairman of Education and Academic Affairs Mathias P. Bostrom, MD; sports medicine surgeon and director of the sports medicine fellowship Anil S. Ranawat, MD; manager of the Bioskills Education Lab Justin Dufresne, CST; orthopedic residents Cynthia A. Kahlenberg, MD and Ameer Elbuluk, MD; in a feature article about innovations in medical education at HSS.

According to the article, virtual reality is emerging as a high-tech solution to train medical residents.

Dr. Bostrom said that VR simulations could prove particularly useful in many procedure-based areas of medicine, such as anesthesia, to introduce new physicians to the steps needed to complete a task.

"Certain industries such as aviation have been doing simulation for many decades. It's been relatively late in coming into medicine and surgery," Dr. Bostrom added.

The article reported that HSS residents have been operating on cadavers and artificial bones for practice for years.

"Cadavers are still the gold standard of how to teach young surgeons," noted Dr. Ranawat.

"Right now [VR] is just another instrument or tool to give younger residents—not older residents because older residents are going to use more cadaver and live surgery—the basic surgical skill sets, such as understanding anatomy, tactile feel and understanding the steps of the procedure," explained Dr. Ranawat.

"The fact that I can come in here and it will walk me through it step by step with the instrumentation, it's positive," said Dr. Elbuluk, a first-year resident, who is able to use this tool to get experience before going into the operating room.

Older residents, such as Dr. Kahlenberg, a fourth-year resident, noted that VR tools do not yet have the capability to vary joints such as the knee.

"Every human knee is a little bit different, and there's variability in the soft tissues and the feel of the soft tissue," said Dr. Kahlenberg. "I think it has potential to be helpful in the future, but it has a long way to go before it becomes a realistic training tool."

Crain's also reported on another simulator tool in the Bioskills lab that helps train residents on arthroscopy specifically.

Read the full article at Crainsnewyork.com. This also appeared in the August 20, 2018 print issue as well as Crain's Health Pulse and Crain's Morning 10.

Additional Coverage: ModernHealthcare.com

Leading South Korea Hospital System Partners With HSS

Tue, 24 Jul 2018 07:00:00 -0400

South Korea’s leading orthopedic specialty hospital network, Bumin Hospital Group (BHG), has extended its relationship with New York-based HSS, a world leader in musculoskeletal health. Since engaging with HSS in 2014, BHG has achieved operating efficiencies through transfer of HSS best practices and partnering on education and research.

HSS includes Hospital for Special Surgery, the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health, ranked #1 for Orthopedics for the eighth consecutive year by USNews & World Report 'Best Hospitals' (2017-18). HSS is also a world leader in rheumatology and research, innovation and education related to musculoskeletal health.

"HSS is advancing state of the art musculoskeletal care globally through research, innovation, and a variety of collaborations with quality-focused organizations such as Bumin Hospital Group," said Louis A. Shapiro, president and chief executive officer of HSS. "We have a substantial responsibility and opportunity to distribute knowledge and capabilities that help consumers and providers to realize their potential."

In the first phase of their collaboration in 2014, an HSS expert team worked with BHG to develop strategies for advancing surgical, non-surgical, and rehabilitation outcomes, and improve operational efficiencies. HSS clinical and educational teams helped guide transformations at two BHG units -- Busan Bumin Hospital and Seoul Bumin Hospital.

The focus of the two-year engagement extension (2018-20) will be on strengthening the Quality Improvement and Infection Control programs at Seoul Bumin Hospital and Haeundae Bumin Hospital. Both facilities will work towards achieving by 2020 the designation of HSS Center of Excellence, a certification of advanced care delivery accompanied by continuing development support from and membership in the HSS Global Orthopedic Alliance Network.

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with BHG and share the depth of our experience in delivering world class orthopedic and rehabilitative care," said HSS Vice Chairman of Education and Academic Affairs Mathias P. Bostrom, M.D.. "Bumin Hospital shares many values with HSS, including a commitment to promoting musculoskeletal health in the global society by providing the best possible care to patients."

About Bumin Hospital Group
Bumin Hospital Group (BHG) operates four hospitals in South Korea with a total bed size of more than 1,200 including Bumin Hospital, a leading specialty hospital in musculoskeletal medicine in South Korea. To raise its clinical standards, Bumin has established clinical pathways for major surgeries and implemented a customer-oriented treatment system.