Volume 35, June 2025
Letter from the Editor
Rachel Flaugh, MD
Letter from the Chair
Benjamin “Kyle” Potter, MD, FACS
Letter from the Program Director
Andrew D. Sobel, MD
Chief Operating Officer & State of the Department Update
Andrew Duncan, COO
Dedication: Dr. Richard S. Davidson, MD
John M. Flynn, MD and B. David Horn, MD
Department Updates
Spine Division Update
Amrit Khalsa, MD
Hand Division Update
David Bozentka, MD
Adult Reconstruction Division Update
Charles Nelson, MD
Foot and Ankle Division Update
Casey Humbyrd, MD, MBE
Orthopaedic Oncology Division Update
Cara Cipriano, MD, MSc
Orthoplastic Limb Salvage Division
L. Scott Levin, MD, FACS
Health System Updates
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Update
Jack Flynn, MD, Ryan Quinn, MHA, and Divya Talwar, PhD, MPH
Pennsylvania Hospital Update
Neil Sheth, MD, FACS
Clinical Research Section Update
Annamarie D. Horan, MPA, PhD
Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders
Louis J. Soslowsky, PhD
McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory
Joel D. Boerckel, PhD and X. Sherry Liu, PhD
Quality Improvement & Patient Safety—Enhancing Orthopaedic Education: Integrating ACGME Requirements with a Novel QI Educational Model
Rachel Coughlin, DNP, RN, CPPS, CPHQ, CSSBB, Casey Humbyrd, MD, MBE, Eric Hume, MD, and Andrew Sobel, MD
Penn Achilles Tendinopathy Center of Research Translation
Louis J. Soslowsky, PhD
Resident and Fellow Updates
Penn Medicine Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Intern Class 2025–2026
Visiting Professor Lecture Series 2024–2025
Developing Resident Leadership Skills: Update on Formal Leadership Training Curriculum
Weston E. Smith, MD and John D. A. Kelly IV, MD
2024–2025 Penn Ortho Resident Life Update
Gavin Rallis, MD, Emily Eiel, MD, and Bijan Dehghani, MD
Clinical Research
Trauma
Tips & Tricks: The Use of a Universal Distractor as a Reduction Aid for Obtaining Fibular Length
Anna Blaeser, MD and Samir Mehta, MD
Case Study: Traumatic Femoral Bone and Soft Tissue Loss in a 24-Year-Old Male: Tibial Turnup-plasty for Limb Salvage
Nnaemeka Okorie, MD, Jaret McGraw Karnuta, MD, MS, Alexander Wahl, MD, and Benjamin Kyle Potter, MD
Military Patient Perspectives on Limb Reconstruction Versus Amputation for Lower Extremity Trauma
Megan R. Hsu, MD, Divya Jain, BA, Oluseye Raymond, MD, Jonathan A. Forsberg, MD, PhD, and Casey Jo Humbyrd, MD, MBE
Case Study: Allgöwer-Donati Method for Tension-Free Wound Closure
Emily S. Eiel, MD, Dainn Woo, MD, Samir Mehta, MD, and Jean-Claude G. D’Alleyrand, MD
Allgöwer-Donati Technique for Tension-Free Closure of Complex Wounds
Emily S. Eiel, MD, Dainn Woo, MD, Samir Mehta, MD, and Jean-Claude G. D’Alleyrand, MD
The New Urban Lawnmower: Children vs Trains
Caroline L. Kim, BS and Alexandre Arkader, MD
Spine
VEPTR Improves dMRI Parameters in Spina Bifida Patient with Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome
Jacob V. Jordan, BS, Thomas A. Coleman, BS, Yubing Tong, PhD, Jayaram K. Udupa, PhD, Jason B. Anari, MD, and Patrick J. Cahill, MD
Sports
Tips & Tricks: Proximal Hamstring Repair: Exploring Endoscopic Technique
Shivani C. Pandya, MD, Sarah E. Rizzo, MD, and John D. Kelly, MD
Trends in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Sixteen-Year Analysis at a Single Institution
Jonathan McKeeman, David Kell, Eyob Matiwos, Kevin Landrum, Morgan Swanson, Brendon Mitchell, and Theodore Ganley
Hand
Tips & Tricks: Extended Flexor Carpi Radialis Approach for Distal Radius Fracture Exposure and Fixation
Thompson Zhuang, MD, MBA, Ellis Berns, MD, and Stephen Y. Liu, MD
Non-Vascularized Bone Grafting in the Surgical Treatment of Scaphoid Nonunion with Avascular Necrosis in Children and Adolescents
Casey C. Kuka, BS, Eric Taleghani, MD, Kaitlynn N. Jackson, BS, Sayaka Mori, BA, Scott J. Mahon, BS, Kevin J. Little, MD, and Apurva S. Shah, MD, MBA
Shoulder and Elbow
Tips & Tricks: Utilization of a “Utility Plate” in the Treatment of Peri-prosthetic Fractures of the Humeral Shaft
Lisa G. M. Friedman, MD, MA, Alyssa Thorman, MD, Samir Mehta, MD, and John G. Horneff, MD
Surgical Technique for Open Reduction Internal Fixation of Acromial Fracture after Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Caroline Granruth, MD, MPH, Matthew Astolfi, MD, and J. Gabriel Horneff, MD
Foot and Ankle
Tips & Tricks: Ankle Fracture Closed Reductions and Splinting
Alyssa Thorman, MD, Alexander Wahl, MD, and Casey Humbyrd, MD, MBE
Ankle Biomechanics during Pregnancy using Markerless Motion Capture
Michelle Meyers, Afua Nkansah-Andoh, Devyn Russo, Ke Song, PhD, Celeste Durnwald, MD, Casey Humbyrd, MD, MBE, and Josh Baxter, PhD
Pregnancy Gait Biomechanics using Markerless Motion Capture
Michelle Meyers, Afua Nkansah-Andoh, Devyn Russo, Ke Song, PhD, Celeste Durnwald, MD, Casey Humbyrd, MD, MBE, and Josh Baxter, PhD
The “Hook Grip”: Precise Fragment Manipulation During Minimally Invasive Hallux Valgus Correction
Ahab G. Alnemri, BA, Tensae Assefa, MD, and Anthony Ndu, MD
Camera-Based System to Track Arch Height Index During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Michelle N. Meyers, Casey Jo Humbyrd, MD, MBE, and Josh Baxter, PhD
Oncology
Tips & Tricks: Surgical Management of Proximal Femoral Metastatic Disease
Jaret M. Karnuta, MD, MS, Maxwell Cardwell, MD, Benjamin K. Potter, MD, and Cara Cipriano, MD, MSc
Angioleiomyoma of the Heel: A Case Report
Alexis Watson, BS, Maxwell Cardwell, MD, and Wen Chao, MD
An Ode to the Amputation Surgeon of Walter Reed: And, a Useful Method of Classification for the Protection of Junior Surgeons
Patrick J. McGlone, MD
Arthroplasty
Tips & Tricks: The Adelaide Approach: Technique Guide to the Extended Posterior Approach to the Hip and Acetabulum Preserving Superior Gluteal Neurovasculature in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty
Emily S. Eiel, MD, Brian Velasco, MD, Pranteeth Thota, BS, David Isaacs, BA, and Neil P. Sheth, MD
Assessment of Bleeding Complications with Oral Anticoagulants in Total Hip or Knee Arthroplasty: Retrospective Analysis
Baptiste Compagnon, MBBS, Matthieu Breton, MBBS, Edmundo P. Souza Neto, MD, PhD, Remi Bouquerel, MD, Benjamin Le Gaillard, MD, Antoine Strzelecki, MD, Christophe Pelletier, MD, Mireille Houadec, MD, and Gorka Usandizaga, MD
Pediatrics
Navigating the Gray Zone: Determining Operative Versus Nonoperative Management of Isolated, Minimally Displaced Pediatric Olecranon Fractures
Casey C. Kuka, BS, Scott J. Mahon, BS, Brendon C. Mitchell, MD, Sayaka Mori, BA, and Apurva S. Shah, MD, MBA
Artificial Intelligence in Pediatric Orthopaedics: Are We at a Watershed Moment?
Sulagna Sarkar, MS, Monika Thothadri, PharmD, MPH, and Divya Talwar, PhD
Dynamic Ultrasound Findings of Hip Microinstability and Its Impact on Post-Injection Pain Relief
Sean Owens, BS, Morgan Swanson, BA, Monika Thothadri, PharmD, MPH, Nakul Talathi, MD, Kathleen Maguire, MD, Wudbhav Sankar, MD, Thomas Swaffield, MD, and Naomi Brown, MD
Management and Outcomes of Pediatric and Adolescent Patients with Morel-Lavallée Lesions
Sean Owens, BS, Sean Schoeman, MBChB, Kelly McNult, MD, Seth Vatsky, DO, Michael Acord, MD, Shaun Mendenhall, MD, and Naomi Brown, MD
Anterior Lip Displacement Is Associated with Unplanned Return to Operating Room After Operative Management of Tibial Spine Fractures
Morgan E. Swanson, BA, Casey C. Kuka, BS, Akbar N. Syed, MD, Sulagna Sarkar, MS, Kevin Landrum, BS, J. Todd R. Lawrence, MD, PhD, and Theodore J. Ganley, MD
Overprescription of Opioids from Higher Socioeconomic Backgrounds: Disparities in Opioid Utilization for Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures
Divya Talwar, PhD, MPH, Scott J. Mahon, BS, Nathan David Markiewitz, MD, Sachin Gupta, MD, Brendan A. Williams, MD, John “Jack” M. Flynn, MD, and Apurva S. Shah, MD, MBA
To Use or Not to Use: When to Apply Longitudinal Methods in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery?
Monika Thothadri, PharmD, MPH, Sulagna Sarkar, MS, and Divya Talwar, PhD, MPH
True Grit: Medical Students Demonstrate Sustained Passion and Perseverance Regardless of Background Experience
Martha Kebeh, AB, Morgan Swanson, BA, Nathan Chaclas, BS, Sulagna Sarkar, MS, Divya Talwar, PhD, Luke Ganley, and Keith D. Baldwin, MD
Basic Science
Bone & Development
Catalase-Loaded Liposome as Highly Efficient Antioxidant Nanoparticle for Osteoarthritis Therapy
Hanli Guo, PhD, Qiushi Liang, PhD, Diling Zhang, MS, Jun Li, MD, Yiyang Xu, Yunyi Niu, Huan Wang, MD, Tingfang Sun, PhD, Zhiliang Cheng, PhD, and Ling Qin, PhD
Bone Marrow Late Mesenchymal Progenitors Regulate Bone Remodeling, Hematopoiesis, and Vasculature via mTORC1 Signaling
Qi He, MD, PhD, Hanli Guo, PhD, Yuewei Lin, MTCM, Kyu Sang Joeng, PhD, Ernestina Schipani, PhD, Nathaniel A. Dyment, PhD, Ivo Kalajzic, PhD, and Ling Qin, PhD
Lipid Nanoparticles Loaded with a Highly Potent sPLA2 Inhibitor for Osteoarthritis Treatment
Qiushi Liang, PhD, Tao Gui, PhD, Lijun Luo, PhD, Anatoliy V. Popov, PhD, Qi He, MD, PhD, Kyla Ortved, DVM, PhD, Andrew Tsourkas, PhD, Zhiliang Cheng, PhD, and Ling Qin, PhD
CD14 Deficiency Increases Osteoclastogenesis via a Reduction in Type I Interferon Signaling
Lance A. Murphy, BS, Kevin G. Burt, PhD, Kate L. Sharp, BS, Baofeng Hu, MD, Vu Nguyen, BS, Robert L. Mauck, PhD, and Carla R. Scanzello, MD, PhD
Cartilage, Meniscus & Disc
Inhibition of Fibroblast Activation Protein Restores the Homeostatic Phenotype of Mechano-activated Synovial Fibroblasts
Elizabeth R. Bernstein, BA, Brendan Stoeckl, PhD, MS, Rachel A. Flaugh, MD, Robert L. Mauck, PhD, and Liane Miller, MD
Assessing Cell Therapy Retention and Survival Across a Spectrum of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration in Rabbits
Matthew Fainor, BS, Aira Bazaz, BS, Harvey E. Smith, MD, and Sarah E. Gullbrand, PhD
A Novel Approach to Annulus Fibrosus Repair via Streptavidin Functionalized Hydrogels
Emily E. Sharp, PhD, Lorielle Laforest, BS, Yuqi Zhang, BS, Karen L. Xu, PhD, Jason A. Burdick, PhD, Robert L. Mauck, PhD, and Sarah E. Gullbrand, PhD
Targeted Knockdown of Non-Muscle Myosin II to Mitigate Synovial Cell Mechanoactivation and Fibrosis after Joint Injury
Elizabeth Bernstein, BA, Grey Hallstrom, PhD, Sung Yeon Kim, PhD, Rachel Flaugh, MD, Carla Scanzello, MD, PhD, Liane Miller, MD, Robert Mauck, PhD, and Nathaniel Dyment, PhD
Dynamic and Reversible Boundary Constraints to Guide Engineered Meniscus Tissue Formation
Darcy Huang, BSE, Yuqi Zhang, BS, Meghan Kupratis, PhD, Elizabeth R. Bernstein, BA, Georgios Kotsaris, PhD, and Robert L. Mauck, PhD
Muscle, Tendon, and Ligament
Sensor-Measured Achilles Tendon Load is Associated with Plantarflexor Dynamic Function in Achilles Tendinopathy
Ke Song, PhD, Michelle P. Kwon, BS, Andy K. Smith, PT, DPT, MS, Ryan T. Pohlig, PhD, Karin Grävare Silbernagel, PT, ATC, PhD, FAPTA, and Josh R. Baxter, PhD