Background: There is a relationship between sleep, pain, and chronic opioid utilization. This has been poorly explored in general, and especially in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery. Fewer studies have investigated this relationship based on a sleep diagnosis present both before and after surgery. Objectives: To identify the association between insomnia and sleep apnea and downstream opioid use and medical utilization (visits and cost) in the 2 years following arthroscopic hip surgery. Study Design: A retrospective cohort. Setting: The US Military Health System. Methods: This was a consecutive cohort of individuals undergoing hip arthroscopy in the Military Health System (MHS). Medical utilization data were abstracted from the MHS Data Repository between 2003 and 2015, representing 1 year prior and 2 years after surgery for every individual. Sleep disorder diagnoses (insomnia and sleep apnea) were identified using International Classification of Disease codes, and opioid utilization was determined from pharmacy data based on American Hospital Formulary Service codes 280808 and 280812. Sleep disorders present before surgery were used as predictors in multivariate logistic regression, and sleep disorders present after surgery were examined for associations with the outcomes using the Chi-square tests. The dependent variables in both cases were downstream medical utilization (costs, visits, and opioid use). Results: Of 1870 eligible patients (mean age 32.3 years; 44.5% women), 165 (8.8%) had a diagnosis of insomnia before surgery and 333 (17.8%) after surgery; whereas 93 (5.0%) had a diagnosis of apnea before surgery and 268 (14.3%) after surgery. A diagnosis of insomnia before surgery predicted having at least 3+ opioids prescriptions after surgery (adjusted odds ratio, 1.97 [95% confidence interval, 1.39, 2.79]) and greater downstream total medical visits and costs in the 2 years after surgery. However, the number of individuals with a diagnosis of insomnia or apnea after surgery more than doubled, and was significantly associated with chronic opioid use, all-cause medical and all hip-related medical downstream visits and costs in the 2 years after surgery. Limitations: The use of observational data and claims data are only as good as how it was entered. Conclusions: Sleep disorders prior to surgery predicted chronic opioid use and medical utilization after surgery. However, a much higher rate of individuals had sleep apnea and insomnia present after surgery, which were significantly associated with chronic opioid use and greater total and hip-related medical utilization (visits and costs). Screening for sleep disorders prior to surgery may be important, but an even higher rate of sleep disorders may be developed after surgery, and continued screening after surgery may have greater clinical merit. Assessing quality of sleep during perioperative management may provide a unique opportunity to decrease pain and chronic opioid use after surgery. Key words: Pain, opioid use, insomnia, sleep apnea, orthopaedic surgery, military medicine, health care utilization Pain Physician 2019

Objective To investigate the influence of time taken to begin musculoskeletal rehabilitation on injury recurrence and ankle-related medical care use at 1 year after ankle sprain. Design Retrospective cohort study of all beneficiaries of the US Military Health System seeking care for an ankle sprain over a 4-year period. Methods Individuals were classified according to whether they did or did not receive physical rehabilitation. For those who received rehabilitation (n = 6150), linear relationships (with appropriate covariate controls) were analyzed with generalized linear models and generalized additive models to measure the effects of rehabilitation timing on injury recurrence and injury-related medical care use (costs and visits) at 1 year after injury. The nonlinear effect of rehabilitation timing on the probability of recurrence was assessed. Results Approximately 1 in 4 people received rehabilitation. The probability of ankle sprain recurrence increased for each day that rehabilitation was not provided during the first week. The probability of ankle sprain recurrence plateaued until about 2 months after initial injury, then increased again, with 2 times greater odds of recurrence compared to those who received physical rehabilitation within the first month. When rehabilitation care was delayed, recurrence (odds ratio [OR] = 1.28), number of foot/ankle-related visits (OR = 1.22), and foot/ankle-related costs increased (OR = 1.13; up to $1400 per episode). Conclusion The earlier musculoskeletal rehabilitation care started after an ankle sprain, the lower the likelihood of recurrence and the downstream ankle-related medical costs incurred. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2021;51(12):619–627. doi:10.2519/jospt.2021.10730

Objectives This overview of reviews aimed to identify (1) aspects of the patient experience when seeking care for musculoskeletal disorders from healthcare providers and the healthcare system, and (2) which mechanisms are used to measure aspects of the patient experience. Data sources Four databases were searched from inception to December 20th, 2019. Review methods Systematic or scoping reviews examining patient experience in seeking care for musculoskeletal from healthcare providers and the healthcare system were included. Independent authors screened and selected studies, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of the reviews. Patient experience concepts were compiled into five themes from a perspective of a) relational and b) functional aspects. A list of mechanisms used to capture the patient experience was also collected. Results Thirty reviews were included (18 systematic and 12 scoping reviews). Relational aspects were reported in 29 reviews and functional aspects in 25 reviews. For relational aspects, the most prevalent themes were “information needs” (education and explanation on diseases, symptoms, and self-management strategies) and “understanding patient expectations” (respect and empathy). For functional aspects, the most prevalent themes were patient’s “physical and environmental needs,” (cleanliness, safety, and accessibility of clinics), and “trusted expertise,” (healthcare providers’ competence and clinical skills to provide holistic care). Interviews were the most frequent mechanism identified to collect patient experience. Conclusions Measuring patient experience provides direct insights about the patient’s perspectives and may help to promote better patient-centered health services and increase the quality of care. Areas of improvement identified were interpersonal skills of healthcare providers and logistics of health delivery, which may lead to a more desirable patient-perceived experience and thus better overall healthcare outcomes. Trial registration Systematic review registration: PROSPERO (CRD42019136500).

Objective To evaluate the existing body of trials assessing manual therapy for low back pain (LBP) to determine where it falls on the efficacyeffectiveness continuum. Design Methodology systematic review. Literature Search PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), and PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database) were searched for trials published between January 1, 2000, and April 30, 2021. Study Selection Criteria We included randomized clinical trials investigating joint mobilization and manipulation for adults with nonspecific LBP that were available in English. Data Synthesis We used the Rating of Included Trials on the Efficacy-Effectiveness Spectrum (RITES) tool to score included trials across 4 domains: participant characteristics, trial setting, flexibility of intervention(s), and clinical relevance of experimental and comparison intervention(s). Proportions of trials with greater emphasis on efficacy or effectiveness were calculated for each domain. Results Of the 132 included trials, a greater proportion emphasized efficacy than effectiveness for domains participant characteristics (50% vs 38%), trial setting (71% vs 20%), and flexibility of intervention(s) (61% vs 25%). The domain clinical relevance of experimental and comparison intervention(s) had lower emphasis on efficacy (41% vs 50%). Conclusion Most trials investigating manual therapy for LBP lack pragmatism across the RITES domains (ie, they emphasize efficacy). To improve real-world implementation, more research emphasizing effectiveness is needed. This could be accomplished by recruiting from more diverse participant pools, involving multiple centers that reflect common clinical practice settings, involving clinicians with a variety of backgrounds/experience, and allowing flexibility in how interventions are delivered. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2022;52(8):532–545. Epub: 19 June 2022. doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.10962

Physical therapists should be part of the risk management team and advise unit commanders on injury-prevention strategies in a combat setting.