Medical Anatomy Commons^™

Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Variations And Strategies For Injury Prevention: A Systematic Review, Hana Abdelmeguid, Bamdad Tayyari, Yuvedha Senthil Velan, Michael J. Montalbano Md

Medical Student Research Symposium

Objective

Anatomical variations in the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), namely extra-laryngeal terminal bifurcation and non-recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve, are known risk factors for RLN injury during surgery and represent a considerable jeopardy for iatrogenic damage like vocal cord paralysis. This systematic review aims to identify strategies for protecting RLN during thyroid surgery from nerve damage.

Methods

A search was conducted using EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PUBMED for articles published till February 2023 while strictly adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Subject headings and keywords related to anatomical variations, recurrent laryngeal nerve, and surgical prevention …

Real-World Clinical Outcomes Of Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Propensity-Matched Comparative Study, Hassan Yassine, Amir Ghafarian, Jawad Saad, Abdel Kareem Hilo, Muaaz Wajahath, Khaled Saleh

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background:

Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RA-TKA) is increasingly utilized to improve component alignment and soft-tissue balance, yet its impact on clinically meaningful outcomes in large real-world populations remains uncertain. Although prior studies demonstrate improved radiographic accuracy, whether robotic assistance reduces postoperative complications, opioid utilization, or midterm mechanical failure has not been established at scale.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective, propensity-matched cohort study using the TriNetX US Collaborative Network to identify adults undergoing primary TKA from 2018–2023. Robotic-assisted procedures were defined by CPT 27447 with concurrent robotic navigation codes. Propensity score matching (1:1) was performed to balance demographics and comorbidities, yielding …

Malnutrition At The Time Of Surgery Predicts Increased Morbidity After Distal Femur Fracture Fixation: A Propensity-Matched Analysis, Jawad Saad, Amir Ghafarian, Tyler Forbes, Muaaz Wajath, Noor Saad, Khaled Saleh

Medical Student Research Symposium

Abstract

Background: Distal femur fractures (DFF) are serious injuries most often affecting older adults with multiple medical comorbidities. Malnutrition is known to worsen outcomes in elective orthopedic surgery, but its impact in urgent DFF fixation, where optimization time is limited, remains unclear. This study evaluated whether preoperative malnutrition predicts 90-day morbidity after DFF fixation and whether implant choice influences risk among malnourished patients.

Methods: Adults undergoing operative DFF fixation from 2005–2025 were identified using the TriNetX U.S. Collaborative Network. Malnutrition was defined as serum albumin ≤3.5 g/dL or leukocyte count ≤1.5×10³/µL within one year preoperatively. After 1:1 propensity matching for …

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Hybrid Remnant Preservation Reconstruction Demonstrates Similar Outcomes As Traditional Reconstruction After 6 Months: A Randomized Control Trial, Joshua P. Castle, Eleftherios L. Halkias, Brittaney Pratt, Ashley Frei, Matthew A. Gasparro, Vasilios Moutzouros

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is often debrided during reconstruction (ACLR) to improve visualization. However, remnant ACL tissue contains nerve fibers and including remnant tissue in ACLR could provide benefit. Therefore, a technique was developed that preserves the tibial remnant and incorporates it into ACLR: Hybrid Remnant Preservation Reconstruction (HRPR) ACLR. This study compares HRPR-ACLR to traditional reconstruction by comparing patient reported outcomes and complications.

Methods

Patients presenting to one surgeon's clinic with an ACL injury are screened. Exclusion criteria are patient age<14 years, multi-ligament injury, chronic tears, and revision ACLR. Patients are consented and randomized to HRPR or traditional ACLR. Demographics, patient-reported outcomes, range of motion (ROM) and complications were collected.

Results

Thirty-three patients were included, 20 HRPR and 13 controls. No demographic differences were noted. PROMIS-PF, …

Six-Month Report Assessing The Feasibility And Effectiveness Of Amniotic Membrane Injections In Patients With Short, Anterior, Urethral Strictures, Nicholas Pryde, Jack Vernocke, Aron Liaw, Michael Sessine, Nivedita Dhar

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction: Urethral stricture treatment has high recurrence rates and adjunct injectable agents have been explored. Amniotic membranes (AM) promote apoptosis of pro-inflammatory cells, prevent differentiation of pro-fibrotic cells, and decrease scar formation. These tissues generated interest in reconstructive urethral surgery. Thus, we performed urethral dilation combined with micronized AM injection in urethral scar tissue for treatment of urethral stricture.

Materials and Methods: Adult males with strictures ≤12Fr in diameter and ≤2 cm in length, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) ≥11 and maximum flowrate <15 ml/s. Reconstituted 100mg micronized AM was injected at the time of urethral dilation. Primary study end point was anatomical success (≥14Fr by cystoscopy) at 6 months. Secondary end points were questionnaires, flow rate, and post void residual. Outcomes assessed at baseline, 5 days, 14 days, 3 months, and 6 months post-injection. Safety was analyzed.

Results: Ten men, mean age of 52 ± 15 years, were included. There were 7 patients with …

The Top 50 Most Cited Articles On The Medial Patellofemoral Ligament (Mpfl): A Bibliometric Analysis, Varag Abed, Alex Duvall, Jonathan D. Rexroth, Alyssa Goodwin, Joseph Liu, Austin Stone

Medical Student Research Symposium

Objectives: To determine which original articles on the topic of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) have been cited the most in the literature utilizing a bibliometric approach. Secondarily, to determine temporal trends between article types.

Methods: Articles on the topic of the MPFL were identified by utilizing the Web of Science Database. The search yielded 1,596 results and the top 50 cited original articles were collected for further analysis. The following information was gathered for all included articles: title, first author's name, journal name, year of publication, impact factor of the journal in 2021, total number of citations of the …