Fellows are often told they should publish, but few resources are devoted to providing educational opportunities to do so.
In July, the Video Journal of Sports Medicine (VJSM) hosted the Fellows Video Challenge designed to encourage and support early career publication. For the initial round of competition, fellows and residents submitted an 8-10-minute video. Out of 40 exceptional submissions, 10 were chosen as finalists and given the opportunity to present a condensed, 3-minute video live at the AOSSM Annual Meeting in Denver before a panel of distinguished judges. The judges awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, and all submissions are being considered for publication in VJSM. Below, the medalists share their experience and takeaways.
Thomas Spears, 1st Place Winner, “Treatment of a Subacute Latissimus Dorsi Tendon Rupture via a Posterior Single Incision Approach”
I enjoyed the honor of presenting at the VJSM Fellows Video Challenge this summer. This was a unique challenge, as we had labored to trim the original GoPro surgical video from a robust 70+ minutes into a lean, three-minute hard-hitting highlight reel. Our video demonstrated a detailed walkthrough on the surgical repair of a subacute latissimus dorsi tendon rupture through a single posterior approach. I must have watched (and rewatched!) Dr. LeClere meticulously debride through that heavy scar tissue a million times whilst shearing our presentation down to the allotted time. Though the undertaking was no small effort, those repetitions had a “multiplier” effect on my comprehension and cemented the technique in my mind for the future. In this way, I left this single surgical experience confident on how to perform and teach this rare procedure.
I would highly encourage surgeons of all levels to engage with this incredible medium for education, as there is inherent value in both the creation and the viewing of the product. In producing the videos, surgeons learn to recognize and highlight the key, critical steps while carefully preening off superfluous footage. Meanwhile, the viewer benefits from the now widespread ability to see an operative technique performed from the perspective of the surgeon, a priceless privilege. While the anatomy review and the “pearls” are always the high-yield aspects of these videos, I particularly appreciate the transparency the footage provides. Where an operative report or technique guide may summarize a 30-minute struggle with those five magical words, “a reduction maneuver was performed,” there’s no concealing the truth in a video.
I’ll be looking forward to next year’s VJSM contest, where I hope to see Vanderbilt bring home the gold! Good luck to all!
Thomas Spears, DO
Vanderbilt University
Nicholas Newcomb, 2nd Place Winner, “Open Medial Meniscus Centralization with Arthroscopic Root Repair”
At this year’s AOSSM conference, the University of New Mexico’s Orthopedic Sports Medicine team had the opportunity to present our technique for open medial meniscus centralization with arthroscopic root repair. Recent literature has demonstrated that centralizing the meniscus with anchor and suture fixation may lead to greater meniscus stability and protect a root repair. We found that we could place our sutures and anchors with an open approach directly over the medial meniscus to anatomically replicate the meniscotibial ligaments. This is similar to the already described “inside-out meniscus approach.” Thus far we have had very successful patient outcomes.
In order to present this technique, we had to condense our 10-minute down to 2:30 minutes. This allowed us to highlight the most important aspects of the procedure and focus on key indications and pathoanatomy.
The event was an excellent opportunity to share our experience creating and refining this technique and see what innovative techniques other programs have been developing. It was rewarding to receive feedback for myself and other presenters such as “I would love to utilize this technique on a few of my patients at my own institution.” This was truly an educational collaboration that will surely promote further innovation in orthopedic surgery. Each member of our UNM team was instrumental in putting this project together. We are happy to contribute to the future of orthopedic surgery in whatever way we can. We hope the VJSM Video Challenge becomes a permanent event at AOSSM and look forward to participating next year!
Nicholas Newcomb, MD
University of New Mexico
Devon Anderson, 3rd Place Winner, “Endoscopic Lesser Trochanter Excision for Ischiofemoral Impingement”
I had the opportunity to assist Dr. Chad Mather on relatively rare procedures in hip arthroscopy and endoscopy throughout my fellowship at Duke University. The VJSM Fellows Challenge was announced the same week we were scheduled to perform our third posterior endoscopic lesser trochanter (LT) excision in the prone position. Dr. Mather and I knew this was a perfect opportunity to highlight a relatively safe and effective procedure to treat ischiofemoral impingement (IFI)—a pathology that has gained recognition as a source of posterior deep buttock and low back pain in recent years.
Surgical treatment for IFI includes proximal femoral derotational osteotomy, ischioplasty, or LT excision. Most hip surgeons favor LT excision, however the reported techniques include endoscopic resection from either the anterior or the posterior approach, both in the supine position. Our posterior prone technique can be readily adopted as most hip arthroscopists have experience and familiarity with endoscopic hamstring repair. Further, the posterior approach is safe based on sciatic nerve visualization and protection, effective with complete resection of the LT, and convenient to address commonly concomitant proximal hamstring pathology.
The VJSM event was a highlight of my 2024 AOSSM Annual Meeting. It challenged me to condense the 10-minute video into a 3-minute version for podium presentation in a short timeframe. I had already worked hard to refine content on a complex topic for the full presentation; narrowing it down to the surgical technique challenged me to be concise. In addition, narrating a video in front of a live audience was a new experience in my academic career, so I relied on a scripted presentation at the podium, ensuring that I did not deviate from the time or video. Live video narration is a valuable skill for fellows to learn, as faculty often present surgical techniques from the podium. I am grateful for the experience, proud of our work, and enjoyed the friendly competition with co-fellows.
Devon Anderson, MD, PhD
Duke University
Many thanks to all of the fellows and residents that participated in this inaugural challenge! Be sure to check out their videos in VJSM throughout the coming months. Interested in submitting a video article? Visit https://journals.sagepub.com/home/VJS or email [email protected].
The Video Journal of Sports Medicine (VJSM®), an open access video journal founded in 2021, is an official peer-reviewed publication of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and is supported by many international partner societies. Publishing on topics of interest to orthopaedic surgeons specializing in sports medicine and arthroscopy, sports physicians, athletic trainers, and physiotherapists, the journal publishes multimedia video-based articles with complementary written material. Topics of interest include the full spectrum of athlete care, from presurgical to rehabilitation and injury prevention.