Hot Topics in Orthopaedics: RCTs at the OTA, Resources for Database Research.

Marc Swiontkowski

MD, FAOA

Professor, University of Minnesota

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Mohit Bhandari

FRCSC, PhD

Distinguished University Professor, Chair of Surgery, McMaster University

The hosts reconnect after travel and dive into key findings from the recent Orthopaedic Trauma Association meeting, highlighting major antisepsis trials showing comparable efficacy between aqueous chlorhexidine and povidone–iodine and reinforcing the primacy of meticulous debridement. They debate emerging data on complications after nondisplaced femoral neck fractures and whether arthroplasty may be warranted in select patients, while emphasizing the need for stronger prospective evidence. Discussion shifts to a new symposium on administrative datasets and joint registries, underscoring limitations in coding, opportunities for nested trials, and the growing potential of natural language processing to extract structured insights from electronic records. They close with reflections on the pace of AI progress and optimism for meaningful advances within the next decade.