2009 survey results: surgeon practice patterns regarding arthroscopic surgery.

A survey was conducted to collect information on the surgical management and practice preferences of the audience members at a recent continuing medical education conference. Participants were polled on a variety of surgical topics, and their responses were recorded using a wireless audience response system. The answers were tabulated and are presented in this report. The majority of respondents preferred an arthroscopic repair for rotator cuff tears (52%) and shoulder instability (71%). Most (50%) perform single-row repair; 33% perform double-row repair. For simple knee arthroscopy, most use preoperative antibiotics (85%), no tourniquet (53%), and no chemical anticoagulation or only compression boots (69%). For cruciate ligament reconstruction, the majority preferred only a preoperative antibiotic (67%), no chemical anticoagulation or only compression boots (56%), and single-bundle reconstruction (88%) using a transtibial femoral tunnel (78%). Most (47%) prefer an all inside suture-based meniscus repair device.