Tag Archive for: gun safety

EPOSNA Logo

Global gathering of orthopaedic leaders at EPOSNA Conference

EPOSNA LogoThe 2024 European Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (EPOSNA) Conference took place over four days at the National Harbor in Maryland. The event focused on improving the clinical care of children, as well as advancing the education of surgeons and scientific research in pediatric orthopaedics.

“This meeting allows the scientific exchange of ideas that advances our field and allows our treatments and outcomes to improve,” says Matthew Oetgen, M.D., chief of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at Children’s National Hospital.

Children’s National at EPOSNA

  • Laura Tosi, M.D., was inducted into the POSNA Hall of Fame.
  • Oetgen and Megan Young, M.D., served as local co-hosts of the conference.
  • Sean A. Tabaie, M.D., joined a newly formed POSNA advocacy group for gun safety measures to combat the alarming increase in pediatric gun violence, often resulting in musculoskeletal injuries.
  • Oetgen moderated a series of sessions that focused on traumatic pediatric injuries.
  • Tabaie presented during the Neuromuscular session, sharing insights on a novel scoring system validated for quantifying foot deformities in children with cerebral palsy.

“By attending and participating in this meeting we keep up with the science, continue learning and improve the care we provide to our patients,” says Dr. Oetgen.

Highlights from the sessions our team attended

  • A study published on a cohort of asymptomatic teenagers in the Netherlands reported an incidence of 6.4% of hip dysplasia.
  • A paper was published looking at differences in femoral version (rotational profile of the femur bone) in periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) patients. It found that patients with painful hip dysplasia had significantly improved hip pain after a PAO in all three femoral version groups.

 

girl looking out window

Commentary looks at childhood firearm exposure and adult outcomes

girl looking out window

In the commentary, the authors noted that the study by Copeland et al. found that having access to a gun in the home was associated with adult firearm ownership and carriage, gun violence exposure and suicidality.

In response to a study by Copeland et al. testing the associations of childhood domestic gun access with subsequent adult criminality and suicidality, Asad Bandealy, M.D., M.P.H., pediatrician, and other experts at Children’s National Hospital, argued that what happens in childhood in terms of firearm exposure matters in adulthood.

In the commentary, the authors noted that the study by Copeland et al. found that having access to a gun in the home was associated with adult firearm ownership and carriage, gun violence exposure and suicidality. Having a firearm in the home without access as a child was associated with adult ownership and carriage, but not criminality or suicidality. These findings provide further support for harm reduction approaches that focus on culturally competent counseling and clear conversations on safe storage to reduce child access.

In addition, the commentary called for supporting families in restricting child access to firearms, which may save lives into adulthood.

“There is a paucity of research related to firearms in general and particularly interventions to reduce firearm morbidity and mortality,” the authors wrote.

The authors commented on the need for more funding and training opportunities after decades of ‘stifling’ firearm research. Lastly, they emphasized that resources should be prioritized to enhance practice and policy interventions that will reduce firearm deaths in children and adolescents.