Zach Lum DO, FAAOS

Orthopaedic Surgery

[Adam Bruggeman, MD @DrBruggeman]

The problem:

1) Hospitals (and first insurers) were allowed to massively consolidate

2) Consolidation never led to the promised/projected efficiencies and lower costs. The opposite occurred

3) Doctors avoided consolidation until late, leading insurers and the government to dramatically reduce payments driving them to consolidate underneath the protected insurers and hospitals

The result:

Costs are up and access is dropping. Insurance is not healthcare and may not be worth more than the paper it is written on for most insured patients.

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@ArthroToday @Sean_Ryan_MD @PaulJacobDO Great question! All about the details. Besides positioning well, spine sacrum and buttcrack all level, and PSIS all co-linear, an intraoperative flat plate xray is helpful if patient positioning. Using TAL is my workhorse.
https://t.co/8ggmJuOcXH
You can also just go anterior 😂

[The Journal of Arthroplasty @JArthroplasty]

There has been a major decline in Medicare reimbursements for knee arthroplasty procedures after adjusting for inflation. This may pressure healthcare providers to increase patient volumes, potentially leading to burnout and compromised patient care.

https://t.co/yFIdmkhFjZ

[R. Lor Randall @RLRandallMD]

Next gen joints @UCDavisOrtho! Drs. Taylor & Lum let the @AAHKS arthroplasty world know we are building out our program w/ additional new talent. From simple to complex, using the best tech, our team has NorCal & beyond covered. @AAHKS_YAG @AAOS1 @UCDavisHealth @ArthroToday

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@docfarrow @JArthroplasty They adjusted for “confounders”

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@AAOS1 @skbishai @UCDavisOrtho Grateful to be a part of the process and contribute a little bit. I always get out more than what I put in!

[AAOS @AAOS1]

An exciting time for #OVTFridays as we're getting ready to wrap up the review of the #AAOS2025 video submissions! Big thanks to the authors and committee members for your hard work and dedication. We truly appreciate all your efforts.
@skbishai
@zach_lum
@UCDavisOrtho

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@ExeterHipUnit

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

Ortho twitter world, what implant is this?

#orthotwitter

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@PeltMD In my humble opinion, One stars legitimize the physician. Youre doing a great job but You’re not going to please everyone. Good patients understand that. So they tell me

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@centerofhip @FootAndAnkleMD @InvictaOrtho @bonesmith_ Medial mall is not right either. You can see on AP at articular surface and confirmatory on the lateral.

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@DrBruggeman @nytimes @ChrisDHamby We are the only part of the healthcare system that takes an oath for the patient. We should be the ones in leading it all

[Adam Bruggeman, MD @DrBruggeman]

Physicians want to open hospitals where other entities have failed. The Affordable Care Act prevents these physicians from building hospitals in the communities of need. Instead they can only build clinics. It’s time to repeal Section 6001 of the Act. This is in the community and patients’ best interests

https://t.co/V7wAi4Oqqh

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@DrBruggeman Thank you for representing us.

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@BrianChalmersMD @AAHKS HR 2474, getting Medicare to have inflation adjusted payments to physicians. Several other National medical and surgical academies are advocating for this as well

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@BrianChalmersMD @AAHKS Is this inflation adjusted CPI? It may be even worse.

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@centerofhip @stevemchale @Orthodoc2031 @ExeterHipUnit @theartfu1doctor They used Pearldiver which is US claims data. It’s interesting bc I think AJRR showed a benefit for cemented in periprosthetic fractures but this group did not. Not sure they controlled for cormorbidities such as ECI.

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@centerofhip If it came out the neck, the TAD must have been too high. Hence cutout

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@malkeasaad You wonder what it would be for Dermatology

[Zach Lum DO, FAAOS @zach_lum]

@JArthroplasty Seems like they aren’t measuring stem anteversion, they’re using a surrogate marker from the cup the authors came up with. Interesting indeed.