For a study, the researchers aimed to determine the influence of surgeons’ level of experience and subspecialty training on the reliability, reproducibility, and accuracy of sacral fracture classification using the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen Spine Sacral Classification System. Respondents achieved an overall k=0.87 for morphology and k=0.77 for subtype classification, representing substantial intraobserver reproducibility, respectively. Respondents from all 4 practice experience groups demonstrated interobserver reliability when classified morphology (k=0.842/0.850, Assessment 1/Assessment 2) and substantial interobserver reliability in overall subtype (k=0.719/0.751) in both assessments. General orthopedists, neurosurgeons, and orthopedic spine surgeons had great interobserver reliability in overall morphology classification and substantial interobserver reliability in overall subtype classification. Surgeons in each experience category and subspecialty correctly classified fracture morphology in over 90% of cases and fracture subtype in over 80% of cases according to the gold standard. Correct overall classification of fracture morphology (Assessment 1: P=0.024, Assessment 2: P=0.006) and subtype (P2<0.001) differed significantly by years of experience but not by subspecialty. Overall, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen spine sacral classification system appeared to be universally applicable among surgeons of various subspecialties and levels of experience with acceptable reliability, reproducibility, and accuracy.
Link:journals.lww.com/spinejournal/Abstract/2021/12150/The_Influence_of_Surgeon_Experience_and.11.aspx
