ACL Rehab

Patient-focused information about ACL rehab stages and exercises

The ACL Rehab app is a relatively comprehensive and detailed resource for patients who may need additional guidance regarding their ACL injury.  Unfortunately the publisher is not named, but this app appears to come from a relatively reliable medical provider.  The home screen includes general information about ACL ruptures and information about surgical treatment and graft options.  It is written from the perspective of a surgeon advising a patient.  Next, the app describes stages of rehabilitation starting from Prehab, and continuing through various weeks of recovery culminating in “Return to Sport” at 6-9 months.  Within in each stage, specific exercises are recommended and described/shown.  These can be added to one’s personalized “My Workout” for quick access and review.

For patients who may be looking for physical therapy guidance, this app has appropriate medical information and recommendations.

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OrthoFlow

General orthopaedic trauma app for fracture identification, classification, and management

OrthoFlow is the first app created by MediFlow and is designed to be “your orthopaedic specialist in your pocket.”  The app has a familiar user interface which includes a skeleton for selecting a region of injury, followed by a series of lists to select the specific bone and fracture of interest.  Most fractures include a few basic questions such as the location, whether it is intra-articular, and displacement after which the app suggests operative fixation or non-operative treatment.  One of the most useful features is the “What to know for trauma meeting” which includes a high-yield and well-organized description of the anatomy, associated injuries, imaging findings, classification systems, management, surgical approaches, complications, and eponyms for the particular fracture.  The purpose is to help prepare a junior resident or medical student at morning conference.   The information provided on each topic appears to be accurate, if not somewhat generalized, for each fracture.  Classification systems are often accompanied by sketch images which I found very appealing.  Some aspects of the user interface require improvement, such as a “home” button while buried deep within in the “trauma meeting” menus.  Overall, I think the app is a very good start towards a useful trauma handbook for students and junior residents.  Since this is the first version, I anticipate that the app will only improve in functionality over time.

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Learning Orthopedics Quiz

A “flashcard” style app for learning orthopedic surgery

This app is designed like a flashcard stack for orthopedic questions and facts. Unfortunately, the app does not tell you how many questions are included, nor can you create quizzes from specific sets such as a particular subject or only “new questions” or “incorrect questions.”  The user selects a quiz length from the options of 25, 50, or 100 questions.  The user then answers the questions and is provided the correct answer if they answered incorrectly while a score is kept and tallied. There exists an option “send” from the quiz.  While I initially suspect this would send a score or questions/answers for review, the button merely takes a screenshot of the current screen.  Overall, not a particularly useful app based on it’s very limited functionality and unknown flashcard stack size.

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Fractures

Basic app to assist with fracture classification and management

Fractures is published by Inter-Med, a company dedicated to creating educational medical products.  The app does not provide information about whether this was created by orthopaedic surgeons.  The purpose of the app is to provide basic fracture classification and treatment recommendations for a variety of common injuries of the skeleton.  The overall organization is simple, with the option to choose fractures based on a skeleton, list, or search feature.  We like that many fractures are included and that basic information about common classification systems and general treatment principles are provided.  We also really appreciate the abundant references and pubmed links to support the recommendations and information given.  However, fracture classification apps are typically improved with images and diagrams which we could not find in this app.  Adding images would improve the functionality and educational utility dramatically.

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Measure Whiz

App to assist in measuring Upper Extremity range of motion from The Hand Center at the Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy Associates

Measure Whiz was created for use by Occupational Therapists to assist in measuring and recording upper extremity range of motion (ROM) using a mobile device. This app is intriguing as it leverages the phone’s gyroscope to measure angular differences in all three planes, but its usefulness is limited as it has minimal features, a large range of error, and is difficult to use for certain measurements. The app interface is very basic. From the home screen you can select ‘History’, ‘Range of Motion’, and ‘Assessment’. The ‘History’ and ‘Assessment’ options are just voice memos which can easily be record over accidentally.  The ROM options include Wrist, Forearm, Elbow, Shoulder, Digits with specific motion sub-options per joint. There is no option for lower extremity ROM measurements.

By selecting a specific joint and motion you can then measure the ROM live. Position the handset distal to the joint in a neutral position and press ‘Start’. Then allow the patient to move the body part being measured and then tap the ‘Finish’ Button. The ROM is displayed and updated live. The app does not lock the plane of measurement and allows ROM measurements in the X & Y plane simultaneously. This allows for different acceptable phone positions, but leads to errors in measurement with any movement out of plane. It is very sensitive & dependent on initial position when zeroed. Using the app can be difficult as you must stabilize the device against the body part being measured which can be difficult for wrist ROM and near impossible for digit ROM. It worked adequately for forearm, elbow and shoulder ROM.

A ‘New Patient’ button at the bottom of the homepage clears the app information. Multiple patient data is not supported and data is not saved for later. Data is lost when app is closed and there is no prompt when the ‘New Patient’ button is pressed, making it easy to accidentally clear the data. Overall the app is quite finicky. There are better goniometer apps out there and a real goniometer is probably better and more accurate.

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Radiopaedia MSK

App version of Radiopaedia.org, radiology teaching files for musculoskeletal education.

This app presents musculoskeletal imaging in a case-based format and is designed to teach students and residents about musculoskeletal injuries.  The app is very intuitive, and currently includes 68 case presentations.  Each case has unknowns with various imaging modalities and views, questions, and then answers to those questions. It also includes a radiology report, as well as additional online cases with the same (or similar) diagnoses.  The app is very simple, yet intuitive, and can be very useful for reviewing images.

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BoneDoc

A serious game for simulating orthopaedic surgery.

The BoneDoc app is marketed as “a serious game” and functions as an interactive and educational orthopaedic surgery tool.  The game was created by Dr. Phil Blyth from New Zealand and represents many accuracies of hip surgery.

The app layout is a list of patients that need surgery.  The first case, for example, is a hip fracture that requires fixation. The surgeon must walk through every step of the operation, beginning with setting up the traction properly.  Xrays are available as the traction is adjusted to ensure that a proper reduction is obtained. Once complete the surgeon then moves on to the incision, as well as placement of the hardware.  Xrays are used throughout the “operation” to ensure the proper alignment and orientation of hardware.  Once finished, the surgeon receives a score for every aspect of the case, and is reimbursed appropriately.

The game is very impressive due to the attention of detail that has been placed, as well as the realistic physics and challenges inherent with fixing a hip fracture.  I applaud the developers for creating a challenging and educational app for surgeon education.  I look forward to future releases with additional fracture options.

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Orthopaedics 365

Clinical daily pearls regarding the most recent and evidence-based tips for orthopaedic surgeons.

This app is a creative way to stay fresh with some of the most pertinent and evidence-based topics in orthopaedic surgery. Created by a current orthopaedic chief resident, the app has a very simple interface.  It presents itself as a calendar with “365 clinical pearls” that are delivered to the user daily via a push-notification at a designated time.  Each pearl can be shared with colleagues via text, email, or twitter and includes a reference to a relevant journal article. In addition to daily push notifications, the user can also browse through the calendar to read additional pearls.  Thus, this serves as a primitive collection of study facts or flashcards. Unfortunately, the functionality is limited since they are not sorted by topic. Overall, the app does a good job of its stated purpose, which is to deliver a new orthopaedic fact every day.

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Skeleton System Pro III

Full-featured 3D anatomy models with support for 3D rotation, various anatomy layers, cross-sectional slices, annotations, and video demonstrations.

Skeleton System Pro III is part of the 3D4Medical’s suite of full-featured anatomy apps.  All of their apps follow a similar and intuitive format. In the skeletal system, any region of the body is selected for a more focused view. The relevant body part is presented with skin covering, and different anatomical layers can then be “unwrapped” sequentially through the body.  The level of detail and anatomical accuracy of all muscles, tendons, vessels, nerves, ligaments and bones is impressive.  In addition to the different layers, the view can be manipulated freely.  All body parts can be rotated in the horizontal plan through 360 degrees rotation.  In addition, axial, coronal, and sagittal slices can be taken through various levels of each joint or body part.  The app includes “pins” which already identify every possible structure of every layer.  In addition, most of the apps in the series include videos demonstrating relevant surgical procedures or common pathologies.  These demonstrations are very high quality.  The app includes a “pen” feature for drawing on the screen, however doodles are not saved and disappear once the pen is turned off.  There is even a separate button to turn vessels on and off.  Overall, the entire suite of 3D4Medical anatomy apps are the best anatomy models we have seen yet, based on their accuracy, level of control, and video demonstrations.  Ideal for health care students and possibly even for surgical preparation.

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Knee Pro III

Full-featured 3D anatomy models with support for 3D rotation, various anatomy layers, cross-sectional slices, annotations, and video demonstrations.

Knee Pro III is part of the 3D4Medical’s suite of full-featured anatomy apps.  All of their apps follow a similar and intuitive format.  The relevant body part is presented with skin covering, and different anatomical layers can then be “unwrapped” sequentially through the body.  The level of detail and anatomical accuracy of all muscles, tendons, vessels, nerves, ligaments and bones is impressive.  In addition to the different layers, the view can be manipulated freely.  All body parts can be rotated in the horizontal plan through 360 degrees rotation.  In addition, axial, coronal, and sagittal slices can be taken through various levels of each joint or body part.  The app includes “pins” which already identify every possible structure of every layer.  In addition, most of the apps in the series include videos demonstrating relevant surgical procedures or common pathologies.  These demonstrations are very high quality.  The app includes a “pen” feature for drawing on the screen, however doodles are not saved and disappear once the pen is turned off.  There is even a separate button to turn vessels on and off.  Overall, the entire suite of 3D4Medical anatomy apps are the best anatomy models we have seen yet, based on their accuracy, level of control, and video demonstrations.  Ideal for health care students and possibly even for surgical preparation.

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Ankle & Foot Pro III

Full-featured 3D anatomy models with support for 3D rotation, various anatomy layers, cross-sectional slices, annotations, and video demonstrations.

Ankle & Foot Pro III is part of the 3D4Medical’s suite of full-featured anatomy apps.  All of their apps follow a similar and intuitive format.  The relevant body part is presented with skin covering, and different anatomical layers can then be “unwrapped” sequentially through the body.  The level of detail and anatomical accuracy of all muscles, tendons, vessels, nerves, ligaments and bones is impressive.  In addition to the different layers, the view can be manipulated freely.  All body parts can be rotated in the horizontal plan through 360 degrees rotation.  In addition, axial, coronal, and sagittal slices can be taken through various levels of each joint or body part.  The app includes “pins” which already identify every possible structure of every layer.  In addition, most of the apps in the series include videos demonstrating relevant surgical procedures or common pathologies.  These demonstrations are very high quality.  The app includes a “pen” feature for drawing on the screen, however doodles are not saved and disappear once the pen is turned off.  There is even a separate button to turn vessels on and off.  Overall, the entire suite of 3D4Medical anatomy apps are the best anatomy models we have seen yet, based on their accuracy, level of control, and video demonstrations.  Ideal for health care students and possibly even for surgical preparation.

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iShoulder

A full featured app with fantastic images and information for providers and patients, as well as a drawing utility and notes/calendar sections.

This full-featured app contains a vast library of valuable images, text, and features that would be useful to surgeons, trainees, and patients.  The unassuming format includes sections for doctors, patients, and utilities.  Doctors have a number of choices, including anatomy, operative approaches, examination, tests, outcomes scores, and more.  Each category includes subsections with concise and relevant text and images.  For example, the operative approach section is very good, and includes detailed images useful for a quick review before a case; it even includes “dangers” to watch out for.  The Scores section includes a quick reference for the Constant, UCLA Shoulder, Rowe, ISIS, QuickDASH, and Oxford questionnaires.  Every section I explored included more and more useful information.  The “Patients” section is equally expansive with 10 of the most common categories of shoulder pathology presented with images and text.  Lastly, the utilities include a drawing board to demonstrate rotator cuff pathology, a voice notes recorder, personal text notes, and a calendar.  The practical utility of these functions is unclear, but I was impressed that the developer went through the effort to include these added features.  Overall, the app could benefit from a redesign, but the information hidden within the clunky navigation system is very good.

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OrthoRef

A list-based reference of orthopaedic classification systems from the creator of NeuroMind, one of the top Neurosurgery apps.

From the creator of top-app NeuroMind, this app attempts to provide a comprehensive list of orthopaedic classification systems and decision support for orthopaedic surgeons and trainees.  The app is organized into 3 sections: scores, decision support, and “other.”  Currently the app is in its infancy and is limited by the number of scores available, as well as a lack of images.  In total, this app currently contains over 100 scoring and classification systems.  The list is organized by body part, and for the most part, many of the most common systems are included.  Unfortunately, the app is limited by the fact that there are no images provided to assist with fracture descriptions, which are relatively succinct and difficult to understand if not already familiar with a particular injury scoring system.  The decision support tab provides assistive scoring tools for 9 different injuries, including SLIC, TLICS, and stroke risk in AF.  These are definitely helpful.  The “other” section includes links to a safe surgery checklist as well as the TEDx talk given by the app’s creator, Pieter Kubben.  Overall, this app is most appropriate for surgeons already familiar with a particular classification system and who need a reminder about the details.

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iBones

Created by Buffeln.Net, this app is an expansion of the existing online testing platform based in German.  However, the app presents information in Latin and English, as well as German, and includes options for changing the language.  The organization includes iBones, the primary review module, which includes 74 images of bones with multiple choice questions.   Only names of the entire bones are included, not more advanced bony anatomy.  Other modules include statistics and search functions, as well as “specials,” which advertises coupons for the website.  Overall, this app is a cartoon-based basic bone quiz that would be most appropriate for elementary school children who want to learn about different bones in the body.  Bottom line: consider downloading this app for your kids.

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Tumorpedia Soft Tissue

This app is the “Soft Tissue” version in the Tumorpedia series, a collection of apps that serve as an encyclopedia of orthopaedic oncology.  This version includes over 14 orthopaedic soft tissue tumors.  Each topic is divided into general information, incidence and demographics, xrays, MRI, CT, pathology, differential diagnosis, and treatment.  The amount of information presented for each topic is variable, but generally a specific and informative overview of the topic is included.  The images are especially useful for demonstrating “typical” appearances on imaging exams and pathologic specimens.   The app also includes an “updated” feature, suggesting that the database may undergo regular updates in the future.  It appears that images are downloaded in real-time from a server, thus the app is of limited use when no WiFi or wireless data signal is available. As a result, some of the images did not load during my testing.  Overall, this series of orthopaedic tumor information is an inexpensive and useful reference for orthopaedic trainees, nurses, and other medical providers who diagnose and treat musculoskeletal tumors.  Because this is a first version, hopefully future versions will be available with improved functionality.

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Tumorpedia Foot and Ankle

This app is the “Foot and Ankle” version in the Tumorpedia series, a collection of apps that serve as an encyclopedia of orthopaedic oncology based on www.bonetumor.org.  This version includes 23 orthopaedic foot and ankle tumors.  Each topic is divided into general information, incidence and demographics, xrays, MRI, CT, pathology, differential diagnosis, and treatment.  The amount of information presented for each topic is variable, but generally a specific and informative overview of the topic is included.  The images are especially useful for demonstrating “typical” appearances on imaging exams and pathologic specimens.   The app also includes an “updated” feature, suggesting that the database may undergo regular updates in the future.  It appears that images are downloaded in real-time from a server, thus the app is of limited use when no WiFi or wireless data signal is available. As a result, some of the images did not load during my testing.  Overall, this series of orthopaedic tumor information is an inexpensive and useful reference for orthopaedic trainees, nurses, and other medical providers who diagnose and treat musculoskeletal tumors.  Because this is a first version, hopefully future versions will be available with improved functionality.

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Tumorpedia Espanol

This app is the “Espanol” version in the Tumorpedia series, a collection of apps that serve as an encyclopedia of orthopaedic oncology based on www.bonetumor.org.  This version includes over 100 orthopaedic tumors with complete information in Spanish.  Each topic is divided into general information, incidence and demographics, xrays, MRI, CT, pathology, differential diagnosis, and treatment.  The amount of information presented for each topic is variable, but generally a specific and informative overview of the topic is included.  The images are especially useful for demonstrating “typical” appearances on imaging exams and pathologic specimens.   The app also includes an “updated” feature, suggesting that the database may undergo regular updates in the future.  It appears that images are downloaded in real-time from a server, thus the app is of limited use when no WiFi or wireless data signal is available. As a result, some of the images did not load during my testing.  Overall, this series of orthopaedic tumor information is an inexpensive and useful reference for orthopaedic trainees, nurses, and other medical providers who diagnose and treat musculoskeletal tumors.  Because this is a first version, hopefully future versions will be available with improved functionality.

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Tumorpedia Bone

This app is the “Bone” version in the Tumorpedia series, a collection of apps that serve as an encyclopedia of orthopaedic oncology based on www.bonetumor.org.  This version includes over 70 orthopaedic bone tumors.  Each topic is divided into general information, incidence and demographics, xrays, MRI, CT, pathology, differential diagnosis, and treatment.  The amount of information presented for each topic is variable, but generally a specific and informative overview of the topic is included.  The images are especially useful for demonstrating “typical” appearances on imaging exams and pathologic specimens.   The app also includes an “updated” feature, suggesting that the database may undergo regular updates in the future.  It appears that images are downloaded in real-time from a server, thus the app is of limited use when no WiFi or wireless data signal is available. As a result, some of the images did not load during my testing.  Overall, this series of orthopaedic tumor information is an inexpensive and useful reference for orthopaedic trainees, nurses, and other medical providers who diagnose and treat musculoskeletal tumors.  Because this is a first version, hopefully future versions will be available with improved functionality.

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iPrevent Running Injuries

Created by two orthopaedic surgeons, this app is a video focused on patient education regarding stretching, strengthening, and agility exercises to prevent running injuries.  The app design is simple, and includes a single video about 20 minutes long, as well as contact information for the website www.sportsipa.com (sports injury prevention academy).  The video itself is well-narrated and well-produced and demonstrates many useful stretching and strengthening activities.  In addition, narration by the two orthopaedic surgeon developers explain the purpose and motivation for developing this course.  Overall, this app can be very useful to any patient/athlete interested in preventing running injuries.  Unlike other apps, the developers are board-certified orthopaedic surgeons, thereby lending credibility to the recommendations.

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iPrevent ACL Injuries

Created by two orthopaedic surgeons, this app is a video focused on patient education regarding stretching, strengthening, and agility exercises to prevent ACL injuries.  The app design is simple, and includes a single video about 18 minutes long, as well as contact information for the website www.sportsipa.com (sports injury prevention academy).  The video itself is well-narrated and well-produced and demonstrates many useful stretching and strengthening activities.  In addition, narration by the two orthopaedic surgeon developers explain the purpose and motivation for developing this course.  Overall, this app can be very useful to any patient/athlete interested in preventing ACL injuries.  Unlike other apps, the developers are board-certified orthopaedic surgeons, thereby lending credibility to the recommendations.

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Orthopaedics Pro

This app is an attempt at an all-inclusive orthopaedics study tool.  The menu is organized into flashcards, true/fales (500 questions) and single best answer (106 questions).  The flashcards are not merely “factoids” of information, rather they are complete paragraphs of text information for every subject.  The app certainly contains a lot of information, but is also difficult to navigate at times.  The information is inconsistent, and at times impressive.  For example, the subheading “calcaneus fracture” includes reference to normal Bohler’s angle and normal Angle of Gissane.  It also includes Sander’s classification (text only), Zwipp classification, principles of fixation, reports Letournel’s results, and provides Essex-Lopresti’s subtypes.  However, the format is difficult to read and organize in one’s mind.  The true/false section is a sequential series of true/false questions that must be completed in order.  The single best answer section must also be completed in order.  Both of these sections suffer from a poor user interface, however the questions and explanations are good and very complete. Overall, the app is a good first attempt at a review/flashcard app, but would greatly benefit from an interface overhaul which is currently the apps greatest weakness.

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iJoints

This app has taken images from the Visible Human Project ™ to recreate axial, coronal, and sagittal slice images of a cadaveric hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow, and wrist.  The app was created by a board certified radiologist, and the functionality is strictly limited to anatomy identification (no added information about anatomical origins, insertion, or inervation).  Navigation is intuitive from the main menu, with joints separated by the types of slices.  Each section includes about 9-12 slices for each joint.  After selecting a slice, options include mirror image (left/right), adding/removing labels, labeling muscles, bones, vessels, or “other,” and advancing a slide. The images are very clear, and all relevant anatomy is labeled. In addition to reviewing by joint, a search function allows for the user to enter any structure and will return every slice that includes the named structure. Lastly, a quiz function also exists that is organized by joint/slice. The quiz shows an image with labelled anatomy and asks you to identify a particular structure (multiple choice). If incorrect, the user is shown the correct answer, as well as the name of the structure that was incorrectly selected. Overall, this app seems most appropriate for students learning anatomy, and especially with regard to radiology-oriented slices for 3D imaging (coronal, axial, and sagittal).  Thus, the app would be greatly beneficial for improving CT and MRI identification, but how this may transfer to surgical anatomy is not as clear.

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Orthopedics Encyclopedia

This app attempts to serve as a limited orthopedic encyclopedia.  In that regard, it accomplishes its goal as a first-stop overview for a variety of broad orthopaedic conditions and diseases.  The app includes 21 topics, such as the human skeleton, clubfoot, orthotics, knee, tendon, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.  One immediately recognizes that the selection of included topics and joints seems quite arbitrary.  Selecting any individual topic, however, returns an incredibly detailed and complete description of any particular topic with a series of sub-headings and associated images.  For example, the topic “Muscle” includes subheadings such as embryology, muscle types, anatomy, physiology, nervous control, exercise, disease, atrophy, strength, efficiency, and evolution.  The data presented includes very specific information, such as the precise density of muscle or skeletal muscle metabolism at rest.  However, despite this impressive collection of data, the unusual organization of the topics and the document-like format of the information prevents easy reference of information.  Without a search function, this app offers little more  than the title suggests: a single-use orthopaedic encyclopedia, but cannot function as a versatile reference.  Overall, the app may be useful to a student interested in musculoskeletal medicine interested in reading a brief overview of a variety of orthopaedic topics.

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eSplint

This app is clearly a must-have guide for any primary care, urgent care, or emergency care provider by providing simple step-by-step instructions for splint application.  In addition, junior residents in musculoskeletal medicine fields, such as orthopaedic surgery or podiatry, may also find this to be a useful refresher for the application of splints.  The app is very simply organized into headings such as Splint Technique, Coaptation, Sugar Tong, etc. and provides a text and image guide for the application of each splint type.  The guide briefly lists a few indications for that particular splints, includes a text description with associated images, provides a very good brief video demonstrating application of the splint, and even includes patient education instructions for splint care!  Overall, this application is very useful to a variety of practitioners.  At such a great price, I cannot think of a reason why anyone who might need to apply a splint would not download this very simple and useful reference tool.

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OITE Buzzwords

This app, available only for iPhone and Android, is marketed as a “buzzword” study guide for the orthopaedic in-training exam (OITE).  The app is divided into 4 sections: index, about, quiz, and contact.  The index lists 51 buzzwords, such as zebra lines, throckmorton sign, sausage digit, pancake vertebra, etc.  Unfortunately, when testing on an iPhone 4S device the content did not load for all of the content sections resulting in a blank screen.  For screens in which content did load, images required up to 30 seconds to load, and text often required 10 seconds to load.  The information provided for each topic is brief (2-5 sentences).  No references of additional information is provided for any of the  topics.  The quiz section includes a gallery of thumbnail images that can be selected. Once again, the images take up to 30 seconds to load, thereby negating the purpose of the app for quickly reviewing buzzwords.  In addition, the answers to the image pathology would not appear, and in some cases the images did not appear at all. The contact section provides a phone number, email and website: www.bonetumor.org.  Interestingly, the site appears to be an incredibly detailed, expansive, and valuable listing of bone tumors and their presentation, diagnosis, and treatment accompanied by xray and pathologic images.  Overall, this app appears to address a need among residents for OITE studying, however the implementation ranges from painfully slow to entirely non-functional, rendering this app useless at this point.  I do hope that future versions become more stable and useful since this is a great idea for OITE studying.

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OITE Tumor

This app, available only for iPhone and Android, is marketed as a “buzzword” study guide for the orthopaedic in-training exam (OITE) tumor topics.  The app is divided into 5 sections: about, index, flashcards, quiz, and contact.  The index lists 78 tumor buzzwords, such as zebra lines, PNET, Batson’s Plexus, Codman triangle, etc.  Unfortunately, when testing on an iPhone 4S device the app ran very slow and crashed at times, despite its very limited content (text and images).  For screens in which content did load, images were presented with a text description that include spelling errors at times.  The information provided for each topic is brief (2-5 sentences).  No references of additional information is provided for any of the topics.  The flashcards present a gallery of thumbnail images for selection. Once again, the images take up to 30 seconds to load, and some do not load at all, thereby negating the purpose of the app for quickly reviewing buzzwords.  In addition, the answers to the image pathology would not appear, and thus there is no way to check one’s knowledge against the real answer. The quiz section includes a listing of topics with a complete question stem and multiple choice answers and explanations.  Only 10 questions are included.  The contact section provides a phone number, email and website: www.bonetumor.org.  Interestingly, the site appears to be an incredibly detailed, expansive, and valuable listing of bone tumors and their presentation, diagnosis, and treatment accompanied by xray and pathologic images.  Overall, this app appears to address a need among residents for OITE studying, however the implementation ranges from painfully slow to entirely non-functional, rendering this app useless at this point.  I do hope that future versions become more stable and useful since this is a great idea for OITE studying.

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AgingSpine

AgingSpine is part of the Orca Health collection of apps that provides information for patients about various orthopaedic conditions.  Like the entire “decide” series, the user interface, graphics, and interactive anatomy modules are superb and allow the user to learn about degenerative spine anatomy while rotating, flexing, and zooming in on the images.  The conditions covered in this app include osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, degenerative disc disease, kyphosis, degenerative scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, lumbar stenosis, and cervical stenosis.  Consistent with the entire line of apps, each disease includes a plethora of xray, MRI, and CT imaging with appropriate annotations demonstrating normal and pathologic conditions.  Audio recordings are also included to narrate the text as well. Like the other apps in this series, users can search for medical providers that treat these conditions.  Overall, AgingSpine is a very impressive addition to the Orca Health “decide” series and has the potential to greatly improve patient education and comprehension about orthopaedic conditions.

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ShoulderDecide

ShoulderDecide is part of the Orca Health collection of apps that provides information for patients about various orthopaedic conditions.  Like the entire “decide” series, the user interface, graphics, and interactive anatomy modules are superb and allow the user to learn about shoulder anatomy while rotating, flexing, and zooming in on the images.  The conditions covered in this app include rotator cuff tear, bursitis, impingement, calcific tendinitis, glenohumeral arthritis, acromioclavicular arthritis, instability, proximal humeral fractures, clavicle fractures, AC separation, frozen shoulder, and biceps tendon tears & tendinitis.  Consistent with the entire line of apps, each disease includes a plethora of xray, MRI, and CT imaging with appropriate annotations demonstrating normal and pathologic conditions.  Audio recordings are also included to narrate the text as well. Like the other apps in this series, users can search for medical providers that treat these conditions.  Overall, ShoulderDecide is a very impressive addition to the Orca Health “decide” series and has the potential to greatly improve patient education and comprehension about orthopaedic conditions.

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KneeDecide

KneeDecide is part of the Orca Health collection of apps that provides information for patients about various orthopaedic conditions.  Like the entire “decide” series, the user interface, graphics, and interactive anatomy modules are superb and allow the user to learn about knee bone, tendon, meniscus, and ligament anatomy while rotating, flexing, and zooming in on the images.  The conditions covered in this app include meniscal tear, ACL tear, MCL injuries, PCL tear, patellofemoral chondrosis, tibiofemoral chondrosis, chondral lesions, advanced arthritis, lateral patellar compression syndrome, patellar dislocation, patellar tendonitis, Osgood-Schlatter disease, iliotibial band syndrome, mechanical disorders, and fractures.  Consistent with the entire line of apps, each disease includes a plethora of xray, MRI, and CT imaging with appropriate annotations demonstrating normal and pathologic conditions.  Audio recordings are also included to narrate the text as well. Like the other apps in this series, users can search for medical providers that treat these conditions.  Overall, KneeDecide is a very impressive addition to the Orca Health “decide” series and has the potential to greatly improve patient education and comprehension about orthopaedic conditions.

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SportsMed

SportsMed joins the series of RSS-feed apps to organize sports medicine-related abstracts into a single app.  Like other apps in this series (BoneFeed, BoneCast, HandFeed), the user can personalize which RSS feeds are presented along the home row from a list of feeds included with the app.  For SportsMed, the list includes AJSM, Arthroscopy, Sports Med Arthr, Brit J Sports Med, and a variety of other feeds.  The feeds allow the user to review an abstract, view the full text article directly from the journal website (if you have online access), post comments, or share the paper via Twitter, Facebook, or email.  Overall, this app is a simple and intuitive way to keep up-to-date with the latest sports publications.

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Scoligauge

Part of the goniometer series developed by Ockendon.net, scoligauge uses the iPhone’s internal accelerometer to mimic a scoliometer.  The user first calibrates the device on a level surface, and then chooses to measure the angle based on the device’s position on an object or based on the camera image. The app shows a very realistic scoliometer model during the measurement.   Overall, the app relies on the accuracy of your iPhone’s internal accelerometer, but the app does what it says and allows for precise and objective measurements when a standard scoliometer is unavailable.

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Forearm Goniometer

Part of the goniometer series developed by Ockendon.net, forearm goniometer expands upon the functionality of simple goniometer to use the iPhone’s internal accelerometer for measuring forearm pronation/supination.  Although no instructions are provided, it seems that the user should be holding the iPhone in their right or left hand. When ready, the user selects the proper hand on the screen, and then proceeds to fully supinate/pronate one direction, and then the other direction.  The app records the limits of each motion and saves the data on the screen.  Although accuracy depends on the calibration of your devices internal electronics, the app does include the ability to calibrate itself on a level surface.  In addition, motion within the hand or wrist could account for subjective variation between subjects.  Overall, the app does what it says and allows for precise and objective measurements when a standard goniometer is unavailable.

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Knee Goniometer

Part of the goniometer series developed by Ockendon.net, knee goniometer expands upon the functionality of simple goniometer to do exactly what it says: it uses the iPhone’s internal accelerometer to mimic a goniometer for clinical measurements.  The app includes prompting the user to select which side is being tested and the side that the examiner is standing on.  The app only has three functions: set, hold, and reset.  Although accuracy depends on the calibration of your devices internal electronics, the app does what it says and allows for precise and objective measurements when a standard goniometer is unavailable.

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Simple Goniometer

Part of the goniometer series developed by Ockendon.net, simple goniometer does exactly what it says: it uses the iPhone’s internal accelerometer to mimic a goniometer for clinical measurements.  The app only has three functions: set, hold, and reset.  Although accuracy depends on the calibration of your devices internal electronics, the app does what it says and allows for precise and objective measurements when a standard goniometer is unavailable.

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HandDecide

HandDecide is part of the Orca Health collection of apps that provides information for patients about various orthopaedic conditions.  Like the entire “decide” series, the user interface, graphics, and interactive anatomy modules are superb and allow the user to learn about hand anatomy in different regions of the hand and wrist while rotating, flexing, and zooming in on the images.  The conditions covered in this app include carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist injury, TFCC, thumb base arthritis, de Quervain’s tendonitis, skier’s thumb, ganglion cyst, mallet finger, dupuytren’s contracture, trigger finger, and flexor tendon injury.  Consistent with the entire line of apps, each disease includes a plethora of xray, MRI, and CT imaging with appropriate annotations demonstrating normal and pathologic conditions.  Video and audio recordings are also included to narrate the text and demonstrate surgical procedures. Like the other apps in this series, users can search for medical providers that treat these conditions and this particular app expands the selection to include a physical therapist, plastic surgeon, and manicurist.  Overall, HandDecide is a very impressive addition to the Orca Health “decide” series and has the potential to greatly improve patient education and comprehension about orthopaedic hand conditions.  At only $1.99 this application is a great value for the amount of information included.

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FootDecide

FootDecide is part of the Orca Health collection of apps that provides information for patients about various orthopaedic conditions.  Like the entire “decide” series, the user interface, graphics, and interactive anatomy modules are superb and allow the user to learn about foot anatomy in different regions of the foot and ankle while rotating, flexing, and zooming in on the images.  The conditions covered in this app include Achilles tendonitis/Haglund’s deformity, ankle and subtalar arthritis, peroneal tendonitis/tear, bunionette (taylor’s bunion), Morton’s neuroma, hammer toe, interdigital callus, metatarsalgia, tarsometatarsal arthritis, stress fracture/reaction, ankle sprain, second MTP instability, bunion (hallux valgus), plantar fasciitis, and posterior tibial tendinosis.  Consistent with the entire line of apps, each disease includes a plethora of xray, MRI, and CT imaging with appropriate annotations demonstrating normal and pathologic conditions.  Audio recordings are also included to narrate the text as well. Like the other apps in this series, users can search for medical providers that treat these conditions and this particular app expands the selection to include an orthotist, cobbler, and pedicurist.  Overall, FootDecide is a very impressive addition to the Orca Health “decide” series and has the potential to greatly improve patient education and comprehension about orthopaedic foot conditions.

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SpineDecide

SpineDecide is part of the Orca Health collection of apps that provides information for patients about various orthopaedic conditions.  Like the entire “decide” series, the user interface, graphics, and interactive anatomy modules are superb and allow the user to learn about spine anatomy while rotating, flexing, and zooming in on the images.  The conditions covered in this app include cervical bulge, cervical herniation, cervical stenosis, spondylolisthesis, lumbar bulge, lumber herniation, lumbar stenosis, degenerative disc disease, kyphosis, and scoliosis.  Consistent with the entire line of apps, each disease includes a plethora of xray, MRI, and CT imaging with appropriate annotations demonstrating normal and pathologic conditions.  Audio recordings are also included to narrate the text as well. Like the other apps in this series, users can search for medical providers that treat these conditions.  Overall, SpineDecide is a very impressive addition to the Orca Health “decide” series and has the potential to greatly improve patient education and comprehension about orthopaedic conditions.

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Eponyms

Overall: 4
Functionality: 4
Coolness: 2+

This app does exactly what it advertises: it organizes and defines medical eponyms based on specialty.  The user can view all eponyms, or you can choose to sort by topic.  Orthopedics has its own heading with about 150 common eponyms for diseases, fractures, signs, and clinical exam tests.  This app may not be particularly useful to a orthopaedic provider, however for a medical student rotating on an orthopaedic service, this can be a very handy reference guide.  Explanations are very short and do not provide much detail.  However, there is a good search feature that searches the eponym title, as well as its description.  For example, searching for “supra” returns the Hawkin’s sign because the definition notes that it tests for supraspinatus tendon impingement.  The user can also mark eponyms as “favorites.”  When not limiting the search to orthopedics, the app has over 1700 eponyms!  While not the most useful to residents or surgeons, this app would be very useful to medical students or interns.

Cost: Free (for students) or $1.99
Download Eponyms Here

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MedCalc

Overall: 3
Functionality: 3
Coolness: 2

Everyone needs a good medical calculator on their smartphone, and MedCalc is my personal favorite based on the plethora of built-in equations.  The app has a very intuitive interface that can be easily navigated by users with any level of experience.  In addition, equations are organized by subject, alphabetically, and allows the user to easily mark his or her “favorites” for quick reference.  Some of the most useful tools that I have found include the opioid conversion tool, the dermatome distribution map, and the ISS calculation.  The app is also offered as MedCalc Pro for iPad and includes a full-size HD version with additional resources.  At $0.99 or $4.99, this app is a good option for someone that does not yet have their favorite medical calculator app.

Cost: $0.99 for MedCalc (iPhone); $4.99 for MedCalc Pro (iPad)
Download MedCalc (iPhone) Here
Download MedCalc Pro (iPad) Here

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BoneCast

From the same makers of Bone Feed and Hand Feed, two apps that present RSS text feeds, this app is the cool older brother than instead summarizes and presents audio feeds (podcasts) and video feesd (vodcasts) from the most popular orthopaedic sources.  This includes JBJS Am, JBJS Br, AOSSM, Brit J Sp Med, HSS Ortho and others.  The app allows you to stream high-quality video and audio directly to your device with a nearly non-existent lag or delay, depending on your internet connection speed.  Functionally, this app is limited by the fact that podcasts usually require you to insert headphones to adequately listen to the presentation; however the fact that you can stream orthopaedic video directly to your device is certainly going to “wow” your colleagues.

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BoneFeed

Similar to its close relatives, HandFeed and SportsMed, this app is an RSS reader for orthopaedic-related publications.  The user can customize the feeds that are presented, including JBJS-Am, JBJS-Br, CORR, JHS-Am, Spine, JPO, and many more.  The feeds allow the user to review an abstract, view the full text article directly from the journal website (if you have online access), post comments, or share the paper via Twitter, Facebook, or email.  Overall, this app is a simple and intuitive way for orthopaedic surgeons to keep up-to-date with the latest publications 24-hours a day.

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