New Research from Ortho & Stroke Conferences
Two major medical conferences just highlighted advances in competitive specialties. At the AAOS 2026 conference, HSS researchers presented new data on medication use in joint replacements. Meanwhile, the International Stroke Conference showcased positive outcomes in neuroprotection and post-thrombectomy care, pointing to new horizons in stroke recovery.
At the AAOS conference, a major study on total knee arthroplasty from HSS involved 28,169 patients and found that aspirin was preferable to more potent blood thinners for reducing postoperative pain and complications. Dr. Brian P. Chalmers, a hip and knee surgeon at HSS, noted that patients on stronger blood thinners tend to experience more pain and swelling after surgery. Researchers from Houston Methodist also presented on infection prevention, highlighting the use of intraosseous vancomycin during joint replacement surgery. Their findings demonstrated that this technique was associated with lower rates of recurrent periprosthetic joint infection at one, two, and three-year follow-ups compared to intravenous prophylaxis. Other notable orthopedic research presented included a study on the rapid increase of robotic-assisted total joint arthroplasty, with procedure volumes growing by over 600% between 2015 and 2020. Another study highlighted a more than 300% surge in e-bike-related injuries among young people. The International Stroke Conference, held in New Orleans, featured the much-anticipated OCEANIC-STROKE trial. This phase 3 trial showed that the Factor XIa inhibitor, asundexian, led to a 26% relative risk reduction in recurrent ischemic stroke compared to standard antiplatelet therapy, importantly without an increased risk of major bleeding. A renewed focus on neuroprotection was a key theme, with the phase 3 LAIS trial evaluating the new agent loberamisal. When given within 48 hours of symptom onset, it resulted in a 13% absolute increase in patients achieving excellent functional outcomes at 90 days. In post-thrombectomy care, the CHOICE2 trial demonstrated that administering adjunctive intra-arterial alteplase after a successful mechanical thrombectomy improved functional outcomes at 90 days. This suggests a benefit to enhancing microvascular reperfusion following the standard intervention for large-vessel occlusion strokes. The conference also saw the release of updated acute ischemic stroke guidelines from the American Heart Association/Stroke Association. For the first time, these guidelines include recommendations for pediatric care.
