Aims. Blood transfusion and postoperative anaemia are complications of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) that are associated with substantial healthcare costs, morbidity, and mortality. There are few data from large datasets on the risk factors for these complications. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the records of TKA patients from a single tertiary care institution from February 2016 to December 2020. There were a total of 14,901 patients in this cohort with a mean age of 67.9 years (SD 9.2), and 5,575 patients (37.4%) were male. Outcomes included perioperative blood transfusion and postoperative anaemia, defined a priori as haemoglobin level < 10 g/dl measured on the first day postoperatively. In order to establish a preoperative haemoglobin cutoff, we investigated a preoperative haemoglobin level that would limit transfusion likelihood to ≤ 1% (13 g/dl) and postoperative anaemia likelihood to 4.1%. Risk factors were assessed through multivariable Poisson regression modelling with robust error variance. Results. In multivariable analyses, each gram of tranexamic acid reduced transfusion likelihood by 39% (adjusted risk ratio (ARR) 0.61 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47 to 0.78)). Risk factors associated with an increased risk of transfusion included operating time (ARR 2.07 (95% CI 1.54 to 2.77)) and drain use (ARR 1.73 (95% CI 1.34 to 2.24)). Conclusion. In this study, we found that increased tranexamic acid dosing, decreased operating time, and decreased drain use may reduce transfusions following TKA. We also established a single preoperative haemoglobin cutoff of 13 g/dl that could help minimize transfusions and reduce postoperative complete blood counts. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(10):1086–1093

Abstract. Introduction. It is common practice for all patients to have postoperative bloods tests after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However there have been significant improvement in perioperative care with arthroplasty surgery. As healthcare systems and providers strive towards a more efficient service we must re-consider whether such an intervention is necessary for all patients. Methodology. This retrospective study included all patients who underwent a primary unilateral TKA at a single tertiary arthroplasty centre during a 1 year period. Electronic medical records of 776 patients were reviewed for patient demographics, length of stay and American Society of Anaesthesiologists grade. Blood tests were examined to investigate the incidence of post operative anaemia requiring transfusion, electrolyte abnormalities that required treatment and the incidence of acute kidney injury. Results. Average length of stay in hospital was 4.3 days. Pre-operative (R=-0.22) & post-operative haemoglobin (R=0.2) levels were both negatively correlated with length of stay (p<0.01). There was 1 patient that required a blood transfusion post operatively due to symptomatic anaemia. This patient underwent a complex primary TKA. Significant abnormal post-operative electrolyte levels were found in 100 (12.9%) of patients. 87 of these patients either had abnormal electrolyte levels pre-operatively or were taking a medication that causes the electrolyte abnormality. Medical treatment for abnormal electrolyte levels was required in 32 (4.1%) of all patients. The incidence of acute kidney injury was 4.4%. Conclusion. Routine blood tests after primary total knee arthroplasty is unnecessary for most patients. Blood tests should only be performed in those with identifiable risk factors

Aims. This study used an artificial neural network (ANN) model to determine the most important pre- and perioperative variables to predict same-day discharge in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods. Data for this study were collected from the National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database from the year 2018. Patients who received a primary, elective, unilateral TKA with a diagnosis of primary osteoarthritis were included. Demographic, preoperative, and intraoperative variables were analyzed. The ANN model was compared to a logistic regression model, which is a conventional machine-learning algorithm. Variables collected from 28,742 patients were analyzed based on their contribution to hospital length of stay. Results. The predictability of the ANN model, area under the curve (AUC) = 0.801, was similar to the logistic regression model (AUC = 0.796) and identified certain variables as important factors to predict same-day discharge. The ten most important factors favouring same-day discharge in the ANN model include preoperative sodium, preoperative international normalized ratio, BMI, age, anaesthesia type, operating time, dyspnoea status, functional status, race, anaemia status, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Six of these variables were also found to be significant on logistic regression analysis. Conclusion. Both ANN modelling and logistic regression analysis revealed clinically important factors in predicting patients who can undergo safely undergo same-day discharge from an outpatient TKA. The ANN model provides a beneficial approach to help determine which perioperative factors can predict same-day discharge as of 2018 perioperative recovery protocols. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(8):1358–1366

Introduction. Social determinants of health (SDOH) may contribute markedly to the total cost of care (COC) for patients undergoing elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study investigated the association between demographics, health status, and SDOH on lengths of stay (LOS) and 30-day COC. Methods. Patients who underwent TKA between January 2018 and December 2019 were identified. Those who had complete SDOH data were utilized, leaving 234 patients. Data elements were drawn from the Chesapeake Regional Information System, the Center for Disease Control social vulnerability index (SVI), the Food Access Research Atlas (FARA). The SVI identifies areas vulnerable to catastrophic events, with 4 themed scores including: (1) socioeconomic status; (2) household composition and disability; (3) minority status and language; and (4) housing and transportation. Food deserts were defined as neighborhoods located 1 or 10 miles from a grocery store in urban and rural areas, respectively. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine an association with LOS and cost, after controlling for demographics. Results. Increased 30-day COC associated with SVI theme 3, (3.074 days; p=0.001) and patients who lived in a food desert ($53,205; p=0.001), as well as those who had anemia ($16,112; P = 0.038), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ($32,570, P = 0.001), congestive heart failure ($30,927, P = 0.003), and dementia ($33,456, P = 0.008). Longer hospital lengths of stay were associated with SVI theme 3. In addition, patients who had anemia and congestive heart failure were at risk for longer hospital lengths of stay (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion. Higher SVI theme 3 scores and living in food deserts were risk factors for increased LOS and costs, respectively. Identifying social factors including a patient's transportation options, living situation and access to healthy foods may prove to be both prognostic of outcomes and an opportunity for intervention

Aims. To date, no study has demonstrated an improvement in postoperative outcomes following elective joint arthroplasty with a focus on nutritional intervention for patients with preoperative hypoalbuminaemia. In this prospective study, we evaluated differences in the hospital length of stay (LOS), rate of re-admission, and total patient charges for a malnourished patient study population who received a specific nutrition protocol before surgery. Patients and Methods. An analytical report was extracted from the electronic medical record (EMR; Epic, Verona, Wisconsin) of a five-hospital network joint arthroplasty patient data set between 2014 and 2017. A total of 4733 patients underwent joint arthroplasty and had preoperative measurement of albumin levels: 2220 at four hospitals and 2513 at the study hospital. Albumin ≤ 3.4 g/l, designated as malnutrition, was found in 543 patients (11.5%). A nutritional intervention programme focusing on a high-protein, anti-inflammatory diet was initiated in January 2017 at one study hospital. Hospital LOS, re-admission rate, and 90-day charges were compared for differential change between patients in study and control hospitals for all elective hip and knee arthroplasty patients, and for malnourished patients over time as the nutrition intervention was implemented. Results. Malnourished patients with nutritional intervention at the study hospital had shorter hospital LOS beginning in 2017 than malnourished patients at control hospitals during the same period (p = 0.04). Similarly, this cohort had significantly lower primary hospitalization charges, charges associated with hospital re-admissions, and 90-day total charges (p < 0.001). Inclusion of covariant potential confounders (age, anaemia, diabetes, and obesity) did not alter the conclusions of the primary statistical analysis. Conclusion. Joint arthroplasty outcomes were positively affected in study patients with low albumin when a high-protein, anti-inflammatory diet was encouraged. Elective surgery was neither cancelled nor delayed with a malnutrition designation. While the entire network population experienced improved postoperative outcomes, malnourished control patients did not experience this improvement. This study demonstrated that education on malnutrition can benefit patients. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B(7 Supple C):17–21

Introduction. Emergency department (ED) visits following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can lead to poor patient satisfaction, potentially unnecessary readmissions, and greater overall healthcare costs. Reasons for post-operative ED visits are often entirely medical in nature and can be independent of the recent operation. Several strategies have been developed to help reduce ED visits. However, one major factor that can play a critical role in addressing potentially avoidable visits is provider and patient education. A major factor that can play a crucial role in addressing potentially avoidable visits is provider and patient education. It follows that a thorough understanding of which patients are visiting the ED and why can help in avoiding the visits. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate: 1) causes and 2) patient-related factors (demographics and comorbidities) associated with ED visits following primary TKA. Methods. A national private payer database was queried for primary TKAs performed between 2007 and 2016 using the International Classification of Disease, ninth revision (ICD-9) procedural code 81.54. ED visits were identified using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes 99281 to 99285. Patients with 90-day ED visits were in the study group (n=28,044) whereas those without 90-day ED visits served as controls (n=82,289). Causes for ED visits were divided into cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, renal, thromboembolic, leg pain, or wound-related. Patient demographics and risk factors assessed included age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) as well as several comorbidities (Table 1). Pearson's chi-square tests were performed to compare patient demographics and comorbidities between the cohorts. In order to adjust for potential confounders, multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to further evaluate the associations between patient factors and 90-day ED visits. A p-value less than 0.01 was considered statistically significant. Results. The most common reasons for ED visits were cardiopulmonary (51.30%), leg/back pain (46.20%), and gastrointestinal (31.60%) reasons. There was a greater proportion of women in the ED visit cohort compared to controls (p<0.0001; Table 1) and comorbidities (p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that patients with a history of COPD (odds ratio [OR] 1.48, p<0.001), depression (OR 1.42, p<0.0001), arrhythmias (OR: 1.38, p<0.0001), AIDS (O: 1.32, p<0.0001), and iron deficiency anemia (OR 1.28, p<0.0001), were at an increased risk of visting the ED within 90 days following primary TKA (Table 2). Conclusion. This analysis of over 100,000 patients identified that the most common reasons for ED visits are primarily medical in nature, and are not necessarily directly related to the recent operation. These findings should help guide pre-operative education and manage post-operative expectations to help limit potentially avoidable ED visits. Additionally, the data from this study can lend to policy changes targeting ED visits, particularly given the shift towards certain reimbursement models in arthroplasty. For figures, tables, or references, please contact authors directly

Introduction. Recent studies of novel healthcare episode payment models, such as the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative, have demonstrated pathways for improving value. However, these models may not provide appropriate payments for patients with significant medical comorbidities or complications. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for exceeding our institution's target payment, the so-called “bundle busters.”. Methods. After receiving an exemption from the Institutional Review Board, we queried our institutional data warehouse for all patients (n=412) that underwent total joint arthroplasty (TJA) of the hip (n=192), knee (n=207), or ankle (n=13), and qualified for our institution's bundled payments model during the study time period (July 2015 – May 2017). Patients with medical conditions that were not well controlled or were potentially optimizable were all sent for preoperative medical optimization prior to surgery. For each 90-day episode, patient characteristics, medical comorbidities, perioperative data, and payments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) were obtained. Episodes where Medicare payments exceeded the target payment were considered “busters”. The busters were older, and had higher comorbidity scores (all, p<0.01). Variables were summarized using descriptive statistics and risk ratios were calculated using a modified Poisson regression analysis. Results. Of the 412 patients, 123 were bundle busters (30%). There was a median institutional loss of $11,797 (IQR, $4,312 – $26,771) for the bundle busters and a median gain of $7,402 ($5,657 – $9,206) for the non-busters. Of the 32 risk factors evaluated, 11 were identified as Independent risk factors for busting the bundle (all, p<0.05). Nine of the 11 (82%) are non-modifiable risk factors and include age, disease specific diagnoses (fracture and avascular necrosis), and medical comorbidities (congestive heart failure, pulmonary circulation disorders, renal disease, cardiac arrhythmia, chronic pulmonary disease, and neurological disorder). The remaining two medical comorbidities are potentially modifiable and include diabetes with complications, and preoperative anemia. Conclusion. Though modifiable risk factors should continue to be optimized prior to TJA, as they were in this population, there are still many non-modifiable preoperative risk factors that can lead to costs exceeding the BPCI established institutional payment goal. As such, further work with payors may be needed to help fairly and appropriately consider these non-modifiable factors which result in increased costs

Aims

To map literature on prognostic factors related to outcomes of revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA), to identify extensively studied factors and to guide future research into what domains need further exploration.

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To identify variables independently associated with same-day discharge (SDD) of patients following revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) and to develop machine learning algorithms to predict suitable candidates for outpatient rTKA.

Introduction. We examined the effect on blood loss of two standardised intravenous bolus doses of 500 mg of Tranexamic Acid, a fibrinolytic inhibitor that reduces blood loss following Knee Arthroplasty (KA). Materials and Methods. Our study included one hundred consecutive patients undergoing primary cemented KA, who received two standarised bolus doses of 500 mg of Tranexamic Acid. The first dose was administered at induction to anaesthetic and the second dose was administered just before the closure. Data, which included Haemoglobin (Hb), Haematocrit (Hct), Length of Hospital Stay (LOS) and complications, was collected prospectively by an independent observer. Routine blood tests were done on the 1. st. or 2. nd. post-operative day. Results. Out of 100 patients aged from 49 to 92 years old (mean age of 69 years), 39 were male and 48 underwent a right KA. The mean LOS was 4.73 days with a standard deviation (SD) of 3.07 days. The mean drop of Hb was 2.04 g/dl (15.5%) with a SD of 0.89 g/dl (6.2%). The mean drop of Hct was 0.096 (16.7%) with a SD of 0.325 (10.0%). Only 2 patients had developed symptoms of anaemia and were transfused with 2 units of red blood cells each. Ultrasound scan was used to investigate patients with possible Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT). Indications were calf pain and swelling of the lower limb. 10 patients were investigated, out of which in only 3 patients the diagnosis of DVT was confirmed, whereas in 2 patients DVT could not be excluded because of obesity. Conclusions. We believe that the use of two standardised intravenous bolus doses of 500 mg of Tranexamic Acid reduces peri-operative blood loss, reducing the need for transfusion, without increasing the risk of thromboembolic complications

Aims

The purpose of this study was to compare reoperation and revision rates of double plating (DP), single plating using a lateral locking plate (SP), or distal femoral arthroplasty (DFA) for the treatment of periprosthetic distal femur fractures (PDFFs).

Aims

Medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (mUKA) is an advised treatment for anteromedial knee osteoarthritis. While long-term survival after mUKA is well described, reported incidences of short-term surgical complications vary and the effect of surgical usage on complications is less established. We aimed to describe the overall occurrence and treatment of surgical complications within 90 days of mUKA, as well as occurrence in high-usage centres compared to low-usage centres.

Aims

The rate of day-case total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the UK is currently approximately 0.5%. Reducing length of stay allows orthopaedic providers to improve efficiency, increase operative throughput, and tackle the rising demand for joint arthroplasty surgery and the COVID-19-related backlog. Here, we report safe delivery of day-case TKA in an NHS trust via inpatient wards with no additional resources.

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The aim was to assess whether robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) had greater knee-specific outcomes, improved fulfilment of expectations, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and patient satisfaction when compared with manual TKA (mTKA).

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The primary aim was to assess whether robotic total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) had a greater early knee-specific outcome when compared to manual TKA (mTKA). Secondary aims were to assess whether rTKA was associated with improved expectation fulfilment, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and patient satisfaction when compared to mTKA.

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The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness and safety of thromboprophylactic treatments in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

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To compare rates of serious adverse events in patients undergoing revision knee arthroplasty with consideration of the indication for revision (urgent versus elective indications), and compare these with primary arthroplasty and re-revision arthroplasty.

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The aim of this study was to compare ten-year longitudinal healthcare costs and revision rates for patients undergoing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

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The purpose of this study was to assess total knee arthroplasty (TKA) volume and rates of early complications in morbidly obese patients over the last decade, where the introduction of quality models influencing perioperative care pathways occurred.

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Debate continues regarding the optimum management of periprosthetic distal femoral fractures (PDFFs). This study aims to determine which operative treatment is associated with the lowest perioperative morbidity and mortality when treating low (Su type II and III) PDFFs comparing lateral locking plate fixation (LLP-ORIF) or distal femoral arthroplasty (DFA).