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Competing Interests: The author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request.

Objective: To develop evidence-based consensus recommendations for the optimal timing of hip and knee arthroplasty to improve patient-important outcomes including, but not limited to, pain, function, infection, hospitalization, and death at 1 year for patients with symptomatic and radiographic moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis or advanced symptomatic osteonecrosis with secondary arthritis of the hip or knee who have previously attempted nonoperative therapy, and for whom nonoperative therapy was ineffective, and who have chosen to undergo elective hip or knee arthroplasty (collectively referred to as TJA)., Methods: We developed 13 clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, outcomes (PICO) questions. After a systematic literature review, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to rate the quality of evidence (high, moderate, low, or very low), and evidence tables were created. A Voting Panel, including 13 physicians and patients, discussed the PICO questions until consensus was achieved on the direction (for/against) and strength (strong/conditional) of the recommendations., Results: The panel conditionally recommended against delaying TJA to pursue additional nonoperative treatment including physical therapy, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, ambulatory aids, and intraarticular injections. It conditionally recommended delaying TJA for nicotine reduction or cessation. The panel conditionally recommended delay for better glycemic control for patients who have diabetes mellitus, although no specific measure or level was identified. There was consensus that obesity by itself was not a reason for delay, but that weight loss should be strongly encouraged, and the increase in operative risk should be discussed. The panel conditionally recommended against delay in patients who have severe deformity or bone loss, or in patients who have a neuropathic joint. Evidence for all recommendations was graded as low or very low quality., Conclusion: This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations regarding the optimal timing of TJA in patients who have symptomatic and radiographic moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis or advanced symptomatic osteonecrosis with secondary arthritis for whom nonoperative therapy was ineffective to improve patient-important outcomes, including pain, function, infection, hospitalization, and death at 1 year. We acknowledge that the evidence is of low quality primarily due to indirectness and hope future research will allow for further refinement of the recommendations., (© 2023 American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and American College of Rheumatology. Published by Elsevier Inc on behalf of American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC, on behalf of American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To develop evidence-based consensus recommendations for the optimal timing of hip and knee arthroplasty to improve patient-important outcomes including, but not limited to, pain, function, infection, hospitalization, and death at 1 year for patients with symptomatic and radiographic moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis or advanced symptomatic osteonecrosis with secondary arthritis of the hip or knee who have previously attempted nonoperative therapy, and for whom nonoperative therapy was ineffective, and who have chosen to undergo elective hip or knee arthroplasty (collectively referred to as TJA)., Methods: We developed 13 clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, outcomes (PICO) questions. After a systematic literature review, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to rate the quality of evidence (high, moderate, low, or very low), and evidence tables were created. A Voting Panel, including 13 physicians and patients, discussed the PICO questions until consensus was achieved on the direction (for/against) and strength (strong/conditional) of the recommendations., Results: The panel conditionally recommended against delaying TJA to pursue additional nonoperative treatment including physical therapy, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, ambulatory aids, and intraarticular injections. It conditionally recommended delaying TJA for nicotine reduction or cessation. The panel conditionally recommended delay for better glycemic control for patients who have diabetes mellitus, although no specific measure or level was identified. There was consensus that obesity by itself was not a reason for delay, but that weight loss should be strongly encouraged, and the increase in operative risk should be discussed. The panel conditionally recommended against delay in patients who have severe deformity or bone loss, or in patients who have a neuropathic joint. Evidence for all recommendations was graded as low or very low quality., Conclusion: This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations regarding the optimal timing of TJA in patients who have symptomatic and radiographic moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis or advanced symptomatic osteonecrosis with secondary arthritis for whom nonoperative therapy was ineffective to improve patient-important outcomes, including pain, function, infection, hospitalization, and death at 1 year. We acknowledge that the evidence is of low quality primarily due to indirectness and hope future research will allow for further refinement of the recommendations., (© 2023 American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and American College of Rheumatology. Published by Elsevier Inc on behalf of American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC, on behalf of American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To develop evidence-based consensus recommendations for the optimal timing of hip and knee arthroplasty to improve patient-important outcomes including, but not limited to, pain, function, infection, hospitalization, and death at 1 year for patients with symptomatic and radiographic moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis or advanced symptomatic osteonecrosis with secondary arthritis of the hip or knee who have previously attempted nonoperative therapy, and for whom nonoperative therapy was ineffective, and who have chosen to undergo elective hip or knee arthroplasty (collectively referred to as TJA)., Methods: We developed 13 clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, outcomes (PICO) questions. After a systematic literature review, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to rate the quality of evidence (high, moderate, low, or very low), and evidence tables were created. A Voting Panel, including 13 physicians and patients, discussed the PICO questions until consensus was achieved on the direction (for/against) and strength (strong/conditional) of the recommendations., Results: The panel conditionally recommended against delaying TJA to pursue additional nonoperative treatment including physical therapy, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, ambulatory aids, and intraarticular injections. It conditionally recommended delaying TJA for nicotine reduction or cessation. The panel conditionally recommended delay for better glycemic control for patients who have diabetes mellitus, although no specific measure or level was identified. There was consensus that obesity by itself was not a reason for delay, but that weight loss should be strongly encouraged, and the increase in operative risk should be discussed. The panel conditionally recommended against delay in patients who have severe deformity or bone loss, or in patients who have a neuropathic joint. Evidence for all recommendations was graded as low or very low quality., Conclusion: This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations regarding the optimal timing of TJA in patients who have symptomatic and radiographic moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis or advanced symptomatic osteonecrosis with secondary arthritis for whom nonoperative therapy was ineffective to improve patient-important outcomes, including pain, function, infection, hospitalization, and death at 1 year. We acknowledge that the evidence is of low quality primarily due to indirectness and hope future research will allow for further refinement of the recommendations., (Copyright © 2023 American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, American College of Rheumatology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest form is provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJS/H319).

Total hip and total knee arthroplasties (THA/TKA) are some of the most common elective surgeries done in the United States. Routine histopathologic analysis of hip and knee bone specimens after total joint arthroplasty commonly occurs to identify unexpected pathologic findings and serves as a quality assurance measure. As the most common indication for THA and TKA is osteoarthritis, the practice of routine histopathologic analysis may not be routinely warranted. There is no clear consensus on the cost-effectiveness of this practice, and the literature has questioned both the clinical relevance of discrepancies between surgeon diagnosis and histopathological diagnosis and raised concerns about variance in the histological evaluation of resected specimens by pathologists. Femoral head analysis in the setting of femoral neck fractures has been previously reported, yet there is no clear overview for this topic in the setting of elective THA. The histopathologic features of bone specimens during routine total joint arthroplasty, the cost-effectiveness, and current recommendations will be reviewed., (Copyright © 2022 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Background: Web-based patient engagement portals are increasing in popularity after total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA). The literature is mixed regarding patient utilization of these modalities and potential clinical benefit. We sought to determine which demographic factors are associated with increased platform participation and to quantify the impact of a web-based patient portal on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive primary THA (n = 554) and TKA (n = 485) at a single academic institution with minimum follow-up of 12 months. Patients were divided into those who opted-in and those who opted-out of portal use. Global health and joint-specific PROMs were collected preoperatively and postoperatively. Linear mixed effects modeling, bivariate analysis, and logistic regression were utilized., Results: Of the 1039 included patients, 60.6% (336) THA and 62.7% (304) TKA patients enrolled in the portal. Those who opted-in were younger (P < .001, P < .003), had higher body mass index (P = .024, P = .011), and had a higher household income (P < .001, P < .001) in THA and TKA cohorts, respectively. Portal participation in the TKA but not the THA cohort was associated with significant improvement in physical function (P = .017) and joint-specific function (P = .045). For THA patients who opted-in, increased portal logins were associated with more rapid improvement and higher functional scores (P = .013)., Conclusion: There is an inherent difference between patients who opt-in to and those who opt-out of web-based portals. Added resources and support provided by portals may translate to improved PROMs for TKA patients but not THA patients., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis is used to prevent surgical site infection and periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Secondary to a national shortage of cefazolin, patients at our institution began receiving a single preoperative prophylactic antibiotic dose for primary TJA and no 24-hour postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. The purpose of the study was to compare the efficacy of single-dose antibiotic use versus 24-hour dosing of prophylactic antibiotics in the prevention of acute PJI and short-term complications after primary TJA., Methods: A retrospective review of 3317 patients undergoing primary TJA performed from January 2015 to December 2019 identified 554 patients who received a single dose of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis during the antibiotic shortage and 2763 patients who received post-TJA 24-hour antibiotic prophylaxis before the shortage. Patient records were evaluated for acute PJI, superficial infection, 90-day reoperation, and 90-day complications., Results: There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between single-dose and 24-hour antibiotic groups. Similarly, there were no significant differences in rates of acute PJI (0.7% vs 0.2%; P = .301), superficial infection (2.4% vs 1.4%; P = .221), 90-day reoperation (2.1% vs 1.1%; P = .155), and 90-day complications (9.9% vs 7.9%; P = .169) between single and 24-hour antibiotic dose. Post hoc power analysis demonstrated adequate sample size, beta = 93%., Conclusion: Single-dose prophylactic antibiotics did not lead to an increased risk of acute PJI or short-term complications after TJA. Our study suggests that administration of a single antibiotic dose may be safely considered in patients undergoing routine primary TJA., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Under bundled payment models, gainsharing presents an important mechanism to ensure engagement and reward innovation. We hypothesized that metric selection, metric targets, and risk adjustment would impact surgeons' performance in gainsharing models., Methods: Patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty at an urban health system from 2017 to September 2018 were included. Gainsharing metrics included the following: length of stay, % discharge-to-home, 90-day readmission rate, % of patients with episode spend under target price, and % of patients with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) collected. Four scenarios were created to evaluate how metric selection/adjustment impacted surgeons' performance designation: scenario 1 used "aspirational targets" (>60th percentile), scenario 2 used "acceptable targets" (>50th percentile), scenario 3 risk-adjusted surgeon performance prior to comparing aspirational targets, and scenario 4 included a PRO collection metric. Number of metrics achieved determined performance tier, with higher tiers getting a greater share of the gainsharing pool., Results: In total, 2776 patients treated by 12 surgeons met inclusion criteria (mean length of stay 3.0 days, readmission rate 4.0%, discharge-to-home 74%, episode spend under target price 85%, PRO collection 56%). Lowering of metric targets (scenario 1 vs. 2) resulted in a 75% increase in the number of high performers and 98% of the gainsharing pool being eligible for distribution. Risk adjustment (scenario 3) caused 50% of providers to move to higher performance tiers and potential payments to increase by 28%. Adding the PRO metric did not change performance., Conclusion: Quality metric/target selection and risk adjustment profoundly impact surgeons' performance in gainsharing contracts. This impacts how successful these contracts can be in driving innovation and dis-incentivizing the "cherry picking" of patients., Level of Evidence: Level III., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Surgeon compensation models could potentially influence the utilization of elective procedures. We assessed whether transitioning from salaried to a relative value unit (RVU) productivity-based physician compensation model changed the surgical rate and patient selection in elective total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA) procedures., Methods: Our institution transitioned from salaried to RVU productivity-based reimbursement in July 2016. We performed a retrospective analysis on patients undergoing primary THA and TKA from July 2014 to July 2018 before and after the transition (salary period n = 820; RVU period n = 1188). Beta regression was used to determine the reimbursement structure as a predictor of surgery. The surgical rate was defined as the number of primary THA and TKA procedures per reimbursement period divided by all arthroplasty and osteoarthritis outpatient clinic encounters., Results: There was a surgical rate of 15.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 13.8%-17.8%) THA and 16.7% (95% CI 15.1%-18.1%) TKA procedures during RVU reimbursement compared to 11.1% (95% CI 9.8%-12.8%) THA and 11.7% (95% CI 10.5%-12.8%) TKA procedures during the salaried period (P < .001). The adjusted odds of undergoing a THA or TKA procedure increased in the RVU compared to the salaried model (THA odds ratio 1.48, 95% CI 1.43-1.53; TKA odds ratio 1.50, 95% CI 1.46-1.55; P < .001). There were no significant differences in patient age, gender, race, body mass index, or Charlson Comorbidity Index in salaried vs RVU productivity periods (P > .05 for all covariates)., Conclusions: Productivity-based physician compensation may encourage higher rates of elective arthroplasty procedures without broadening patient selection., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Value-based health-care delivery is a framework for restructuring our health-care systems with the goal of providing better outcomes for patients at lower cost. Value is determined by patient health outcomes per dollar spent on health services. We sought to develop a value dashboard that could be used to easily track and improve the value of total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA)., Methods: We created a value dashboard for TKAs and THAs at our institution. Value was defined as quality of outcomes per dollar spent. The dashboard for each procedure displayed the average value by surgeon, compared with institutional averages for physical function scores and cost. Quality metrics were determined by weighted surgeon ranking using a modified Delphi process and included both clinical and patient-reported outcomes, as measured by the mean change in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global-10 (PROMIS-10) physical function score, mean change in the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Joint Replacement (HOOS-JR) or the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Joint Replacement (KOOS-JR), mean change in the modified Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score, complication rate, periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) rate, and 30-day readmission rate. Average direct costs per surgeon were used. Data from January 2017 through April 2018 were included to ensure 1-year follow-up., Results: Six surgeons were included in the value dashboard for TKA, and 5 were included in the THA dashboard. The value for TKA by surgeon ranged from 7% below to 12% above the institutional benchmark. The value for THA by surgeon ranged from 12% below to 7% above the institutional benchmark., Conclusions: The proposed dashboard utilizes value in a health-care framework and could be used for comparing and improving value for THA and TKA. This dashboard successfully combined patient outcome metrics and direct costs of surgical procedures. Future studies should focus on involving patients in this process and using national data to create benchmarks, which could provide a more accurate representation of value than using institutional averages.

Background: This prospective cohort study evaluates the impact of total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty on patient's spouses/significant others (SSOs)., Methods: Patients and SSOs were provided similar outcome metrics (Global Health Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement, and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement) at preoperative and postoperative visits. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate scores., Results: Our sample included 99 patients (58 total hip arthroplasties and 41 total knee arthroplasties). We found strong correlation between patient and SSO mental status scores. We found moderate correlation for some physical function domains., Conclusion: SSOs closely share total joint arthroplasty patient's mental and even some of the physical burden of disease and recovery., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study evaluates the fate of unused opioids after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at our facility., Methods: Medication disposal after primary elective THA and TKA was classified as appropriate (in accordance with United States Food and Drug Administration guidelines) or inappropriate for all patients undergoing these procedures during the second half of the fiscal year 2015., Results: In total, 199 THAs and 144 TKAs met inclusion criteria. Total pills prescribed were 55,635. Approximately 8925 (16%) of pills were unused. About 39.9% of patients disposed of unused opioids appropriately, while 60.1% of patients reported still having (18.5%), not knowing where they were (8.2%), or other (33.4%). There was no significant association with the type of opioid prescribed., Conclusion: A large volume of unused opioids were improperly disposed of after total joint arthroplasty., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) mandates collection of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for eligible total hip and total knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA) procedures during specific time periods that may not be attainable within routine academic practice., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected PROM data from a 2017 cohort of primary THA and TKA patients who completed the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-10 global health survey in preoperative or postoperative time periods. The primary outcome was completion rates of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-10 per the CJR collection periods (90-0 days preoperative and 270-365 days postoperative) compared to an extended postoperative collection period of 270-396 days. Bivariate analysis and logistic regression were used to analyze the association between survey completion rates and patient characteristics., Results: Of the 860 primary THAs and TKAs in 2017, 725 (84.3%) had preoperative surveys completed 90-0 days before surgery. Among the 725 patients, 215 (29.7%) completed postoperative surveys within the CJR timeline of 270-365 days. Completion increased by 120 additional surveys (+16.5%) in the additional postoperative time period of 270-396 days (P < .001). No patient or procedural factors significantly correlated with a higher likelihood of postoperative PROM completion (P > .05 for all covariates)., Conclusion: In an academic clinical practice, completion rates of postoperative PROMs as part of routine clinical practice within the CJR mandated period was low for THA and TKA patients. CJR may consider additional time beyond 365 days to improve PROM completion rates., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are important for tracking outcomes following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) but can be limited by time constraints and patient compliance. We sought to evaluate the utility of the one-question, modified single assessment numerical evaluation (M-SANE) score in TKA patients compared to legacy PROMs., Methods: Patients undergoing TKA completed the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-10 (PROMIS-10), the Knee Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score Junior (KOOS Jr), and M-SANE (modified-SANE) assessments both preoperatively and postoperatively. The M-SANE score asked patients to rate their native or prosthetic knee on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the best function. M-SANE validity was determined by the Spearman's correlation between the collected PROMs and the Bland-Altman plots. PROM responsiveness was assessed using the standardized response mean., Results: In total, 217 patients completed PROMs preoperatively and at 1 year postoperatively. Floor and ceiling effects of the M-SANE were higher than other PROMs but still relatively low (4%-11%). There was a moderate to strong correlation at nearly all time points between the M-SANE and KOOS Jr (ρ = 0.44-0.78, P < .001). There was a weak correlation between the M-SANE and PROMIS physical component summary at the preoperative evaluation (ρ = 0.28) but a strong correlation at 1-year follow up (0.65, P < .001). The long-term responsiveness of the M-SANE to TKA (standardized response mean [SRM] = 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80-1.17) was comparable to both the KOOS Jr (SRM = 1.19, 95% CI 1.00-1.38) and PROMIS physical component summary (SRM = 0.82, 95% CI 0.74-0.91). Bland-Altman plots demonstrated that the M-SANE and KOOS Jr capture combined knee pain and functionality differently., Conclusion: The M-SANE score was comparable to validated multiple-question PROMs in TKA patients. The demonstrated validity of the M-SANE, as well as its comparable responsiveness to more lengthy PROMs, highlights its use as a one-question PROM for assessment of patient undergoing TKA., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The purpose of this study is to define value in bundled total joint arthroplasty (TJA) from the differing perspectives of the patient, payer/employer, and hospital/provider., Methods: Demographic, psychosocial, clinical, financial, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) data from 2017 to 2018 elective TJA cases at a multihospital academic health system were queried. Value was defined as improvement in PROs (preoperatively to 1 year postoperatively) for patients, improvement in PROs per $1000 of bundle cost for payers, and the normalized sum of improvement in PROs and hospital bundle margin for providers. Bivariate analysis was used to compare high value vs low value (>50th percentile vs <50th percentile). Multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors., Results: A total of 280 patients had PRO data, of which 71 had Medicare claims data. Diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 0.45; P = .02) predicted low value for patients; female gender (OR, 0.25), hypertension (OR, 0.17), pulmonary disease (OR, 0.12), and skilled nursing facility discharge (OR, 0.17) for payers (P ≤ .03 for all); and pulmonary disease (OR, 0.16) and skilled nursing facility discharge (OR, 0.19) for providers (P ≤ .04 for all)., Conclusion: This is the first article to define value in TJA under a bundle payment model from multiple perspectives, providing a foundation for future studies analyzing value-based TJA., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Many surgeons require or request weight loss among morbidly obese patients (those with a body mass index [BMI] of ≥40 kg/m) before undergoing total knee arthroplasty. We sought to determine how much weight reduction was necessary to improve operative time, length of stay, discharge to a facility, and physical function improvement., Methods: Using a retrospective review of cohort data that were prospectively collected from 2011 to 2016 at 1 tertiary institution, we identified 203 patients who were morbidly obese at least 90 days before the surgical procedure and had their BMI measured again at the immediate preoperative visit. All heights and weights were clinically measured. We used logistic and linear regression models that adjusted for preoperative age, sex, year of the surgical procedure, bilateral status, physical function (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS]-10 physical component score [PCS]), mental function (PROMIS-10 mental component score [MCS]), and the Charlson Comorbidity Index., Results: Of the 203 patients in the study, 41% lost at least 5 pounds (2.27 kg) before the surgical procedure, 29% lost at least 10 pounds (4.54 kg), and 14% lost at least 20 pounds (9.07 kg). Among morbidly obese patients, losing 20 pounds before a total knee arthroplasty was associated with lower adjusted odds of discharge to a facility (odds ratio [OR], 0.28 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.09 to 0.94]; p = 0.039), lower odds of extended length of stay of at least 4 days (OR, 0.24 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.88]; p = 0.031), and an absolute shorter length of stay (mean difference, -0.87 day [95% CI, -1.39 to -0.36 days]; p = 0.001). There were no differences in operative time or PCS improvement. Losing 5 or 10 pounds was not associated with differences in any outcome., Conclusions: Losing at least 20 pounds before total knee arthroplasty was associated with shorter length of stay and lower odds of facility discharge for morbidly obese patients, even while most patients remained morbidly or severely obese. Although there were no differences in operative time or physical function improvement, this has considerable implications for patient burden and cost reduction. Patients and providers may want to focus on larger preoperative weight loss targets., Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Background: Newer implants for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) often gain market share at higher cost with little patient-reported and long-term clinical data. We compared outcomes after TKA using two different implants: DePuy PFC Sigma and Attune., Methods: Using a prospective data repository from an academic tertiary medical center, we analyzed 2116 TKAs (1603 Sigma and 513 Attune) from April 2011 through July 2016. Outcomes included length of surgery, length of stay, facility discharge, 90-day reoperation, range of motion (ROM) change, and patient-reported physical function (PCS)., Results: There was no difference in length of surgery (Attune -2.87 min, P = 0.143). Implant type was not associated with extended LOS (>3 days) (OR 0.80, P = 0.439). There was no difference in facility discharge (OR 0.65, P = 0.103). Unadjusted 90-day reoperations were 0.3% for Sigma and 1.0% for Attune cohorts (P = 0.158). Sigma implants were associated with more ROM improvement in unadjusted analyses (+2.1 degree improvement P = 0.031). Fifty nine percent of the Sigma cohort and 49% of the Attune cohort achieved the minimal clinically important (MCID) change for PCS improvement, although there was no adjusted difference in achieving MCID (Attune OR 0.84, P = 0.435). There was no adjusted difference in absolute PCS improvement (Attune +0.12 score, P = 0.864)., Conclusions: Our data show no difference in physical function and most outcomes between Sigma and Attune. Attune implants had shorter absolute LOS, but there were no differences in extended LOS., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: With the advent of bundled payment models, identifying high-performing skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) has become increasingly important. The goal of this study is to develop a rating system to rank SNFs within our health system and to use this system to improve the SNF discharge process at our institution., Methods: All SNF-discharged primary total joint arthroplasty cases in 2017 at a multi-hospital academic health system were queried. Discharge patterns were assessed using heat map analysis. Regression analyses in conjunction with structured discussions with subject matter experts were used to identify measures of SNF efficiency and care quality. A revised rating system was developed and used to identify high-performing facilities within our health system. Opportunities to re-direct patients to higher performing facilities were identified., Results: A revised rating system for SNFs was constructed based on risk-adjusted SNF length of stay, 30-day re-admission rate, and 30-day emergency department visit rate. As 82% of patients were discharged to SNFs in close proximity to their home, high-performing SNFs (according to the revised rating system) were identified by geographic region. Mapping of the discharge process revealed multiple opportunities where patients could be re-directed to a higher performing SNF in their area. Using conservative estimates (25% of discharges re-directed), this is expected to achieve a cost saving of $2,600,000 over a 5-year period, mainly through reductions in SNF length of stay., Conclusion: This study describes the development of a revised rating system for SNFs which, when implemented, is expected to achieve substantial cost savings over a 5-year period., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Nursing Home Compare (NHC) ratings, created and maintained by Medicare, are used by both hospitals and consumers to aid in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) selection process. To date, no studies have linked NHC ratings to actual episode-based outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether NHC ratings are valid predictors of 90-day complications, readmission, and bundle costs for patients discharged to an SNF after primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA)., Methods: All SNF-discharged primary TJA cases in 2017 at a multihospital academic health system were queried. Demographic, psychosocial, and clinical variables were manually extracted from the health record. Medicare NHC ratings were then collected for each SNF. For patients in the Medicare bundle, postacute and total bundle cost was extracted from claims., Results: Four hundred eighty-eight patients were discharged to a total of 105 unique SNFs. In multivariate analysis, overall NHC rating was not predictive of 90-day readmission/major complications, >75th percentile postacute cost, or 90-day bundle cost exceeding the target price. SNF health inspection and quality measure ratings were also not predictive of 90-day readmission/major complications or bundle performance. A higher SNF staffing rating was independently associated with a decreased odds for >75th percentile 90-day postacute spend (odds ratio, 0.58; P = .01) and a 90-day bundle cost exceeding the target price (odds ratio = 0.69; P = .02) but was similarly not predictive of 90-day readmission/complications., Conclusion: Results of our study suggest that Medicare's NHC tool is not a useful predictor of 90-day costs, complications, or readmissions for SNFs within our health system., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients aged 80 and above who suffer from end-stage osteoarthritis may benefit from total knee arthroplasty (TKA), but at high potential risk. Additionally, there is controversy about whether functional improvement in patients above age 80 is similar to younger patients. We compared functional improvement, length of stay (LOS), and facility discharge rates after TKA between this cohort and patients less than 80 years of age., Methods: We completed a retrospective cohort study comparing TKA patients aged 80 and above with all patients younger than 80. We utilized data from a prospectively collected institutional repository of 2308 TKAs performed from April 2011 through July 2016 at an academic medical center in the United States. We performed multivariable logistic regression to determine the association between age group and clinically significant improvement in the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-10 physical component summary (PCS) score. Secondary outcomes included the magnitude of PCS change, LOS, and facility discharge., Results: There were 175 (7.6%) TKAs in patients older than 80 years compared with 2133 TKAs in patients younger than 80. Patients over 80 had similar adjusted odds of achieving clinically significant PCS improvement following TKA (P = .366), and there was no statistical difference in adjusted postoperative PCS improvement between the 2 age groups. Age 80 and above was associated with a longer adjusted LOS and demonstrated increased odds of facility discharge (odds ratio 4.11, P < .001) after TKA., Conclusion: Following TKA, patients older than 80 years demonstrate similar adjusted functional improvement in comparison to younger patients. However, older patients did require substantially more resources as they remained in the hospital longer and were discharged to rehabilitation more often., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A growing body of published research on tranexamic acid (TXA) suggests that it is effective in reducing blood loss and the risk for transfusion in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this network meta-analysis was to evaluate TXA in primary TKA as the basis for the efficacy recommendations of the combined clinical practice guidelines of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Hip Society, Knee Society, and American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine on the use of TXA in primary total joint arthroplasty., Methods: We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Reviews, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for publications before July 2017 on TXA in primary total joint arthroplasty. All included studies underwent qualitative and quantitative homogeneity testing. Direct and indirect comparisons were performed as a network meta-analysis, and results were tested for consistency., Results: After critical appraisal of the available 2113 publications, 67 articles were identified as representing the best available evidence. Topical, intravenous (IV), and oral TXA formulations were all superior to placebo in terms of decreasing blood loss and risk of transfusion, while no formulation was clearly superior. Use of repeat IV and oral TXA dosing and higher doses of IV and topical TXA did not significantly reduce blood loss or risk of transfusion. Preincision administration of IV TXA had inconsistent findings with a reduced risk of transfusion but no effect on volume of blood loss., Conclusions: Strong evidence supports the efficacy of TXA to decrease blood loss and the risk of transfusion after primary TKA. No TXA formulation, dosage, or number of doses provided clearly improved blood-sparing properties for TKA. Moderate evidence supports preincision administration of IV TXA to improve efficacy., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The traditional goal of the gap-balancing method in total knee arthroplasty is to create equal and symmetric knee laxity throughout the arc of flexion. The purpose of this study was to (1) quantify the laxity in the native and the replaced knee throughout the range of flexion in gap-balancing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and (2) quantify the precision in achieving a targeted gap profile throughout flexion using a robotic-assisted technique with active ligament tensioning., Methods: Robotic-assisted, gap-balancing TKA was performed in 14 cadaver specimens. The proximal tibia was resected, and the native tibiofemoral gaps were measured using a robotic tensioner that dynamically tensioned the soft-tissue envelope throughout the arc of flexion. The femoral implant was then aligned to balance the gaps at 0° and 90° of flexion. The postoperative gaps were then measured during final trialing with the robotic tensioner and compared with the planned gaps., Results: The native gaps increased by 3.4 ± 1.7 mm medially and 3.7 ± 2.1 mm laterally from full extension to 20° of flexion (P < .001) and then remained consistent through the remaining arc of flexion. Gap balancing after TKA produced equal gaps at 0° and 90° of flexion, but the gap laxity in midflexion was 2-4 mm greater than at 0° and 90° (P < .001). The root mean square error between the planned gaps and actual measured postoperative gaps was 1.6 mm medially and 1.7 mm laterally throughout the range of motion., Conclusion: Aiming for equal gaps at 0° and 90° of flexion produced equal gaps in extension and flexion with larger gaps in midflexion. Consistent soft-tissue balance to a planned gap profile could be achieved by using controlled ligament tensioning in robotic-assisted TKA., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Approximately one-half of all US surgical procedures, and one-third of orthopaedic procedures, are performed at teaching hospitals. However, the effect of resident participation and their level of training on patient care for TKA postoperative physical function, operative time, length of stay, and facility discharge are unclear., Questions/purposes: (1) Are resident participation, postgraduate year (PGY) training level, and number of residents associated with absolute postoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®-10) global physical function score (PCS), and achieving minimum clinically important difference (MCID) PCS improvement, after TKA? (2) Are resident participation, PGY, and number of residents associated with increased TKA operative time? (3) Are resident participation, PGY, and number of residents associated with increased length of stay after TKA? (4) Are resident participation, PGY, and number of residents associated with higher odds of patients being discharged to another inpatient facility, rather than to their home (facility discharge)?, Methods: We performed a retrospective study using a longitudinally maintained institutional registry of TKAs that included 1626 patients at a single tertiary academic institution from April 2011 through July 2016. All patients who underwent primary, elective unilateral TKA were included with no exclusions. All patients were included in the operative time, length of stay, and facility discharge models. The PCS model required postoperative PCS score (n = 1417; 87%; mean, 46.4; SD, 8.5) and the MCID PCS model required pre- and postoperative PCS (n = 1333; 82%; 55% achieved MCID). Resident participation was defined as named residents being present in the operating room and documented in the operative notes, and resident PGY level was determined by the date of TKA and its duration since the resident entered the program and using the standard resident academic calendar (July - June). Multivariable regression was used to assess PCS scores, operative time, length of stay, and facility discharge in patients whose surgery was performed with and without intraoperative resident participation, accounting for PGY training level and number of residents. We defined the MCID PCS score improvement as 5 points on a 100-point scale. Adjusting variables included surgeon, academic year, age, sex, race-ethnicity, Charlson Comorbidity Index, preoperative PCS, and patient-reported mental function, BMI, tobacco use, alcohol use, and postoperative PCS time for the PCS models. We had postoperative PCS for 1417 (87%) surgeries., Results: Compared with attending-only TKAs (5% of procedures), no postgraduate year or number of residents was associated with either postoperative PCS or MCID PCS improvement (PCS: PGY-1 = -0.98, 95% CI, -6.14 to 4.17, p = 0.708; PGY-2 = -0.26, 95% CI, -2.01to 1.49, p = 0.768; PGY-3 = -0.32, 95% CI, -2.16 to 1.51, p = 0.730; PGY-4 = -0.28, 95% CI, -1.99 to 1.43, p = 0.746; PGY-5 = -0.47, 95% CI, -2.13 to 1.18, p = 0.575; two residents = 0.28, 95% CI, -1.05 to 1.62, p = 0.677) (MCID PCS: PGY-1 = odds ratio [OR], 0.30, 95% CI, 0.07-1.30, p = 0.108; PGY-2 = OR, 0.86, 95% CI, 0.46-1.62, p = 0.641; PGY-3 = OR, 0.97, 95% CI, 0.49-1.89, p = 0.921; PGY-4 = OR, 0.73, 95% CI, 0.39-1.36, p = 0.325; PGY-5 = OR, 0.71, 95% CI, 0.39-1.29, p = 0.259; two residents = OR, 1.23, 95% CI, 0.80-1.89, p = 0.337). Longer operative times were associated with all PGY levels except for PGY-5 (attending surgeon only [reference] = 85.60 minutes, SD, 14.5 minutes; PGY-1 = 100. 13 minutes, SD, 21.22 minutes, +8.44 minutes, p = 0.015; PGY-2 = 103.40 minutes, SD, 23.01 minutes, +11.63 minutes, p < 0.001; PGY-3 = 97.82 minutes, SD, 18.24 minutes, +9.68 minutes, p < 0.001; PGY-4 = 96.39 minutes, SD, 18.94 minutes, +4.19 minutes, p = 0.011; PGY-5 = 88.91 minutes, SD, 19.81 minutes, -0.29 minutes, p = 0.853) or the presence of multiple residents (+4.39 minutes, p = 0.024). There were no associations with length of stay (PGY-1 = +0.04 days, 95% CI, -0.63 to 0.71 days, p = 0.912; PGY-2 = -0.08 days, 95% CI, -0.48 to 0.33 days, p = 0.711; PGY-3 = -0.29 days, 95% CI, -0.66 to 0.09 days, p = 0.131; PGY-4 = -0.30 days, 95% CI, -0.69 to 0.08 days, p = 0.120; PGY-5 = -0.28 days, 95% CI, -0.66 to 0.10 days, p = 0.145; two residents = -0.12 days, 95% CI, -0.29 to 0.06 days, p = 0.196) or facility discharge (PGY-1 = OR, 1.03, 95% CI, 0.26-4.08, p = 0.970; PGY-2 = OR, 0.61, 95% CI, 0.31-1.20, p = 0.154; PGY-3 = OR, 0.98, 95% CI, 0.48-2.02, p = 0.964; PGY-4 = OR, 0.83, 95% CI, 0.43-1.57, p = 0.599; PGY-5 = OR, 0.7, 95% CI, 0.41-1.40, p = 0.372; two residents = OR, 0.93, 95% CI, 0.56-1.54, p = 0.766) for any PGY or number of residents., Conclusions: Our findings should help assure patients, residents, physicians, insurers, and hospital administrators that resident participation, after adjusting for numerous patient and clinical factors, does not have any association with key medical and financial metrics, including postoperative PCS, MCID PCS, length of stay, and facility discharge. Future research in this field should focus on whether residents affect knee-specific patient-reported outcomes such as the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Score and additional orthopaedic procedures, and determine how resident medical education can be further enhanced without compromising patient care and safety.Level of Evidence Level III, therapeutic study.

Background: Periprosthetic fractures (PPFX) around total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are devastating complications with significant morbidity. With growing healthcare costs, hospital readmissions have become a marker for quality healthcare delivery. However, little is known about the risk factors or costs associated with readmission after treatment of PPFX. We sought to identify the patient demographics, prevalence of treatment types (open reduction internal fixation [ORIF] vs revision TKA), 30 and 90-day readmission rates, costs of initial treatment and readmission, and risk factors for readmission., Methods: We used the 2013 Nationwide Readmissions Database to select patients who underwent TKA, revision TKA, and treatment of PPFX with either ORIF or revision TKA. The 90-day readmission rate was determined through a survival analysis, and risk factors were identified using a cox proportional hazards model that adjusted for patient and hospital characteristics., Results: We identified 1526 patients with PPFX treated with ORIF and 1458 treated with revision TKA. Ninety-day readmissions were 20.5% and 21.8%, respectively. Patients with ORIF were more often female and had multiple medical comorbidities. Patient factors associated with readmission included advanced age, male gender, comorbidities, discharge to a skilled nursing facility or home with health aide, and Medicare or Medicaid insurance. Treatment at a teaching hospital was the only hospital-associated risk factor identified. ORIF cost USD 25,539 and revision THA cost USD 37,680, with associated readmissions costing 15,269 and 16,806, respectively., Conclusion: PPFX results in greater costs compared to primary and revision TKA. This study highlights risk factors for readmission after PPFX treatment., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We sought to determine whether several preoperative socioeconomic status (SES) variables meaningfully improve predictive models for primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) length of stay (LOS), facility discharge, and clinically significant Veterans RAND-12 physical component score (PCS) improvement., Methods: We prospectively collected clinical data on 2198 TKAs at a high-volume rural tertiary academic hospital from April 2011 through March 2016. SES variables included race and/or ethnicity, living alone, education, employment, and household income, along with numerous adjusting variables. We determined individual SES predictors and whether the inclusion of all SES variables contributed to each 10-fold cross-validated area under the model's area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC). We also used 1000-fold bootstrapping methods to determine whether the SES and non-SES models were statistically different from each other., Results: At least 1 SES predicted each outcome. Ethnic minority patients and those with incomes <$35,000 predicted longer LOS. Ethnic minority patients, the unemployed, and those living alone predicted facility discharge. Unemployed patients were less likely to achieve PCS improvement. Without the 5 SES variables, the AUC values of the LOS, discharge, and PCS models were 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72-0.77, "acceptable"); 0.86 (CI 0.84-0.87, "excellent"); and 0.80 (CI 0.78-0.82, "excellent"), respectively. Including the 5 SES variables, the 10-fold cross-validated and bootstrapped AUC values were 0.76 (CI 0.74-0.79); 0.87 (CI 0.85-0.88); and 0.81 (0.79-0.83), respectively., Conclusion: We developed validated predictive models for outcomes after TKA. Although inclusion of multiple SES variables provided statistical predictive value in our models, the amount of improvement may not be clinically meaningful., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Utilization of total knee and hip arthroplasty has greatly increased in the past decade in the United States; these are among the most expensive procedures in patients with Medicare. Advances in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and care pathways decrease hospital length of stay. We examined how trends in hospital cost were altered by decreases in length of stay., Methods: Procedure, demographic, and economic data were collected on 6.4 million admissions for total knee arthroplasty and 2.8 million admissions for total hip arthroplasty from 2002 to 2013 using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, a component of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Trends in mean hospital costs and their association with length of stay were estimated using inflation-adjusted, survey-weighted generalized linear regression models, controlling for patient demographic characteristics and comorbidity., Results: From 2002 to 2013, the length of stay decreased from a mean time of 4.06 to 2.97 days for total knee arthroplasty and from 4.06 to 2.75 days for total hip arthroplasty. During the same time period, the mean hospital cost for total knee arthroplasty increased from $14,988 (95% confidence interval [CI], $14,927 to $15,049) in 2002 to $22,837 (95% CI, $22,765 to $22,910) in 2013 (an overall increase of $7,849 or 52.4%). The mean hospital cost for total hip arthroplasty increased from $15,792 (95% CI, $15,706 to $15,878) in 2002 to $23,650 (95% CI, $23,544 to $23,755) in 2013 (an increase of $7,858 or 49.8%). If length of stay were set at the 2002 mean, the growth in cost for total knee arthroplasty would have been 70.8% instead of 52.4% as observed, and the growth in cost for total hip arthroplasty would have been 67.4% instead of 49.8% as observed., Conclusions: Hospital costs for joint replacement increased from 2002 to 2013, but were attenuated by reducing inpatient length of stay. With demographic characteristics showing an upward trend in the utilization of joint arthroplasty, including a shift toward younger population groups, reduction in length of stay remains an important target for procedure-level cost containment under emerging payment models.

Surgical Management of Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Evidence-based Guideline is based on a systematic review of the current scientific and clinical research. The guideline contains 38 recommendations pertaining to the preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative care of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee who are considering surgical treatment. The purpose of this clinical practice guideline is to help improve surgical management of patients with OA of the knee based on current best evidence. In addition to guideline recommendations, the work group highlighted the need for better research on the surgical management of OA of the knee.

Background: Total joint arthroplasty (TJA), although considered to be highly beneficial, is associated with substantial costs to the US healthcare system. Cost utility analysis has become an increasingly important means to objectively evaluate the value of a healthcare intervention from the perspective of both extending the quantity and improving the quality of life. Relatively little is known about the overall cost utility analysis evidence base in TJA., Questions/purposes: The goals of this review were to (1) determine the cost utility of TJA interventions; (2) critically assess the quality of published US-based cost utility analyses using the Quality of Health Economic Studies instrument; and (3) determine what characteristics were common among studies receiving a high quality score., Methods: A systematic review of the literature using the MEDLINE database was performed to compile findings and critically appraise US-based cost utility analysis studies for total hip and knee arthroplasty. Based on review of 676 identified articles, 23 studies were included. We used the Quality of Health Economic Studies instrument to assess study quality and one-sided Fisher's exact tests were applied to analyze the predictors of high-quality cost utility analysis., Results: Very few studies compare the cost utility of TJA versus nonoperative intervention; however, the available evidence suggests that TJA can be cost-saving and is highly cost-effective compared with conservative management of end-stage arthritis. The majority of identified studies are focused on the cost utility of new implant technologies or comparisons among surgical alternatives. These studies suggest that the upfront costs associated with new technologies are cost-effective when there is a major reduction in a future cost. The quality of identified studies is quite high (Quality of Health Economic Studies Instrument score: mean 86.5; range, 63-100). National funding source (p = 0.095) and lifetime horizon for analysis (p = 0.07) correlate with high-quality evidence but do not reach significance., Conclusions: Over the past 15 years, there has been a major increase in the volume of cost utility analyses published in total hip and knee arthroplasty. The quality of cost utility analyses published during that period is good. As increasing attention is paid to value in US health care, more attention should be paid to understanding the cost utility of TJA compared with nonoperative treatment modalities. Future studies may also look to incorporate patient willingness to pay.

This paper estimates the incremental hospital resource consumption associated with treating selected adverse events experienced by Medicare beneficiaries undergoing TKA. This retrospective study, using the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review file, identified 353,650 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent a primary TKA during 2011. Overall, 11.82% of Medicare beneficiaries (MBs) undergoing TKA experienced at least one of the study's adverse events. MBs experiencing any adverse event consumed significantly more unadjusted hospital resources ($3110 cost) and had longer stays (1.3 days). The risk-adjusting incremental cost of treating adverse events ranged between $30,902 (pneumonia) and $2167 (hemorrhage or post-operative shock requiring transfusion). Most major adverse events occur infrequently; however when an adverse event occurs following TKA, it adds substantially to hospital costs., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Members of a consortium of leading US health care systems, known as the High Value Healthcare Collaborative, used administrative data to examine differences in their delivery of primary total knee replacement. The goal was to identify opportunities to improve health care value by increasing the quality and reducing the cost of that procedure. The study showed substantial variations across the participating health care organizations in surgery times, hospital lengths-of-stay, discharge dispositions, and in-hospital complication rates. The study also revealed that higher surgeon caseloads were associated with shorter lengths-of-stay and operating time, as well as fewer in-hospital complications. These findings led the consortium to test more coordinated management for medically complex patients, more use of dedicated teams, and a process to improve the management of patients' expectations. These innovations are now being tried by the consortium's members to evaluate whether they increase health care value.