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Background: The prior authorization (PA) process is often criticized by physicians due to increased administrative burden and unnecessary delays in treatment. The effects of PA policies on total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have not been well described. The purpose of this study was to analyze the use of PA in a high-volume orthopaedic practice across 4 states., Methods: We prospectively collected data on 28,725 primary THAs and TKAs performed at our institution between 2020 and 2023. Data collected included patient demographics, payer approval or denial, time to approval or denial, the number of initial denials, the number of peer-to-peer (P2P) or addenda, and the reasons for denial., Results: Seven thousand five hundred twenty eight (56.4%) patients undergoing THA and 8,283 (54%) patients undergoing TKA required PA, with a mean time to approval of 26.3 ± 34.6 and 33.7 ± 41.5 days, respectively. Addenda were requested in 608 of 7,528 (4.6%) THA patients and 737 of 8,283 (8.9%) TKA patients. From a total of 312 (4.1%) THA patients who had an initial denial, a P2P was requested for 50 (0.7%) patients, and only 27 (0.4%) were upheld after the PA process. From a total of 509 (6.1%) TKA patients who had an initial denial, a P2P was requested for 55 (0.7%) patients, and only 26 (0.3%) were upheld after the PA process. The mean time to denial in the THA group was 64.7 ± 83.5, and the most common reasons for denial were poor clinical documentation (25.9%) and lack of coverage (25.9%). The mean time to denial in the TKA group was 63.4 ± 103.9 days, and the most common reason for denial was not specified by the payer (46.1%)., Conclusions: The use of PA to approve elective THA and TKA led to increased surgical waiting times and a high administrative burden for surgeons and healthcare staff., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: With advances in health state valuation methods, new value sets may be developed for some countries. Quantifying the impact of moving between existing and new value sets is critical for guiding decisions around utility score interpretation, reporting and comparison with published scores., Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine, using large-scale national registry data, how the new Australian EQ-5D-5L value set impacts utility scores for patients undergoing joint replacement., Methods: Data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry were used for this analysis. All primary total hip (THR), knee (TKR), and shoulder replacement (TSR) procedures between 2018 and 2022 with pre-operative and 6-month post-operative EQ-5D-5L data were included. Utility scores were generated using the 2013 and 2023 Australian value sets ('previous' and 'new' value sets, respectively) and analysed descriptively for each joint replacement cohort. Agreement between the two utility score sets was evaluated using concordance correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots., Results: EQ-5D-5L data were available for 17,576 THR, 23,010 TKR, and 1667 TSR procedures. The new value set produced a lowest possible EQ-5D-5L utility score of -0.30 (compared with -0.68 previously) and fewer patients had 'worse-than-dead' quality of life (score < 0.00) before surgery. Mean pre-operative scores were 0.21 (THR), 0.19 (TKR), and 0.17 (TSR) units higher with the new value set, and mean post-operative scores were 0.11-0.14 units higher. The new value set resulted in smaller effect sizes for the THR (1.08 versus 1.23) and TKR cohorts (0.86 versus 0.92). There was moderate-to-good overall agreement (coefficients: 0.70-0.80), but concordance varied by time point., Conclusion: Although acceptable agreement was evident, the new Australian value set produces less extreme negative utility scores and markedly higher group-level scores. Transition to reporting new EQ-5D-5L utility scores will require accompanying explanation to signal measurement modifications rather than better quality of life., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The use of ChatGPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer), which is a natural language artificial intelligence model, has gained unparalleled attention with the accumulation of over 100 million users within months of launching. As such, we aimed to compare the following: 1) orthopaedic surgeons' evaluation of the appropriateness of the answers to the most frequently asked patient questions after total hip arthroplasty; and 2) patients' evaluation of ChatGPT and arthroplasty-trained nurses responses to answer their postoperative questions., Methods: We prospectively created 60 questions to address the most commonly asked patient questions following total hip arthroplasty. We obtained answers from arthroplasty-trained nurses and from the ChatGPT-3.5 version for each of the questions. Surgeons graded each set of responses based on clinical judgment as 1) "appropriate," 2) "inappropriate" if the response contained inappropriate information, or 3) "unreliable" if the responses provided inconsistent content. Each patient was given a randomly selected question from the 60 aforementioned questions, with responses provided by ChatGPT and arthroplasty-trained nurses, using a Research Electronic Data Capture survey hosted at our local hospital., Results: The 3 fellowship-trained surgeons graded 56 out of 60 (93.3%) responses for the arthroplasty-trained nurses and 57 out of 60 (95.0%) for ChatGPT to be "appropriate." There were 175 out of 252 (69.4%) patients who were more comfortable following the ChatGPT responses and 77 out of 252 (30.6%) who preferred arthroplasty-trained nurses' responses. However, 199 out of 252 patients (79.0%) responded that they were "uncertain" with regard to trusting AI to answer their postoperative questions., Conclusions: ChatGPT provided appropriate answers from a physician perspective. Patients were also more comfortable with the ChatGPT responses than those from arthroplasty-trained nurses. Inevitably, its successful implementation is dependent on its ability to provide credible information that is consistent with the goals of the physician and patient alike., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hip abductor deficiency is a common cause of lateral hip pain in middle-aged patients. Identifying upstream muscle denervation originating in the lumbo-sacral spine could potentially impact the management of patients who have abductor deficiency. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lumbo-sacral pathology (L4 to S1) in patients undergoing hip abductor tendon repair., Methods: All cases of primary hip abductor repair performed at a tertiary care center between January 2010 and December 2021 were reviewed. Patients were classified into the following groups: A) confirmed L4 to S1 disease based on preoperative or perioperative L4 to S1 interventions (ie, surgery, epidural injections, and/or positive electromyography findings); B) radiographic evidence on lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging demonstrating nerve compression at L4 to S1; and C) no evidence of L4 to S1 disease., Results: There were 131 cases of primary hip abductor repair that were included. Over 80% of patients were women, who had a mean age of 64 years (range, 20 to 85). There were thirteen patients (9.9%) who underwent concomitant total hip arthroplasty (THA). Of the included patients, 29% (n = 38) were categorized into group A, 12% (n = 16) into group B, and 59% (n = 77) into group C. Patients who had L4 to S1 pathology were older than patients who did not have L4 to S1 pathology (67 versus 61 years, P = .004). Of the patients undergoing concomitant THA and hip abductor repair, 54% demonstrated evidence of lumbo-sacral spine pathology., Conclusions: Over 40% of patients undergoing isolated hip abductor tendon repair and >50% of patients undergoing concomitant hip abductor tendon repair and THA demonstrated evidence of L4 to S1 disease perioperatively. Patients demonstrating symptomatic hip abductor deficiency should be screened for concomitant lower lumbo-sacral spine pathology., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is an effective procedure for patients with end-stage hip osteoarthritis (OA). In addition, when hip preservation surgery is no longer indicated due to the presence of early or mild arthritic changes, THA can also be considered. Whether these patients can expect the same outcome after THA as patients who have end-stage OA remains unclear. The goal of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes after THA of patients who have low-grade OA versus a matched cohort with end-stage OA., Methods: This is a retrospective, single-center, multisurgeon case-control study in a high-volume referral center. Based on a cohort of 2,189 primary anterior approach THAs (1,815 patients), 50 low-grade OA cases were matched 1:1 by age, sex, and body mass index to 50 controls who have end-stage OA. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores and Short Form-36., Results: No significant differences in preoperative PROMs between low-grade and end-stage OA patients were found, except for 36-item Short Form Survey pain (33.0 versus 41.0; P = .045). In both groups a significant improvement of all PROMs was found postoperatively. However, all Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores were significantly lower in the low-grade OA group compared to the end-stage OA group. In the group with low-grade OA, a significantly lower percentage of patients achieved the minimal clinically important difference and substantial clinical benefit after THA compared to the group with end-stage OA., Conclusions: Patients who have low-grade OA can expect substantial clinical improvement after THA. However, the improvement is lower compared to patients who have end-stage OA. A thorough understanding of the factors that may lead to inferior clinical outcomes is imperative to improving the indications for THA in individuals who have low-grade OA., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Increasing deformity of the lower extremities, as measured by the hip-knee-ankle angle (HKAA), is associated with poor patient outcomes after total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA). Automated calculation of HKAA is imperative to reduce the burden on orthopaedic surgeons. We proposed a detection-based deep learning (DL) model to calculate HKAA in THA and TKA patients and assessed the agreement between DL-derived HKAAs and manual measurement., Methods: We retrospectively identified 1,379 long-leg radiographs (LLRs) from patients scheduled for THA or TKA within an academic medical center. There were 1,221 LLRs used to develop the model (randomly split into 70% training, 20% validation, and 10% held-out test sets); 158 LLRs were considered "difficult," as the femoral head was difficult to distinguish from surrounding tissue. There were 2 raters who annotated the HKAA of both lower extremities, and inter-rater reliability was calculated to compare the DL-derived HKAAs with manual measurement within the test set., Results: The DL model achieved a mean average precision of 0.985 on the test set. The average HKAA of the operative leg was 173.05 ± 4.54°; the nonoperative leg was 175.55 ± 3.56°. The inter-rater reliability between manual and DL-derived HKAA measurements on the operative leg and nonoperative leg indicated excellent reliability (intraclass correlation (2,k) = 0.987 [0.96, 0.99], intraclass correlation (2, k) = 0.987 [0.98, 0.99, respectively]). The standard error of measurement for the DL-derived HKAA for the operative and nonoperative legs was 0.515° and 0.403°, respectively., Conclusions: A detection-based DL algorithm can calculate the HKAA in LLRs and is comparable to that calculated by manual measurement. The algorithm can detect the bilateral femoral head, knee, and ankle joints with high precision, even in patients where the femoral head is difficult to visualize., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mounting evidence supports the use of nutritional supplementation to improve patient outcomes. The intent of this study was to utilize an anonymous questionnaire to determine patients' baseline knowledge, attitude, and belief regarding nutrition before total hip (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA)., Methods: After receiving Institutional Review Board approval, an anonymous questionnaire was administered to 300 patients, comprising 184 women (61.3%) and 116 men (38.6%), averaging 67 years (range, 39 to 89). There were 238 TKAs (79.3%), 12 revision TKAs (4%), 44 THAs (14.6%), and 6 revision THAs (2%)., Results: Almost all (99.6%) subjects recognized the importance of preoperative nutrition. Most (83.0%) claimed that they knew what to eat preoperatively to optimize their surgical outcomes and expressed high levels of self-reported confidence (98.6%). Women were more likely to report having knowledge of preoperative nutrition (P = .05), and advanced education levels were linked to higher confidence (P = .002). Only 169 (56.3%) subjects reported knowing what supplements to take. When asked, 84% of subjects stated that they would purchase a nutrition program if recommended by their surgeon. Most studies show that an improved diet and appropriate supplementation can optimize nutritional status and potentially improve surgical outcomes., Conclusions: The results of this study confirm that most patients do not know how to achieve optimal nutrition. Therefore, we believe there is a need for patient education on preoperative nutrition and its benefits., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: To determine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and patient-reported outcome measures in a Dutch cohort who have undergone total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA)., Methods: A retrospective national registry study of all patients who underwent primary THA or TKA between 2014 and 2020 in the Netherlands was performed. Linear mixed effects regression models were used to assess the association between SES and patient-reported outcome measures for THA and TKA patients separately. The following measures were collected: numeric rating scale for pain, Oxford Hip/Knee Score, Hip/Knee disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and the EuroQol 5-Dimensions questionnaire. Sex, age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, Charnley classification, and smoking status were considered as covariates in the models., Results: THA patients (n = 97,443) were on average 70 years old with a body mass index of 27.4 kg/m 2 , and TKA patients (n = 78,811) were on average 69 years old with a body mass index of 29.7 kg/m 2 . Preoperatively, patients with a lower SES undergoing THA or TKA reported more severe symptoms and lower health-related quality of life. At 1-year follow-up, they also reported lower scores and less improvement over time compared to patients with a higher SES., Conclusions: Patients with lower SES report worse symptoms when admitted for surgery and less improvement after surgery. Future research must address potentially mediating factors of the association between SES and symptom reporting such as access to surgery and rehabilitation, subjectivity in reporting, and patient expectation for THA and TKA outcomes., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study aimed to assess the association between the disease process of hip osteoarthritis and total hip arthroplasty (THA) outcomes; this is a critical issue, as rapid progression has been postulated to be responsible for patient dissatisfaction after THA., Methods: This retrospective case-control study included 255 patients who underwent THA and completed a mean follow-up duration of 42.1 months (range, 24.0 to 77.0). We classified patients into those who had (n = 26) and did not have (n = 229) rapidly progressive osteoarthritis of the hip (RPOA), defined as a narrowing rate of joint space ≥ 2 mm yearly or a ≥ 50% loss within 12 months, excluding any other cause of a destructive arthropathy. Propensity score-matched cohorts for age, sex, body mass index, and spino-pelvic measures were created, and the outcomes were compared between the 2 groups., Results: After successfully matching RPOA (n = 25) and non-RPOA patients (n = 50), there were significant differences in minimum clinically important difference (P = .009 for European Quality of Life 5-Dimension, and P < .001 for low back pain), patient acceptable symptom state (P = .015 for European Quality of Life 5-Dimension, and P < .001 for Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Joint Replacement score), patient satisfaction (P = .028), and T1 pelvic angle as an indicator of global sagittal spinal deformity (P = .017). There was a correlation between T1 pelvic angle and low back pain in the RPOA group (R = 0.628, P < .001)., Conclusions: Patients who exhibited RPOA before undergoing THA showed worse patient-reported outcomes compared with those who did not have rapid progression. Our study highlights the critical role of the disease process in influencing THA outcomes, advocating for a paradigm shift toward more meticulous preoperative evaluations, including global spinal deformity, standardized diagnostic criteria, and tailored interventions., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Our objective was to assess the association of hypothyroidism with outcomes of primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) overall and stratified by underlying diagnosis., Methods: We identified patients undergoing primary THA in a national database from 2016 to 2020. We stratified them based on primary diagnoses into hip osteoarthritis (OA; N = 1,761,960), osteonecrosis (ON; N = 78,275), traumatic fracture (N = 532,910), inflammatory arthritis (IA; N = 3,520), and "other" (N = 90,550). We identified hypothyroidism and complications using secondary diagnoses. Among 2,467,215 patients undergoing primary THA, mean age was 68 years (range, 18 to 90), and 58.3% were women. Complications codes only included initial encounters. We performed time-trends analyses and multivariable-adjusted regression analyses adjusted for demographics, expected primary payer, a comorbidity score, elective versus non-elective admission, and hospital characteristic information, with clinical and healthcare utilization outcome as endpoints., Results: Overall, hypothyroidism was significantly associated with increased LOS, total charges, non-routine discharges, blood transfusions, and prosthetic fractures. In the OA cohort, hypothyroidism was associated with increased LOS, total charges, and non-routine discharges (P < .001 for each), and blood transfusions (P = .02). Hypothyroidism was associated with increased total charges (P = .001) in the ON cohort and with increased LOS, non-routine discharge, and blood transfusion (P < .05 each) in the traumatic fracture cohort., Conclusions: Hypothyroidism was associated with blood transfusions, prosthetic fractures, and utilization outcomes in THA patients. Tailored intervention strategies for hypothyroidism should be tested for their efficacy to improve THA peri-operative outcomes., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is often performed in symptomatic patients who have hip dysplasia and do not qualify for periacetabular osteotomy. The impact of osteoarthritis (OA) severity on postoperative outcomes in dysplasia patients who undergo THA is not well described. We hypothesized that dysplasia patients who have mild OA have slower initial recovery postoperatively but similar one-year patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) compared to dysplasia patients who have severe OA., Methods: We performed a retrospective review at a single academic institution over a 6-year period of patients who have dysplasia who underwent THA compared to patients who have primary OA who underwent THA. There were 263 patients who had dysplasia, compared to 1,225 THA patients who did not have dysplasia. Within the dysplasia cohort, we compared PROMs stratified by dysplasia and OA severity. The diagnosis of dysplasia was verified using the radiographic lateral center edge angle. A minimum one-year follow-up was required. The PROMs were collected through one year postoperatively. Logistic and linear regression models were used, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and Charlson comorbidity index., Results: No significant differences were found in postoperative PROMs or revision rates (P = .58). When stratified by dysplasia severity, patients who had lower lateral center edge angle had more improvement in physical function scores from preoperative to 2 weeks (P < .01) and higher physical function scores at 2 weeks (P = .03). When stratified by OA severity, patients who had a worse Tönnis score had more improvement in physical function scores from preoperative to 2 weeks (P < .01). Recovery curves in dysplasia patients based on dysplasia and OA severity were not significantly different at 6 weeks, 1 year, and 2 years postoperative., Conclusions: Patients who had hip dysplasia and mild OA had similar recovery curves compared to those who had severe OA or who did not have dysplasia. We believe that THA is a reasonable surgical intervention for symptomatic dysplasia patients who have mild arthritis and do not qualify for periacetabular osteotomy., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify suitable MRI sequences and evaluate the feasibility and performance of MRI for total hip arthroplasty (THA) preoperative planning., Method: A multicentric pilot study was conducted to evaluate DP TSE and T1 GRE 3D sequences. High-resolution pelvis, hip, knee and ankle images were acquired. Protocols were optimised to enhance image quality (IQ) and reduce acquisition time to fit clinical practice. The final protocol was validated with 19 healthy volunteers with variable BMIs at 1.5 and 3 Tesla. Visual assessment was performed by five radiographers and radiologists using the ViewDEX software. Visual Grading Analysis (VGA), Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Prevalence-adjusted and bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) and Visual Grading Characteristics (VGC) were performed to analyse data., Results: VGA scores indicated that the optimised 3D DP TSE and 3D T1 GRE sequences at 3 T, as well as 3D DP TSE sequence at 1.5 T offer adequate IQ and allow a correct visualisation of the anatomy. Overall ICC analysis was moderate to good reliability at 0.749 (95 % CI 0.69-0.79) and increased from good to excellent at 0.846 (95 % CI 0.72-0.91) for DP at 3 T. PABAK shows fair agreement at 0.25 (95 % CI 0.227-0.273). VGC analysis showed that 3D DP TSE sequences performed statistically better than 3D T1 GRE at 1.5 and 3 T (p-value ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, 3 T sequences showed a statistically better performance compared to 1.5 T (p-value ≤ 0.05)., Conclusions: According to the results, 3D DP and T1 MRI sequences can be considered for preoperative planning for THA. Further research is required to emphasize the clinical validation of the results., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Acute fractures around the hip are prevalent injuries associated with potentially devastating outcomes. The growing utilization of arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures in the elderly is likely a result of improvements in reoperation rates and postoperative function. Compared to hemiarthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty is associated with a slight functional benefit that is unlikely noticeable for many patients, as well as minimal differences in complications and patient reported outcome measures. However, the evidence supporting cement use in femoral stem fixation is robust. Multiple high power randomized controlled trial-based studies indicate cement fixation brings more predictable outcomes and fewer reoperations. In the setting of acute acetabular fracture, total hip arthroplasty is a favorable approach for elderly patients and fracture patterns associated with increased risk of revision after open reduction and internal fixation. Variations in patient characteristics and fracture patterns demand careful consideration whenever selecting the optimal treatment. In fracture patient populations, comanagement is an important consideration when seeking to reduce complications and promote cost-effective quality care., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Advances in total hip arthroplasty (THA) have resulted in evolving revision indications and intraoperative techniques, which can influence the exposure of trainees to complex cases. We report 3 decades of revision experience from a tertiary referral center that trains fellows, comparing the reasons for revision and the complexity of revisions over time., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all revision THAs performed at our institution from 1990 to 2022. Revision diagnoses, components revised, types of revision implants used, and exposure techniques were collected. A "complex" revision was defined as a case that involved an extended trochanteric osteotomy, triflange and cup-cage construct, or acetabular augment., Results: A total of 3,556 THA revisions were identified (108 revisions/year). Aseptic loosening was the most common indication in 1990 to 1999 (45 per year), but decreased to 28.3/year in 2010 to 2019. From 1990 to 1999 and 2010 to 2019, fracture increased from 3.1 to 7.3 per year, infection from 2.9/year to 16.9/year, and metallosis from 0.1 to 13.2 per year. Both component revision were common from 1990 to 1994 (42.6 per year), while polyethylene exchange was most common in 2010 to 2019 (43.3 per year). A decrease was observed in "complex" cases over time: 14.8 extended trochanteric osteotomies/year in 2000 to 2004 compared to 5.4 per year in 2018 to 2022, 4.5 triflange and cup-cage constructs/year in 2004 to 2007 compared to 0.8 per year in 2018 to 2022, and 4 acetabular augments per year in 2009 to 2012 compared to 1 per year in 2018 to 2022., Conclusions: Indications for revision have changed over the decades, while the number of "complex" revisions has gradually decreased, presumably due to advances in implants and materials. If this trend extends to other training institutions, the next generation of arthroplasty surgeons will have less exposure to complex revisions during their training., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the era of value-based care, pressures lead to cherry-picking healthier patients and lemon-dropping riskier patients to higher levels-of-care. This study examined whether "lemon-dropped" primary total joint arthroplasty (pTJA) patients require increased health care resources and experience worse outcomes., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all pTJAs at one tertiary care center in 2022, excluding bilaterals, acute fractures, oncologic cases, and conversion hips. Patients were classified via referral pattern as simple or complex (referred for medical or surgical complexity). Primary outcomes were implant costs and any emergency department visit, readmission, reoperation, or complication within 90 days. Secondary outcomes were distance traveled to the hospital, anesthesia type, estimated blood loss, case duration, time in the recovery unit, length of stay, and discharge disposition. Outcomes were assessed via electronic medical record review and analyzed via Fisher's exact and unpaired Welch's t-tests., Results: In total 641 pTJAs (322 hips, 319 knees) met inclusion criteria; 10.3% were complex referrals. Complex patients were younger (59 versus 66 years, P < .05) and more often non-White (41 versus 31%, P < .001), non-English speaking (11 versus 7%, P < .001), and had nonprimary osteoarthritis as a surgical indication (59 versus 12%, P < .001), but had similar Charlson Comorbidity Index and American Society of Anesthesiologists scores. Complex patients had increased odds of 90-day emergency department visits (OR [odds ratio] = 2.11, P = .04), 90-day complications (OR = 2.63, P < .001), and non-home discharge (OR = 2.60, P = .006); higher mean relative implant costs (1.31x, P < .001); longer time in the operating room (181 versus 158 minutes P < .001), time in surgery (125 versus 105 minutes, P < .001), and length of stay (3.2 versus 1.7 days, P = .005)., Conclusions: "Lemon-dropped" pTJAs had worse early clinical outcomes and higher health care utilization, despite a control group with patients ill enough to utilize a tertiary care center as their medical home. Reimbursement models and evaluation metrics must account for these differences., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Successful revision hip arthroplasty (rTHA) requires major resource allocation and a surgical team adept at managing these complex cases. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of rTHA performed by fellowship-trained and non-fellowship-trained surgeons., Methods: A national administrative database was utilized to identify 5,880 patients who underwent aseptic rTHA and 1,622 patients who underwent head-liner exchange for infection by fellowship-trained and non-fellowship-trained surgeons from 2010 to 2020 with a 5-year follow-up. Postoperative opioid and anticoagulant prescriptions were compared among surgeons. Patients treated by fellowship-trained and non-fellowship-trained surgeons had propensity scores matched based on age, sex, comorbidity index, and diagnosis. The 5-year surgical complications were compared using descriptive statistics. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine the odds of failure following head-liner exchange when performed by a fellowship-trained versus non-fellowship-trained surgeon., Results: Aseptic rTHA patients treated by fellowship-trained surgeons received fewer opioids (132 versus 165 milligram morphine equivalents per patient) and nonaspirin anticoagulants (21.4 versus 32.0%, P < .001). Fellowship-training was associated with lower dislocation rates (9.9 versus 14.2%, P = .011), fewer postoperative infections, and fewer periprosthetic fractures and re-revisions (15.2 versus 21.3%, P < .001). Head-liner exchange for infection performed by fellowship-trained surgeons was associated with lower odds of failure (31.2 versus 45.7%, odds ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.91, P < .001)., Conclusions: rTHA performed by adult reconstruction fellowship-trained surgeons results in fewer re-revisions in aseptic cases and head-liner exchanges. Variations in resources, volumes, and perioperative protocols may account for some of the differences., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Online resources are important for patient self-education and reflect public interest. We described commonly asked questions regarding the direct anterior versus posterior approach (DAA, PA) to total hip arthroplasty (THA) and the quality of associated websites., Methods: We extracted the top 200 questions and websites in Google's "People Also Ask" section for 8 queries on January 8, 2023, and grouped websites and questions into DAA, PA, or comparison. Questions were categorized using Rothwell's classification (fact, policy, value) and THA-relevant subtopics. Websites were evaluated by information source, Journal of the American Medical Association Benchmark Criteria (credibility), DISCERN survey (information quality), and readability., Results: We included 429 question/website combinations (questions: 52.2% DAA, 21.2% PA, 26.6% comparison; websites: 39.0% DAA, 11.0% PA, 9.6% comparison). Per Rothwell's classification, 56.2% of questions were fact, 31.7% value, 10.0% policy, and 2.1% unrelated. The THA-specific question subtopics differed between DAA and PA (P < .001), specifically for recovery timeline (DAA 20.5%, PA 37.4%), indications/management (DAA 13.4%, PA 1.1%), and technical details (DAA 13.8%, PA 5.5%). Information sources differed between DAA (61.7% medical practice/surgeon) and PA websites (44.7% government; P < .001). The median Journal of the American Medical Association Benchmark score was 1 (limited credibility, interquartile range 1 to 2), with the lowest scores for DAA websites (P < .001). The median DISCERN score was 55 ("good" quality, interquartile range 43 to 65), with the highest scores for comparison websites (P < .001). Median Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scores were 12th grade level for both DAA and PA (P = .94)., Conclusions: Patients' informational interests can guide counseling. Internet searches that explicitly compare THA approaches yielded websites that provide higher-quality information. Providers may also advise patients that physician websites and websites only describing the DAA may have less balanced perspectives, and limited information regarding surgical approaches is available from social media resources., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The incidence of total joint arthroplasty is increasing, with added emphasis on shifting care toward outpatient surgery. This has demonstrated improvements in costs and care; however, safety must be prioritized. Published assessment tools highlight candidates for outpatient surgery; however, they often do not define patients who have a worse prognosis. Limited healthcare resources occasionally force patients to convert to outpatient surgery or risk cancellation, creating a dilemma for both patients and surgeons. We evaluated the short-term (90-day) outcomes of patients converted from planned inpatient admission to same-day discharge on day of surgery outpatients and sought to identify any groups at risk, who may not be appropriate for this conversion., Methods: We identified all patients undergoing planned inpatient total hip or knee arthroplasty at a tertiary academic medical center over a 2-year period. We included patients discharged the day of surgery for analysis, excluding revision procedures and those performed for fracture care. A manual chart review identified demographic factors and primary outcome measures; including reoperation, readmission, and emergency room visits within a 90-day postoperative period., Results: We identified a total of 80 patients who converted from inpatient to outpatient surgery over a 2-year interval. Over the first 90 days postoperatively 4 (5%) patients were readmitted: 2 (2.5%) for medical complications and 2 (2.5%) for reoperation. There were 2 (2.5%) reoperations; one (1.25%) for manipulation under anesthesia, and one (1.25%) for periprosthetic joint infection. There were 5 (6.3%) wound complications; however, only one (1.25%) required surgical intervention. A total of 5 (6.3%) patients returned to an emergency department, leading to a single (1.25%) hospital readmission., Conclusions: Hospital and healthcare resources are occasionally limited to the extent that patients must convert to outpatient surgery or risk cancellation. At our institution, the same-day conversion of planned inpatient hip and knee arthroplasty patients to outpatient surgery was safe and did not increase short-term clinical outcomes or complications., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) after acetabular fracture is typically performed months or years later for posttraumatic arthritis after initial conservative treatment. But THA can be performed earlier after open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of the fracture. The aim of this study was to determine which strategy is best. The primary outcome measure was the radiological restoration of the hip's center of rotation (COR). The secondary outcome measures were the incidence of complications and the hip's functional scores., Materials and Methods: A multicenter cohort was analyzed by splitting patients into three groups: group A (THA within 3weeks of fracture); group B (THA deferred after early ORIF); group C (THA more than 3weeks after fracture, without ORIF). Group B was separated into two subgroups: B- (THA less than 1year after ORIF) and B+ (THA more than 1year after ORIF). The demographics, surgical techniques, COR superior and lateral migration coefficient and functional scores (HHS, HOOS-PS and FJS) were recorded. The functional scores were gathered using PROMs., Results: In all, 367 patients were included: 108 in group A, 69 in group B-, 113 in group B+ and 77 in group C. The mean follow-up was 5.8years [3.4 months-35years]. The mean age of the patients was 69.2years [SD 15; 26-101], 52years [SD 16; 19-83], 49years [SD 16; 16-85] and 58.1years [SD 17; 13-94], respectively (p<0.01). The mean ASA score was 2.13 [SD 0.70], 1.84 [SD 0.65], 1.67 [SD 0.63] and 1.79 [SD 0.60], respectively (p<0.01). A complex Letournel fracture was present in 63 patients (61%), 46 patients (71%), 48 patients (49%) and 38 patients (62%), respectively (p<0.01). A reinforcement cage was implanted in 38 patients (69%), 16 patients (62%), 5 patients (12%) and 19 patients (66%), respectively (p<0.01). Cement was used in 45 patients (45%), 23 patients (35%), 19 patients (18%) and 21 patients (32%), respectively (p<0.01). A graft was needed in 46 patients (46%), 35 patients (53%), 17 patients (16%) and 21 patients (48%), respectively (p<0.01). Posterior ORIF was done in 40 patients (46%), 32 patients (55%), 64 patients (61%) and 9 patients (82%), respectively (p<0.01). The COR lateral migration coefficient was significantly higher in group C with a mean of +0.17 (SD 0.85) [-0.27 to +6] compared to the other groups (p=0.02). The COR superior migration coefficient was comparable between groups, with a mean of +0.77 (SD 2.26) [-0.99 to 27], p>0.05. There were complications in 10 patients (9.2%), 6 patients (8.7%), 6 patients (5.3%) and 3 patients (3.9%), respectively, with no significant difference between groups. The PROMs were completed by 51% of patients. At the final review, the mean HHS was 79.2 (SD 21.8) and the mean HOOS-PS was 77.7 (SD 20.1) in the entire cohort, p>0.05. The mean FJS by group was 55.9 (30.2), 47.7 (SD 36.4), 66.1 (SD 30.4) and 65.8 (SD 30.3), respectively (p=0.02)., Discussion and Conclusion: The B strategy (B+) yielded good outcomes in terms of function and COR restoration. When using this strategy, anterior ORIF preserves the native hip for a subsequent THA through a posterior approach. Strategy C also produces good functional outcomes but shifts the COR laterally. This study confirms the poor results of strategy A in previous publications. When the prognosis is poor, immediate mobilization after anterior ORIF followed by THA within 1year appears to be a good strategy (group B-)., Level of Evidence: IV, observational study., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous reports have identified a number of potential predictors of pain and function after total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, the results of these studies were conflicting, and most had a short follow-up after THA. The purpose of this study was to identify factors predictive of pain and function 5 years after THA., Methods: A multicenter cohort of 7,934 primary unilateral THA patients was prospectively enrolled in the Function and Outcomes Research for Comparative Effectiveness in Total Joint Replacement consortium. Demographic data, comorbidities, and patient-reported outcome measures were collected preoperatively and postoperatively at 5 years, including the Hip Disability and OSteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) pain and activities of daily living (ADL) scores. Multivariate logistic regression models with 95% confidence interval were used to identify independent predictors of pain and function at 5 years., Results: The patient dissatisfaction percentage was 8.2% at 5 years after THA. The multivariate regression identified the following predictive factors for the HOOS pain score at 5 years: age, educational level, insurance, smoking, race, Charlson Comorbidity Index, back pain severity, number of other lower extremity painful joints, the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score pain severity of the ipsilateral knee, preoperative Short-Form Health Survey 36-item (SF-36) mental component summary score, and HOOS pain scores. The multivariate regression identified the following predictor factors for HOOS ADL score at 5 years: body mass index, insurance, smoking, race, back pain severity, number of other lower extremity painful joints, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score pain severity of ipsilateral knee, preop HOOS ADL, and preoperative SF-36 mental component summary score and SF-36 physical component summary score., Conclusions: Overall, 8.2% of patients were dissatisfied 5 years after primary THA. We have identified a number of factors that predict less improvement in pain and function 5 years after THA. These potentially modifiable factors can be targeted with preoperative patient optimization programs to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction after primary THA. Knowledge of these factors that predict less improvement in pain and function can assist the surgeon and patient during shared decision-making, and in setting appropriate patient expectations preoperatively., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most frequent orthopedic surgery procedures, and orthopedic surgeons are among the most frequently accused of malpractice by their patients. Identifying the main reasons for malpractice claims after THA is a prior condition to reducing their frequency. The quality of the preoperative risk information given to the patient by the surgeon is crucial for these purposes. Data specific to THA are sparse in France, and we therefore conducted a retrospective study (1) to determine whether the outcome of medico-legal expert appraisal correlated with the quality and traceability of preoperative information, and (2) to identify the most frequent grounds for complaint after primary THA., Hypothesis: The quality of patient information partly determines expert appraisal., Material and Method: A retrospective study was conducted based on data from the Branchet medical professional insurance agency for malpractice claims following THA over the period 2014-2017, with 240 complete files, for 125 women and 115 men. Data comprised: type of procedure, main grounds of complaint (complications), positive or negative expert appraisal, quality of preoperative patient information, amounts of compensation accorded and fees paid, and the practitioner's liability. We assessed correlations between information quality and liability., Results: Surgical site infection and neurologic deficit were the two main grounds for malpractice claims. In the 240 files, cases for 106 operations (44.2%) were submitted to arbitration, 95 (39.6%) were brought to court, and 39 (16.2%) were settled out of court. The practitioner was held at least partly liable in 40 files (16.7%). Information to the patient was deemed imperfect or poor for 119 files (49.6%) and good in 121 (50.4%). Mean compensation was €30,940 (range, €0 to €198,100). In 27 of the 40 cases of liability (67.5%), the information to the patient was deemed imperfect or poor. Twenty-six of the 40 cases (65%) were settled out of court. In case of poor information, there was a significant risk for the practitioner to be held liable: 7.5 vs. 25% (p=0.003)., Discussion: The present study listed the main complications underlying malpractice claims after THA: infection, neurologic complications, and limb-length discrepancy. This should enable practitioners to improve patient information so as to reduce the rate of malpractice claims or at least decrease the practitioner's liability, as the study found a correlation between information quality and expert appraisal., Level of Evidence: IV; retrospective study., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Background: Maximizing operative room (OR) efficiency is important for hospital efficiency, patient care, and positive surgeon and staff morale. Reducing turnover time (TOT) has become a popular focus to improve OR efficiency. The present study evaluated if TOT is influenced by changing case type, implant vendor, and/or laterality., Methods: In total, 444 turnovers from January to July 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All turnovers were same-surgeon turnovers between primary arthroplasty cases in dedicated, overlapping rooms. Single linear regression models tested the predictability of TOT based on case type, vendor, and laterality. A multivariate multiple regression and 1-way Analyses of Variance analyzed variables against each other. Independent sample t-tests evaluated TOTs when all variables were the same or different., Results: Changing versus keeping the same case type increased TOT by 2.4 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.7, 4.0; P = .004). Changing vendors increased TOT by 2.9 minutes (95% CI = 1.1, 4.7; P = .002). Laterality did not affect TOT, with a change of 0.9 minutes (95% CI = -0.6, 2.5; P = .229). Vendor (P = .030) independently predicted TOT when analyzed as a covariate with case type (P = .410). The TOT with same case type and vendor (mean 38.2 minutes; range, 22 to 62) was less than that of different case types and vendors (mean 41.4 minutes; range, 26 to 73) (P = .017). Mean TOT differed by 5.5 minutes when keeping all variables the same versus all different (P = .018)., Conclusions: Maintaining a consistent case type, vendor, and laterality had a synergistic effect in reducing TOT in arthroplasty ORs with the same primary surgeon running 2 overlapping rooms. Changing vendor representatives was found to independently predict TOT increases, which is likely attributed to a disruption in workflow and collaboration of the multidisciplinary OR team., Level of Evidence: Level III., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: 3D multi-spectral imaging (MSI) of metal implants necessitates relatively long scan times., Objective: We implemented a fast isotropic 3D MSI technique at 3 T and compared its image quality and clinical utility to non-isotropic MSI in the evaluation of hip implants., Methods: Two musculoskeletal radiologists scored images from coronal proton density-weighted conventional MAVRIC-SL and an isotropic MAVRIC-SL sequence accelerated with robust-component-analysis on a 3-point scale (3: diagnostic, 2: moderately diagnostic, 1: non-diagnostic) for overall image quality, metal artifact, and visualization around femoral and acetabular components. Grades were compared using a signed Wilcoxon test. Images were evaluated for effusion, synovitis, osteolysis, loosening, pseudotumor, fracture, and gluteal tendon abnormalities. Reformatted axial and sagittal images for both sequences were subsequently generated and compared for image quality with the Wilcoxon test. Whether these reformats increased diagnostic confidence or revealed additional pathology, including findings unrelated to arthroplasty that may contribute to hip pain, was also compared using the McNemar test. Inter-rater agreement was measured by Cohen's kappa., Results: 39 symptomatic patients with a total of 59 hip prostheses were imaged (mean age, 70 years ±9, 14 males, 25 females). Comparison scores between coronal images showed no significant difference in image quality, metal artifact, or visualization of the femur and acetabulum. Except for loosening, reviewers identified more positive cases of pathology on the original coronally-acquired isotropic sequence. In comparison of reformatted axial and sagittal images, the isotropic sequence scored significantly (p < 0.01) higher for overall image quality (3.0 vs 2.0) and produced significantly (p < 0.01) more cases of increased diagnostic confidence (42.4% vs 7.6%) or additional diagnoses (50.8% vs 22.9%). Inter-rater agreement was substantial (k = 0.798) for image quality. Mean scan times were 4.2 mins (isotropic) and 7.1 mins (non-isotropic)., Conclusion: Compared to the non-isotropic sequence, isotropic 3D MSI was acquired in less time while maintaining diagnostically acceptable image quality. It identified more pathology, including postoperative complications and potential pain-generating pathology unrelated to arthroplasty. This fast isotropic 3D MSI sequence demonstrates promise for improving diagnostic evaluation of symptomatic hip prostheses at 3 T while simultaneously reducing scan time., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) for osteoarthritis is one of several treatment options with benefits and harms that patients value differently. However, the process for determining TJA appropriateness does not sufficiently acknowledge patient perspectives. The aim of this paper is to propose an evidence-informed patient-centred conceptual model for elective TJA appropriateness for hip and knee osteoarthritis., Methods: Our interprofessional team developed a conceptual model for determining the appropriateness of adults considering elective TJA. The model was informed by a review of the evidence, a qualitative study we conducted with adults who underwent TJA for osteoarthritis to determine barriers and facilitators to the use of appropriateness criteria, and the research and clinical experience of team members., Results: Appropriateness is providing health services (e.g., TJA) with net benefits to the right patient at the right time. The proposed Patient-centred Elective TJA Appropriateness Conceptual Model involves three key steps. First, assess adults with osteoarthritis to determine eligibility for TJA. Second, acknowledge the patient's informed preferences including their expectations and goals. Third, explore and support their mental and physical readiness for TJA. Given that osteoarthritis is a chronic condition, these steps can be revisited over time with patients., Discussion and Conclusion: Our proposed conceptual model reconceptualises the appropriateness of TJA to be more patient-centred. Hence, this approach has the potential to be a more inclusive approach and ensure patients undergoing TJA are eligible, ready to proceed, and achieve what matters most to them. Future research is needed to test and validate the model., (© 2024 The Author(s). Musculoskeletal Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: In the current shift toward value-based healthcare, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have become essential to assess the effectiveness of medical interventions. However, elucidation of the optimal timeframe for PROMs evaluation remains crucial. This study aimed to (1) determine the proportion of patients who experienced clinically meaningful improvements in PROMs scores at each follow-up visit after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and (2) calculate and apply the clinical relevance ratio (CRR) for these long-term PROM collections postoperatively., Methods: A total of 12 independent studies reporting THA (n = 8 studies) and TKA (n = 4 studies) postoperative PROM data with up to 10 years of follow-up in Europe or the United States were aggregated. A distribution-based minimal clinically important difference threshold and CRR were used to determine which patients had clinically meaningful improvements in PROMs at 1, 5, and 10 years., Results: The proportion of patients who had clinically meaningful improvements in PROM scores stabilized after 1 year following both THA and TKA. Overall, the CRR decreased over time for all PROMs, with the CRR beginning to decrease at 1-year follow-up, bringing into question the robustness and clinical relevance of long-term PROMs data., Conclusions: The present study challenges the utility of requiring PROMs with a minimum follow-up of 2 years for THA and TKA. Research efforts should be focused on registries evaluating implant survivorship at longer-term follow-up, while PROMs should be better assessed up to 1-year follow-up. Reconsidering the long-term PROMs assessment would lead to more efficient and cost-effective research in orthopedic outcomes, without compromising data quality., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abstract Background Optimizing patients’ total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) experience is as crucial for providing high quality care as improving safety and clinical effectiveness. Yet, little evidence is available on patient experience in standard-inpatient and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS)-outpatient programs. Therefore, this study aimed to gain a more in-depth understanding of the patient experience of ERAS-outpatient programs in comparison to standard-inpatient programs. Methods We conducted a convergent mixed methods study of 48 consecutive patients who experienced both standard-inpatient and ERAS-outpatient THA/TKA contralaterally. A reflective thematic analysis was conducted based on data collected via a questionnaire. Bivariate correlations between the patient experience and patients’ characteristics, clinical outcomes and care components satisfaction were performed. Then, the quantitative and qualitative data were integrated together. Results The theme Support makes the difference for better and for worse was identified by patients as crucial to their experience in both joint replacement programs. On the other hand, patients identified 3 themes distinguishing their ERAS-outpatient from their standard-inpatient experience: 1) Minimizing inconvenience, 2) Home sweet home and 3) Returning to normal function and activities. Potential optimization expressed by patients were to receive more preoperative information, additional postoperative rehabilitation sessions, and ensuring better coherence of care between hospital and home care teams. Weak to moderate positive and statistically significant correlations were found between patients’ THA/TKA experience and satisfaction with pain management, hospital stay, postoperative recovery, home care, and overall results (rs = + [0.36–0.66], p-value

ABSTRACT Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare clinical and surgical outcomes of posterior versus anterior approach to primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods: This study followed the standard methodology established by the Cochrane Handbook and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Two independent reviewers searched for randomized controlled trials comparing posterior an anterior approach to primary THA with at least one quantifiable functional outcome published in the PubMed, Cochrane, and Virtual Health Library databases. Results: The analysis included ten randomized controlled trials conducted with 774 patients. The posterior approach was associated with shorter operative time (mean of 15.98 minutes shorter, 95% CI 11.21 to 20.76, p < 0.00001) while the anterior approach was associated with shorter length of hospital stay (0.31 days or about eight hours shorter, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.51, p = 0.002) and greater earlier improvement in functional outcomes up to six months from the procedure (mean Harris Hip Score of 4.06 points greater, 95% CI 2.23 to 5.88, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Whereas the posterior approach to primary THA is associated with a shorter operative time, the anterior approach has the potential to decrease the length of stay and provide greater short-term functional restoration. Level of evidence I, Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract Objective The objective of the present work was to compare the measurement of acetabular component version on anteroposterior (AP) and on cross-table radiographs after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods Radiographs of 60 hips with a primary THA were selected. Version was calculated on the AP radiograph using the Lewinnek method and, on the cross-table, using the Woo and Morrey direct method. Results Mean and standard deviation (SD) were different on both radiographs, being 9.7° ± 5.5° on the AP, whereas in the cross-table the measurements were 20.6° ± 8.4° (p < 0.001). Minding our aim of 10°, the cross-table measurements were statistically different from it (p < 0.001), while the AP measurement did not differ (p = 0.716). Conclusion The present study showed that the best way to correctly evaluate the acetabular component positioning following a THA is by measuring anteversion and abduction on an AP radiograph after confirming, in a cross-table radiograph, that the component is not retroverted.

Objective: Spinopelvic alignment is increasingly considered as an essential factor for maintaining an energy-efficient posture in individuals with normal or pathological status. Although several previous studies have shown that changes in the sagittal spinopelvic alignment may occur in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA), no review of this area has been completed so far. Thus, the objective of this scoping review was to summarize the evidence investigating changes in spinopelvic alignment and low back pain (LBP) following THA.Data Sources: We adhered to the established methodology for scoping reviews. Four electronic databases were systematically searched from inception-December 31, 2021.Study Selection: We selected prospective or retrospective observational or intervention studies that included patients with THA.Data Extraction: Data extraction and levels of evidence were independently performed using standardized checklists.Data Synthesis: A total of 45 papers were included in this scoping review, involving 5185 participants with THA. Pelvic tilt was the most common parameter measured in the eligible studies (n = 26). The results were not consistent across all studies; however, it was demonstrated that the distribution of pelvic tilt following THA had a range of 25° posterior to 20° anterior. Moreover, decreased sacral slope and lower pelvic incidence were associated with increased risk of dislocation in patients with THA. Lumbar spine scoliosis did not change significantly after THA in patients with bilateral hip osteoarthritis (5.50°(1.16°) vs. 3.73°(1.16°); P-value = 0.29). Finally, one study indicated that LBP improvement was not correlated with postoperative changes in spinopelvic alignment parameters. Several methodological issues were addressed in this study, including no sample size calculation and no type-I error adjustment for outcome multiplicity.Conclusions: Changes in spinopelvic alignment may occur after THA and may improve with time. Patients with a THA dislocation usually show abnormal spinopelvic alignment compared to patients without a THA dislocation. LBP usually improves markedly over time following THA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective: To correlate vertical (VFO) and horizontal (HFO) femoral offset with hip range of motion (ROM), peak muscle torque (PT), functional, capacity, and lower limb length in patients with total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods: A cross-sectional case control study, in which 22 individuals (10 men and 12 women) - aged 61 (41-72), and within 23 (10-40) postoperative days - were evaluated for active hip ROM (fleximetry); Isometric PT (portable dynamometer); functional capacity (Timed up and Go test (TUG) and Harris Hip Score questionnaire); lower limb length (measuring tape); and VFO and HFO (radiographs). Results: The operated limb showed a reduction in length (p = 0.006), ROM for abduction (p = 0.001), flexion (p = 0.003), and external rotation (p = 0.003), as well as in all PT (p < 0.05) when compared with the contralateral limb. Moderate correlations were observed between VFO and external rotators (r = 0.487; p = 0.021); HFO and external rotators PT (r = −0.508; p = 0.016); and the difference between the VFO (operated and non-operated limb) and the TUG (r = −0.570; p = 0.006). Conclusion: Changes to the femoral offset seem to influence functional capacity, as well as the movement and external rotators PT of the hips in patients with THA, considering the postoperative period evaluated. Level of Evidence III, Case Control Study.

Introduction: In recent years, different factors such as population aging have caused escalating demand for hip and knee arthroplasty straining already limited hospitals' resources. To address this challenge, focus is put on medical and operational efficiency improvements. This includes an increased use of machine learning (ML) to predict duration of surgery (DOS) and length of stay (LOS) for total knee and total hip arthroplasty, which can be utilized for optimizing resource allocation to satisfy medical and operational limitations. This paper explores the development and performance of ML models in predicting DOS and LOS., Methods: A systematic search of publications between 2010-2023 was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 28 out of 722 gathered papers from PubMed, Web of Science, and manual search were included in the study. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the extracted data regarding data preprocessing, model development, and model performance assessment., Results: Most of the papers work on LOS as a binary variable. Patient's age was identified as the most frequently used and reported as important variable for predicting DOS and LOS. Investigations also illustrated that within the resulting 28 papers, more than 71% of models reached good to perfect performance based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), where artificial neural networks and ensemble learning models had the biggest share among the best-performing models., Conclusion: The utilization of ML models is increasing in the literature. The current performance level indicates that ML can potentially turn to powerful tools in predicting DOS and LOS for different purposes. Meanwhile, the literature is not matured yet in reporting real-life application. Future studies can focus on model specification and validation by considering empirical application., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has consistently demonstrated lower patient satisfaction compared to total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, prior investigations failed to account for the patients' demographic characteristics. This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of patient-reported outcomes between TKA and THA while adjusting for patient background., Methods: A total of 326 primary TKAs and 259 THAs conducted at a single center were assessed using Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores preoperatively and at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. Notably, TKA patients exhibited advanced age and higher body mass index (BMI) than their THA counterparts. To mitigate the impact of these differences, we employed propensity score-matched data, adjusting for background characteristics such as age, gender, BMI, and diagnosis., Results: THA consistently demonstrated significantly superior WOMAC total, pain, and stiffness scores compared to TKA at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. Nevertheless, no statistically significant disparity in WOMAC physical function scores was observed between the two groups at 3 months and 1 year postoperatively in the matched data (3 months, p = 0.131; 1 year, p = 0.269)., Conclusion: In contrast to earlier findings, our analysis of propensity score-matched data revealed no significant differences in WOMAC physical function scores between the TKA and THA groups at 3 months and 1 year postoperatively. The distinctive background factors observed in patients undergoing TKA and THA, notably advanced age and higher BMI, coupled with the delayed improvement timeline in TKA's WOMAC scores compared to that of THA, have the potential to impact patient-reported outcomes. Consequently, clinicians should be mindful of the potential impact of patient background on variations in patient-reported outcome measures following total joint arthroplasty., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: The effect of cancellation and postponement of primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) or knee arthroplasty (TKA) on patient outcomes is unclear. The aim was to assess whether cancellation and delay to arthroplasty was associated with worse joint specific function and quality of life (QoL) 1-year postoperatively., Methods: A single centre retrospective case-control study was performed for all patients planned to undergo THA or TKA in 2019. A total of 3133 arthroplasties were scheduled for 2019 (1484 THA, 1649 TKA), of which 344 (11.0%) were cancelled (136 THA [9.2%], 208 TKA [12.6%]). Pre-operative and one-year post-operative EuroQol (EQ-5D) and Oxford hip (OHS) or knee (OKS) scores were collected., Results: The median time between the date of cancellation and the subsequent operation was 46.0 days for TKA and 45.5 days for THA. The cancelled group were more likely to be male (odds ratio [OR] 1.23, p = 0.03), older (mean difference [MD] 1.19, p = 0.03), with a higher ASA grade (OR 1.88 [ASA 3], OR 5.3 [ASA 4], p = 0.001) or planned for a TKA (OR 1.41, p = 0.003). There were no differences in pre-operative OKS (mean difference [MD] 0.19, p = 0.828) or EQ-5D (MD 0.028, p = 0.394) or in the one-year postoperative OKS (MD 1.51, p = 0.064) or EQ-5D (MD 0.041, p = 0.067) between groups undergoing TKA. However, cancelled THA patients had lower pre-operative OHS (MD 2.73, p = 0.018) and EQ-5D (MD 0.134, p = 0.0017) but at one-year postoperatively there was no difference in the absolute OHS (MD 2.07, p = 0.052) or EQ5D (MD 0.04, p = 0.142). The improvement in hip EQ-5D was greater (MD 0.096, p = 0.016) in the cancelled group., Conclusion: Cancellation and short delay did not influence joint specific outcome or QoL following THA or TKA at one-year. Preoperative hip specific pain, function and QoL were worse in cancelled THA patients, suggesting deterioration while waiting for their surgery, but this did not affect their postoperative outcome., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To describe and characterize the accuracy and benefit of a technique for performing ultrasound-guided needle placement for iliopsoas peritendon or bursa injections as an alternative method to fluoroscopic guidance., Materials and Methods: Patients with a history of total hip arthroplasty who were referred by their orthopedic surgeon for iliopsoas peritendon or bursa corticosteroid injection for iliopsoas impingement syndrome between June 2017 and December 2019 were eligible for inclusion. Of these patients, 19 received a total of 26 ultrasound-guided needle placement followed by confirmatory fluoroscopic guidance prior to injection. Pre-injection and post-injection VAS scores were collected to monitor pain. Additionally, the patients were followed for 6 months via chart review after their injection to assess for complications, need for repeat injections, and progression to surgical intervention. The accuracy of a longitudinal in-plane distal to proximal approach to ultrasound guided needle placement was then evaluated., Results: Ultrasound guided needle placement using a longitudinal in-plane distal to proximal approach demonstrated spread of contrast material in the intended anatomic location with fluoroscopic confirmation in patients who underwent iliopsoas peritendon or bursa injection post total hip arthroplasty., Conclusion: Ultrasound guided needle placement using a longitudinal in-plane distal to proximal approach can be an effective alternative technique for diagnostic or therapeutic iliopsoas peritendon injection in patients with total hip arthroplasty., (© 2024. Società Italiana di Ultrasonologia in Medicina e Biologia (SIUMB).)

Coronavirus disease 2019 is known to cause severe acute respiratory syndrome, and serious cases need to be treated with corticosteroids. Herein, we report an 87-year-old woman who developed bilateral osteonecrosis of the femoral head after corticosteroid treatment for coronavirus disease 2019-related pneumonia. Sixteen months after treatment, she developed right hip pain without any evidence of trauma. A diagnosis of bilateral osteonecrosis of the femoral head was made based on sclerotic bands on plain radiographs and low-signal bands on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. The patient underwent right total hip arthroplasty 4 months after symptom onset. Histological examination of the resected femoral head revealed pathological evidence of osteonecrosis. The postoperative course was good, and the patient can now walk unassisted. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of histologically proven osteonecrosis after corticosteroid therapy for coronavirus disease 2019-related disease., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International Skeletal Society (ISS).)

Background: As the population ages, the proportion of elderly patients requiring total hip arthroplasty (THA) increases, but it is not clear whether older age independently influences outcome. The aim was to assess function, quality of life, and satisfaction after THA in patients ≥ 80 years compared with those aged between 65 and 75 years when adjusting for confounding factors., Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was performed between 2010 and 2019. A total 2,367 THAs were performed on patients ≥ 80 years and 5,113 on patients aged 65 to 75 years. The demographic data and length of stay (LOS) were recorded. Preoperative and 2-year postoperative Oxford Hip Scores (OHS), EuroQol (EQ-5D), and satisfaction scores were collected. Clinically meaningful difference was defined as 5 points in OHS and utility of 0.085 in EQ-5D. Regression analyses were performed to adjust for confounding factors., Results: Patients in ≥ 80-years group were more likely women (P < .001), have higher American Society of Anesthesiolgists grade (P < .001), worse preoperative OHS (mean difference [MD] 2.3, P < .001), and EQ-5D (MD 0.087, P < .001). Both age groups achieved clinically meaningful and statistically significant (P < .001) improvement in OHS and EQ-5D utility at 2 years. When adjusting for confounding variables, the ≥ 80-year-old group had significantly (P < .001) lower improvement in OHS (MD -1.9 points) and EQ-5D (MD -0.055 utility), but these differences were not clinically meaningful. There was no difference (P = .813) in satisfaction between the groups. When adjusting for confounding variables, ≥ 80-year-old group had increased risk of longer LOS (odds ratio 1.27, P < .001)., Conclusions: There were no clinically meaningful differences in hip-specific outcome or health-related quality of life according to age group, and both were equally satisfied with their outcome. The older age group did, however, have longer LOS., Level of Evidence: Level III retrospective cohort study., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is a common treatment for prearthritic hip dysplasia. The goal of this investigation was to determine if computationally assessed hip contact mechanics are associated with joint failure at minimum 10-year follow-up. One hundred patients with hip dysplasia (125 hips) completed patient-reported outcomes an average of 13.8 years (range 10.0-18.0 years) after PAO. 63/125 hips were classified as having failed: 26 converted to total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 37 with significant disability indicated by modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) ≤ 70. Differences in discrete element analysis-computed contact mechanics were compared between (1) preserved and failed hips, (2) preserved hips and hips that failed by THA, and (3) preserved hips and hips that failed by mHHS ≤ 70. Failed hips had significantly higher preoperative contact stress and exposure metrics (p < 0.001-0.009) than preserved hips. Failed hips also had significantly higher postoperative peak contact stress (p = 0.018), higher mean contact stress (p < 0.001), and smaller contact area (p = 0.044). When assessed based on type of failure, hips that failed by THA had significantly higher postoperative contact stress and exposure metrics than preserved hips (p < 0.001-0.020). In hips that failed by mHHS ≤ 70, mean postoperative contact stress exposure was significantly higher compared to preserved hips (p = 0.043). Despite improved radiographic measures of dysplasia after PAO, pathologic joint contact mechanics can persist and predict treatment failure at minimum 10 years after surgery. Operative and nonoperative techniques specifically intended to reduce harmful contact mechanics in dysplastic hips may have the potential to further improve clinical outcomes after PAO., (© The Author(s). Journal of Orthopaedic Research ® published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society.)

Background: Informed by the precedent of an American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) survey, where 95% of participants reported instigating modifications to preoperative risk factors, this study appraised the approach of Chinese arthroplasty surgeons toward patients who had modifiable risks., Methods: An adaptation of the AAHKS survey tool for a Chinese cohort was undertaken. The survey queried 600 Chinese Society of Hip and Knee Surgeons members on whether the perception of unoptimized medical comorbidities and socioeconomic elements affects the propensity to offer surgical procedures., Results: Out of the distributed surveys, 150 responses were received, culminating in a response rate of 25%. The data illustrate that 98.7% of Chinese surgeons practice restrictions on arthroplasty access for patients who have modifiable risk factors, with notable frequencies for malnutrition (93.3%), anemia (91.3%), recent hyaluronic acid injections (within one month, 88.7%), and corticosteroid injections (within 3 months, 74.7%). Assessment criteria ahead of surgery included limitations such as a body mass index under 40 (47.3%), requirements for smoking cessation (57.3%), an acceptable hemoglobin A1c level (95.3%), and a dependent fasting blood glucose level (88%). Moreover, 87.3% of respondents endorsed the need for additional interventions for certain socioeconomically disadvantaged patients to achieve successful outcomes. A majority of respondents (94.7%) believed that more equitable access to care, facilitated by better-adjusted payment methodologies, could enhance patient outcomes. Current payment schemes were also perceived by a majority to potentially compromise outcomes for patients who have inadequate social support (80.7%), low socioeconomic status (67.3%), and those lacking insurance (72.7%)., Conclusions: The consistency of the almost 99% response rate in addressing modifiable risk factors prior to arthroplasty aligns closely with the reported practices in the AAHKS survey. These findings underscore the shared valuation of preoperative risk factor optimization by Chinese and American arthroplasty surgeons, notwithstanding divergent healthcare system structures., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Treatment of periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) typically requires more resource utilization than primary total joint arthroplasty. This study quantifies the amount of time spent in the electronic medical record (EMR) for patients who have PJI requiring surgical intervention., Methods: A retrospective analysis of EMR activity for 165 hip and knee PJIs was performed to capture work during the preoperative and postoperative time periods. Independent sample t tests were conducted to compare total time based on procedure, age, insurance, health literacy, sex, race, and ethnicity., Results: The EMR work performed by the orthopaedic team was 338.4 minutes (min) (SD 130.3), with 119.4 minutes (SD 62.8) occurring preoperatively and 219.0 minutes (SD 112.9) postoperatively. Preoperatively, the surgeon's work accounted for 35.7 minutes (SD 25.4), mid-level providers 21.3 minutes (SD 15.9), nurses 38.6 minutes (SD 36.8), and office staff 32.7 minutes (SD 29.9). Infectious disease colleagues independently performed 158.9 minutes (SD 108.5) of postoperative work. Overall, PJI of the knees required more postoperative work. Secondary analysis revealed that patients who have hip PJI and a body mass index <30 and patients <65 years of age required more work when compared to the PJI of heavier and older individuals. There was no difference in total work based on insurance, health literacy, race, or ethnicity., Conclusions: Over 8 hours of administrative work is required for surgical management of PJI. Surgeons alone performed 451% more work for PJI during the preoperative period (7.9 versus 35.7 min) compared to primary total joint arthroplasty. In efforts to provide best care for our sickest patients, much work is required perioperatively. This work is necessary to consider when assigning value and physician reimbursement., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Research on hip instability has focused on establishing "safe" ranges of combined component position in supine posture or functional placement of the acetabular component based on the hip-spine relationship. A new angle, the polar axis angle (PAA), of the total hip arthroplasty (THA) components describes the concentricity of both components and can be evaluated in functional positions that confer a greater risk of instability (ie, sitting). The goal of this study was to compare the PAA in functional positions between patients who experienced a postoperative dislocation and a matched control group who did not have a dislocation., Methods: An institutional database was searched for patients experiencing a dislocation after primary THA. Patients who had postoperative full-length standing and lateral-seatedradiographs were included in the dislocator group. A control group of nondislocator patients was matched 2:1 by age, body mass index, sex, and hip-spine classification. Radiographic measurements of the neck angle, acetabular ante-inclination, and PAA were performed by 2 separate blinded, trained reviewers., Results: The lateral-seated neck angle and lateral-seated PAA measurements were significantly lower in the dislocator groups (n = 37) than the control group (n = 74) (23 versus 33 degrees, P < .001; 74 versus 83 degrees, P = .012, respectively). Significant differences were also observed in changes in the polar axes and neck angles between standing and seated positions (P < .001 and P < .001, respectively). When comparing patients who have mobile spines versus stiff spines within the dislocator group, there were no differences in the acetabular, neck, or PAAs. The effect of neck angle on the PAA showed a linear trend across cohorts., Conclusions: Patients who experience postoperative instability have a significantly lower PAA on lateral-seated radiographs when matched for age, sex, body mass index, and hip-spine classification. In addition, the lower seated PAA is driven more strongly by decreased functional femoral anteversion, which emphasizes the role of functional femoral version on stability in THA., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To clarify the relevance of physical activity (PA) with respect to a decrease in minimal joint space (MJS) of the nonoperative hip in female patients at 24 months post-contralateral total hip arthroplasty (THA). This prospective cohort study was conducted from six to 24 months post-THA. The subjects were 85 female patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) who had undergone unilateral THA. The primary outcome was a change in MJS (ΔMJS). Daily step counts and moderate to vigorous physical activity were measured. To identify factors related to ΔMJS, a generalized linear model approach was used, with adjustment factors, Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade, PA, and interaction terms between PA and KL grade as explanatory variables. The interaction term between daily step count and KL grade was significant. The regression coefficient of the daily step count for ΔMJS was significant in the KL ≥ 1 group, but not in the KL = 0 group. A model with adjustment factors, an interaction term, and PA showed that the daily step count increased ΔMJS. PA was related to ΔMJS of the nonoperative hip in female patients with KL grade ≥1, but was not related to ΔMJS in patients without OA post-THA. Excessive daily step count may be a risk factor for a decrease in MJS of the nonoperative hip., (© 2024 Orthopaedic Research Society.)

ABSTRACT Objectives The hip-spine syndrome (HSS) is defined as the simultaneous degeneration of the hip and lumbar spine. The objective of this study is to quantify the sagittal balance values in the population with HSS and to compare them with the normal sagittal balance parameters. Methods A retrospective study was conducted in which 30 patients with HSS who were waiting for total hip arthroplasty (THA) were evaluated. The lumbar lordosis (LL), sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT), pelvic incidence (PI) and spinopelvic harmony (SH) angles and the BMI of these patients were measured. Results Seventeen women and 13 men participated in the study, with a mean LL of 39.55°, a mean SS of 36.92°, a mean PT of 25.77°, a mean PI of 62.72°, a mean SH of 23.17° and a mean BMI of 25.55. Only the SS did not present a changed value when compared to the normal values of the population. Conclusions HSS is increasingly present in our environment due to the aging population. Sagittal balance is gaining more and more attention in studies related to spinal pathologies. All the parameters measured in this study, except for SS, presented altered values when compared to the populational means. Evidence Level II. Observational and retrospective study.

Abstract Backgrounds One of the most significant complications after a femoral neck fracture is osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). The concomitant use of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with computed tomography (CT) increases the sensitivity for detecting the anatomic location and severity of ONFH. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic value of SPECT/CT for the occurrence of ONFH by quantifying the perfusion status of the femoral head. Methods A total of 30 patients who had multiple pinnings for femur neck fractures were included in this study. We classified the perfusion status into three groups: normal perfusion, decreased perfusion, and avascular groups, and compared the occurrence of femoral head necrosis between them. For quantitative analysis, we evaluated the uptake ratio of both femur heads (head-to-head uptake ratio). If the patient’s contralateral hip was incomparable, we measured the uptake ratio from the superior dome of the ipsilateral acetabulum (head-to-acetabulum uptake ratio). Results Twenty-four patients out of 30 achieved bone union, whereas the others developed ONFH. When the population was divided into intact and defective perfusion groups on scintigraphy, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the test were 83.3, 75.0, and 76.7%, respectively. The mean head-to-head uptake ratio value with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.85–1.36). In the osteonecrosis group, the mean value of the head-to-head uptake ratio was 0.33 (95% CI: 0.28–0.38). In contrast, the ratio was 1.30 (95% CI: 1.03–1.57) in the non-osteonecrosis group, demonstrating a significant difference in the uptake ratio (P

Abstract Background Physiotherapy is a proven effective treatment strategy after total knee and hip arthroplasty (TKA/THA), however there is considerable practice variation regarding its timing, content and duration. This study aims to compare the (cost-) effectiveness of a standardized, treat-to-target postoperative physiotherapy strategy with usual postoperative care. Methods Using a cluster randomized study design, consecutive patients scheduled for a primary TKA/THA in 18 hospitals in the Netherlands will be assigned to the treat-to-target physio therapy strategy or usual postoperative care. With the treat-to-target strategy a standardized, individually tailored, exercise program is aimed at the attainment of specific functional milestones. Assessments are done at baseline, 6 weeks and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months follow up. The primary outcome will be the Knee injury / Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score - Physical Function Short Form (KOOS-PS / HOOS-PS) at 3 months follow up. Secondary outcomes are the numeric rating scale for pain, the Oxford Knee and Hip Scores, performance-based test and the EuroQol 5D-5L for quality of life. Healthcare use, productivity and satisfaction with postoperative care are measured by means of questionnaires. In total, 624 patients will be needed of which 312 TKA and 312 THA patients. Discussion The study will provide evidence concerning the (cost-) effectiveness of the treat-to-target postoperative physiotherapy treatment compared to usual postoperative care. The results of this study will address an important evidence gap and will have a significant impact in daily practice of the physio therapist. Trial registration Registered in the Dutch Trial Registry on April 15, 2018. Registration number: NTR7129 .

Abstract Objective The present paper aims to evaluate the influences of individual characteristics in radiographic magnification and to identify the most accurate method for radiographic calibration. Methods During radiographical exam of 50 patients with hip prosthesis, anthropometric data was collected and 4 spherical metal markers with 25 mm diameters were positioned: at the greater trochanter level and lateral to it, over the pubic symphysis, between the thighs at the greater trochanter level, and over the exam table. Since the prosthesis head is the best internal radiographic marker for hip arthroplasty, it was our calibration parameter. Two examiners measured the markers' image for further analysis. Results The sample consisted of 50 participants, 19 of whom were male. A difference in pubic symphysis magnification was found. Other individual characteristics (weight, height and body mass index) had weak correlation. The higher accuracy of the markers was at the greater trochanter, between 68.4 and 78.9%, visualized in only19 radiographs. The marker positioned between the thighs was visualized in all radiographs, with an accuracy ranging from 30 to 46%. Conclusions Of all individual characteristics, only gender influences magnification at the pubic symphysis. We suggest the use of two spherical markers: at the greater trochanter, due the best accuracy, and between the thighs, considered the best positioning for better visibility.

Background/Aim. Coxarthrosis is a chronic degenerative joint disorder which occurs in approximately 4% of population, and bilateral occurrence is estimated at 42%. Patients with bilateral coxarthrosis can undergo bilateral hip replacement in one or two stage procedure. Aim of this article was to present our experience in simultaneous bilateral hip arthroplasty, and to recommend it in patients with adequate indications. Methods. We processed data for 113 patients of both genders, operated at the Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology of the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, Serbia from 2005 until 2015 where single stage bilateral hip arthroplasty was performed. Identical operative technique was applied in all patients as well as standard antibiotic and thromboprophylactic treatment. Follow-up period was 30 days postoperatively. Results. Mean age of patients was 56 ± 10.2 years, whereby 45 (39.8%) of them were males and 68 (60.2%) females. Primary coxarthrosis was etiologic factor for the majority of patients, 69 (61.1%). Postoperative hospitalization duration was 10.3 days on average (range from 3 to 34 days). We noticed the following complications: one luxation of the endoprosthesis, one deep infection and one thrombosis of the leg. There was no mortality. Majority of operated patients were grouped as the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores 1-3. Mean blood transfusion was 1,275 mL (range from 300 to 2,830 mL). Conclusion. One stage bilateral hip arthroplasty can be performed routinely and safely in facilities with possibility for interdisciplinary approach and adequate selection of patients. Data from our study which indicate significantly increased need for blood substitution, emphasize the need to introduce contemporary perioperative blood loss management principles. The rate of complications observed in our study was within rates published in the literature concerning hip arthroplasty.

Background: The Hospital Readmission Reduction Programme (HRRP) was created to decrease the number of hospital readmissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure (HF), pneumonia (PNA), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty., Objectives: To analyse the impact of the HRRP on readmission rates from 2010 to 2019 and how time to readmission impacted outcomes., Design: Population-based retrospective study., Setting: All patients included in the US National Readmission database from 2010 to 2019., Patients: We recorded demographic and clinical variables., Measurements: Using linear regression models, we analysed the association between readmission status and timing with death and length of stay (LOS) outcomes. We transformed LOS and charges into log-LOS and log-charges to normalise the data., Results: There were 31 553 363 records included in the study. Of those, 4 593 228 (14.55%) were readmitted within 30 days. From 2010 to 2019, readmission rates for COPD (20.8%-19.8%), HF (24.9%-21.9%), PNA (16.4%-15.1%), AMI (15.6%-12.9%) and TKR (4.1%-3.4%) decreased whereas CABG (10.2%-10.6%) and THA (4.2%-5.8%) increased. Readmitted patients were at higher risk of mortality (6% vs 2.8%) and had higher LOS (3 (2-5) vs 4 (3-7)). Patients readmitted within 10 days had a mortality 6.4% higher than those readmitted in 11-20 days (5.4%) and 21-30 days (4.6%). Increased time from discharge to readmission was associated with a lower likelihood of mortality, like LOS., Conclusion: Over the last 10 years, readmission rates decreased for most conditions included in the HRRP except CABG and THA. Patients readmitted shortly after discharge were at higher risk of death., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)