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Investigates the sensitivity of mean-variance-efficient portfolios to changes in the means of individual assets. Effects of the imposition of budget constraints and non-negative constraints on portfolios; Expected return and standard deviation of the portfolio.

Introduction: The incidence of adhesive capsulitis (AC) is higher in patients with diabetes mellitus. While AC is usually treated non-operatively, diabetic patients are more likely to require more extensive treatments such as manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) or arthroscopic capsular release. Despite the recent surge in popularity of GLP-1 agonists ("GLP-1s") for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), there is a lack of literature describing the effect of GLP-1 use on the incidence and management of AC in patients with T2DM. We aimed to compare T2DM patients with and without GLP-1 use, and determine differences in rates of AC, rates of operative AC management, and rates of 90-day postoperative complications among operatively managed AC patients., Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of the PearlDiver database from 2010-2022 was performed to identify T2DM patients with AC. Exclusion criteria included patients <18 years old, type 1 diabetes, <2-year follow-up, and medical conditions that were a contraindication for GLP-1 use. Four cohorts were identified: 1) T2DM taking GLP-1s, 2) T2DM not taking GLP-1s, 3) T2DM with AC taking GLP-1s, and 4) T2DM with AC not taking GLP-1s. The primary outcome was the proportion of T2DM patients who developed AC. Secondary outcomes included rates of operative management and 90-day postoperative medical complications. A 1:1 propensity score match was performed, controlling for age, gender, Charlson Comorbidity Index, obesity, tobacco use, hypothyroidism, metformin use, insulin use, and the presence of complicated diabetes. Chi-square and Multivariable Linear Regression analyses were performed., Results: 100,000 T2DM patients taking GLP-1s, and 100,000 T2DM patients not taking GLP-1s were randomly sampled. After matching, GLP-1 patients were more likely to develop AC (odds ratio [OR]=1.28, p<0.001). 253,717 T2DM patients with AC were then identified, of which, 46,156 (18.2%) were taking GLP-1s. After matching, GLP-1 users had higher odds of requiring operative management for AC compared to non-GLP-1 users (OR=1.18, p<0.001). The odds of undergoing MUA were significantly higher among GLP-1 users (OR=1.20, p<0.001), however, there was no difference in the odds of undergoing capsular release (OR=0.68, p=0.29)., Discussion: Among a national cohort of T2DM patients, patients taking GLP-1 agonists had higher odds of developing AC and requiring operative management for AC when compared to those not taking GLP-1s. These results can be useful when counseling T2DM patients who develop AC while taking GLP-1s to better inform these patients of the increased chance of requiring more extensive treatment., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: Players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) are at high risk for ACL tears which are detrimental to their career due to the months of rehabilitation. The authors hypothesize that after anterior crucial ligament (ACL) injury, older players will be less likely to return to the NBA, players that do return will have a lower performance efficiency rating (PER), and the decrease in PER will be associated with a lower salary., Methods: This case-control study utilized the publicly available database maintained by the NBA, professional basketball players from 2002 to 2022 who suffered an ACL tear were identified. Controls, without ACL tears, were matched by age, BMI, position, race, and average minutes played before the injury date to uninjured controls. Return to NBA, pre-injury and post-return player efficiency ratings (PER), and salary change after injury were analyzed by multivariate analyses., Results: A total of 67 players suffered an ACL tear. Fifty-six (83.6%) players returned to the NBA at some point after their injury, while 11 (16.4%) did not. Multivariate logistic regression showed that older age and the presence of multi-ligament injury predicted retiring from the NBA (ß = 1.4 and 10.7). Older age and greater minutes played before surgery to be the only significant predictors of decreased PER after return to the NBA (ß = -0.5 and -0.2). Players with a multiyear contract and with improvements in PER after injury tended to have greater salary increases (ß = 6.5 and 0.7). All p  < 0.05. PER in players with ACL tears decreased by about 3 points (13.1 to 9.9) compared to controls without ACL tears (13.2 to 12.9)., Conclusion: Older age and multiligament injuries are associated with retiring for the NBA; older and increased minutes played are associated with a decreased PER upon return; and, PER decreases are associated with decreased salary. Players with ACL tears, even when case-control matched, showed decreased PER upon return. These results can be attributed to age-related changes in athleticism and health.

Introduction: Osteoporosis screening and subsequent treatment has been shown to be efficacious in decreasing the rates of fragility fractures and periprosthetic fractures (PPF). However, current screening and treatment rates are low. This study aims to determine (1) the prevalence of total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) patients who meet criteria for osteoporosis screening, (2) the prevalence of those screened, and (3) the 5-year cumulative incidence of fragility fracture (FF) and periprosthetic fractures (PPF)., Methods: The PearlDiver database was used to identify all patients older than 50 years who underwent TSA. Guidelines from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists were used to stratify patients into "high risk" and "low risk" of osteoporosis cohorts using International Classification of Disease codes for various risk factors. The prevalence of osteoporosis screening using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan was analyzed, and the 5-year cumulative incidence of FF and PPF was calculated between the "low-risk" and "high-risk" groups using Kaplan-Meier analysis., Results: In total, 66,140 (65.5%) who underwent TSA were considered "high risk" for osteoporosis. Of the "high-risk" patients, 11.7% patients received routine osteoporosis screening preoperatively. Within 5 years, "high-risk" TSA patients had markedly higher cumulative incidence for PPF (HR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.0-1.9; P = 0.037) and FF (HR: 2.42; 95% CI: 2.1-2.8; P < 0.001) when compared with those at "low risk"., Discussion: There is a high prevalence of osteoporosis among patients undergoing TSA but a low rate of routine osteoporosis screening in this cohort. Patients with osteoporosis who are categorized as "high risk" have an increased rate of fragility fractures and PPF. Therefore, there is an opportunity to increase appropriate osteoporosis screening and management in this cohort, which may affect future risk of FF and periprosthetic fracture., Level of Evidence: III., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Background: Utilization in outpatient total shoulder arthroplasties (TSAs) has increased significantly in recent years. It remains largely unknown whether utilization of outpatient TSA differs across gender and racial groups. This study aimed to quantify racial and gender disparities both nationally and by geographic regions., Methods: 168,504 TSAs were identified using Medicare fee-for-service inpatient and outpatient claims data and beneficiary enrollment data from 2020 to 2022Q4. The percentage of outpatient cases, defined as cases discharged on the same day of surgery, was evaluated by racial and gender groups and by different census divisions. A multivariate logistics regression model controlling for patient sociodemographic information (White vs. non-White race, age, gender, and dual eligibility for both Medicare and Medicaid), hierarchical condition category (HCC) score, hospital characteristics, year fixed effects, and patient residency state fixed effects was performed., Results: The TSA volume per 1000 beneficiaries was 2.3 for the White population compared with 0.8, 0.6, and 0.3 for the Black, Hispanic, and Asian population, respectively. A higher percentage of outpatient TSAs were in White patients (25.6%) compared with Black patients (20.4%) (P < .001). The Black TSA patients were also younger, more likely to be female, more likely to be dually eligible for Medicaid, and had higher HCC risk scores. After controlling for patient sociodemographic characteristics and hospital characteristics, the odds of receiving outpatient TSAs were 30% less for Black than the White group (odds ratio 0.70). Variations were observed across different census divisions, with South Atlantic (0.67, P < .01), East North Central (0.56, P < .001), and Middle Atlantic (0.36, P < .01) being the 4 regions observed with significant racial disparities. Statistically significant gender disparities were also found nationally and across regions, with an overall odds ratio of 0.75 (P < .001)., Discussion: Statistically significant racial and gender disparities were found nationally in outpatient TSAs, with Black patients having 30% (P < .001) fewer odds of receiving outpatient TSAs than White patients, and female patients with 25% (P < .001) fewer odds than male patients. Racial and gender disparities continue to be an issue for shoulder arthroplasties after the adoption of outpatient TSAs., (Copyright © 2024 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) tend to have comorbidities such as obesity, hypertension, and cancer, which are associated with advanced age. This study aimed to elucidate the associations of these comorbidities with hospital charge (HC), hospital costs (HCos), and length of stay (LOS)., Methods: A national database was queried for patients who underwent primary TKA from 2012 to 2020. There were 30 comorbidities classified using the Elixhauser comorbidity index. For each comorbidity of interest, patients were matched to another patient by age, sex, and all other comorbidities except the comorbidity of interest. Matched cohorts were analyzed via multivariable regression analyses controlled for age, sex, procedure year, hospital location, and comorbidities to predict increases in HC, HCo, and LOS. A total of 1,014,831 patients were included., Results: Mean HC, HCo, and LOS were $64,097, $17,299, and 2.5 days, respectively. Weight loss, blood loss anemia, coagulopathies, and fluid and electrolyte disorders were associated with the largest increases in HC, with 6, 5, 5, and 5% increases, respectively (P < 0.05). Pulmonary hypertension, non-metastatic tumors, paralysis, and obesity were associated with increased HCo, with 6, 4, 4, and 4% increases, respectively (P < 0.05). All comorbidities except hypothyroidism were associated with increased LOS. Pulmonary hypertension, weight loss, paralysis, fluid and electrolyte disorders, and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were associated with were associated with 53, 21, 15, 14, and 12%, respectively, increased odds of having LOS greater than or equal to 4 days' increase (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: This study offers targets for the reduction of HC, HCo, and LOS for patients with these ailments through protocol change. Optimization programs targeting malnourished patients, patients with pulmonary hypertension, and other comorbidities are encouraged. These results also provide clinicians with a quantifiable way to communicate financial burden and recovery time after TKA to patients' unique problem lists., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Racial disparities in orthopedic surgery outcomes have been extensively documented, highlighting systemic biases in care. Proximal humerus fractures (PHFs), about 6% of all fractures, are rising, especially among the elderly. Despite the prevalence of PHFs, a research gap exists regarding racial disparities in postoperative complications and outcomes., Methods: Data from the American College of Surgeons NSQIP database from 2006 to 2021 were analyzed, including 41,285 patients with PHFs. CPT and ICD codes guided inclusion and exclusion criteria. Propensity-score matching balanced a cohort of 17,052 patients. Demographic variables, comorbidities, and outcomes were analyzed using univariate statistics, chi-square tests, and Fisher's exact tests., Results: Post propensity-score matching, significant demographic disparities emerged between white and minority patients. Minority patients had longer operative times ( p  < .001) and hospital stays ( p  = .001) than white patients. Minority patients also exhibited higher rates of mortality ( p  = .04) and unplanned re-intubation ( p  = .04)., Conclusion: This study revealed significant racial disparities in early postoperative outcomes for PHFs. Despite surgical advancements, minorities have prolonged operative times, extended hospital stays, and heightened risks of adverse events. Action is needed to ensure healthcare equity and justice and to address disparities in PHF surgical management across diverse demographics., Level of Evidence: III., Competing Interests: The authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Matthew J. Best: Arthrex, Inc: Other financial or material support; Smith & Nephew: Other financial or material support; Stryker: Other financial or material support; not related to the present study. Dr. Srikumaran serves as a board or committee member for AAOS, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, and IASES; reports stock or stock options from ROM3, Sonogen, and Tigon Medical; is a paid consultant for, and receives intellectual property royalties from, Fx Shoulder and Tigon Medical; receives other financial or material support from Arthrex, DePuy–a Johnson & Johnson Company, and Thieme; and has been a paid presenter or speaker for, and received research support from, Fx Shoulder; not related to the present study. The other authors report no potential conflicts of interest, including financial interests, activities, relationships, and affiliations., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: Rotator cuff repair (RCR) is a frequently performed outpatient orthopaedic surgery, with substantial financial implications for health-care systems. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) is a method for nuanced cost analysis and is a valuable tool for strategic health-care decision-making. The aim of this study was to apply the TDABC methodology to RCR procedures to identify specific avenues to optimize cost-efficiency within the health-care system in 2 critical areas: (1) the reduction of variability in the episode duration, and (2) the standardization of suture anchor acquisition costs., Methods: Using a multicenter, retrospective design, this study incorporates data from all patients who underwent an RCR surgical procedure at 1 of 4 academic tertiary health systems across the United States. Data were extracted from Avant-Garde Health's Care Measurement platform and were analyzed utilizing TDABC methodology. Cost analysis was performed using 2 primary metrics: the opportunity costs arising from a possible reduction in episode duration variability, and the potential monetary savings achievable through the standardization of suture anchor costs., Results: In this study, 921 RCR cases performed at 4 institutions had a mean episode duration cost of $4,094 ± $1,850. There was a significant threefold cost variability between the 10th percentile ($2,282) and the 90th percentile ($6,833) (p < 0.01). The mean episode duration was registered at 7.1 hours. The largest variability in the episode duration was time spent in the post-acute care unit and the ward after the surgical procedure. By reducing the episode duration variability, it was estimated that up to 640 care-hours could be saved annually at a single hospital. Likewise, standardizing suture anchor acquisition costs could generate direct savings totaling $217,440 across the hospitals., Conclusions: This multicenter study offers valuable insights into RCR cost as a function of care pathways and suture anchor cost. It outlines avenues for achieving cost-savings and operational efficiency. These findings can serve as a foundational basis for developing health-economics models., Level of Evidence: Economic and Decision Analysis Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence., Competing Interests: Disclosure: No external funding was received for this work. The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJS/I288)., (Copyright © 2024 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Aims & Objectives: This study characterized the independent association between insurance type and healthcare outcomes in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA)., Materials &methods: National data identified patients who underwent total hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle or wrist joint arthroplasty surgery from 2012 to 2020 for osteoarthritis. Medicaid, Medicare≥65 years old, Medicare<65 years old, and uninsured patients were matched to privately insured patients based on age, sex, and comorbidities. Multivariable analysis, controlled for various characteristics, was conducted to quantify various outcome measures by payer status., Results: Medicaid patients had greater odds of cardiac, genitourinary, hematoma/hemorrhage/seroma, respiratory, and wound dehiscence complications than privately insured (odds ratio [OR]: 1.5, 1.2, 1.6, 1.3, 1.5, respectively; p < 0.01). Medicare patients ≥65 years old had greater odds of cardiac and wound dehiscence complications but fewer central nervous system and genitourinary complications and post-operative infections than privately insured (OR:1.2, 1.2, 0.3, 0.8, 0.7, respectively; p < 0.01). Medicare<65 years old patients had greater odds of cardiac, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, hematoma/hemorrhage/seroma, post-operative anemia, respiratory, and wound dehiscence complications than privately insured (OR: 1.2, 1.4, 1.2, 1.4, 1.2, 1.7, 1.6, respectively; p < 0.01). Medicare≥65, Medicare<65, and Medicaid patients had $2,243, $3,849, and $1170 more total charges, respectively (p < 0.01)., Conclusion: Despite Medicaid expansion through the 2014 Affordable Care Act, marked disparities in complications after TJA between individuals with and without private insurance still exist. Medicare<65 and Medicaid cohorts demonstrated higher complication rates than private payers, possibly attributable to barriers in healthcare such as patient education, access to healthcare, and social determinants of health., Competing Interests: MB has other financial or non-financial interests in Arthrex, Inc., Smith & Nephew, and Stryker. US reports grants or contracts from Fx Shoulder, Thieme, and Tigon Medical; consulting fees from Tigon Medical and Fx Shoulder; payment or honoraria from Fx Shoulder; board or committee membership at AAOS, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, and IASES; stock or stock options from ROM3, Sonogen, and Tigon Medical; other financial or material support from DePuy, a Johnson & Johnson company; and research support from Fx Shoulder. All other authors have no conflicts to declare., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Professor P K Surendran Memorial Education Foundation.)

Background: Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the humeral head is characterized by osteonecrosis secondary to disrupted blood flow to the glenohumeral joint. Following collapse of the humeral head, arthroplasty, namely, total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) or humeral head arthroplasty (hemiarthroplasty), is recommended standard of care. The literature is limited to underpowered and small sample sizes in comparing arthroplasty modalities. Therefore, the aims of this study were (1) to compare the 10-year survivorship of TSA and hemiarthroplasty in the treatment of AVN of the humeral head and (2) to identify differences in their revision etiologies., Methods: Patients who underwent primary TSA and hemiarthroplasty for AVN were identified using the PearlDiver database. TSA patients were matched by age, gender, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to the hemiarthroplasty cohort in a 4:1 ratio because TSA patients were generally older, sicker, and more often female. The 10-year cumulative incidence rate of all-cause revision was determined using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Multivariable analysis was conducted using Cox proportional hazard modeling. χ 2 analysis was conducted to compare the indications for revisions between matched cohorts including periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), dislocation, mechanical loosening, broken implants, periprosthetic fracture, and stiffness., Results: In total, 4825 patients undergoing TSA and 1969 patients undergoing hemiarthroplasty for AVN were included in this study. The unmatched 10-year cumulative incidence of revision for patients who underwent TSA and hemiarthroplasty was 7.0% and 7.7%, respectively. The matched 10-year cumulative incidence of revision for patients who underwent TSA and hemiarthroplasty was 6.7% and 8.0%, respectively. When comparing the unmatched cohorts, TSA patients were at significantly higher risk of 10-year all-cause revision (HR: 1.39; P = .017) when compared to hemiarthroplasty patients. After matching, there was no significant difference in risk of 10-year all-cause revision (HR: 1.29; P = .148) and no difference in the observed etiologies for revision (P > .05 for all)., Conclusion: After controlling for confounders, only 6.7% of TSA and 8.0% hemiarthroplasties for humeral head AVN were revised within 10 years of index surgery. The demonstrated high and comparable long-term survivorship for both modalities supports the utilization of either for the AVN induced humeral head collapse., (Copyright © 2024 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Delay in surgical management for orthopaedic emergencies and severe fracture types can result in notable morbidity and even mortality for patients. Disparities in various facets of orthopaedic care have been identified based on race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and payer status, but disparities in time to surgery have been poorly explored. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to investigate whether disparities exist in time to emergent orthopaedic surgery., Methods: Patients who underwent surgery for hip fracture, femur fracture, pelvic fracture, septic knee, septic hip, or cauda equina syndrome over 2012 to 2020 were identified using national data. Multivariable linear regression models were constructed, controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, payer status, socioeconomic status, hospital setting, and comorbidities to examine the effect of payer status and race/ethnicity, on time to surgery., Results: Over 2012 to 2020, 247,370 patients underwent surgery for hip fracture, 64,827 for femur fracture, 14,130 for pelvic fracture, 14,979 for septic knee, 3,205 for septic hip, and 4,730 for cauda equina syndrome. On multivariable analysis, patients with Medicaid experienced significantly longer time to surgery for hip fracture, femur fracture, pelvic fracture, septic knee, and cauda equina syndrome ( P < 0.05 all). Black patients experienced longer time to surgery for hip fracture, femur fracture, septic knee, septic hip, and cauda equina syndrome, and Hispanic patients experienced longer time to surgery for hip fracture, femur fracture, pelvic fracture, and cauda equina syndrome ( P < 0.05 all)., Discussion: The results of this study demonstrate that Medicaid-insured patients, and often minority patients, experience longer delays to surgery than privately insured and White patients. Future work should endeavor to identify causes of these disparities to promote creation of policies aimed at improving timely access to care for Medicaid-insured and minority patients., Level of Evidence: III., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Introduction: Total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and reverse TSA (rTSA) are successful treatments for end-stage shoulder arthritis. However, it is unknown whether prior arthroscopy is associated with an increased risk for revision surgery. This study investigates if undergoing a shoulder arthroscopy in the year prior to primary arthroplasty increases risk of revision surgery within 2 years., Methods: Patients who underwent TSA or rTSA between 2005 and 2017 were identified in a natinal claims database and stratified into two cohorts: (1) individuals with a history of shoulder arthroscopy prior to arthroplasty and (2) individuals with no documented history of arthroscopy prior to arthroplasty. These cohorts were propensity matched based on demographic and comorbidity factors. Univariate analysis was used to determine differences in revision rates, aseptic loosening, periprosthetic fracture, and infection between the two cohorts., Results: Seven hundred and eighty-eight patients were successfully matched from the two cohorts. Revision surgery (3.4% vs. 1.4%, p  =  0.001) and aseptic loosening (2.2% vs. 0.8% p  =  0.021) were significantly more common in the arthroscopy cohort. Periprosthetic fracture and periprosthetic infection were not found to be significantly different between cohorts., Discussion: Shoulder arthroscopy in the year prior to shoulder arthroplasty is associated with an increased risk of complications, including revision and aseptic loosening., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Background: There is no clear consensus regarding patient populations at highest risk for complications from simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the comorbidities comprising the modified Frailty Index (mFI) were correlated with poor outcomes following simultaneous bilateral TKA., Methods: From 2006 to 2019, patients undergoing bilateral TKA aged 50 years or older were identified in a national database. The 5-item mFI was calculated based on the presence of five comorbidities: diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and dependent functional status. Chi-squared and multivariable regression analyses were used to evaluate the association of mFI scores with postoperative complications., Results: The study analyzed 8,776 patients with an average age of 65 years. After adjustment on multivariable regression analysis, compared to patients with a mFI score of 0, those with a score of 1 had an increased risk of pulmonary complication (OR 3.14; p = 0.011), renal problem (OR 12.86; p = 0.022), sepsis complication (OR 2.82; p = 0.024), postoperative transfusion (OR 1.19; p = 0.012), and non-home discharge (OR 1.17; p = 0.002).Patients with a score of 2 compared to 0 had similar complications when compared. These patients had an increased risk of cardiac complication (OR 4.84; p = 0.009) and prolonged hospital stay (OR 4.06; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Increased mFI scores were associated with significantly higher complication rates in patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral TKA compared to unilateral TKA. Our results can be used to identify which patients may need a staged bilateral TKA or preoperative optimization to safely undergo a simultaneous bilateral TKA., Level of Evidence: III., 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 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Revision shoulder arthroplasty continues to add an increasing burden on patients and the healthcare system. This study aimed to delineate long-term shoulder arthroplasty revision incidence, quantify associated Medicare spending, and identify relevant predictors of both revision and spending., Methods: The complete 2016-2022 (Q3) Medicare fee-for-service inpatient and outpatient claims data was analyzed. Patients receiving a primary total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) for osteoarthritis, rotator cuff pathology, or inflammatory arthropathy were included and subsequent ipsilateral revision surgeries were identified. The time to revision was modeled using the Prentice, Williams, and Peterson Gap Time Model. Medicare spending within 90 days postdischarge was modeled using a generalized linear model. The analysis was subdivided by index procedure type: anatomic TSA and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA)., Results: A total of 82,949 primary TSAs and 172,524 RSAs were identified. Compared to index TSA cases, index RSA cases had a lower first revision rate in an observation window of nearly 7 years (1.9% vs. 3.5%, P < .001), but a higher rate of second (11.4% vs. 4.9%, P < .001) as well as third revision (13.8% vs. 13.8%, P = .449). TSA spending was significantly lower than RSA spending for the index procedure ($21,531 vs. $23,267, P < .001), first ($23,096 vs. $26,414, P < .001), and second ($25,060 vs. $29,983, P < .001) revision. There was no statistically significant difference in third revision between TSA and RSA groups ($31,313 vs. $30,829, P = .860). Age, sex, race, and rheumatoid arthritis were among the top predictors of revisions. Top predictors of Medicare spending included having a non-osteoarthritis surgical indication, a hospital stay of 3 or more days, a discharge to a setting other than home, malnutrition, dementia, stroke, major kidney diseases, and being operated on in a teaching hospital., Conclusion: Compared with TSA, RSA was associated with a lower first revision rate, but a higher subsequent revision rate. An index RSA procedure was also associated with higher initial Medicare spending as well as subsequent revision surgery spending compared with an index TSA procedure. Demographics and comorbid medical conditions were among the top predictors of revisions, while procedure-related factors predicted Medicare spending., (Copyright © 2024 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To characterize the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), and ACL nonoperative management from 2010 to 2020, stratifying by age, biological sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score., Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using the PearlDiver national insurance claims database. Cohorts of patients with ACL tears, ACLR, and nonoperative management were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revision and Current Procedural Terminology codes between 2010 and 2020. All patients with ACL tears were included. Patients were stratified by age, sex, and CCI. Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) analysis, t tests, and Cohen d tests were performed to analyze trends and demographic variables., Results: Of 931,186 ACL tears during the study period, 196,589 were managed with ACLR and 734,597 were managed nonoperatively. The cumulative incidence of ACL tears was 75.19 tears per 100,000 person-years. There was a modest decrease in the incidence of ACL tears, ACLR, and nonoperative management from 2010 to 2020, with CAGRs of -3.43%, -3.55%, and -5.35%, respectively. The relative use of ACLR compared with nonoperative management increased from 2010 to 2020 (CAGR 2.15%). Patients aged 10 to 19 years accounted for the majority of ACL tears (22.31%) and ACLRs (30.97%). A slight majority of ACL tears (51.2%, P < .001), ACLR (50.7%, P < .001), and ACL tears with nonoperative management (51.6%, P < .001) occurred in female patients. The mean CCI of patients who underwent ACLR (mean = 0.32; standard deviation [SD] = 0.77) was significantly lower than that of the general ACL tear cohort (mean = 0.54; SD = 1.19; P = .005), and the nonoperative management cohort (mean = 0.64; SD 1.32; P = .0004)., Conclusions: The overall decrease in ACL tears, ACLR, and nonoperative management found in this study is a reversal from trends reported in the literature from previous decades., Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective case series., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: M.J.B. reports a relationship with Arthrex and Smith & Nephew that includes consulting or advisory. All other authors (V.E.B., U.A., M.H., H.F.) 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 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Numerous applications and strategies have been utilized to help assess the trends and patterns of readmissions after orthopaedic surgery in an attempt to extrapolate possible risk factors and causative agents. The aim of this work is to systematically summarize the available literature on the extent to which natural language processing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) can help improve the predictability of hospital readmissions after orthopaedic and spine surgeries., Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar were searched, up until August 30, 2023, for studies that explore the use of AI, natural language processing, and machine learning tools for the prediction of readmission rates after orthopedic procedures. Data regarding surgery type, patient population, readmission outcomes, advanced models utilized, comparison methods, predictor sets, the inclusion of perioperative predictors, validation method, size of training and testing sample, accuracy, and receiver operating characteristics (C-statistic), among other factors, were extracted and assessed., Results: A total of 26 studies were included in our final dataset. The overall summary C-statistic showed a mean of 0.71 across all models, indicating a reasonable level of predictiveness. A total of 15 articles (57%) were attributed to the spine, making it the most commonly explored orthopaedic field in our study. When comparing accuracy of prediction models between different fields, models predicting readmissions after hip/knee arthroplasty procedures had a higher prediction accuracy (mean C-statistic = 0.79) than spine (mean C-statistic = 0.7) and shoulder (mean C-statistic = 0.67). In addition, models that used single institution data, and those that included intraoperative and/or postoperative outcomes, had a higher mean C-statistic than those utilizing other data sources, and that include only preoperative predictors. According to the Prediction model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool, the majority of the articles in our study had a high risk of bias., Conclusion: AI tools perform reasonably well in predicting readmissions after orthopaedic procedures. Future work should focus on standardizing study methodologies and designs, and improving the data analysis process, in an attempt to produce more reliable and tangible results., Level of Evidence: Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSREV/B118)., (Copyright © 2024 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Purpose: To characterize the incidence of meniscus surgery from 2010 to 2020 in the United States, using the metrics of age, sex, type of meniscus surgery, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI)., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using the PearlDiver national insurance claims database from 2010 to 2020. Meniscus surgeries were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes. Patients were stratified by procedure type, age, biological sex, and CCI scores. Compound annual growth rate analysis and analysis of variance were performed to analyze the trends and demographic variables between cohorts., Results: Of 2,053,884 meniscus surgeries, 94.7% were meniscectomies, 0.3% were open repairs, 4.9% were arthroscopic repairs, and 0.1% were meniscal transplantations. Compound annual growth rate analysis displayed a 4.0% decrease per year in total meniscus surgery. For individual procedure types, the largest decrease was in meniscectomy, and the largest increase was in open repair. Patients undergoing meniscal transplantation were youngest, with the lowest CCI. Meniscectomy patients were oldest, and open repair patients had the highest average CCI. Most procedures were performed on female patients (52.4%) and patients in the 50- to 59-year age group (30.4%)., Conclusions: There was a sustained decrease in the incidence of total meniscus surgeries from 2010 to 2020. Meniscectomy was the procedure with the highest incidence, but it showed the most significant decline in usage over the study period. Conversely, meniscal repair and transplantation procedures increased during the study period., Level of Evidence: Level IV, epidemiologic study., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: M.J.B. is a consultant or advisor for Arthrex and Smith & Nephew. All other authors (V.E.B., U.A., M.H., J.D.M.) 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 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Total joint arthroplasties (TJAs) have recently been shifting toward outpatient arthroplasty. This study aims to explore recent trends in outpatient total joint arthroplasty (TJA) procedures and examine whether patients with a higher comorbidity burden are undergoing outpatient arthroplasty., Methods: Medicare fee-for-service claims were screened for patients who underwent total hip, knee, or shoulder arthroplasty procedures between January 2019 and December 2022. The procedure was considered to be outpatient if the patient was discharged on the same date of the procedure. The Hierarchical Condition Category Score (HCC) and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores were used to assess patient comorbidity burden. Patient adverse outcomes included all-cause hospital readmission, mortality, and postoperative complications. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate if higher HCC/CCI scores were associated with adverse patient outcomes., Results: A total of 69,520, 116,411, and 41,922 respective total knee, hip, and shoulder arthroplasties were identified, respectively. Despite earlier removal from the inpatient-only list, outpatient knee and hip surgical volume did not markedly increase until the pandemic started. By 2022Q4, 16%, 23%, and 36% of hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasties were discharged on the same day of surgery, respectively. Both HCC and CCI risk scores in outpatients increased over time ( P < 0.001)., Discussion: TJA procedures are shifting toward outpatient surgery over time, largely driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. TJA outpatients' HCC and CCI risk scores increased over this same period, and additional research to determine the effects of this should be pursued., Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic retrospective cohort study., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Objectives: In American football, hand injuries have been shown to negatively impact performance. The purpose of this study is to characterize the prevalence and severity of hand injuries in National Football League (NFL) players., Methods: A public online database was utilized to identify hand injuries in NFL players from 2009-2010 to 2019-2020. The primary outcome was to analyze the overall incidence of hand injuries (including wrist, metacarpus, finger, and thumb), injury type by each aforementioned anatomic location, and player position. Injury severity was evaluated based on percentage of injuries in which players returned to play (RTP), number of games missed before RTP, and the percentage of injuries resulting in the player being placed on injured reserve (IR)., Results: Of the 6,127 players included, 847 (13.8%) players sustained a hand injury, of which 24.8%, 34.3%, 17.9%, and 22.9% occurred at the wrist, metacarpus, finger, and thumb, respectively. Of the injured players, 97.4% returned to play following their injury, 14.8% were put on IR, and an average of 1.7 (SD 3.3) games were missed. Quarterbacks were the most likely to sustain hand injuries at all anatomic locations. Wrist injuries were associated with the lowest RTP rate (93.3%), the most players placed on injured reserve (28.6%), and the greatest number of games missed (mean 2.5, SD 4.2)., Conclusion: Hand injuries decreased in prevalence by 65.6% over the 11 NFL seasons evaluated. This trend coincides with the implementation of several safety rules that relate to components of play involving the hands. Quarterbacks experienced the greatest prevalence and severity for all hand injuries. Wrist injuries represent the anatomic location associated with the greatest severity. These findings may be able to inform tailored injury prevention practices by position, and advocate for the further adoption of safety rules to protect players from further injury.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to observe the trends in (1) utilization of meniscus allograft transplantation (MAT), (2) demographics and comorbidities of patients undergoing transplants and (3) reimbursements for this procedure between the years of 2010 and 2019., Methods: Using a national database, patients who underwent MAT were observed. Incidence of MAT, percentage of female patients, average age, and average Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) were analyzed between 2010 and 2019. Average reimbursement during the index and postoperative 90-day bundle period were also calculated from 2010 to 2019. Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of change in incidence, demographic and reimbursement was calculated, and linear regressionwas conducted for each trends analysis., Results: In total, 744 patients underwent a MAT between the years of 2010 and 2019. The incidence of MAT increased from 0.12 per 100,000 to 0.15 per 100,000 during this period but was not statistically significant (p=0.345). There was no significant difference in age (p=0.462) and gender (p=0.831) among the patients, but the average CCI significantly increased from 2010 to 2019 (CAGR: +15.30; p=0.001). The total reimbursement in the index (p=0.451) and 90-day bundle period (p=0.191) did not significantly change from 2010 to 2019., Conclusions: Although MAT has been shown to be a safe and reliable surgery for the treatment of meniscus deficient knees, the incidence of MAT as well as the population undergoing MAT has minimally increased from 2010 to 2019. Future studies should seek to identify why the utilization of this efficacious surgery has not increased., Level of Evidence: IV; Descriptive Epidemiology Study.

Introduction: Orthopaedic surgery is culpable, in part, for the excessive carbon emissions in health care partly due to the utilization of disposable instrumentation in most procedures, such as rotator cuff repair (RCR). To address growing concerns about hospital waste, some have considered replacing disposable instrumentation with reusable instrumentation. The purpose of this study was to estimate the cost and carbon footprint of waste disposal of RCR kits that use disposable instrumentation compared with reusable instrumentation., Methods: The mass of the necessary materials and their packaging to complete a four-anchor RCR from four medical device companies that use disposable instrumentation and one that uses reusable instrumentation were recorded. Using the cost of medical waste disposal at our institution ($0.14 per kilogram) and reported values from the literature for carbon emissions produced from the low-temperature incineration of noninfectious waste (249 kgCO 2 e/t) and infectious waste (569 kgCO 2 e/t), we estimated the waste management cost and carbon footprint of waste disposal produced per RCR kit., Results: The disposable systems of four commercial medical device companies had 783%, 570%, 1,051%, and 478%, respectively, greater mass and waste costs when compared with the reusable system. The cost of waste disposal for the reusable instrumentation system costs on average $0.14 less than the disposable instrumentation systems. The estimated contribution to the overall carbon footprint produced from the disposal of a RCR kit that uses reusable instrumentation was on average 0.37 kg CO2e less than the disposable instrumentation systems., Conclusion: According to our analysis, reusable instrumentation in four-anchor RCR leads to decreased waste and waste disposal costs and lower carbon emissions from waste disposal. Additional research should be done to assess the net benefit reusable systems may have on hospitals and the effect this may have on a long-term decrease in carbon footprint., Level of Evidence: Level II., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Background: The current literature has differing views on the efficacy of concomitant distal claviculectomy (DC) during rotator cuff repair (RCR) in preventing revision surgery. Our aim was to investigate the revision surgery rate between RCR with DC and RCR without DC., Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using a national claims database. Patients undergoing open or arthroscopic primary RCR with or without concomitant DC were identified. The primary outcome was 4-year revision surgery rates. Univariate analysis was conducted using chi-square or Student t tests. Multivariable analysis was conducted using logistic regression, and an adjusted number needed to harm was calculated., Results: A total of 131,232 patients met inclusion criteria. After logistic regression, patients undergoing RCR with DC had higher odds of requiring a subsequent DC procedure [OR; 95% CI; P-value (1.49; 1.35-1.64; P < 0.001)] but lower odds of any revision surgery (0.87; 0.80-0.91; P < 0.001) within 4 years than those who underwent RCR without DC., Conclusion: Although associated with a lower rate of overall revision surgeries within 2 and 4 years of RCR, those who underwent RCR with DC were 85% more likely at 2 years and 49% more likely at 4 years to undergo revision surgery of the distal clavicle than those without concomitant DC., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most prevalent substance use disorder in the United States. However, the current literature on AUD as a preoperative risk factor for Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (TSA) outcomes is limited. The purpose of this study was to identify the association of AUD with revision rates and 90-day postoperative complications in TSA., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using the PearlDiver database. Patients diagnosed with AUD were identified. Patients in remission or with underlying cirrhosis were excluded. Outcomes included 2-year revision, 90-day readmission, 90-day emergency, and 90-day post-operative medical complications. Analysis was performed with univariate chi-squared tests followed by multivariable logistic regression., Results: A total of 59,261 patients who underwent TSA for osteoarthritis were identified, with 1522 patients having a diagnosis of AUD. Multivariable logistic regression showed that patients with AUD were more likely to undergo 2-year all-cause revision (OR = 1.49, p   =  0.007), 2-year aseptic revision (OR = 1.47, p   =  0.014), 90-day hospital readmission (OR = 1.57, p   =  0.015), and 90-day transient mental disorder (OR = 2.13, p   =  0.026)., Conclusions: AUD is associated with increased rates of 2-year revision surgery, as well as 90-day readmission and 90-day transient mental disorder following primary TSA for osteoarthritis. These findings may assist orthopedic surgeons in counseling patients with AUD during the pre-operative course., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Background: With the increased utilization of Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (TSA) in the outpatient setting, understanding the risk factors associated with complications and hospital readmissions becomes a more significant consideration. Prior developed assessment metrics in the literature either consisted of hard-to-implement tools or relied on postoperative data to guide decision-making. This study aimed to develop a preoperative risk assessment tool to help predict the risk of hospital readmission and other postoperative adverse outcomes., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the 2019-2022(Q2) Medicare fee-for-service inpatient and outpatient claims data to identify primary anatomic or reserve TSAs and to predict postoperative adverse outcomes within 90 days postdischarge, including all-cause hospital readmissions, postoperative complications, emergency room visits, and mortality. We screened 108 candidate predictors, including demographics, social determinants of health, TSA indications, prior 12-month hospital, and skilled nursing home admissions, comorbidities measured by hierarchical conditional categories, and prior orthopedic device-related complications. We used two approaches to reduce the number of predictors based on 80% of the data: 1) the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator logistic regression and 2) the machine-learning-based cross-validation approach, with the resulting predictor sets being assessed in the remaining 20% of the data. A scoring system was created based on the final regression models' coefficients, and score cutoff points were determined for low, medium, and high-risk patients., Results: A total of 208,634 TSA cases were included. There was a 6.8% hospital readmission rate with 11.2% of cases having at least one postoperative adverse outcome. Fifteen covariates were identified for predicting hospital readmission with the area under the curve of 0.70, and 16 were selected to predict any adverse postoperative outcome (area under the curve = 0.75). The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator and machine learning approaches had similar performance. Advanced age and a history of fracture due to orthopedic devices are among the top predictors of hospital readmissions and other adverse outcomes. The score range for hospital readmission and an adverse postoperative outcome was 0 to 48 and 0 to 79, respectively. The cutoff points for the low, medium, and high-risk categories are 0-9, 10-14, ≥15 for hospital readmissions, and 0-11, 12-16, ≥17 for the composite outcome., Conclusion: Based on Medicare fee-for-service claims data, this study presents a preoperative risk stratification tool to assess hospital readmission or adverse surgical outcomes following TSA. Further investigation is warranted to validate these tools in a variety of diverse demographic settings and improve their predictive performance., (Copyright © 2024 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: An abundance of literature exists linking eating disorders and fracture risk. However, no studies, to our knowledge, have investigated the impact of eating disorders on lower extremity soft tissue injury or surgery risk. The purpose of this study was to determine if anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are associated with prevalence of lower extremity soft tissue injuries and surgeries., Methods: Patients with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa over 2010-2020 were identified through the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in the PearlDiver Claims Database. Patients were matched by age, gender, comorbidities, record dates, and region to control groups without anorexia or bulimia. Soft tissue injuries were identified through ICD codes, and surgeries were identified through Current Procedural Terminology codes. Differences in relative prevalence were analyzed using chi-square analysis., Results: Patients with anorexia had a significantly increased prevalence of meniscus tears (RR = 1.57, CI 1.22-2.03, p  = 0.001) or deltoid ligament sprains (RR = 1.83, CI 1.10-3.03, p  = 0.025), and patients with bulimia had a significantly increased prevalence of meniscus tears (RR = 1.98, CI 1.56-2.51, p  < 0.001), medial collateral ligament sprains (RR = 3.07, CI 1.72-5.48, p  < 0.001), any cruciate ligament tears (RR = 2.14, CI 1.29-3.53, p  = 0.004), unspecified ankle sprains (RR = 1.56, CI 1.22-1.99, p  < 0.001), or any ankle ligament sprains (RR = 1.27, CI 1.07-1.52, p  = 0.008). Patients with anorexia had a significantly increased prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions (RR = 2.83, CI 1.12-7.17, p  = 0.037) or any meniscus surgeries (RR = 1.54, CI 1.03-2.29, p  = 0.042), and patients with bulimia had a significantly increased prevalence of partial meniscectomies (RR = 1.80, CI 1.26-2.58, p  = 0.002) or any meniscus surgeries (RR = 1.83, CI 1.29-2.60, p  < 0.001)., Conclusions: Anorexia and bulimia are associated with increased prevalence of soft tissue injuries and surgeries. Orthopedic surgeons should be aware of this risk, and patients presenting to clinics should be informed of the risks associated with these diagnoses and provided with resources promoting recovery to help prevent further injury or surgery.

Background: Despite growing interest in delivering high-value orthopaedic care, the costs associated with hip arthroscopy remain poorly understood. By employing time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC), we aimed to characterize the cost composition of hip arthroscopy for labral pathological conditions and to identify factors that drive variation in cost., Methods: Using TDABC, we measured the costs of 890 outpatient hip arthroscopy procedures for labral pathological conditions across 5 surgeons at 4 surgery centers from 2015 to 2022. All patients were ≥18 years old and were treated by surgeons who each performed ≥20 surgeries during the study period. Costs were normalized to protect the confidentiality of internal hospital cost data. Descriptive analyses and multivariable linear regression were performed to identify factors underlying cost variation., Results: The study sample consisted of 515 women (57.9%) and 375 men (42.1%), with a mean age (and standard deviation) of 37.1 ± 12.7 years. Most of the procedures were performed in patients who were White (90.6%) or not Hispanic (93.4%). The normalized total cost of hip arthroscopy per procedure ranged from 43.4 to 203.7 (mean, 100 ± 24.2). Of the 3 phases of the care cycle, the intraoperative phase was identified as the largest generator of cost (>90%). On average, supply costs accounted for 48.8% of total costs, whereas labor costs accounted for 51.2%. A 2.5-fold variation between the 10th and 90th percentiles for total cost was attributed to supplies, which was greater than the 1.8-fold variation attributed to labor. Variation in total costs was most effectively explained by the labral management method (partial R2 = 0.332), operating surgeon (partial R2 = 0.326), osteoplasty type (partial R2 = 0.087), and surgery center (partial R2 = 0.086). Male gender (p < 0.001) and younger age (p = 0.032) were also associated with significantly increased costs. Finally, data trends revealed a shift toward labral preservation techniques over debridement during the study period (with the rate of such techniques increasing from 77.8% to 93.2%; Ptrend = 0.0039) and a strong correlation between later operative year and increased supply costs, labor costs, and operative time (p < 0.001 for each)., Conclusions: By applying TDABC to outpatient hip arthroscopy, we identified wide patient-to-patient cost variation that was most effectively explained by the method of labral management, the operating surgeon, the osteoplasty type, and the surgery center. Given current procedural coding trends, declining reimbursements, and rising health-care costs, these insights may enable stakeholders to design bundled payment structures that better align reimbursements with costs., Level of Evidence: Economic and Decision Analysis Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence., Competing Interests: Disclosure: This study was supported by the Conine Family Fund for Joint Preservation, which also funded the Article Processing Charge for open access publication. The funding source played no role in the investigation. The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJS/I32)., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated. All rights reserved.)

Background: To effectively counsel patients prior to shoulder arthroplasty, surgeons should understand the overall life trajectory and life expectancy of patients in the context of the patient's shoulder pathology and medical comorbidities. Such an understanding can influence both operative and nonoperative decision-making and implant choices. This study evaluated 5-year mortality following shoulder arthroplasty in patients ≥65 years old and identified associated risk factors., Methods: We utilized Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Fee-for-Service inpatient and outpatient claims data to investigate the 5-year mortality rate following shoulder arthroplasty procedures performed from 2014 to 2016. The impact of patient demographics, including fracture diagnosis, year fixed effects, and state fixed effects; patient comorbidities; and hospital-level characteristics on 5-year mortality rates were assessed with use of a Cox proportional hazards regression model. A p value of <0.05 was considered significant., Results: A total of 108,667 shoulder arthroplasty cases (96,104 nonfracture and 12,563 fracture) were examined. The cohort was 62.7% female and 5.8% non-White and had a mean age at surgery of 74.3 years. The mean 5-year mortality rate was 16.6% across all shoulder arthroplasty cases, 14.9% for nonfracture cases, and 29.9% for fracture cases. The trend toward higher mortality in the fracture group compared with the nonfracture group was sustained throughout the 5-year postoperative period, with a fracture diagnosis being associated with a hazard ratio of 1.63 for mortality (p < 0.001). Medical comorbidities were associated with an increased risk of mortality, with liver disease bearing the highest hazard ratio (3.07; p < 0.001), followed by chronic kidney disease (2.59; p < 0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1.92; p < 0.001), and congestive heart failure (1.90; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: The mean 5-year mortality following shoulder arthroplasty was 16.6%. Patients with a fracture diagnosis had a significantly higher 5-year mortality risk (29.9%) than those with a nonfracture diagnosis (14.9%). Medical comorbidities had the greatest impact on mortality risk, with chronic liver and kidney disease being the most noteworthy. This novel longer-term data can help with patient education and risk stratification prior to undergoing shoulder replacement., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence., Competing Interests: Disclosure: No external funding was received for this work. The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSOA/A622)., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated. All rights reserved.)

Background: In January 2021, the US Medicare program approved reimbursement of outpatient total shoulder arthroplasties (TSA), including anatomic and reverse TSAs. It remains unclear whether shifting TSAs from the inpatient to outpatient setting has affected clinical outcomes. Herein, we describe the rate of outpatient TSA growth and compare inpatient and outpatient TSA complications, readmissions, and mortality., Methods: Medicare fee-for-service claims for 2019-2022Q1 were analyzed to identify the trends in outpatient TSAs and to compare 90-day postoperative complications, all-cause hospital readmissions, and mortality between outpatients and inpatients. Outpatient cases were defined as those discharged on the same day of the surgery. To reduce the COVID-19 pandemic's impact and selection bias, we excluded 2020Q2-Q4 data and used propensity scores to match 2021-2022Q1 outpatients with inpatients from the same period (the primary analysis) and from 2019-2020Q1 (the secondary analysis), respectively. We performed both propensity score-matched and -weighted multivariate analyses to compare outcomes between the two groups. Covariates included sociodemographics, preoperative diagnosis, comorbid conditions, the Hierarchical Condition Category risk score, prior year hospital/skilled nursing home admissions, annual surgeon volume, and hospital characteristics., Results: Nationally, the proportion of outpatient TSAs increased from 3% (619) in 2019Q1 to 22% (3456) in 2021Q1 and 38% (6778) in 2022Q1. A total of 55,166 cases were identified for the primary analysis (14,540 outpatients and 40,576 inpatients). Overall, glenohumeral osteoarthritis was the most common indication for surgery (70.8%), followed by rotator cuff pathology (14.6%). The unadjusted rates of complications (1.3 vs 2.4%, P < .001), readmissions (3.7 vs 6.1%, P < .001), and mortality (0.2 vs 0.4%, P = .024) were significantly lower among outpatient TSAs than inpatient TSAs. Using 1:1 nearest matching, 12,703 patient pairs were identified. Propensity score-matched multivariate analyses showed similar rates of postoperative complications, hospital readmissions, and mortality between outpatients and inpatients. Propensity score-weighted multivariate analyses resulted in similar conclusions. The secondary analysis showed a lower hospital readmission rate in outpatients (odds ratio: 0.8, P < .001)., Conclusions: There has been accelerated growth in outpatient TSAs since 2019. Outpatient and inpatient TSAs have similar rates of postoperative complication, hospital readmission, and mortality., (Copyright © 2023 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: We aimed to use a national database to compare the 4-year revision surgery rates after rotator cuff repair (RCR) in patients with concomitant biceps tenodesis (BT) versus those without BT., Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using the PearlDiver database from 2015 to 2017. Patients undergoing primary open and arthroscopic RCR with and without BT were identified. Demographic variables, 90-day complications, and 2- and 4-year revision surgery rates were analyzed, and a multivariable logistic regression was conducted., Results: Of the 131,155 patients undergoing RCR, 24,487 (18.7%) underwent concomitant BT and 106,668 (81.3%) did not. After controlling for comorbidities and demographics, patients with concomitant BT were associated with lower odds of all-cause revision (OR; P-value [0.77; P < 0.001]), revision BT (0.65; P < 0.001), revision RCR (0.72; P < 0.001), and shoulder arthroplasty (0.81; P = 0.001) within 4 years when compared with those without concomitant BT., Discussion: In our analysis, patients undergoing primary RCR with concomitant BT had 35% reduced odds of revision BT and 23% reduced odds of any all-cause revision within 4 years when compared with those without concomitant BT. This suggests that tenodesis at the time of primary RCR may be associated with a reduction in the utilization of ipsilateral shoulder revision surgery rates., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Background: Understanding the role of social determinants of health disparities (SDHDs) in surgical outcomes can better prepare providers to improve postoperative care. In this study, we use International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes to identify SDHDs and investigate the risk of postoperative complication rates among patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA)., Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using a national insurance claims database. Using ICD and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, patients who underwent primary TSA with at least 2 years of follow-up in the database were identified. Patients with a history of SDHDs were identified using appropriate ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. Patients were grouped in one of 2 cohorts: (1) patients with no history of SDHDs (control) and (2) patients with a history of SDHDs (SDHD group) prior to TSA. The SDHD and control groups were matched 1:1 for comorbidities and demographics prior to conducting multivariable analysis for 90-day medical complications and 2-year surgical complications., Results: After matching, there were 8023 patients in the SDHD group and 8023 patients in the control group. The SDHD group had significantly higher odds for 90-day medical complications including heart failure, cerebrovascular accident, renal failure, deep vein thrombosis, pneumonia, sepsis, and urinary tract infection. Additionally, the SDHD group had significantly higher odds for revision surgery within 2 years following TSA. Patients in the SDHD group also had a significantly longer length of hospital stay following TSA., Discussion: This study highlights the association between SDHDs and postoperative complications following TSA. Quantifying the risk of complications and differences in length of stay for TSA patients with a history of SDHDs is important in determining value-based payment models and risk stratifying to optimize patient care., (Copyright © 2023 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study aimed to observe the 5-year knee arthroplasty conversion incidence rate and associated risk factors in patients who underwent meniscus procedures., Methods: Using a national database, we analyzed patients who had undergone primary meniscus repair or meniscectomy without prior knee surgeries. The cumulative knee arthroplasty conversion incidence was determined via Kaplan Meier analysis. Risk factors for conversion within 5 years were assessed using a Cox proportional hazard ratio model, with results as hazard ratios (HR)., Results: 8125 patients had meniscus repair, while 240,209 had meniscectomy. 5-year conversion rates: repair 1.7%, meniscectomy 8.4%. Arthroplasty likelihood decreased as age decreased for repair (70+ [HR: 162.20]; 60-69 [HR: 81.64]; 50-59 [HR: 49.85]; 40-49 [HR: 17.79]; p < 0.001 all). Additional risk factors included male sex (HR: 0.35; p < 0.001) and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) (CCI1 [HR: 1.28; p = 0.012]). For meniscectomy, arthroplasty likelihood also decreased with age (70+ [HR: 99.41]; 60-69 [HR: 84.57]; 50-59 [HR: 66.60]; 40-49 [HR: 36.15]; 30-39 [HR: 10.18]; p < 0.001 all). Additional risk factors included male sex (HR: 0.68; p < 0.001), obesity (HR: 1.18; p < 0.001), smoking (HR: 0.1.12; p = 0.010), and higher CCI (CCI1 [HR: 1.25]; CCI2 [HR 1.39]; CCI3+ [HR 1.46]; p < 0.001 all)., Conclusion: This study revealed the national 5-year conversion incidence following primary meniscus repair (1.7%) and meniscectomy (8.4%). It also enhanced understanding of age, sex, obesity, smoking, comorbidities (CCI), and knee arthroplasty likelihood after meniscus procedures., (© 2024 Professor P K Surendran Memorial Education Foundation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine if factors comprising the mFI were correlated with adverse outcomes following surgical intervention of tibial shaft fractures., Methods: We identified patients 50 years or older with tibial shaft fractures that were managed surgically from a national database from 2007-2019. The 5-item mFI score, which comprised of diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, dependent functional status, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, was calculated for each patient. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of different mFI scores with thirty-day postoperative outcomes., Results: 1,159 total patients (mean age of 65 years) were included in this study. After controlling for confounding variables on multivariate analysis, compared to patients with a mFI of 0, those with a score of 1 had an increased risk of major complications (OR 5.11; p=0.038), minor complications (OR 3.11; p=0.004), readmission (OR 2.75; p=0.020), postoperative transfusion (OR 2.22; p=0.037), prolonged hospital stay (OR 1.88; p<0.001), and non-home discharge (OR 1.52; p=0.014). Similar increased risk of complications was seen for patients with a mFI of 2 compared to those with a score of 0: major complications (OR 9.49; p=0.004), readmission (OR 3.73; p=0.003), postoperative transfusion (OR 4.07; p<0.001), prolonged hospital stay (OR 2.50; p<0.001), and non-home discharge (OR 2.32; p<0.001)., Conclusion: Higher scores on the mFI were associated with higher complication rates in patients following surgical treatment of tibial shaft fractures. The modified frailty index is a useful tool for surgeons to assess risk before operation., Competing Interests: The authors do NOT have any potential conflicts of interest for this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.)

Purpose: A debilitating complication following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is a secondary meniscus tear. Currently, the literature is mixed regarding the risk factors associated with the incidence of secondary meniscus tears. The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors associated with meniscus tears following an isolated primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. ACL graft failure was hypothesized to be the strongest risk factor for secondary meniscal injury occurrence., Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using the PearlDiver Database. Patients with a primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were identified in the database. Patients with concomitant knee ligament injury or meniscus injury present at the time the index procedure were excluded. Patients were grouped to those who had a secondary meniscus tear within 2 years following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and those who did not. Univariate analysis and multivariable regression analysis was conducted to identify significant risk factors for a secondary meniscus tear., Results: There were 25,622 patients meeting criteria for inclusion in this study. Within 2 years from the primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, there were 1,781 patients (7.0%) that experienced a meniscus tear. Graft failure had the highest odds of having a postoperative meniscus tear within 2 years (OR: 4.1; CI 3.5-4.8; p < 0.002). Additional significant risk factors included tobacco use (OR: 2.0; CI 1.0-3.1; p < 0.001), increased Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR: 1.2; CI 1.1-1.4), male gender (OR: 1.1; CI 1.1-1.2; p < 0.001), obesity (OR: 1.1; CI 1.1-1.2; p < 0.001), delayed surgery (OR:1.1; CI 1.1-1.2; p < 0.002), and patients age 30 and older (OR: 1.0; CI 1.0-1.0; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: This study found that anterior cruciate ligament graft failure is the strongest predictor of post-operative meniscus tears. Other risk factors, including tobacco use, increased CCI, male gender, obesity, delayed surgery, and age 30 and older, were established, with several being modifiable. Therefore, targeted preoperative optimization of modifiable risk factors and postoperative protocols may reduce the risk of secondary meniscus tears., Level of Evidence: Level III, prognostic trial., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, Arthroscopy (ESSKA).)

Background: Our purpose was to evaluate a custom reverse total shoulder arthroplasty glenoid baseplate for severe glenoid deficiency, emphasizing the challenges with this approach, including short-term clinical and radiographic outcomes and complications., Methods: This was a single-institution, retrospective series of 29 patients between January 2017 and December 2022 for whom a custom glenoid component was created for extensive glenoid bone loss. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and at intervals for up to 5 years. All received preoperative physical examinations, plain radiographs, and computed tomography (CT). Intra- and postoperative complications are reported., Results: Of 29 patients, delays resulted in only undergoing surgery, and in three of those, the implant did not match the glenoid. For those three, the time from CT scan to implantation averaged 7.6 months (range, 6.1-10.7 months), compared with 5.5 months (range, 2-8.6 months) for those whose implants fit. In patients with at least 2-year follow-up (n=9), no failures occurred. Significant improvements were observed in all patient-reported outcome measures in those nine patients (American Shoulder and Elbow Score, P<0.01; Simple Shoulder Test, P=0.02; Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, P<0.01; Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder Index, P<0.01). Range of motion improved for forward flexion and abduction (P=0.03 for both) and internal rotation up the back (P=0.02). Pain and satisfaction also improved (P<0.01 for both)., Conclusions: Prolonged time (>6 months) from CT scan to device implantation resulted in bone loss that rendered the implants unusable. Satisfactory short-term radiographic and clinical follow-up can be achieved with a well-fitting device. Level of evidence: III.

Background: Few studies have investigated whether social determinants of health disparities (SDHD), which include economic, social, education, health care, and environmental factors, identified through International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes are associated with increased odds for poor health outcomes. We aimed to investigate the association between SDHD, identified through this novel methodology, as well as postoperative complications following total knee arthroplasty (TKA)., Methods: Using a national insurance claims database, a retrospective cohort analysis was performed. Patients were selected using Current Procedural Terminology and ICD codes for primary TKA between 2010 and 2019. Patients were stratified into 2 groups using ICD codes, those who had SDHD and those who did not, and propensity matched 1:1 for age, sex, a comorbidity score, and other comorbidities. After matching, 207,844 patients were included, with 103,922 patients in each cohort. Odds ratios (ORs) for 90-day medical and 2-year surgical complications were obtained using multivariable logistical regressions., Results: In patients who have SDHD, multivariable analysis demonstrated higher odds of readmission (OR): 1.12; P = .013) and major and minor medical complications (OR: 2.09; P < .001) within 90-days as well as higher odds of revision surgery (OR: 1.77; P < .001) and periprosthetic joint infection (OR: 1.30; P < .001) within 2-years., Conclusion: The SDHD are an independent risk factor for revision surgery and periprosthetic joint infection after TKA. In addition, SDHD is also an independent risk factor for all-cause hospital readmissions and both minor and major complications., Level of Evidence: III., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: There has been a trend toward performing arthroplasty in the ambulatory setting. The primary purpose of this study was to compare outpatient and inpatient total shoulder arthroplasties (TSAs) for postoperative medical complications, healthcare utilization outcomes, and surgical outcomes., Methods: Patients who underwent outpatient TSA or inpatient TSA with a minimum 5-year follow-up were identified in the PearlDiver database. These cohorts were propensity-matched based on age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, smoking status, and obesity (body mass index > 30). All outcomes were analyzed using chi square and Student t-tests where appropriate., Results: Outpatient TSA patients had markedly lower rates of various 90-day medical complications. Outpatient TSA patients had lower risk of aseptic loosening at 2 years postoperation and lower risk of periprosthetic joint infection at 5 years postoperation relative to inpatient TSA patients. Outpatient TSA reimbursements were markedly lower than inpatient TSA reimbursements at the 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year postoperative intervals., Conclusion: This study found patients undergoing outpatient TSA to be at lowers odds for both postoperative medical and surgical complications compared with those undergoing inpatient TSA. Despite increased risk of postoperative healthcare utilization for readmissions and emergency department visits, outpatient TSA was markedly less expensive at every postoperative time point assessed., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Background: Racial disparities have been shown to influence rates of surgery for patients with rotator cuff disease. Some individuals have attributed adverse social determinants of health (SDOHs) as potential confounders of this relationship between race and surgery rate. However, there is a paucity of literature observing whether adverse SDOHs and race independently influence rotator cuff surgery rates. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether adverse SDOHs and race are independent predictors of rotator cuff surgery rates for Medicare beneficiaries., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducting using the Medicare Standard Analytic Files (SAF) data set of the PearlDiver database, observing 211,340 patients with rotator cuff pathology. Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were performed to observe whether race and adverse SDOHs were independent variables associated with rotator cuff surgery rates. To determine whether adverse SDOHs significantly influenced racial disparities, stratified analyses of patients with ≥1 adverse SDOH and those without adverse SDOHs were conducted to compare the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of racial disparities., Results: Among patients with rotator cuff disease, 21,679 (10.26%) were of nonwhite race and 21,835 (10.33%) had ≥1 adverse SDOH. The variables of nonwhite race (OR, 0.622; 95% CI, 0.599-0.668; P < .001) and having ≥1 adverse SDOH (OR, 0.715; 95% CI, 0.501-0.814; P < .001) were independent predictors of not undergoing surgery. On stratified analysis, there was no significant difference in racial disparities in patients with ≥1 adverse SDOH (OR, 0.620; 95% CI, 0.440-0.875) and those without adverse SDOHs (0.635; 95% CI, 0.601-0.671) based on overlapping 95% CIs., Discussion: This study demonstrated that among Medicare beneficiaries, adverse SDOHs and race are independent predictors of lower rotator cuff surgery rates, emphasizing the need to address disparities based on race alone., (Copyright © 2023 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) is often used to manage advanced arthropathies of the elbow caused by inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent literature has shown that use of TEA is decreasing in patients with RA, part of which can be attributed to early medical management involving disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). However, there is a significant economic barrier to accessing DMARD therapy. The purpose of this study was to compare the use of TEA between patients with and without DMARD therapy from 2010 to 2020., Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using a national insurance claim database to investigate the trends of patients with RA undergoing TEA from 2010-2020. Patients who underwent TEA and had a diagnosis of RA were identified using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 and ICD-10 codes between 2010 and 2020. These patients were then stratified into 2 cohorts: those with DMARD prescription claims and those without. A linear regression, compound annual growth rate (CAGR) analysis, and χ 2 analysis were conducted to compare trends and demographic variables, including insurance type, between cohorts. Additionally, a multivariable logistic regression was subsequently performed to observe odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals., Results: From 2010 to 2020, there has been no significant change in the incidence of TEA in RA patients without DMARD prescriptions, whereas there has been a statistically significantly decreasing rate of TEA observed in RA patients with DMARD prescription claims. The analysis showed that there was a CAGR of -4%. For patients with a diagnosis of RA and DMARD prescription claims, the highest incidence of undergoing TEA was seen in the age group of 60-69 years, whereas patients with a diagnosis of RA and no DMARD prescription claims had the highest incidence of undergoing TEA in the age group of 70-79 years., Conclusion: The incidence of patients undergoing TEA with a diagnosis of RA and DMARD prescription claims has shown a statistically significant decrease from 2010 to 2020, whereas no significant difference was observed for patients without DMARD prescription claims. There were no statistically significant differences in the insurance plans between cohorts., (Copyright © 2023 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: As the utilization of total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) increases, it is essential to identify risk factors associated with postoperative complications. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one such example. Our objective is to identify whether UTI is associated with increased rates of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) and determine whether its treatment reduces PJI rates., Methods: Patients who underwent primary TSA for glenohumeral osteoarthritis between 2010 and 2019 with minimum two-year follow-up were identified in a national database (PearlDiver Technologies) using Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases codes. These patients were stratified into two cohorts: those with preoperative UTI within two weeks of TSA and those without. The preoperative UTI cohort was stratified into those treated and those untreated prior to TSA. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed., Results: Following multivariable analysis, there were significantly higher odds of postoperative anemia, pulmonary embolism, and death in the UTI cohort. Comparing treated to untreated UTI, there were no significant differences in multivariable analysis for any 90-day medical or two-year surgical complications., Discussion: This study showed that UTI was not associated with increased rates of PJI. UTI was, however, associated with postoperative medical complications that surgeons should be aware of., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Background: Identifying preoperative risk factors for complications following total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) has both clinical and financial implications. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of different degrees of preoperative INR elevation on complications following TSA., Methods: Patients undergoing primary TSA from 2007 to 2018 were identified in a national database. Patients were stratified into 4 cohorts: INR of <1.0, INR of >1.0 to 1.25, INR of >1.25 to 1.5, and INR of >1.5. Postoperative complications were assessed. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to adjust for differences in demographics and comorbidities among the INR groups., Results: Following adjustment and relative to patients with an INR of <1.0, those with INR of >1.0-1.25, >1.25-1.5, and >1.5 had 1.6-times, 2.4-times, and 2.8-times higher odds of having postoperative bleeding requiring transfusion, respectively (p < 0.05 for all). Relative to patients with INR <1.0, those with INR of > 1.25-1.5 and INR of >1.5 had 7.8-times and 7.0-times higher odds of having pulmonary complications, respectively (p < 0.05 for both)., Discussion: With increasing INR levels, there is an independent and step-wise increase in odd ratios for postoperative complications. Current guidelines for preoperative INR thresholds may need to be adjusted for more predictive risk-stratification for TSA., Level of Evidence: III., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

The management of massive rotator cuff tears (MRCT) presents a unique challenge to many orthopedic specialists. Unlike tears that are predicted to do well with primary, complete repair, MRCT are affected by tissue retraction, in-elasticity, bursal scarring, muscle atrophy, and fatty degeneration; operative repair thus portends worse healing rates than smaller tears and is associated with recurrent tear rates of up to 91% based on ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Rotator cuff tears are a common condition in patients over the age of 50. Thus, multiple advances in treatment strategies have been made to combat the limited efficacy of complete or partial rotator cuff repair in the setting of a massive or irreparable rotator cuff tears. It is of utmost importance that the operating orthopedic surgeon be familiar with these various treatment modalities to best serve the patient and that they harbor these skills within their armamentarium. This article details a review of the current literature including nonoperative and operative treatments for the management of massive and irreparable rotator cuff tears. The primary objective is to propose a literature-based algorithm for the treatment of massive and often irreparable rotator cuff tears to allow for informed ease in the decision-making process., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://aoj.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/aoj-23-7/coif). The series “Controversies in Shoulder Surgery and Algorithmic Approach to Decision Making” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. US receives Fellowship education grants from Arthrex, Depuy/Synthes, Smith & Nephew, Wright Medical, ASES, Omega; and receives royalties for device design/books from Tigon Medical, Thieme, Fx Shoulder and stock or stock options from ROM3, Sonogen, and Tigon Medical. US also receives other financial support/consulting from Fx Shoulder, Tigon Medical. EGH receives consulting fees from DePuy Synthes and support for attending meetings from Shoulder Innovations. MJB receives teaching support from Arthrex, Smith and Nephew, Stryker/Anatomy lab education. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2023 Annals of Joint. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Studies assessing the relationship between surgeon volume and outcomes have shown mixed results, depending on the specific procedure analyzed. This volume relationship has not been well studied in patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), but it should be, because this procedure is common, expensive, and potentially morbid., Questions/purposes: We performed this study to assess the association between increasing surgeon volume and decreasing rate of revision at 2 years for (1) anatomic TSA (aTSA) and (2) reverse TSA (rTSA) in the United States., Methods: In this retrospective study, we used Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) fee-for-service inpatient and outpatient data from 2015 to 2021 to study the association between annual surgeon aTSA and rTSA volume and 2-year revision shoulder procedures after the initial surgery. The CMS database was chosen for this study because it is a national sample and can be used to follow patients over time. We included patients with Diagnosis-related Group code 483 and Current Procedural Terminology code 23472 for TSA (these codes include both aTSA and rTSA). We used International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, procedural codes. Patients who underwent shoulder arthroplasty for fracture (10% [17,524 of 173,242]) were excluded. We studied the variables associated with the subsequent procedure rate through a generalized linear model, controlling for confounders such as patient age, comorbidity risk score, surgeon and hospital volume, surgeon graduation year, hospital size and teaching status, assuming a binomial distribution with the dependent variable being whether an episode had at least one subsequent procedure within 2 years. The regression was fitted with standard errors clustered at the hospital level, combining all TSAs and within the aTSA and rTSA groups, respectively. Hospital and surgeon yearly volumes were calculated by including all TSAs, primary procedure and subsequent, during the study period. Other hospital-level and surgeon-level characteristics were obtained through public files from the CMS. The CMS Hierarchical Condition Category risk score was controlled because it is a measure reflecting the expected future health costs for each patient based on the patient's demographics and chronic illnesses. We then converted regression coefficients to the percentage change in the odds of having a subsequent procedure., Results: After controlling for confounding variables including patient age, comorbidity risk score, surgeon and hospital volume, surgeon graduation year, and hospital size and teaching status, we found that an annual surgeon volume of ≥ 10 aTSAs was associated with a 27% decreased odds of revision within 2 years (95% confidence interval 13% to 39%; p < 0.001), while surgeon volume of ≥ 29 aTSAs was associated with a 33% decreased odds of revision within 2 years (95% CI 18% to 45%; p < 0.001) compared with a volume of fewer than four aTSAs per year. Annual surgeon volume of ≥ 29 rTSAs was associated with a 26% decreased odds of revision within 2 years (95% CI 9% to 39%; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Surgeons should consider modalities such as virtual planning software, templating, or enhanced surgeon training to aid lower-volume surgeons who perform aTSA and rTSA. More research is needed to assess the value of these modalities and their relationship with the rates of subsequent revision., Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic study., Competing Interests: Each 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., (Copyright © 2023 by the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.)

Background: Recurrent shoulder instability is a debilitating condition that can lead to chronic pain, decreased function, and inability to return to activities or sport. This retrospective epidemiology study was performed to report 90-day postoperative complications and costs of Latarjet, anterior bone block reconstruction, arthroscopic, and open Bankart repair for shoulder instability., Methods: Patients 18 years and older who underwent four primary shoulder surgeries from 2010 to 2019 were identified using national claims data. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and 90-day postoperative complications were analyzed using univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression. Total and itemized 90-day reimbursements were determined for each procedure., Results: The 90-day medical and surgery-specific complication rates were highest for anterior bone block reconstruction, followed by Latarjet. Arthroscopic Bankart repair had the highest 90-day costs and primary procedure costs compared to other procedures., Conclusion: Anterior bone block reconstruction and Latarjet procedures were associated with the highest rates of 90-day medical and surgery-specific complications, while arthroscopic Bankart repair was associated with the highest costs., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Purpose: It is well established that diabetes is associated with complications following surgical procedures across the wide array of surgical subspecialties. The evidence on the effect of diabetes on postoperative outcomes following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR), however, is not as robust, and findings have not been consistent. It was hypothesized that patients with diabetes are at increased risk of complications and a higher rate of hospital admission following ACLR., Methods: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients undergoing ACL reconstruction from 2006 to 2019. Two patient cohorts were defined in this retrospective study: patients with diabetes and patients without diabetes. The various patient demographics, medical comorbidities, and postoperative outcomes were compared between the two groups, with the use of bivariate and multivariate analyses., Results: Of 9,576 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction, 9,443 patients (98.6%) did not have diabetes, whereas 133 patients (1.4%) had diabetes. Following adjustment on multivariate analyses, compared to non-diabetic patients, those with diabetes had an increased risk of admission to the hospital within thirty days of the surgery (OR 2.14; p = 0.002)., Conclusion: Patients with diabetes have a significantly higher risk of being admitted to the hospital compared to those without the disease. Clinicians should be aware of diabetic patients who undergo ACLR to ensure appropriate pre- and postoperative care to minimize complications in this patient population., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)