Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND:Registry data suggest increasing rates of early revisions after total hip arthroplasty (THA). We sought to analyze modes of failure over time after index THA to identify risk factors for early revision. METHODS:We identified 208 aseptic femoral revision THAs performed between February 2011 and July 2019 using an institutional database. We compared demographics, diagnoses, complications, and resource utilization between aseptic femoral revision THA occurring within 90 days (early), 91 days to 2 years (mid), and greater than 2 years (late) after index arthroplasty. RESULTS:Early revisions were 33% of revisions at our institution in the time period analyzed. Periprosthetic fractures were 81% of early, 27% of mid, and 21% of late femoral revisions (P < .01). Women were more likely to have early revisions than men (75% vs 53% of mid and 48% of late revisions; P < .01). Patients who had early revisions were older (67.97 ± 10.06) at the time of primary surgery than those who had mid and late revisions (64.41 ± 12.10 and 57.63 ± 12.52, respectively, P < .01). Index implants were uncemented in 99% of early, 96% of mid, and 64% of late revisions (P < .01). Early revisions had longer postoperative length of stay (4.4 ± 3.3) than mid and late revisions (3.0 ± 2.2 and 3.7 ± 2.1, respectively, P = .02). In addition, 58% of early revisions were discharged to an inpatient facility compared with 36% of mid and 41% of late revisions (P = .03). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Early aseptic femoral revisions largely occur in older women with uncemented primary implants and primarily due to periprosthetic fractures. Reducing the incidence of periprosthetic fractures is critical to decreasing the large health care utilization of early revisions.

BACKGROUND:Range of motion (ROM) after revision total knee arthroplasty (RTKA) is an important clinical outcome, as decreased ROM can lead to patient dissatisfaction and diminished mobility. This study sought to determine the effect of type of revision, implant constraint level, and reason for revision has on RTKA ROM. METHODS:A retrospective review of 832 RTKA cases from 2011 to 2019 was conducted at a single, urban academic institution. Patients who underwent aseptic RTKA and had preoperative and 1-year postoperative ROM in their chart were included. The ΔROM was calculated by subtracting the preoperative ROM from the 1-year postoperative ROM. ROM was compared between tibial polyethylene liner-only revisions (liner) and all other revision types (component) and based on reason for revision. Subanalysis was performed within the liner and component revision cohorts to determine the effect of reason for revision and implant constraint level on ROM. RESULTS:In total, 290 patients qualified. Forty-two patients had liner revisions (14.5%) and 248 had component revisions (85.5%). The ΔROM for component revision cases was significantly higher than liner exchange only (10° ± 24° vs.1° ± 19°; P = .03). ΔROM was not significant when comparing the level of implant constraint nor was it when separating and comparing by type of revision. Component revisions due to instability were found to significantly decrease ΔROM. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Component revision cases have significantly improved ΔROM when compared with liner-only revision. Constraint level is not significantly associated with changes in ROM in either liner or component revisions. Component revisions due to instability significantly reduce ΔROM.

BACKGROUND:Periprosthetic femur fractures (PFF) involving primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) remain a significant concern. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of surgical approach during primary THA on early PFF with respect to fracture timing, incidence, radiographic parameters, and surgery-related factors. METHODS:A retrospective review of all patients with PFF during or after primary THA from 2011 to 2019 was conducted at a single, urban academic institution. Of the study cohort of 11,915 patients, 79 patients with PFF were identified (0.66%). Direct anterior (DA), posterior anterior (PA), and laterally based (LA) cohorts were formed based on the surgical approach. PA and LA groups were combined to form a nonanterior (NA) cohort. Radiographic parameters, surgical factors, and fracture mechanism were analyzed. RESULTS:The incidence of fracture across approaches was 0.70% (33/4707; DA), 0.63% (35/5600; PA), and 0.68% (11/1608; LA) (P = .97). Time from THA to fracture was significantly shorter in the DA cohort (12.5 ± 14.1 days) than the NA cohort (48.2 ± 120.6 days) (P = .05). Postoperatively identified, atraumatic PFFs were more common in the DA cohort (78.3%, 18/23) than the NA cohort (51.6%, 16/31) (P = .045). There were no differences between groups in radiographic or other clinical parameters. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Patients who underwent DA THA have significantly shorter time to PFF and were more often identified postoperatively with an atraumatic mechanism than patients who underwent NA approaches. The known difficulty in femoral exposure and stem placement with the DA approach may play a role in contributing to a higher rate of intraoperative or early postoperative PFF.

Background/UNASSIGNED:The purpose of this study is to assess whether racial differences influence patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following primary total hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasty. Methods/UNASSIGNED:We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent primary THA or TKA from 2016 to 2020 with available PROMs. Both THA and TKA patients were separated into three groups based on their ethnicity: Caucasian, African-American, and other races. Patient demographics, clinical data, and PROMs at various time-periods were collected and compared. Demographic differences were assessed using chi-square and ANOVA. Univariate ANCOVA was utilized to compare outcomes and PROMs while accounting for demographic differences. Results/UNASSIGNED:This study included 1999 THA patients and 1375 TKA patients. In the THA cohort, 1636 (82%) were Caucasian, 177 (9%) were African-American, and 186 (9%) were of other races. In the TKA cohort, 864 (63%) were Caucasian, 236 (17%) were African-American, and 275 (20%) were of other races. Surgical-time significantly differed between the groups that underwent THA (88.4vs.100.5vs.96.1; p < 0.001) with African-Americans requiring the longest operative time. Length-of-stay significantly differed in both THA (1.5vs.1.9vs.1.8; p < 0.001) and TKA (2.1vs.2.5vs.2.3; p < 0.001) cohorts, with African-Americans having the longest stay. Caucasians reported significantly higher PROM scores compared to non-Caucasians in both cohorts. All-cause emergency-department (ED) visits, 90-day postoperative events (readmissions&revisions), and discharge-disposition did not statistically differ in both cohorts. Conclusion/UNASSIGNED:Non-Caucasian patients demonstrated lower PROM scores when compared to Caucasian patients following TJA although the differences may not be clinically relevant. LOS was significantly longer for African-Americans in both THA and TKA cohorts. Further investigation identifying racial disparity interventions is warranted. Level of evidence/UNASSIGNED:Prognostic Level III.

BACKGROUND:The number of octogenarians requiring a total hip arthroplasty (THA) and/or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) will rise disproportionally in the coming decade. Although outcomes are comparable with younger patients, management of these older patients involves higher medical complexity at a greater expense to the hospital system. The purpose of this study was to compare the cost of care for primary THA and TKA in our bundled care patients aged ≥80 years to those aged 65-80 years. METHODS:A retrospective review of primary TKA (n = 641) and THA (n = 1225) cases from 2013 to 2017 was performed. Patient demographic and admission cost data were collected. Patients were grouped based on surgery type (ie, elective or nonelective THA/TKA) and age group (ie, older [≥80 years old] or younger [65-80 years old]). Multivariate regression analyses were used to account for demographic differences. RESULTS:Elective primary THA in the older cohort (n = 157) cost 24.5% more than the younger cohort (n = 1025) (P < .0001). Elective primary TKA cases in the older cohort (n = 87) cost 17.0% more than the younger cohort's (n = 554) (P < .0001). For nonelective THA cases, the older cohort's (n = 29) episodes cost 39.1% more than the younger cohort (n = 14) (P < .0001). When comparing the <80 elective THA cohort (n = 1025) to the ≥90 cohort (n = 10), the cost difference swelled to 58.7% (P < .0001). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Although primary THA and TKA in ≥80-year-old patients yield similar outcomes, this study demonstrates that the additional measures required to care for older patients and ensure successful outcomes cost significantly more. Consideration should be given to age as a factor in determining reimbursement in a bundled payment system to reduce the incentive to restrict care to elderly patients.

BACKGROUND:While vancomycin powder and dilute povidone-iodine (VIP) is associated with fewer total joint arthroplasty (TJA) periprosthetic joint infections (PJI), its effect on PJI organism profiles is unclear. This study evaluates primary TJA PJI organism profiles before and after the implementation of a VIP protocol. METHODS:In total, 18,299 primary TJAs performed at a university-affiliated, not-for-profit orthopedic hospital from before (1/2012-12/2013) and after (1/2016-12/2019) a VIP protocol was initiated were reviewed to identify deep PJIs that occurred within 90 days of the index arthroplasty as defined by the Musculoskeletal Infection Society guidelines. Demographics, overall organism incidence (n/TJAs), and relative organism incidence (n/PJIs) from the two cohorts were compared. RESULTS:In total, 103 TJA PJIs were identified (pre-VIP: 32/3982; VIP: 71/14,317). Following the introduction of VIP, the overall and relative incidence of coagulase-negative staphylococcal TJA PJIs significantly decreased (overall: 0.20% to 0.04%, P = .004; relative: 25.00% to 8.45%, P = .031). In response, the relative incidence of MSSA TJA PJIs significantly increased (18.75% to 40.85%, P = .042). Broken down by arthroplasty type, VIP was associated with a significantly lower overall incidence of coagulase-negative staphylococcal total knee arthroplasty (TKA) PJIs (0.27% to 0.06%, P = .015), a significantly lower overall incidence of MRSA TKA PJIs (0.18% to 0.03%, P = .031), and a nonsignificant decrease in the overall incidence of gram-negative TKA PJIs (0.18% to 0.04%, P = .059). No organism profile changes were found in total hip arthroplasty PJIs. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:VIP is not associated with more difficult to treat primary TJA PJIs. While promising, these findings require a prospective randomized controlled trial for confirmation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Level III, Retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND:Venous thromboembolism (VTE), defined as pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis, is a rare but serious complication following revision total hip arthroplasty (RTHA) and revision total knee arthroplasty (RTKA). Previous studies show that obesity may be associated with an increased risk for pulmonary embolism, wound complications, and infection. With no current universal standard of care for VTE prophylaxis, we sought to determine whether aspirin prescribed (ASA) is safe and effective in obese patients undergoing RTHA/RTKA. METHODS:). RESULTS:The cohort comprised of 335 patients with a normal BMI, 511 were overweight, 408 obese, 232 severely obese, and 92 morbidly obese. Total VTE rates were statistically similar between BMI groups (0.90% vs 0.78% vs 0.74% vs 0.43% vs 0%, P = .89). There were no differences in bleeding rates (0.90% vs 0% vs 0% vs 0.43% vs 0%, P = .08), wound complications (0.30% vs 0.20% vs 0.25% vs 0% vs 0%, P = .93), infection (1.49% vs 1.57% vs 0.98% vs 1.29% vs 1.09%, P = .66), or mortality (0% vs 0.20% vs 0% vs 0% vs 0%, P = .72). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:ASA is safe and effective for VTE prevention in obese patients with similar complication rates to nonobese patients undergoing RTHA/RTKA.

BACKGROUND:The most common treatment for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a 2-stage revision. Few studies have compared different articulating spacer constructs. This study compares the outcomes of real-component and all-cement articulating spacers for TKA PJI treatment. METHODS:This retrospective observational study examined the arthroplasty database at 3 academic hospitals for articulating spacers placed for TKA PJIs between April 2011 and August 2020. Patients were categorized as receiving a real-component or an all-cement articulating spacer. Data on demographics, surgical information, and outcomes were collected. RESULTS:One-hundred sixty-four spacers were identified: 72 all-cement and 92 real-component spacers. Patients who received real-component spacers were older (67 ± 10 vs 63 ± 12 years; P = .04) and more likely to be former smokers (50.0% vs 28.6%; P = .02). Real-component spacers had greater range of motion (ROM) after Stage 1 (84° ± 28° vs 58° ± 28°; P < .01) and shorter hospital stays after Stage 1 (5.8 ± 4.3 vs 8.4 ± 6.8 days; P < .01). There was no difference in time to reimplantation, change in ROM from pre-Stage 1 to most recent follow-up, or reinfection. Real-component spacers had shorter hospital stays (3.3 ± 1.7 vs 5.4 ± 4.9 days; P < .01) and operative times during Stage 2 (162.2 ± 47.5 vs 188.0 ± 66.0 minutes; P = .01). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Real-component spacers had improved ROM after Stage 1 and lower blood loss, shorter operative time, and shorter hospital stays after Stage 2 compared to all-cement articulating spacers. The 2 spacer constructs had the same ultimate change in ROM and no difference in reinfection rates, indicating that both articulating spacer types may be safe and effective options for 2-stage revision TKA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:III, retrospective observational analysis.

BACKGROUND:Intraoperative tourniquet use in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common practice which may improve visualization of the surgical field and reduce blood loss. However, the safety and efficacy associated with tourniquet use continues to be a subject of debate among orthopedic surgeons. The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of tourniquet use on pain and opioid consumption after TKA. METHODS:This is a multicenter randomized controlled trial among patients undergoing TKA. Patients were preoperatively randomized to undergo TKA with or without the use of an intraoperative tourniquet. Frequency distributions, means, and standard deviations were used to describe baseline patient demographics (age, gender, race, body mass index, smoking status), length of stay, surgical factors, visual analog scale pain scores, and opioid consumption in morphine milligram equivalents. RESULTS:A total of 327 patients were included in this study, with 166 patients undergoing TKA without a tourniquet and 161 patients with a tourniquet. A statistically significant difference was found in surgical time (97.87 vs 92.98 minutes; P = .05), whereas none was found for length of stay (1.73 vs 1.70 days; P = .87), postop visual analog scale pain scores (1.73 vs 1.70; P = .87), inpatient opioid consumption (19.84 vs 19.27 morphine milligram equivalents; P = .74), or outpatient opioid consumption between the tourniquet-less and tourniquet cohorts, respectively. There were no readmissions in either cohort during the 90-day episode of care. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Utilization of a tourniquet during TKA has minimal impact on postoperative pain scores and opioid consumption when compared with patients who underwent TKA without a tourniquet.

AIMS/OBJECTIVE:As our population ages, the number of octogenarians who will require a total hip arthroplasty (THA) rises. In a value-based system where operative outcomes are linked to hospital payments, it is necessary to assess the outcomes in this population. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of elective, primary THA in patients ≥ 80 years old to those aged < 80. METHODS:A retrospective review of 10,251 consecutive THA cases from 2011 to 2019 was conducted. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores (Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS)), as well as demographic, readmission, and complication data, were collected. RESULTS:= 0.57; p = 0.048). There were no observed differences in 12-week (p = 0.518) or one-year (p = 0.511) HOOS scores. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS: 2021;2(7):535-539.