Huong T. Do

Epidemiology of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Trends, Readmissions, and Subsequent Knee Surgery

BACKGROUND Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is widely accepted as the treatment of choice for individuals with functional instability due to anterior cruciate deficiency. There remains little information on the epidemiology of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with regard to adverse outcomes such as hospital readmission and subsequent knee surgery. We sought to identify the frequency of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, the rates of subsequent operations and readmissions, and potential predictors of these outcomes. METHODS The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database, a census of all hospital admissions and ambulatory surgery in New York State, was used to identify anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions performed between 1997 and 2006. Patients with concomitant pathological conditions of the knee were included. The patients were tracked for hospital readmission within ninety days after the surgery and for subsequent surgery on either knee within one year. The risks of these outcomes were modeled with use of age, sex, comorbidity, hospital and surgeon volume, and inpatient or outpatient surgery as potential risk factors. RESULTS We identified 70,547 anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions, with an increase from 6178 in 1997 to 7507 in 2006. Readmission within ninety days after the surgery was infrequent (a 2.3% rate), but subsequent surgery on either knee within one year was much more common (a 6.5% rate). Patients were at increased risk for readmission within ninety days if they were over forty years of age, sicker (e.g., had a preexisting comorbidity), male, and operated on by a lower-volume surgeon. Predictors of subsequent knee surgery included being female, having concomitant knee surgery, and being operated on by a lower-volume surgeon. Predictors of a subsequent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction included an age of less than forty years, concomitant meniscectomy or other knee surgery, and surgery in a lower-volume hospital. CONCLUSIONS The rate of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction has increased in frequency. Also, while anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction appears to be a safe procedure, the risk of a subsequent operation on either knee is increased among younger patients and those treated by a lower-volume surgeon or at a lower-volume hospital.

Economic impact of hyponatremia in hospitalized patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Background: Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality seen in general hospital patients, with an incidence of 1% to 6% in the United States. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the impact of varying levels of hyponatremia at admission on length of stay (LOS) and cost of care in adult hospitalized patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using an existing clinical database from a large academic-setting hospital. All adult admissions from January 2004 through May 2005 with serum sodium level at admission of ≤ 134 mEq/L were separated into 2 cohorts: patients with moderate-to-severe hyponatremia (serum sodium level at admission of ≤ 129 mEq/L, n = 547) and patients with mild-to-moderate hyponatremia (serum sodium level of 130–134 mEq/L, n = 1500). ICD-9 diagnosis codes for these 2047 admissions with hyponatremia were used to identify a cohort of 7573 admissions with the same principal admitting diagnoses and a serum sodium level of 135 to 145 mEq/L. Differences in hospital LOS, intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate, and median total costs per admission between cohorts were examined using multiple linear regression, logistic, and quantile regression models. Results: Admissions with hyponatremia had significantly longer hospital LOS than those admitted without hyponatremia (median LOS: moderate-to-severe hyponatremia, 8 days; mild-to-moderate hyponatremia, 8 days; normal, 6 days; P < 0.001). Patients with more severe hyponatremia were also more likely to be admitted to the ICU during the hospital stay (moderate-to-severe hyponatremia, 32%; mild-to-moderate hyponatremia, 26%; normal, 22%; P < 0.001). These trends were also reflected in the total costs per admission, with median costs of

Indications and Reoperation Rates for Total Elbow Arthroplasty: An Analysis of Trends in New York State

16 606 for moderate-to-severe hyponatremia cases,

Validation of Foot and Ankle Outcome Score for Hallux Valgus

14 266 for mild-to-moderate hyponatremia cases, and

Correlates and Effect of Suboptimal Radiotherapy in Women With Ductal Carcinoma In Situ or Early Invasive Breast Cancer

13 066 for normal admissions (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Hyponatremia at admission was associated with increased LOS and cost of care for hospitalized patients. Interventions or pharmacotherapies for the prompt treatment of hyponatremia could potentially reduce morbidity and LOS, thereby reducing the utilization of health care resources.

Validation of the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score in adult acquired flatfoot deformity.

BACKGROUND Total elbow arthroplasty was originally used to treat patients with arthritis. As familiarity with total elbow arthroplasty evolved, the indications were expanded to include other disorders. There continues to be a low number of total elbow arthroplasties performed each year in comparison with hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasties, and few large studies have examined the indications and associated complications of total elbow arthroplasty. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the changes with time in the indications for total elbow arthroplasty and to examine the complications of this procedure in a large database. METHODS The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database from the New York State Department of Health, a census of all ambulatory and inpatient surgical procedures in the state of New York, was used to identify individuals who underwent primary total elbow arthroplasty during the time period of 1997 to 2006. These total elbow arthroplasties were evaluated for admitting diagnoses, sex and age of patient, readmission and complication data, and time to subsequent elbow surgery. RESULTS From 1997 to 2006, there were 1155 total elbow arthroplasties performed in New York State. In 1997, 43% of the total elbow arthroplasties were associated with trauma and 48%, with inflammatory conditions. In 2006, this changed to 69% and 19%, respectively. Within ninety days after the primary total elbow arthroplasty, 12% of the patients were readmitted to the hospital with approximately one-half (5.6%) admitted for problems related to the total elbow arthroplasty. The overall revision rate was 6.4%. The revision rates for the traumatic, inflammatory arthritis, and osteoarthritis groups were 4.8%, 8.3%, and 14.7%, respectively. Of particular interest, 90.5% of the total elbow arthroplasties were performed by surgeons with no recorded experience in the database, which began collecting these data in 1986. CONCLUSIONS This study provides useful information regarding patients undergoing total elbow arthroplasty in New York State. During the study period, the most common indication for total elbow arthroplasty changed from inflammatory arthritis to trauma. Although the number of total elbow arthroplasties being performed each year has increased, there continues to be a high complication and revision rate.

How Often are Patient and Surgeon Recovery Expectations for Total Joint Arthroplasty Aligned? Results of a Pilot Study

Background: Patient-reported outcome questionnaires such as the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) are useful in evaluating results after orthopedic interventions. However, despite being frequently used in the literature, its validity has not been established for forefoot disorders. Our study aimed to validate the FAOS for use in assessing outcomes of hallux valgus surgery. Methods: From 2006 to 2009, 195 patients with nonarthritic hallux valgus were included in the construct validity portion of the study. Patients had a SF-36 and a FAOS completed. Forty additional patients, both preoperative and postoperative, were given questionnaires to assess the relevance of each of the FAOS questions as it pertained to their bunions. Patients were also given the FAOS 1 month after the first to assess FAOS reliability. Responsiveness of the FAOS was included with 40 patients who had both preoperative and postoperative FAOS scores. Results: Four out of five FAOS subscales demonstrated acceptable correlation with the SF-36. The FAOS symptoms subscale showed the least correlation with SF-36, demonstrating the foot-specific nature of the questions. Both preoperative and postoperative patients rated the FAOS quality of life questions as the most relevant. All five subscales achieved acceptable test-retest reliability. The FAOS sports and recreation subscale was the least responsive. Conclusion: Patient-based assessments have become increasingly important in evaluating treatment effectiveness. This study has shown that the FAOS has acceptable construct validity, reliability, and responsiveness in hallux valgus patients and is a useful patient-based tool in assessing these patients.

Symptomatic pulmonary embolism after outpatient arthroscopic procedures of the knee: THE INCIDENCE AND RISK FACTORS IN 418 323 ARTHROSCOPIES

The study aimed to identify factors associated with less‐than‐optimal radiotherapy (RT) and its impact on disease‐free survival in women aged 66+ years diagnosed with stage I breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Risk Factors for Meniscectomy After Meniscal Repair

Introduction: The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Score has been under recent scrutiny. The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) is an alternative subjective survey, assessing outcomes in 5 subscales. It is validated for lateral ankle instability and hallux valgus patients. The aim of our study was to validate the FAOS for assessing outcomes in flexible adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD). Methods: Patients from the authors’ institution diagnosed with flexible AAFD from 2006 to 2011 were eligible for the study. In all, 126 patients who completed the FAOS and the Short-Form 12 (SF-12) on the same visit were included in the construct validity component. Correlation was deemed moderate if the Spearman’s correlation coefficient was .4 to .7. Content validity was assessed in 63 patients by a questionnaire that asked patients to rate the relevance of each FAOS question, with a score of 2 or greater considered acceptable. Reliability was measured using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) in 41 patients who completed a second FAOS survey. In 49 patients, preoperative and postoperative FAOS scores were compared to determine responsiveness. Results: All of the FAOS subscales demonstrated moderate correlation with 2 physical health related SF-12 domains. Mental health related domains showed poor correlation. Content validity was high for the Quality of Life (QoL; mean 2.26) and Sports/Recreation subscales (mean 2.12). All subscales exhibited very good test–retest reliability, with ICCs of .7 and above. Symptoms, QoL, pain, and daily activities (ADLs) were responsive to change in postoperative patients (P < .05). Conclusion: This study has validated the FAOS for AAFD with acceptable construct and content validity, reliability, and responsiveness. Given its previous validation for patients with ankle instability and hallux valgus, the additional findings in this study support its use as an alternative to less reliable outcome surveys. Level of Evidence: Level II, prospective comparative study.

The effect of platelet-rich plasma on autologous osteochondral transplantation: an in vivo rabbit model.

BackgroundSurgeons strive to set patient expectations for recovery following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, some patients report dissatisfaction after surgery due to unmet expectations.PurposeWe compared patients’ and surgeon’s recovery expectations prior to primary THA and TKA.MethodsSixty eight patients scheduled to undergo primary total hip replacement (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) surgery were enrolled. Before surgery, patients filled out a validated recovery expectations questionnaire that quantified expectations of postoperative pain relief, function, and well-being with a value from 0 to 100 (higher being more optimistic). The surgeon independently completed the same questionnaire for each patient. Overall score and item-specific comparisons were conducted. Correlations were explored between agreement level, demographics, patient-reported health status measures, and patients’ assessments of the risk of complications associated with surgery.ResultsMost patients undergoing THR or TKR had higher expectations for recovery than their surgeon. Applying the clinically meaningful difference in expectations (≥7 points), 52.5% of the TKA patients’ expectations exceeded those of the surgeon, while 22.5% expected less than their surgeon and 60.7% of THA patients’ expectations exceeded those of the surgeon, while 21.4% expected less than their surgeon. THA patients with either lower or higher expectations than their surgeon had lower physical and mental health status scores. TKA patients with lower expectations compared to their surgeon had a higher expectation of complications.ConclusionsMore than 50% of the patients had higher expectations than their surgeon and this was driven by expectations of high-level activities and extreme range of motion. Further investigations are needed to understand these differences so as to enhance patient preoperative education.