Wayne E. Moschetti

Early Patient Outcomes After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty with Quadriceps-Sparing Subvastus and Medial Parapatellar Techniques: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND Techniques that reduce injury to the knee extensor mechanism may cause less pain and allow faster recovery of knee function after primary total knee arthroplasty. A quadriceps-sparing (QS) subvastus technique of total knee arthroplasty was compared with medial parapatellar arthrotomy (MPPA) to determine which surgical technique led to better patient-reported function and less postoperative pain and opioid utilization. METHODS In this prospective, double-blind study, 129 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were randomized to the QS or the MPPA group after skin incision. All surgical procedures utilized minimally invasive surgery principles and standardized anesthesia, implants, analgesia, and rehabilitation. The Knee Society Score (KSS) was obtained at baseline and one and three months after surgery. Weekly telephone interviews were used to collect patient-reported outcomes including ambulatory device use, the UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) activity score, performance of daily living activities, and opioid utilization. RESULTS No differences between groups were seen in opioid utilization, either during the acute hospitalization or in the eight weeks after surgery. The QS group reported significantly less pain at rest on postoperative day one and with activity on day three (p = 0.04 for each). Compared with baseline, both groups showed significant improvements in the KSS at one month (MPPA, p = 0.0278; QS, p = 0.0021) and three months (p < 0.0001 for each) as well as week-to-week gains in walking independence through five weeks after surgery. Independence from ambulatory devices outside the home lagged behind independence indoors by about two weeks in both groups. CONCLUSIONS When primary total knee arthroplasty was performed with contemporary minimally invasive surgery principles and standardized implants, anesthesia, and postoperative pathways, the QS technique yielded no significant early functional advantages or differences in opioid utilization compared with the MPPA technique. However, the mean pain scores reported by patients in the QS group were slightly lower at rest on postoperative day one and during activity on day three. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Preoperative body mass index and physical function are associated with length of stay and facility discharge after total knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND Hospital length of stay (LOS) and facility discharge are primary drivers of the cost of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We sought to identify modifiable patient factors that were associated with increased LOS and facility discharge after TKA. METHODS Prospective data were reviewed from 716 consecutive, primary TKA procedures performed by two arthroplasty surgeons between 2006 and 2012 at a single institution. Preoperative body mass index (BMI), Veterans RAND-12 (VR-12) physical component score (PCS), and hemoglobin level were collected in addition to other adjusters. Multivariate linear and logistic models were constructed to predict LOS and facility discharge, respectively. RESULTS After adjustment, higher BMI was associated with increased LOS in a dose-response effect: Compared to normal weight (BMI <25) overweight (25-29.9) was associated with longer LOS by 0.32days (P=0.038), class-I obesity (30-34.9) by 0.33days (P=0.024), class-II obesity (35-39.9) by 0.67days (P=0.012) and class-III obesity (>40) by 1.15days (P<0.001). Class-III obesity was associated with facility discharge (odds ratio=2.08, P=0.008). Poor PCS was associated with increasing LOS: compared to PCS≥50, PCS 20-29 was associated with a LOS increase of 0.40days (P=0.014) and PCS<20 with a LOS increase of 0.64days (P=0.031). CONCLUSION Patient BMI has a dose-response effect in increasing LOS. Poor PCS was associated similarly with increased LOS. These associations for of BMI and PCS suggest that improvement preoperatively, by any amount, may potentially translate to decreased LOS and perhaps lower the cost associated with TKA.

Pharmacologic Hemostatic Agents in Total Joint Arthroplasty—A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

BACKGROUND Total knee and hip arthroplasties can be associated with substantial blood loss, affecting morbidity and even mortality. Two pharmacological antifibrinolytics, ε-aminocaproic acid (EACA) and tranexamic acid (TXA) have been used to minimize perioperative blood loss, but both have associated morbidity. Given the added cost of these medications and the risks associated with then, a cost-effectiveness analysis was undertaken to ascertain the best strategy. METHODS A cost-effectiveness model was constructed using the payoffs of cost (in United States dollars) and effectiveness (quality-adjusted life expectancy, in days). The medical literature was used to ascertain various complications, their probabilities, utility values, and direct medical costs associated with various health states. A time horizon of 10 years and a willingness to pay threshold of

Proximal tibiofibular osteoarthritis presenting as pain after total knee arthroplasty treated successfully with fusion of the proximal tibial-fibular joint

100,000 was used. RESULTS The total cost and effectiveness (quality-adjusted life expectancy, in days) was

A Comparison of Radiographic Outcomes After Total Hip Arthroplasty Between the Posterior Approach and Direct Anterior Approach With Intraoperative Fluoroscopy.

459.77,

Do Aggregate Socioeconomic Status Factors Predict Outcomes for Total Knee Arthroplasty in a Rural Population

951.22, and

Radiographic Alignment After Minimally Invasive Total Knee Arthroplasty: Prospective, Randomised, Controlled Trial Comparing Two Approaches

1174.87 and 3411.19, 3248.02, and 3342.69 for TXA, no pharmacologic hemostatic agent, and EACA, respectively. Because TXA is less expensive and more effective than the competing alternatives, it was the favored strategy. One-way sensitivity analyses for probability of transfusion and myocardial infarction for all 3 strategies revealed that TXA remains the dominant strategy across all clinically plausible values. CONCLUSION TXA, when compared with no pharmacologic hemostatic agent and with EACA, is the most cost-effective strategy to minimize intraoperative blood loss in hip and knee total joint arthroplasties. These findings are robust to sensitivity analyses using clinically plausible probabilities.

Patient Outcomes After Total Knee Arthroplasty in Patients Older Than 80 Years

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common treatment option for end-stage osteoarthritis of the tibiofemoral and patellafemoral joints. Diagnosis and treatment of the painful TKA can pose a significant challenge. In this report, we present the unusual case of a patient 12 years after total knee replacement presenting with isolated proximal tibial-fibular osteoarthritis as a cause of lateral knee pain. Proximal tibiofibular osteoarthritis is not typically on the differential diagnosis for a painful TKA but can be a rare cause of lateral knee pain. Proximal tibiofibular fusion may provide relief of pain and restoration of function.