Analyzing the Burden of Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty in the United States between 2009 and 2016.

As the number of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) increases, it is reasonable to expect the number of revision TKAs (rTKAs) to rise in parallel. The patient-related and societal burdens of rTKA are poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine temporal changes in: (1) the incidence of rTKA; (2) patient and hospital characteristics; (3) complications, hospital lengths of stay (LOSs), and discharge dispositions; and (4) costs, charges, and payer types. All patients who underwent rTKA between 2009 and 2016 were identified from the National Inpatient Sample database using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Tenth Revision codes and were studied. Univariate analyses were performed to compare the incidence of rTKA, patient and hospital characteristics, LOS and discharge dispositions, as well as costs, charges, and payer types. A multivariate logistic regression model was built to compare the odds of complications in 2009 and 2016. Over our study period, there was a 4.3% decrease in the incidence of rTKA. The mean age of patients who underwent rTKA was 65 years and a majority were female (58%). Mean hospital LOS decreased from 4.1 days in 2009 to 3.3 days in 2016 (p < 0.001). The rate of several complications decreased significantly over our study period including myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, transfusion, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and mortality. A significantly lower percentage of rTKA patients were discharged to a skilled nursing facility in 2016 (26.5%) compared with 2009 (31.6%; p < 0.001). There was an 18.7% increase in the mean costs, and a 43.3% increase in the mean charges (p < 0.001). Over the study period, there was a decrease in the incidence of rTKAs. Despite potential improvements in primary TKA, the burden associated with rTKA remains large. This report can be used to help educate medical providers about outcomes that may result from a primary and/or revised TKA.

Predictors of Staphylococcus Aureus Nasal Colonization in Joint Arthroplasty Patients.

Early identification and treatment of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) nasal colonization can reduce the risk of prosthetic joint infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient-specific predictors for S. aureus nasal colonization in total joint arthroplasty patients to aid in preoperative screening protocols. A total of 2,147 arthroplasty patients who were preoperatively screened for S. aureus nasal colonization were retrospectively reviewed. Factors analyzed consisted of procedure type, primary diagnosis, gender, ethnicity, body mass index, the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, use of immunosuppression medication, smoking history, and chronic kidney disease. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with significance p < 0.05 and 95% confidence intervals. Overall, 3.7% (79) of our cohort tested positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and 23.2% (493) tested positive for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Independent predictors for MRSA colonization were of Hispanic ethnicity (p = 0.001, odds ratio [OR] 13.98, confidence interval [CI] 2.97-65.76), immunosuppression medication use (p = 0.006, OR 2.82, CI 1.35-5.87), and revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedure (p < 0.001, OR 7.51, CI 2.58-21.89). Independent predictors for MSSA colonization were body mass index (BMI) >35 (p = 0.002, OR 1.57, CI 1.19-2.1). Variables were found to be protective against MSSA colonization including female gender (p = 0.012, OR 0.76, CI 0.61-0.94), age 60 to 69 (p = 0.025, OR 0.75, CI 0.58-0.96), and age 70 to 79 (p = 0.002, OR 0.63, CI 0.47-0.84). Age, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, revision THA, use of immunosuppression medication, and elevated BMI were independent risk factors for S. aureus nasal colonization.

Cardiotoxicity screening of long-term, breast cancer survivors-The CAROLE (Cardiac-Related Oncologic Late Effects) Study.

BACKGROUND: Long-term breast cancer survivors are at risk for cardiotoxicity after treatment, but there is insufficient evidence to provide long-term (~10 years) cardiovascular disease (CVD) screening recommendations. We sought to evaluate a tri-modality CVD screening approach. METHODS: This single-arm, feasibility study enrolled 201 breast cancer patients treated ≥6 years prior without CVD at diagnosis. Patients were sub-grouped: cardiotoxic (left-sided) radiation (RT), cardiotoxic (anthracycline-based) chemotherapy, both cardiotoxic chemotherapy and RT, and neither cardiotoxic treatment. Patients underwent electrocardiogram (EKG), transthoracic echocardiogram with strain (TTE with GLS), and coronary artery calcium computed tomography (CAC CT). The primary endpoint was preclinical or clinical CVD. RESULTS: Median age was 50 (29-65) at diagnosis and 63 (37-77) at imaging; median interval was 11.5 years (6.7-14.5). Among sub-groups, 44% had no cardiotoxic treatment, 31.5% had cardiotoxic RT, 16% had cardiotoxic chemotherapy, and 8.5% had both. Overall, 77.6% showed preclinical and/or clinical CVD and 51.5% showed clinical CVD. Per modality, rates of any CVD and clinical CVD were, respectively: 27.1%/10.0% on EKG, 50.0%/25.3% on TTE with GLS, and 50.8%/45.8% on CAC CT. No statistical difference was seen among the treatment subgroups (NS, χ2 test, p = 0.58/p = 0.15). CONCLUSION: This study identified a high incidence of CVD in heterogenous long-term breast cancer survivors, most >10 years post-treatment. Over half had clinical CVD findings warranting follow-up and/or intervention. Each imaging test independently contributed to the detection rate. This provides early evidence that long-term cardiac screening may be of value to a wider group of breast cancer survivors than previously recognized.

A nationwide comparative analysis of medical complications in fibromyalgia patients following total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a disease primarily characterized by chronic widespread pain and associated symptoms of fatigue, mild cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbance. The condition affects 1% to 6% of the general population in the United States and is more commonly diagnosed in women (2:1 ratio). There is evidence to suggest that fibromyalgia patients may be more at risk of postoperative complications. The rate of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) performed worldwide is escalating and thus it is expected that the proportion of fibromyalgia patients under orthopaedic care will increase accordingly. However, the literature on TKA outcomes in this subpopulation is limited. We assessed whether fibromyalgia patients have a higher likelihood of developing medical complications compared to a matched cohort of non-fibromyalgia patients following TKA. Specifically, we assessed the likelihood of developing (I) any medical complication and (II) specific medical complications. METHODS: Using the Medicare Standard Analytical Files of the PearlDiver supercomputer, patients who underwent a TKA between 2005 and 2014 were queried. Propensity score matching was used to match patients with and without fibromyalgia in a 1:1 ratio based on age, sex, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). A total cohort of 305,510 patients (female =242,198; male =59,810; and unknown =3,502) with (n=152,755) and without fibromyalgia (n=152,755) was identified. Statistical analyses involved the calculation of odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and P values (<0.05) were utilized to evaluate the occurrence of any and specific medical complications. RESULTS: Compared to a matched cohort of non-fibromyalgia patients, fibromyalgia patients had increased odds of developing any medical complication following TKA [odds ratio (OR): 1.95, 95% CI: 1.86-2.04, P<0.001]. Furthermore, compared to a matched cohort, these patients had significantly greater odds of developing urinary tract infections (OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.89-2.29, P<0.001), acute post-hemorrhagic anemia (OR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.41-1.73, P<0.001), thoracic or lumbosacral neuritis or radiculitis (OR: 5.85, 95% CI: 4.82-7.10, P<0.001), shortness of breath (OR: 3.02, 95% CI: 2.60-3.51, P<0.001), other diseases of lung not elsewhere classified (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.77-3.03, P<0.001), other respiratory abnormalities (OR: 3.49, 95% CI: 2.87-4.24, P<0.001), transfusion of packed cells (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.36-2.10, P<0.001), pneumonia (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.71-2.76, P<0.001), acute kidney failure (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.02-1.57, P<0.05), and neuralgia neuritis and radiculitis (OR: 5.29, 95% CI: 3.53-7.92, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: As the number of fibromyalgia patients under orthopaedic care is expected to rise, it is imperative that the TKA outcomes of these patients are tracked in order to provide optimal patient care. This study identified fibromyalgia as a risk factor for a number of medical complications following TKA. Orthopaedic surgeons must be aware of the potential for poor TKA outcomes among these patients and should provide them with appropriate medical care and pre-operative guidance.