Factors Influencing Patient Satisfaction with Total Joint Replacement Surgery.

Background: Replacement arthroplasty surgery is a surgical procedure that is needed to restore the activity of a joint. Patient satisfaction regarding arthroplasty surgery is influenced by post-operative complication rate, ability to afford care, and quality of interaction. In this study, we assessed patients' postoperative complications, mobility, and pain management as proxies for their overall satisfaction with total joint replacement (TJR). Methods: An anonymous web-based survey was conducted for patients who had undergone any total joint replacement surgery in the US. Respondents were adults living in the United States. Results: 180 individuals met the inclusion criteria and responded to the survey. Age, education, gender, and race were fitted against the patient satisfaction level with the surgeon. While education [P=0.4720], gender [P=0.5097 ], and race [P=0.8183] were not significant, age in years [P=0.02340] was predictive of overall satisfaction levels [R2=0.0213]. When controlling for BMI, infection [P=0.0164], nerve damage [P=0.0250], delayed healing [P=0.0024], hematoma [P=0.0497], were more likely to occur in participants who have had a knee replacement, as compared to shoulder and hip replacement surgery. When controlling for mobility before surgery vs. mobility after surgery [P=0.0114], patients who selected the highest level of mobility before surgery were likely to select the highest level of mobility after surgery. Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, employer-based insurance, and no insurance were fitted against the patient's self-reported difficulty in paying for their treatment/care. Although employer-based insurance [P=0.0790] was not significant in predicting difficulty in paying for the surgery, patients with Medicaid [P=0.0280], Medicare [P=0.0200], or private insurance [P=0.0343] did. Conclusion: In this cohort, older patients were associated with having improved satisfaction with the surgeon who performed their joint replacement. Complications were higher in patients who underwent a knee arthroplasty compared to a shoulder or hip arthroplasty.

Patellar Fracture Repair Using FiberWire.

Patellar fractures are injuries caused by the direct impact on the bone or excessive stress on the extensor mechanism. The extensor mechanism is a structure formed by the quadriceps, the patella, and the patellar tendon, as well as ligaments. We present the case of a 53-year-old male who suffered a fall from a ladder after attempting to fix a ceiling light in his home. He went to the emergency department a few times before he was admitted due to his inability to walk secondary to a fracture located at the inferior pole of the left patella. This fracture was fixed with open reduction and internal fixation using drill holes and FiberWire®.