The changing epidemiology of radial head replacement over a 22-year period in Scotland.

BACKGROUND: Radial head replacement is used to confer joint stability in the management of acute unstable elbow fractures and dislocations associated with instability. We determined the annual incidence of radial head replacement over a 22-year period in a defined population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hospital episode statistics were collected prospectively at a national level. This database was retrospectively examined to determine the annual incidence of radial head replacement over the study period in adults over 16 years of age. RESULTS: A total of 615 radial head replacements were performed over the 22 years studied. The overall incidence was 0.65/100,000/year (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.50-0.71). The average adult population during the period was 4,270,593. There was a steady and statistically significant increase in the incidence of radial head replacement over the study period (r 2 = 0.816; p < 0.0001). This incidence was significantly greater in women than men (odds ratio 1.46, 95% CI 1.25-1.72; p < 0.001). The peak incidence in men was 0.87/100,000 population/year in the fifth decade of life while in women the peak incidence was in the seventh decade of life (1.38/100,000 population/year). CONCLUSION: The incidence of radial head replacement has increased steadily over 22 years. We hypothesise that this represents an evolving understanding of the role of radial head replacement in acute trauma in the context of emerging literature during the study period.

The effect of care transition pathway implementation on patients undergoing joint replacement during the COVID-19 pandemic: a quasi-experimental study from a tertiary care hospital orthopedic department in Beijing, China.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a massive impact on individuals globally. The Chinese government has formulated effective response measures, and medical personnel have been actively responding to challenges associated with the epidemic prevention and control strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the implementation of a care transition pathway on patients that underwent joint replacement during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was designed to evaluate the effect of implementing a care transition pathway for patients who underwent joint replacement during the COVID-19 pandemic in the orthopedic department of a tertiary care hospital in Beijing, China. Using a convenient sampling method, a total of 96 patients were selected. Of these, 51 patients who had undergone joint replacement in 2019 and received treatment via the routine nursing path were included in the control group. The remaining 45 patients who underwent joint replacement during the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020 and received therapy via the care transition pathway due to the implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures were included in the observation group. The quality of care transition was assessed by the Care Transition Measure (CTM), and patients were followed up 1 week after discharge. RESULTS: The observation group was determined to have better general self-care preparation, written planning materials, doctor-patient communication, health monitoring, and quality of care transition than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: A care transition pathway was developed to provide patients with care while transitioning through periods of treatment. It improved the patient perceptions of nursing quality. The COVID-19 pandemic is a huge challenge for health professionals, but we have the ability to improve features of workflows to provide the best possible patient care.

Impact of technology in temporomandibular joint reconstruction surgeries: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: The digital technologies, in recent years, have integrated with temporomandibular joint reconstruction surgeries (TRS). Therefore, a systematic study was conducted to assess the impact of digital technologies in TRS. Besides, a brief comparison between the CAD/CAM and 3D printing (3DP) technologies is presented. MATERIALS & METHODS: We searched in PubMed, ProQuest and Science direct using PRISMA guidelines. Population = Patients undergoing TRS, Intervention=CAD/CAM or 3DP, Comparison= conventional TRS (cTRS) vs technology integrated TRS (tiTRS), Outcome= Advantages/disadvantages of technology and Subjective/objective symptoms, Study design= Type of study. The quality of observational study was assessed using ROBINS-1 Assessment tool. RESULTS: Out of 632 articles, 30 articles for CAD/CAM and 3DP were included in the study. A majority of TRS were done for ankylosis (new or re-entry), earlier failed surgery, osteoarthritis and neoplastic cases. The articles were divided into two groups. Group I: CAD/CAM(n = 16), Group II: 3DP (n = 14). DISCUSSION: tiTRS had definite advantages over cTRS with lesser surgery time, defined osteotomies, précised implant fitting and better final result outcome however, evidence for tiTRS in long-term follow-up is inconclusive. The cost, time, infrastructure and ethical/regulatory issues are the downsides of assisted surgeries. It was observed that 3DP technology is versatile and its adaptation in the fabrication of customized implants has outpaced CAD/CAM technology. However, literature data is feeble qualitatively and quantitatively. CONCLUSION: The TRS has leveraged the flexibility and precision of assisted surgeries. In future, tiTRS could successfully replace cTRS, provided that shortcomings should be dealt so that the technology can benefit the masses.

Same-Day Discharge Following Total Joint Arthroplasty: Examining Trends, Discharge Dispositions, and Complications Over Time.

Administrative database studies have reported on the safety of same-day discharge (SDD) following total joint arthroplasty (TJA); however, most patient cohorts have been defined by length of stay (LOS), and the proportion discharged directly home remains unknown. The purpose of this investigation was to (1) determine common dispositions for patients undergoing SDD TJA; (2) understand changes in discharge disposition over time; and (3) determine the safety of SDD TJA, stratified by discharge disposition. The PearlDiver Database was reviewed for patients who underwent SDD TJA (LOS of 0 days) from 2011 to 2016. Patients were stratified by discharge disposition, and rates and complications following SDD TJA were assessed accordingly. Chi-square analysis was performed to compare demographics and complications between patient groups stratified by disposition. From 2011 to 2016, there was an exponential increase in the annual rate of SDD TJA from 0.95% to 20.5%, respectively; however, the annual proportion of patients discharged directly home remained unchanged (approximately 68%), with the remaining discharged directly to an alternate care facility, most commonly inpatient rehabilitation. Patients discharged to an alternate facility were significantly older (P<.001), had significantly higher comorbidity scores (P<.001), and had significantly more complications (P<.001) than those patients discharged directly home. Although the annual rate of SDD TJA is increasing, up to one-third of patients are not discharged directly home-a proportion unchanged over time. Moving forward, administrative database studies examining SDD TJA must account for discharge disposition; moreover, there is a need to understand the practice of SDD TJA to an alternate care facility. [Orthopedics. 2020;43(4):204-208.].

Outpatient Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Review of the Current Stance and Future Direction.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this review is to outline some of the major considerations when transitioning to performing total hip and knee arthroplasty in the out- patient setting. The review will discuss patient selections, peri-operative management pathways, and outcomes related to outpatient total joint arthroplasty (TJA). PATIENT SELECTION: Appropriate patient selection is key to successful outpatient TJA. Multiple indices have been proposed to estimate patient risk before undergoing outpatient TJA. Perioperative Management: In order to provide a successful outpatient TJA experience, pre-operative education class and physical therapy session can set expectations and prepare the patient for the post-operative recovery at home. Specific anesthesia techniques focus on regional blocks, multi-modal pain control, and reduction of post-operative nausea and vomiting and rapid recovery protocols have been developed to provide early mobilization and physical therapy. OUTCOMES: Nationwide analyses have found improved complication rates ranging from 1.3%-3% in outpatient TJA group compared to 3%-12% in the inpatient TJA group. Financial analyses have found significant cost savings for outpatient TJA mostly related to reduction in surgical floor care. CONCLUSION: Outpatient TJA has the potential to improve patient experience with cost savings and no increased risk of complications in the appropriately selected patient population.

Reduction in Upper Limb Joint Surgery Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: An Interrupted Time-Series Analysis Using Danish Health Care Registers.

OBJECTIVE: Joint replacement surgery is a proxy of severe joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the introduction of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) on the incidence rate (IR) of upper limb joint replacements among newly diagnosed RA patients. METHODS: Using the Danish National Patient Register, patients with incident RA from 1996-2012 were identified. Each patient was matched on age, sex, and municipality, with up to 10 general population controls. The age- and sex-standardized 5-year IR per 1,000 person-years of a composite outcome of any first joint replacement of the finger, wrist, elbow, or shoulder was calculated, and an interrupted time-series analysis was undertaken to investigate trends and changes of the IR in the pre-bDMARD (1996-2001) and the bDMARD eras (2003-2012), with a 1-year lag period in 2002. RESULTS: In total, 18,654 incident patients with RA were identified (mean age 57.6 years, 70.5% women). The IR of joint replacements among patients with RA was stable at 2.46 per 1,000 person-years (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.96, 2.96) from 1996 to 2001 but started to decrease from 2003 onwards (-0.08 per 1,000 person-years annually [95% CI -0.20, 0.02]). Compared with patients with RA, the IR among controls in 1996 was 1/17 and increased continuously throughout the study period. CONCLUSION: The IR of upper limb joint replacements started to decrease among patients with RA from 2002 onwards, whereas it increased among controls. Our results suggest an association between the introduction of bDMARDs and a lower need of joint replacements among patients with RA.

Characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing primary total joint replacement: A 14-year trend analysis (2004-2017).

Objectives: To examine time trends in the characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing primary total joint replacement (TJR).Methods: Biologics were approved in Japan for use in patients with RA in July 2003. A total of 403 large joints in 282 patients who underwent TJR at our institute between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2017 were retrospectively examined.Results: A significant decreasing trend was observed in the number of TJRs performed from 2004 to 2017 (p = 0.013). No significant trend was observed in time from RA onset to TJR (p = 0.294). Age at RA onset (p = 0.034) showed a significant increasing trend, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels showed a significant decreasing trend (p < 0.001). Negative CRP (defined as ≤0.3 mg/dl; partial regression coefficient (B) = 2.44, p = 0.016) was independently associated with time from RA onset to TJR as well as age at RA onset and juxta-articular osteophyte formation.Conclusion: The number of TJRs decreased since the approval of biologics in Japan, and changes were observed in the characteristics of patients with RA undergoing TJR. Negative CRP was an independent factor associated with longer time from RA onset to TJR.

Rates of Total Joint Replacement in the United States: Future Projections to 2020-2040 Using the National Inpatient Sample.

OBJECTIVE: To project future total hip and knee joint arthroplasty (THA, TKA) use in the United States to 2040. METHODS: We used the 2000-2014 US National Inpatient Sample (NIS) combined with Census Bureau data to develop projections for primary THA and TKA from 2020 to 2040 using polynomial regression to account for the nonlinearity and interactions between the variables, assuming the underlying distribution of the number of THA/TKA to be Poisson distributed. We performed sensitivity analyses using a negative binomial regression to account for overdispersion. RESULTS: Predicted total annual counts (95% prediction intervals) for THA in the United States by 2020, 2025, 2030, and 2040 are (in thousands): 498 (475, 523), 652 (610, 696), 850 (781, 925), and 1429 (1265, 1615), respectively. For primary TKA, predicted total annual counts for 2020, 2025, 2030, and 2040 are (in thousands): 1065 (937, 1211), 1272 (1200, 1710), 1921 (1530, 2410), and 3416 (2459, 4745), respectively. Compared to the available 2014 NIS numbers, the percent increases in projected total annual US use for primary THA and TKA in 2020, 2025, 2030, and 2040 are as follows: primary THA, by 34%, 75%, 129%, and 284%; and primary TKA, 56%, 110%, 182%, and 401%, respectively. Primary THA and TKA use is projected to increase for both females and males, in all age groups. CONCLUSION: Significant increases in use of THA and TKA are expected in the United States in the future, if the current trend continues. The increased use is evident across age groups in both females and males. A policy change may be needed to meet increased demand.

Are Histological Examinations of Arthroplasty Specimens Performed Consistently Across the Country? A Large Database Study.

BACKGROUND: It is currently unknown to what extent routine histological examination of joint arthroplasty specimens occurs across hospitals nationwide. Although this practice is neither supported nor refuted by the available evidence, given the increasing demand for joint arthroplasties, it is crucial to study overall utilization as well as its main drivers. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: Using national data on joint replacements, we aimed to evaluate: (1) What is the current use of routine histological examination of joint arthroplasty specimens? (2) Does the use vary by geographic location and hospital characteristics? (3) Has use changed over time? METHODS: From the Premier Healthcare database (2006-2016) we included claims data from 87,667 shoulder (595 hospitals, median age 70 years, 16% nonwhite), 564,577 hip (629 hospitals, median age 65 years, 21% nonwhite), and 1,131,323 (630 hospitals, median age 66 years, 24% nonwhite) knee arthroplasties (all elective). Our study group has extensive experience with this data set, which contains information on 20% to 25% of all US hospitalizations. Included hospitals are mainly concentrated in the South (approximately 40%) with equal distributions among the Northeast, West, and Midwest (approximately 20% each). Moreover, the Premier data set has detailed billing information, which allows for evaluations of real-world clinical practice. There was no missing information on the main variables of interest for this specific study. We assessed frequency of histology examination (defined by Current Procedural Terminology codes) overall as well as by hospital characteristics (urban/rural, bed size, teaching status, arthroplasty volume), geographic region (Northeast, South, Midwest, West), and year. Given the large sample size, instead of p values, standardized differences were applied in assessing group differences where a standardized difference of > 0.1 (or 10%) was assumed to represent a meaningful difference between groups. For significance of trends, p values were applied. Percentages provided represent proportions of individual procedures. RESULTS: In most hospitals, histology testing was either rare (1%-10%, used in 187 of 595, 189 of 629, and 254 of 630 hospitals) or ubiquitous (91%-100%, used in 121 of 595, 220 of 629, and 195 of 630 hospitals) for shoulder, hip, and knee arthroplasties, respectively. Overall, histology testing occurred more often in smaller hospitals (37%-53% compared with 26%-45% in larger hospitals) and those located in the Northeast (59%-68% compared with 22%-44% in other regions) and urban areas (32%-49% compared with 20%-31% in rural areas), all with standardized differences > 10%. Histologic examination is slowly decreasing over time: from 2006 to 2016, it decreased from 34% to 30% for shoulder arthroplasty, from 50% to 45% for THAs, and from 43% to 38% for TKAs (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although overall use is decreasing, a substantial number of hospitals still routinely perform histology testing of arthroplasty specimens. Moreover, variation between regions and hospital types suggests that this practice is driven by a variety of factors. This is the first study addressing national utilization, which will be helpful for individual hospitals to assess how they compare with national utilization patterns. Moreover, the findings have clear implications for followup studies, which may be necessary given the exponentially growing demand for arthroplasties. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

Geographic variation in the treatment of proximal humerus fracture: an update on surgery rates and treatment consensus.

BACKGROUND: Using a larger, more comprehensive sample, and inclusion of the reverse shoulder arthroplasty as a primary surgical approach for proximal humerus fracture, we report on geographic variation in the treatment of proximal humerus fracture in 2011 and comment on whether treatment consensus is being reached. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of Medicare patients with an x-ray-confirmed diagnosis of proximal humerus fracture in 2011. Patients receiving reverse shoulder arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or open reduction internal fixation within 60 days of their diagnosis were classified as surgical management patients. Unadjusted observed surgery rates and area treatment ratios adjusted for patient demographic and clinical characteristics were calculated at the hospital referral region level. RESULTS: Among patients with proximal humerus fracture (N = 77,053), 15.4% received surgery and 84.6% received conservative management. Unadjusted surgery rates varied from 1.7 to 33.3% across hospital referral regions. Among patients receiving surgery, 22.3% received hemiarthroplasty, 65.8% received open reduction internal fixation, and 11.8% received reverse shoulder arthroplasty. Patients that were female, were younger, had fewer medical comorbidities, had a lower frailty index, were white, or were not dual-eligible for Medicaid during the month of their index fracture were more likely to receive surgery (p < .0001). Geographic variation in the treatment of proximal humerus fracture persisted after adjustment for patient demographic and clinical differences across local areas. Average surgery rates ranged from 9.9 to 21.2% across area treatment ratio quintiles. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent geographic variation in surgery rates for proximal humerus fracture across the USA suggests no treatment consensus has been reached.

My personal experience with arthroplasties in the hand and wrist over the past four decades.

I summarize my changing views and practices of arthroplasty in hand surgery over the past four decades. I recommend simple resection of the trapeziectomy for advanced arthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint, silicone implants for the metacarpophalangeal joints and the proximal interphalangeal joints, and the total wrist arthroplasty for advanced wrist arthritis and collapse. I also outline technical tips of these procedures.

Trends and Demographics in the Utilization of Total Wrist Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Health disparities exist among many patient populations, with race, payer status, hospital size and access to teaching versus non-teaching hospitals potentially affecting whether certain patients have access to the benefits of total wrist arthroplasty (TWA). METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample Database (NIS) was queried from 2001 to 2013 for TWA using the ICD-9 code 81.73. Patient-level data included age, sex, race, payer status, and year of discharge. Hospital-level data included hospital bed size, location, teaching status, and region. RESULTS: There were 1,213 patients identified who underwent TWA between 2001 and 2013. Total number of procedures decreased from 88 TWAs in 2001 to 65 in 2013. The yearly volume ranged from 33 in 2005 to 128 in 2007. The male-female ratio was 2.5 to 1. The majority of TWA procedures were performed at urban teaching hospitals (60.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The NIS database shows a downward trend of total wrist arthroplasty utilization. The majority of total wrist arthroplasties were performed at urban teaching hospitals indicating treatment occurs most often at academic centers of excellence.

Predictors for orthopaedic surgery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from a retrospective cohort study of 1010 patients diagnosed from 1972 to 2009 and followed up until 2015.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how patient characteristics, time of diagnosis, and treatment affect the need for orthopaedic surgery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHOD: We reviewed the medical history of 1544 patients diagnosed with RA at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, from 1972 to 2009, of whom 1010 (mean age 57 years, 69% women) were included in the present study. Relevant orthopaedic procedures were obtained from the Norwegian Arthoplasty Register and the hospital's administrative patient records. In total, 693 procedures (joint synovectomies 22%, arthrodeses 21%, prostheses 41%, and forefoot procedures 12%) were performed in 315 patients. Survival analyses were completed to evaluate the impact of different factors such as age, gender, radiographic changes, and year of diagnosis, on the risk of undergoing surgery. RESULTS: Patients diagnosed in 1972-1985 and 1986-1998 had a relative risk of undergoing surgery of 2.4 and 2.2 (p < 0.001), respectively, compared to patients diagnosed in 1999-2009. Radiographic changes at diagnosis and female gender were also significant risk factors. Anti-rheumatic medication was significantly different in the three time periods. CONCLUSION: Patients with a diagnosis in the early years had a greatly increased risk of having orthopaedic surgery performed. This is probably due to the year of diagnosis being a proxy for the type and intensity of medical treatment.

Frailty as a predictor of hospital length of stay after elective total joint replacements in elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Total joint replacement procedures are increasing in number because of population aging and osteoarthritis development. Defined as a lack of physiological reserves and the inability to adequately respond to external stressors, frailty may be more common than expected in older patients with degenerative arthritis awaiting total joint replacements. The aim of the present study was to assess associations between frailty and adverse outcomes, frailty prevalence among elderly patients awaiting elective TJR, and agreement between 2 frailty screening instruments. METHODS: We undertook a prospective, observational, pilot study in our institution. We enrolled patients 65 years or older who were awaiting elective knee or hip replacement surgery and evaluated them in our preoperative clinic with planned postoperative hospital length of stay greater than 24 h. Patients were asked to grade their perceived well-being on the Clinical Frailty Scale and to answer questions on the FRAIL Scale. RESULTS: The Clinical Frailty Scale classified 40 patients (45.9%) as robust, 43 patients (49.4%) as prefrail and 4 patients (4.5%) as frail, while the FRAIL Scale categorized 12 patients (13.7%) as robust, 54 patients (62.0%) as prefrail, and 20 patients (22.9%) as frail. Robustness, ascertained on the Clinical Frailty Scale was, while the FRAIL Scale was not, significantly associated with shorter hospital length of stay and fewer discharges to the rehabilitation center. Both scales showed moderate mutual agreement. CONCLUSION: Screening for frailty identified between 5% and 10% of patients at risk of adverse outcomes. The Clinical Frailty Scale was, while the FRAIL scale was not, significantly associated with hospital length of stay and discharge to rehabilitation center in our cohort of total joint replacement patients.

Trends in Joint Replacement Surgery in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed trends in large total joint arthroplasties (TJA) and in the proportion of these procedures performed on patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The US Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2002-2012) was used to identify the incidences of total shoulder (TSA), elbow (TEA), knee (TKA), hip (THA), and ankle (TAA) arthroplasty and the proportion of these performed with coexisting RA. RESULTS: The prevalence of RA among patients with TJA increased 3.0%. The prevalence of RA among cases of TEA and TSA decreased by 50% (p < 0.0001) and 18% (p = 0.0016), respectively; a 38.0% decrease occurred in the prevalence of RA among TAA (p = 0.06); and nonsignificant increases were seen among THA and TKA. The average age difference between RA and non-RA patients undergoing TJA narrowed by 2 years (p < 0.0001). There was a greater reduction in the proportion of TSA, TEA, and TAA groups among women with RA than men with RA. In the TSA and TEA groups, there was a reduction in the proportion of whites with RA, but not blacks. The proportion of privately insured TSA and TAA patients with RA decreased, while patients with RA undergoing TSA, TEA, or TAA who were receiving Medicaid (government medical insurance) remained relatively stable over time. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of RA has decreased among TSA and TEA patients. A nonsignificant decline occurred among TAA patients. The average age of TJA patients with RA is beginning to mirror those without RA. Sex ratios for TSA, TEA, and TAA patients are following a similar pattern. These results may be evidence of the success of modern RA treatment strategies.

Rates of Joint Replacement Surgery in New Zealand, 1999-2015: A Comparison of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine rates of joint replacement for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) and to examine the characteristics of those receiving elbow replacements. METHODS: Data were extracted from the New Zealand Joint Registry from 1999 to 2015 and annual rates calculated. RESULTS: Rates of joint replacement increased over time for OA but not RA. Elbow replacement was the only procedure performed more commonly in RA. CONCLUSION: There has been a substantial increase in joint replacement for OA in New Zealand. For RA, where access to biologics has been limited to those with erosions, joint replacement rates have not declined, with the exception of elbow replacements.

Arthroplasty treatment of proximal humerus fractures: 14-year trends in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: Proximal humerus fractures are a common injury in the elderly population that can usually be managed non-operatively. However, arthroplasty has become increasingly utilized for complex fractures and poor bone quality. We evaluated national trends in treatment, specifically looking at the adoption of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. METHODS: The incidence of proximal humerus fractures was calculated from the Nationwide Emergency Department Database (NEDD) from 2006 to 2012. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was used to select patients from 2000 to 2013 with proximal humerus fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RSA), and hemiarthroplasty (HSA). RSA and TSA shared the same ICD-9 code until 2010. RESULTS: The incidence of proximal humerus fracture was stable from 2006 to 2012. Hemiarthroplasty was the majority treatment choice for arthroplasty in the early 2000's. However, in 2008, there was a large decrease in utilization, to 51.3% in 2013. During this period, utilization of TSA greatly increased, coinciding with a large increase of RSA. By 2013, RSA made up 45.1% of arthroplasty procedures. CONCLUSION: The rate of proximal humerus fracture appears stable, while we observed both an overall increase in operative intervention. RSA appears to be increasingly chosen over HSA for arthroplasty treatment of proximal humerus fractures, an observation more pronounced in older patients. While clinical results appear promising, it is important to remember that most proximal humerus fractures may be treated successfully with conservative management, and rapid adoption of new technology should be watched carefully to ensure appropriate use.

National trends in proximal humerus fracture treatment patterns.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of proximal humerus fractures (PHF) is largely surgeon dependent with no clear guidelines for selecting the optimal method of treatment. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate trends and variations in treatment methods of PHF in the United States from 2004 to 2012 and to determine the regional differences in treatment. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample was used to identify all patient discharges with diagnosis codes for PHF and the data were classified based on ICD-9 procedure codes. Patient and hospital demographics were also analyzed. Simple linear regression analyses were performed for each treatment modality to evaluate current treatment trends and to extrapolate the future trends of PHF treatment over the next 20 years. RESULTS: A national estimate of 550,116 PHF discharges was identified over the time period. Significant correlations between change over time and treatment modality were found for reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) (r = 0.903, p < 0.001), open reduction internal fixation (r = 0.876, p = 0.002), and closed reduction internal fixation (r = -0.922, p < 0.001). The RSA regression model showed that by the year 2032, PHF treated with RSA will increase 100% from 2012. DISCUSSION: There were significant changes in treatment modalities for PHF from 2004 to 2012; The projected number of RSA used to treat PHF will be about 9115 in 2032, compared to 340 in 2004. CONCLUSION: Overall, there was a growth in proximal humerus fractures treated in an inpatient setting in the United States. RSA had the greatest proportional increase over time, but only accounted for less than 2% of total interventions.