Patient Attitudes Toward Resident and Fellow Participation in Orthopedic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Residents' and fellows' participation in orthopedic surgery is a potential source of anxiety and concern for patients. The purpose of this study was to determine patients' attitudes toward trainee involvement in orthopedic surgery, surgeons as educators, and disclosure of trainee involvement. METHODS: Three hundred two consecutive patients with preoperative and postoperative appointments at three arthroplasty practices in academic medical centers were surveyed with an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed in consultation with an expert in survey design. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-four patients completed the questionnaire (response rate 77.5%). Respondents were 60.5% female, 79.6% white, 66.5% privately insured, and 82.8% had at least some college education. About 65.9% of the respondents felt that surgeons who teach are better surgeons. Nearly all felt residents and fellows should perform surgeries as part of their education (94.1% and 95.3%, respectively). However, 39.7% of the respondents were not satisfactory with a second-year resident assisting in their own surgery. Patients dissatisfied with their most recent orthopedic surgery were more likely to respond that they did not want residents helping with their surgery. Respondents agreed that resident or fellow involvement in surgery should be disclosed (92.2% and 90.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Insured and educated patients in the United States overwhelmingly desire disclosure of trainee involvement in their surgery. To address the need for orthopedic training in the context of a patient population that is not fully comfortable with trainee involvement in their own surgery, an open discussion between patients and surgeons regarding trainees' roles may be the best course of action.

Hard-on-Hard Bearings Are Associated With Increased Noise Generation in Young Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Patient-perceived noise from prostheses after total hip arthroplasty (THA) does occur, yet questions remain including the overall frequency of this finding, demographic and prosthesis-related factors, and the association of noise generation with patient-reported outcomes. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were (1) to determine the frequency with which patients report noise coming from the hip after THA; (2) to identify patient and prosthesis-related factors associated with noise generation; and (3) to ascertain if noise generation is associated with pain or functional impairment after THA. METHODS: A five-center study was designed to quantify the degree of residual symptoms and functional deficits in patients undergoing THA. Three centers were academic practices, whereas two centers were private practices that provided training programs for orthopaedic residents and fellows. Each contributing surgeon was fellowship-trained and specialized in joint replacement. Inclusion criteria for this study were (1) men between 18 and 60 years old and women between 18 and 55 years old; (2) patients requiring primary hip surgery as a result of noninflammatory arthritis such as osteoarthritis, traumatic arthritis, or avascular necrosis; (3) a UCLA activity score of 6 or more before they were limited by pain; and (4) patients who had undergone a primary THA within 1 to 4 years before the start of the study and had a minimum of 1 year of clinical followup. Attempts were made to contact all identified patients meeting these inclusion criteria. Data were collected by an independent, third-party survey center blinded to the implant design and bearing surface used who administered questionnaires about residual symptoms, function, and pre- and postoperative activity levels using previously published survey instruments. Patients were specifically queried regarding perceived noise from their THA. We retrospectively identified 1242 eligible patients. Of the 1242 patients, 105 were found to have exclusions during the screening section of the questionnaire: postoperative infection (six THAs), fracture (two), dislocation (seven), or revision (17); limited activity level because of an operation on the opposite hip (34); and premorbid UCLA score of less than 6 (39). In addition, 128 individuals refused to participate, 156 were never available, 108 were not found as a result of a bad address/phone number, 48 were contacted but did not complete the interview, nine had died, and six had a language barrier. This left 682 of the 1137 eligible patients with completed surveys (60% response rate). The mean age was 50 ± 8 years at the time of surgery with 63% being men, and they were contacted at a mean of 3 ± 1 years postoperatively. Bearing surfaces (femoral head-acetabular liner) included 210 (31%) metal-on-metal, 144 (21%) ceramic-on-ceramic, 142 (21%) ceramic-on-polyethylene, 141 (21%) cobalt-chromium-on-polyethylene, and 44 (6%) oxidized zirconium-on-polyethylene. Differences in baseline demographic variables were accounted for using multiple logistic regression statistical analyses. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to determine the association of noise generation with residual symptoms. RESULTS: Overall, 9% (61 of 682; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7-11) of young patients undergoing primary THA reported noise generation. Females (12% [30 of 251 patients]) were noted to have an increased likelihood of reporting noise versus males (7% [30 of 431 patients]; odds ratio, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-3.1; p = 0.03). After controlling for potential confounding variables including female sex and length of followup, patients receiving a ceramic-on-ceramic or metal-on-metal bearing surface (14% [50 of 355]) reported an increased frequency of grinding, popping, and clicking in the 30 days before survey administration versus those receiving a polyethylene liner with a ceramic, oxidized zirconium, or cobalt-chromium femoral head (3% [10 of 327 patients]; odds ratio, 5.6; 95% CI, 2.7-11.5; p < 0.001). Noise generation was associated with increased pain (r = 0.23, p < 0.001) and stiffness (r = 0.22, p < 0.001) after THA. CONCLUSIONS: When interviewed by an independent third party, patients receiving a metal-on-metal or ceramic-on-ceramic bearing reported a higher frequency of noise generation versus patients receiving a polyethylene liner after THA. Young patients undergoing THA should be counseled that noise generation could be associated with increased pain after THA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

The Mark Coventry Award: Custom Cutting Guides Do Not Improve Total Knee Arthroplasty Clinical Outcomes at 2 Years Followup.

BACKGROUND: Custom cutting guides (CCGs; sometimes called patient-specific instrumentation [PSI]) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) use preoperative three-dimensional imaging to fabricate cutting blocks specific to a patient's native anatomy. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to determine if CCGs (1) improve clinical outcomes as measured by UCLA activity, SF-12, and Oxford knee scores; and (2) coronal mechanical alignment versus standard alignment guides. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing primary TKA using the same cruciate-retaining, cemented TKA system between January 2009 and April 2012. Patients were included if they were candidates for a unilateral, cruciate-retaining TKA and met other prespecified criteria; patients were allowed to self-select either an MRI-based CCG procedure or standard TKA. Ninety-seven of 120 (80.8%) patients in the standard and 104 of 124 (83.9%, p = 0.5) in the CCG cohort with a minimum of 1-year followup were available for analysis. The first 95 patients in the standard (mean followup, 3 years; range, 1-4 years) and CCG (mean followup, 2 years; range, 1-4 years) cohorts were compared. The alignment goal for all TKAs was a hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle of 0°. UCLA, SF-12, and Oxford knee scores were collected preoperatively and at each patient's most recent followup visit. Postoperative, rotationally controlled coronal scout CT scans were used to measure HKA alignment. Independent-sample t-tests and chi-square tests were used for comparisons with a p value ≤ 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: At the most recent followup, no differences were present between the two cohorts for range of motion (114° ± 14° in CCG versus 115° ± 15° in standard, p = 0.7), UCLA (6 ± 2 in CCG versus 6 ± 2 in standard, p = 0.7), SF-12 physical (44 ± 12 in CCG versus 41 ± 12 in standard, p = 0.07), or Oxford knee scores (39 ± 9 in CCG versus 37 ± 10 in standard, p = 0.1). No differences were present for the incremental improvement in the UCLA (1 ± 4 in CCG versus 1 ± 3 in standard, p = 0.5), SF-12 physical (12 ± 20 in CCG versus 11 ± 21, p = 0.8), or Oxford knee scores (16 ± 9 in CCG versus 19 ± 10 in standard, p = 0.1) from preoperatively to postoperatively. There was no difference in the percentage of outliers for alignment (23% in standard versus 31% in CCG with HKA outside of 0° ± 3°; p = 0.2) between the two cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: At a mean followup of greater than 2 years, CCGs fail to demonstrate any advantages in validated knee outcome measure scores or coronal alignment as measured by CT scan versus the use of standard instrumentation in TKA. The clinical benefit of CCGs must be proven before continued implementation of this technology. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective controlled study.

Contemporary Surgical Indications and Referral Trends in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty: A 10-Year Review.

BACKGROUND: Revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) represents nearly 15% of all hip arthroplasty procedures in the United States and is projected to increase. The purpose of our study was to summarize the contemporary indications for revision THA surgery at a tertiary referral medical center. We also sought to identify the indications for early and late revision surgery and define the prevalence of outside institution referral for revision THA. METHODS: Using our institution's arthroplasty registry, we identified a retrospective cohort of 870 consecutive patients who underwent revision THA at our hospital from 2004 to 2014. Records were reviewed to collect data on patient's primary and revision THA procedures, and the interval between primary THA and revision surgery was determined. RESULTS: Aseptic loosening (31.3%), osteolysis (21.8%), and instability (21.4%) were the overall most common indications for revision THA and the most common indications for revision surgery within 5 years of primary THA. Aseptic loosening and osteolysis were the most common indications for revision greater than 5 years from primary THA. Only 16.4% of revised hips had their index arthroplasty performed at our hospital, whereas 83.6% were referred to our institution. CONCLUSIONS: Aseptic loosening, osteolysis, and instability remain the most common contemporary indications for revision THA in an era of alternative bearings and modular components. Most of our revisions were referred from outside institutions, which highlights the transfer of a large portion of the revision THA burden to tertiary referral centers, a pattern that could be exacerbated under future bundled payment models.

The Effectiveness of a Risk Stratification Protocol for Thromboembolism Prophylaxis After Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: This study's purpose was to present our institution's experience with the use of a risk stratification protocol for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in joint arthroplasty in which "routine" risk patients receive a mobile compression device in conjunction with aspirin and "high"-risk patients receive warfarin for thromboprophylaxis. METHODS: This was a prospective study of patients undergoing primary or revision knee or hip arthroplasty. Exclusion criteria were patients with a current deep vein thrombosis, history of pulmonary embolism, chronic warfarin therapy, planned multiple surgeries, and prolonged postoperative immobilization. Patients were stratified as either routine or high risk. Routine risk patients received mobile compression devices for 10 days and aspirin twice daily for 6 weeks, whereas high-risk patients received warfarin for 4 weeks and compression stockings for 6 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 3143 total joint arthroplasties were enrolled (2222, 70.7% "routine"; 921, 29.3% "high risk"). The rate of symptomatic VTE within 6 weeks postoperatively was 0.7% (95% CI 0.3%-1.0%) in the standard vs 0.5% (95% CI 0.01%-1.0%) in the high-risk cohort (P = .67), and within 6 months postoperatively was 0.6% (95% CI 0.3%-1.0%) in the standard vs 1.1% (95% CI 0.4%-1.8%) in the high-risk cohort (P = .23). The rate of major bleeding events was significantly lower in the routine (0.4%; 95% CI 0.1%-0.6%) vs high-risk (2.0%; 95% CI 1.0%-3.0%; P < .001) cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that use of a risk stratification protocol allowed the avoidance of more aggressive anticoagulation in 70% of patients while achieving a low overall incidence of symptomatic VTE.

Patient Attitudes Toward Orthopedic Surgeon Ownership of Related Ancillary Businesses.

BACKGROUND: Physician ownership of businesses related to orthopedic surgery, such as surgery centers, has been criticized as potentially leading to misuse of health care resources. The purpose of this study was to determine patients' attitudes toward surgeon ownership of orthopedic-related businesses. METHODS: We surveyed 280 consecutive patients at 2 centers regarding their attitudes toward surgeon ownership of orthopedic-related businesses using an anonymous questionnaire. Three surgeon ownership scenarios were presented: (1) owning a surgery center, (2) physical therapy (PT), and (3) imaging facilities (eg, Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner). RESULTS: Two hundred fourteen patients (76%) completed the questionnaire. The majority agreed that it is ethical for a surgeon to own a surgery center (73%), PT practice (77%), or imaging facility (77%). Most (>67%) indicated that their surgeon owning such a business would have no effect on the trust they have in their surgeon. Although >70% agreed that a surgeon in all 3 scenarios would make the same treatment decisions, many agreed that such surgeons might perform more surgery (47%), refer more patients to PT (61%), or order more imaging (58%). Patients favored surgeon autonomy, however, believing that surgeons should be allowed to own such businesses (78%). Eighty-five percent agreed that patients should be informed if their surgeon owns an orthopedic-related business. CONCLUSION: Although patients express concern over and desire disclosure of surgeon ownership of orthopedic-related businesses, the majority believes that it is an ethical practice and feel comfortable receiving care at such a facility.

Radiographic parameters associated with pain following total hip and surface arthroplasty.

Pain following total hip arthroplasty (THA) and surface arthroplasty (SRA) remains a significant source of patient dissatisfaction. Two hundred twenty-four SRA and 196 THA patients completed a pain drawing questionnaire and postoperative radiographic measurements of component positioning were performed. In the SRA cohort, 11 of 21 patients (52%) with acetabular uncoverage of ≥5 mm versus 43 of 147 (29%) with acetabular uncoverage of ≤4.9 mm reported groin pain (P=.03). In the THA cohort, an increased distal-third canal fill ratio and a lower canal calcar ratio trended towards a higher incidence of thigh pain (P=.10 and .06), while a decreased mid-third canal fill ratio was associated with increased severity of thigh pain (P=.04). This study identifies associations between radiographic findings and pain following THA and SRA.

Mobile compression devices and aspirin for VTE prophylaxis following simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty.

Recently, Levy et al questioned the effectiveness of mobile compression devices (MCDs) as the sole method of thromboprophylaxis following simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study's purpose was to assess if the addition of aspirin to MCDs improves venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention following simultaneous bilateral TKA. Ninety-six patients (192 TKAs) were retrospectively reviewed: 47 patients received MCDs for 10 days and aspirin for 6 weeks postoperatively based on a risk stratification protocol, while 49 patients received warfarin for 4 weeks postoperatively. One symptomatic VTE was noted in the warfarin cohort, while one patient in the MCD/aspirin cohort and three patients in the warfarin cohort were readmitted within 3 months of surgery. In appropriately selected patients, MCDs with aspirin shows promise in VTE prevention following simultaneous bilateral TKA.

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged CMS Beneficiaries Do Not Benefit From the Readmission Reduction Initiatives.

We assessed the impact of minority and socioeconomic status on 30-day readmission rates after 3825 primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 3118 primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures. Minority patients had higher THA (7.4% vs 3.2%, P=0.001) and TKA (5.4% vs 3.7%, P<0.001) readmission rates. Low socioeconomic status was associated with higher THA (6.0% vs 3.1%, P<0.001) and TKA (6.3% vs 3.8%, P=0.02) readmission rates. Risk reduction initiatives were effective after TKA, but minority status and low socioeconomic status were still associated with higher 30-day readmission rates (4.6% vs 1.8%, P<0.01). Focused postoperative engagement for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) beneficiaries less than 65 years of age may help reduce complications and 30-day readmissions.

Metal Ion Concentrations in Young, Active Patients Following Total Hip Arthroplasty with the Use of Modern Bearing Couples.

The purpose of this study was to compare whole blood metal ion levels in young, active patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty with the use of a cobalt-alloy (ten patients), ceramic (15 patients), or oxinium (11 patients) femoral head and highly crosslinked polyethylene acetabular liner. At 2 years postoperatively, mean cobalt concentrations were 3.0 times higher in the cobalt-alloy cohort versus the ceramic cohort, and 2.3 times higher versus the oxinium cohort (P=0.3-0.5). Titanium levels were consistently elevated at all postoperative time points versus preoperatively in all cohorts. Young, active patients following THA demonstrate elevated cobalt and titanium concentrations. Use of a ceramic or oxinium femoral head decreased the degree of cobalt elevation versus a cobalt-alloy femoral head, but did not reach statistical significance.

Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Hip Arthroplasty: Routine and High Risk Patients.

This study's purpose was to present the use of a risk stratification protocol in which "routine" risk patients receive a mobile compression device with aspirin and "high" risk patients receive warfarin for thromboprophylaxis after hip arthroplasty. 1859 hip arthroplasty patients were prospectively enrolled (1402 routine risk--75.4%, 457 high risk--24.6%). The cumulative rate of venous thromboembolism events was 0.5% in the routine versus 0.5% in the high-risk cohort within 6weeks postoperatively (P=1.00). Patients in the routine risk cohort had a lower rate of major bleeding (0.5% versus 2.0%, P=0.006) and wound complications (0.2% versus 1.2%, P=0.01). Use of our risk stratification protocol allowed the avoidance of more aggressive anticoagulation in 75% of patients while achieving a low overall incidence of symptomatic VTE.

The Impact of Risk Reduction Initiatives on Readmission: THA and TKA Readmission Rates.

We assessed whether sequential incorporation of initiatives to decrease postoperative surgical complications were similarly effective in reducing 30-day readmission rates following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). Readmission rates following TKA decreased substantially (5.6% vs. 3.0%, P<0.001), but readmissions following THA (4.0% vs. 3.4%, P=0.41) were not significantly reduced. The greatest impact of the multimodal treatment approach was a reduction of surgically related TKA complications. Advanced medical disease, facility discharge status, and Medicare or Medicaid coverage contributed to the highest risk for 30-day readmission after THA. Risk models defining expected readmission rates should account for these factors to avoid penalizing hospitals that provide higher proportional care to Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) beneficiaries.

Incidence and Location of Pain in Young, Active Patients Following Hip Arthroplasty.

Persistent pain following hip arthroplasty remains a concern, especially in young, active patients. Four hundred twenty patients less than 60 years of age with a pre-symptomatic UCLA score ≥ 6 (196 total hip arthroplasty [THA]; 224 surface replacement arthroplasty [SRA]) completed a pain-drawing questionnaire investigating the location, severity, and frequency of pain around the hip. At a mean of 2.9 years of follow-up, 40% reported pain in at least one location around the hip. There was no difference in the incidence of groin pain between SRA and THA patients (32% vs. 29%, P=0.6), but THA patients had a greater incidence of anterior (25% vs. 8%, P<0.001) and lateral (20% vs. 10%, P=0.01) thigh pain. A high percentage of young, active patients experience persistent pain following hip arthroplasty.

Planned Bone Resections Using an MRI-Based Custom Cutting Guide System Versus 3-Dimensional, Weight-Bearing Images in Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Potential sources of alignment variability not yet investigated with the use of custom cutting guides (CCG) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are weight-bearing and lower extremity rotation. This study compared the preoperative planned bone resections created using an MRI-based CCG system to those from 3-dimensional, weight-bearing, full-length lower extremity images in 53 patients undergoing TKA. The angular difference between the proposed resections of the two systems was greater than 2° in 30.2% of patients for the distal femur, and 52.8% for the proximal tibia. An increased preoperative varus alignment had a slight association with an increased angular difference for the tibial resection (r=0.4). This study demonstrates weight-bearing and lower extremity rotation to be potential sources of alignment variability when using MRI-based CCGs.

The Impact of Study Period on Perioperative Outcomes Following Hip Arthroplasty.

We hypothesized that the time period studied would have a greater impact on perioperative outcomes than the hip arthroplasty procedure performed, demonstrating concerns with studies comparing new techniques to "historical" controls. One hundred total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 100 surface replacement arthroplasty (SRA) patients performed between 2004 and 2010 ("historical" period) were matched and compared to 50 THA and 50 SRA patients performed between 2010 and 2012 ("recent" period). Time to discharge was significantly improved for both the THA and SRA groups in the recent versus historical period by 16hours (P<0.001). At both periods, THA patients were discharged earlier by 9hours versus SRAs (P<0.0001). Study time frame had a greater impact than the operative procedure on perioperative metrics.

Are Financial Conflicts of Interest for the Surgeon A Source of Concern for the Patient?

We surveyed 269 consecutive patients (81% response rate) with an anonymous questionnaire to assess their attitudes toward conflicts-of-interest (COIs) resulting from three financial relationships between orthopedic surgeons and orthopedic industry: (1) being paid as a consultant; (2) receiving research funding; (3) receiving product design royalties. The majority perceived these relationships favorably, with 75% agreeing that surgeons in such relationships are top experts in the field and two-thirds agreeing that surgeons engage in such relationships to serve patients better. Patients viewed surgeons who designed products more favorably than those who are consultants (P=0.03). The majority (74%) agreed that these COIs should be disclosed to patients. Given patients' desires for disclosure and their favorable perceptions of these relationships, open discussions about financial COIs is appropriate.

Extreme variability in posterior slope of the proximal tibia: measurements on 2395 CT scans of patients undergoing UKA?

Data regarding the posterior slope of the tibia (PTS) are limited and sometimes conflicting. The purpose of this study was to determine the native posterior tibial slope in patients undergoing a medial or lateral UKA. A retrospective review was performed on 2395 CT scans in patients indicated for UKA, and the PTS of the osteoarthritic compartment was measured relative to a plane set perpendicular to the sagittal, tibial mechanical axis. The mean preoperative PTS in patients undergoing medial UKA was 6.8°+3.3°, with 34.3% between 4° and 7°. The mean preoperative PTS in patients undergoing lateral UKA was 8.0°+3.3°, with 27.5% between 4° and 7°. If attempting to recreate a patient's preoperative tibial slope, a routine target of 5° to 7° will produce a posterior slope less than the patient's native anatomy in 47% of patients undergoing UKA. This is the first, large CT-based review of posterior slope variation of the proximal tibia in patients undergoing UKA.