Assessing social disparities in inpatient vs. outpatient arthroplasty: a in-state database analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Given the growing emphasis on patient outcomes, including postoperative complications, in total joint arthroplasty (TJA), investigating the rise of outpatient arthroplasty is warranted. Concerns exist over the safety of discharging patients home on the same day due to increased readmission and complication rates. However, psychological benefits and lower costs provide an incentive for outpatient arthroplasty. The influence of social determinants of health disparities on outpatient arthroplasty remains unexplored. One metric that assesses social disparities, including the following individual components: socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status, and housing and transportation, is the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). As such, we aimed to compare: (1) mean overall SVI and mean SVI for each component and (2) risk factors for total complications between patients undergoing inpatient and outpatient arthroplasty. METHODS: Patients who underwent TJA between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 were identified. Data were drawn from the Maryland State Inpatient Database (SID). A total of 7817 patients had TJA within this time period. Patients were divided into inpatient arthroplasty (n = 1429) and outpatient arthroplasty (n = 6338). The mean SVI was compared between inpatient and outpatient procedures for each themed score. The SVI identifies communities that may need support cause by external stresses on human health based on four themed scores: socioeconomic status; household composition and disability; minority status and language; and housing and transportation. The SVI uses the United States Census data to rank census tracts for each individual theme, as well as an overall social vulnerability score. The higher the SVI, the more social vulnerability, or resources needed to thrive in that area. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for total complications following TJA after controlling for risk factors and patient comorbidities. Total complications included: infection, aseptic loosening, dislocation, arthrofibrosis, mechanical complication, pain, and periprosthetic fracture. RESULTS: Patients who had inpatient arthroplasty had higher overall SVI scores (0.45 vs. 0.42, P < 0.001). The SVI scores were higher for patients who had inpatient arthroplasty for socioeconomic status (0.36 vs. 0.32, P < 0.001), minority status and language (0.76 vs. 0.74, P < 0.001), and housing and transportation (0.53 vs. 0.50, P < 0.001) compared to outpatient arthroplasty, respectively. There was no difference between inpatient and outpatient arthroplasty for household composition and disability (0.41 vs. 0.41, P = 0.99). When controlling for comorbidities, inpatient arthroplasty [Odds Ratio (OR) 1.91, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.23-2.95, P = 0.004], hypertension (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.23-3.62, P = 0.007), and housing and transportation (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.17-3.42, P = 0.012) were independent risk factors for total complications. CONCLUSION: Inpatient arthroplasty was associated with increased social disparities across several components of deprivation as well as an independent risk factor total complications following TJA. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to examine the negative repercussions of inpatient arthroplasty through the lens of social disparities and can target specific areas for intervention.

AOA Critical Issues Symposium: The Dynamic Environment of Health Care.

ABSTRACT: The dynamic health-care environment continues to undergo disruptive change. As the health-care system emerges from the pandemic, underlying issues have progressively become critical. Private equity acquisition is dramatically increasing, and consolidation in the entire health-care system limits choice and access. Challenges in the workforce and supply chain persist, adding pressure on already strained health-care organizations. Innovative solutions are required to provide equitable value-based access to orthopaedic care.

Revisiting the Classic Open Fracture Studies to Correct Misperceptions and Errors.

The Gustilo and Anderson open fracture system is a commonly used classification in orthopaedic surgery. Unfortunately, misunderstandings of the original manuscripts are common, and familiar treatment and classification dogma are scribed to the landmark studies. This study describes the actual assertions of the work, and several misperceptions are set straight.

The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Response to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted every aspect of society in a way never previously experienced by our nation's orthopaedic surgeons. In response to the challenges the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery has taken steps to adapt our Board Certification and Continuous Certification processes. These changes were made to provide flexibility for as many Candidates and Diplomates as possible to participate while maintaining our high standards. The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery is first and foremost committed to the safety and well-being of our patients, physicians, and families while striving to remain responsive to the changing circumstances affecting our Candidates and Diplomates.

Use of the SIGN IM nail system to stabilize tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis in two African hospital settings.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness and describe the technique of using the Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) nail to augment tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis in the developing world. DESIGN: Retrospective review of the SIGN database and description of surgical technique. SETTING: Two centers in rural Kenya, East Africa. PATIENTS: Fifty-seven patients with ankle/hindfoot arthritis or severe trauma. We were able to follow 17 through complete arthrodesis. INVENTION: TTC arthrodesis stabilized with SIGN nail. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Radiographic arthrodesis and return to function. RESULT: Of the patients with significant follow-up, arthrodesis occurred in an average of 19.3 ±â€Š7.5 weeks from the date of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Recognizing the obstacles to follow-up, the SIGN nail placed with the Herzog curve apex posterior is shown to be an effective device to stabilize a TTC arthrodesis in a limited subgroup of patients with full follow-up.

Providing Value in Fracture Care: Academic Versus Private Setting.

Although the science of fracture care transcends the setting, the delivery of value may be dramatically different depending on the practice situation. Compared to our colleagues specializing in total joint arthroplasty, trauma surgeons have a greater challenge demonstrating increased quality relative to the cost of care. Although most orthopedic surgeons are in private practice, their individual practice settings vary significantly. Generally speaking, private groups with dynamic and forward-thinking leadership can seize opportunity to increase value in fracture care, and nimble action can improve value for the patient and the practice. Academic medical centers have synergies to enhance integrated medical care, and the tripartite mission of education, research and patient care lend themselves to increasing value. In either setting, leadership in orthopedic surgery can enhance value in fracture care.

AAOS Systematic Literature Review: Summary on the Management of Surgical Site Infections.

The purpose of this systematic review is to improve outcomes for the care of surgical site infections by presenting the current best evidence on important diagnostic and care issues. The findings led to ten recommendations and five consensus statements that address diagnosis and treatment of orthopaedic surgical site infections. There is strong evidence to supports anemia, obesity, HIV/AIDS, depression, dementia, immunosuppressive medications, duration of hospital stay, history of alcohol abuse, and history of congestive heart failure as factors that increased the risk of infection, some of which are modifiable before surgical intervention. Diagnostically, synovial fluid and tissue cultures were found to be strong "rule-in" tests for the diagnosis of infection, but negative synovial fluid and tissue cultures do not reliably exclude infection. C-reactive protein was found to be a strong rule-in and rule-out marker for patients with suspected surgical site infections. Therapeutically, only for patients with retained implants, antimicrobial protocols of 8 weeks of duration were found to be associated with outcomes that are not inferior to outcomes from protocols of 3- to 6-month duration. Also only for patients with retained implants, rifampin, used as a second antimicrobial, increases the probability of treatment success for staphylococcal infections. The surgical site infection work group identified a lack of high-level outcomes data, highlighting the need for high-quality clinical trials in the treatment of surgical site infections.

Trauma systems in North America.

North American trauma systems are well developed yet vary widely in form across the continent. Comparatively, the Canadian trauma system is more unified, and approximately 80% of Canadians live within 1 hour of a level I or II center. In the United States, trauma centers are specifically verified by the individual states and thus there tends to be more variability across the country. Although many states use the criteria developed by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, the individual agencies are free to utilize their own verification standards. Both Canada and the United States utilize efficient prehospital care, and both countries recognize that postdischarge care is a financial challenge to the system. Population dense areas offer rapid admission to well-developed trauma centers, but injured patients in remote areas may have challenges regarding access. Trauma centers are classified according to their capabilities from level I (highest ability) to level IV. Although each trauma system has opportunities for improvement, they both provide effective access and quality care to the vast majority of injured patients.