Does Femoral Component Cementation Affect Costs or Clinical Outcomes After Hip Arthroplasty in Medicare Patients?

Background: Bundled payment initiatives were introduced to reduce costs and improve quality of care. Cemented vs cementless femoral fixation is a modifiable variable that may influence the cost and quality of care. New bundled payment data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services allowed us to study the influence of femoral fixation strategy on (1) 90-day costs; (2) readmission rates; (3) reoperation rates; (4) length of stay (LOS); and (5) discharge disposition for Medicare patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.

Direct treatment cost outcomes among patients with medial meniscus deficiency: results from a 24-month surveillance study.

Meniscus deficiency is highly prevalent in the United States and represents a substantial societal cost burden. The objective of this case series was to evaluate and compare direct costs associated with treatment for acute or degenerative medial meniscus deficiency. Case series patients ( = 50) received either non-surgical therapy or an operative partial meniscectomy based on clinical assessment by the principal study investigator which included physical examination and MRI.

Monitoring Surgical Incision Sites in Orthopedic Patients Using an Online Physician-Patient Messaging Platform.

Background: Prompt identification and treatment of wound complications is essential after joint arthroplasty, but emergency department and office visits for urgent evaluation of normal incisions are a source of unnecessary cost. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of an online image messaging platform for remote monitoring of surgical incision sites.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 1434 hip and knee arthroplasty patients who registered for an online platform in the perioperative period.

Surgical and Medical Costs for Fibromyalgia Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty.

The potential added costs of managing fibromyalgia patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have not been assessed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to perform a cost analysis of fibromyalgia versus nonfibromyalgia patients who underwent TKA. Specifically, we evaluated the following episodes of care: (1) readmission rates, (2) total costs, (3) total reimbursements, and (4) net losses for surgical and medical complications.

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.