Standardized total knee arthroplasty pathway improves outcomes in minority patients.

Objectives: Inferior total knee arthroplasty (TKA) outcomes are reported in minority populations. Standardized TKA pathways improve outcomes but have not been studied extensively in minority populations. This study evaluated the impact of TKA pathway standardization at an urban teaching hospital that predominantly treats minority patients.

Are patients being evaluated for periprosthetic joint infection prior to referral to a tertiary care center?

Background: Patients with a painful or failed total joint arthroplasties should be evaluated for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The purpose of this study is to determine if patients referred to a tertiary care center had been evaluated for PJI according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) clinical practice guidelines.

Methods: One hundred thirteen patients with painful hip (43) or knee (70) arthroplasties were referred to a single provider by orthopaedic surgeons outside our practice between 2012 and 2014.