Total Knee Arthroplasty in the Ambulatory Surgery Center Setting: Best Practices for Cost Containment and Clinical Care Delivery.

As the current population continues to increase in age, so does the degeneration of the musculoskeletal system and the development of knee osteoarthritis. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) will be the treatment of choice when it comes to improving physical function and decreasing pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. The global push for more cost-effective healthcare services has led to new models of care and payment delivery methods such as performing TKA in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) setting.

Universal Postoperative Hip Instruction Protocol for Rehabilitation in Rural Skilled Nursing Facilities.

Purpose/objectives: Hip fractures among the elderly increase the incidence of mortality and other health-related complications, lead to poor quality of life, and create major economic challenges. Elderly individuals often reside in rural skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for rehabilitation after undergoing surgical fixation for a hip fracture. Orthopedic providers (OPs) can develop protocols that will encourage continuity of postoperative orthopedic follow-up care, guiding and educating SNF staff in best practices, and encouraging regular communication between SNF staff and OPs.

The American Joint Replacement Registry.

The cost of healthcare procedures is continuously rising and more emphasis is being placed on increasing the quality and effectiveness of healthcare services. A combined total of 711,000 hip and knee arthroplasties are performed yearly. This figure is expected to increase to 4 million by the year 2030.