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Abstract Background A shift in the healthcare system towards the centralization of common yet costly surgeries, such as total hip arthroplasty (THA), to high-volume centers of excellence, is an attempt to control the economic burden while simultaneously enhancing patient outcomes. The “volume-outcome” relationship suggests that hospitals performing more treatment of a given type exhibit better outcomes than hospitals performing fewer. This theory has surfaced as an important factor in determining patient outcomes following THA. We performed a systematic review with meta-analyses to review the available evidence on the impact of hospital volume on outcomes of THA. Materials and methods We conducted a review of PubMed (MEDLINE), OVID MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane library of studies reporting the impact of hospital volume on THA. The studies were evaluated as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 44 studies were included in the review. We accessed pooled data using random-effect meta-analysis. Results Results of the meta-analyses show that low-volume hospitals were associated with a higher rate of surgical site infections (1.25 [1.01, 1.55]), longer length of stay (RR, 0.83[0.48–1.18]), increased cost of surgery (3.44, [2.57, 4.30]), 90-day complications (RR, 1.80[1.50–2.17]) and 30-day (RR, 2.33[1.27–4.28]), 90-day (RR, 1.26[1.05–1.51]), and 1-year mortality rates (RR, 2.26[1.32–3.88]) when compared to high-volume hospitals following THA. Except for two prospective studies, all were retrospective observational studies. Conclusions These findings demonstrate superior outcomes following THA in high-volume hospitals. Together with the reduced cost of the surgical procedure, fewer complications may contribute to saving considerable opportunity costs annually. However, a need to define objective volume-thresholds with stronger evidence would be required. Trial registration PROSPERO CRD42019123776.

Background: No study has evaluated the relationship between increasing BMI and severity/type of cervical spine injuries. Aims and Objectives: The objective of our study was to study the impact of body mass index (BMI) on severity of cervical spine fracture. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with traumatic cervical spine fractures at a level I trauma center over a 74-year period. CT scans of the cervical spine were blindly graded according to the AO Spine sub-axial cervical spine classification. The association between BMI and severity of cervical spine fracture was studied by multiple-variable logistic regression. Results: A total of 291 patients with an average BMI of 26.1 ± 5.4 kg/m2 were studied. Higher BMI was not associated with more severe injury (OR 1.03, 95%, CI: 0.97–1.08). For rollover motor vehicle accident (MVA), the association was trending towards significance (OR 2.55, 95%, CI: 0.98-6.66, P = 0.06). Conclusions: Patients with higher BMI may be predisposed to more severe cervical spine fracture in rollover MVA, but not non-rollover MVA or falls.

We describe a comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment approach for lumbar vertebral hemangiomas (VHs) with spinal stenosis and radiculopathy. A 59-year-old female presented with 1 year of pain predominantly in the lower back, with pain in the left buttock and proximal left anterior thigh as well and magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine demonstrated lumbar scoliosis and an L3 vertebral lesion suspicious for hemangioma. A computed tomography guided biopsy was done, which supported the diagnosis. Definitive treatment entailed preoperative angiography and embolization, followed by L3 laminectomy, right L3 pedicle resection, partial L3 corpectomy, L3 vertebral cement augmentation, and L1 to L5 instrumented fusion. By 1-year postoperatively, the patient reported no radicular pain and only mild groin pain attributed to left hip degenerative joint disease. Radiographs 1-year postoperatively confirmed the stability of the instrumented posterior fusion and a magnetic resonance imaging with and without contrast confirmed no VH recurrence. A comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach for the treatment of VHs with neurological symptoms or signs is presented. This approach is recommended to maximize lesion removal, ensure biomechanical stability, and minimize recurrence.

Introduction:. Although studies have evaluated the economic burden to medical students desiring an orthopaedic residency broadly, no study has evaluated in detail the application costs, away rotation costs, interview costs, and total costs. Given that the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Orthopaedic Association's Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors have recommended orthopaedic surgery residency programs for the 2021 residency application cycle cancel away rotations and in-person interviews, our objective was to evaluate the cost savings to medical students applying during this time and the potential implications. Methods:. Using the 2019 to 2020 Texas STAR Dashboard database, we queried responses from applicants applying to orthopaedic surgery residency. The dashboard was queried to record the application costs, away rotation costs, interview costs, and total costs for medical school seniors applying to orthopaedic surgery residency. Demographic information for applicants was also recorded. Mean and median costs were reported with percentile distributions and geographic comparisons. A Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to determine whether there were statistically significant differences in mean costs by medical school region. Results:. The 2019 to 2020 Texas STAR Dashboard database had 473 responses from applicants to orthopaedic surgery residency. The mean application costs were $1,990, away rotation costs were $3,182, interview costs were $3,129, and total costs were $8,205. The mean total costs for applicants from Midwest schools were significantly less than Western schools ($7,410/applicant vs. $9,909/applicant) (p = 0.008). There was no significant difference between the mean application fees between regions. Away rotation costs for applicants from schools in the Midwest ($2,413/applicant) were significantly less compared with Northeast ($3,279/applicant), South ($3,343/applicant), and West ($3,913/applicant) (all p < 0.002). Interview costs for applicants from schools in the Northeast ($2,891/applicant) were less than applicants from Western US schools ($3,831/applicant) (p = 0.038). Conclusion:. In the COVID-19 era, orthopaedic residency applicants could save on average $6,311 through the use of virtual interviews and lack of away rotations. There are geographic implications, with applicants from Western US medical schools potentially saving most.

Introduction: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services removed total hip arthroplasty (THA) from the inpatient-only (IO) list in January 2020. Given this recommendation, we analyzed Medicare-eligible patients undergoing outpatient THA to understand risk factors for nonroutine discharge, reoperations, and readmissions. Materials and Methods: The 2015-2018 American College of Surgeons–National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried using Current Procedural Terminology code 27130 for Medicare eligible patients (≥ 65 years of age) undergoing outpatient THA. Postoperative discharge destination was categorized into home and non-home. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate risk factors associated with non-home discharge disposition. Secondarily, we evaluated rates and risk factors associated with 30-day reoperations and readmissions. Results: A total of 1095 THAs were retrieved for final analysis. A total of 108 patients (9.9%) experienced a non-home discharge postoperatively. Patients were discharged to rehab (n = 47; 4.3%), a skilled care facility (n = 47; 4.3%), a facility that was “home” (n = 8; 0.7%), a separate acute care facility (n = 5; 0.5%), or an unskilled facility (n = 1; 0.1%). Independent factors for a non-home discharge were American Society of Anesthesiologists Class >II (odds ratio [OR] 2.74), operative time >80 minutes (OR 2.42), age >70 years (OR 2.20), and female gender (OR 1.67). Eighteen patients (1.6%) required an unplanned reoperation within 30 days. A total of 40 patients (3.7%) required 30-day readmissions, with 35 readmissions related to the original THA procedure. Independent risk factors for 30-day reoperation were COPD (OR 5.85) and HTN (OR 5.24). Independent risk factors for 30-day readmission were HTN (OR 4.35) and Age >70 (OR 2.48). Discussion: The current study identifies significant predictors associated with a non-home discharge, reoperation, and readmission in Medicare-aged patients undergoing outpatient THA. Conclusion: Providers should consider preoperatively risk-stratifying patients to reduce the costs associated with unplanned discharge destination, complication or reoperation.

Introduction: With growing popularity and success of alternative-payment models (APMs) in elective total joint arthroplasties, there has been recent discussion on the probability of implementing APMs for geriatric hip fractures as well. Significance: Despite the growing interest, little is known about the drawbacks and challenges that will be faced in a stipulated “hip fracture” bundle. Results: Given the varying intricacies and complexities of hip fractures, a “one-size-fits-all” bundled payment may not be an amenable way of ensuring equitable reimbursement for participating physicians and hospitals. Conclusions: Health-policy makers need to advocate for better risk-adjustment methods to prevent the creation of financial disincentives for hospitals taking care of complex, sicker patients. Hospitals participating in bundled care also need to voice concerns regarding the grouping of hip fractures undergoing total hip arthroplasty to ensure that trauma centers are not unfairly penalized due to higher readmission rates associated with hip fractures skewing quality metrics. Physicians also need to consider the launch of better risk-stratification protocols and promote geriatric comanagement of these patients to prevent occurrences of costly adverse events.

Category: Ankle, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Despite an increasing number of elderly individuals undergoing surgical fixation for ankle fractures, few studies have investigated peri-operative outcomes and safety of surgery in an octogenarian and nonagenarian population (age >=80 years). Past literature has shown octogenarians to be a potentially vulnerable population that have drastically different adverse outcomes and higher resource utilization as compared to individuals below the age of 80 years. Methods: The 2012-2017 American College of Surgeons – National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) was queried using Current Procedural Terminology codes for patients undergoing open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for isolated uni-malleolar (CPT-27766, CPT-27769, CPT-27792), bi-malleolar (CPT-27814) and tri-malleolar (CPT-27822, CPT-27823) ankle fractures. The study cohort was divided into three distinct groups for comparisons (Age 80 years/octogenarians + nonagenarians). Multi-variate regression analyses were used to compare the independent effect of varying age groups on 30-day post-operative outcomes while controlling for differences in baseline clinical characteristics (age, gender, sex, race, fracture type/severity, open vs. closed fracture, admission status, BMI, co-morbidities, functional health status, ASA group and operative time). For comparison purposes, Age80 years). Following multivariate analysis, individuals aged =>80 years were at a significantly higher risk of 30-day wound complications (OR 1.84; p=0.019), pulmonary complications (OR 3.88; p=80 years group. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it appears that octagenarians and nonagenarians (age =>80) are a fundamentally distinct and vulnerable age group that is at a higher risk of complications, readmissions, mortality and non-home discharges as compared to other geriatric (65-79 years) and non-geriatric (

Category: Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Current literature revolving around understanding cost-determinants of 90-day payments following ankle fractures is limited to single-institution studies. As the current healthcare model transitions from fee-for-service to value- based payments, risk-adjustment of 90-day payments will be a key factor driving success of these bundled payment models. The current study, utilizes a national Medicare database, to understand patient-level, procedure-level and state-level variation in 90-day payments following open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of isolated ankle fractures. Methods: The 2005-2014 5% Medicare SAF (Standard Analytical Files) database was queries using Current Procedural Terminology codes to identify patients undergoing open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for uni-malleolar (27766, 27769, 27792), bi-malleolar (27814) and tri-malleolar (27822, 27823) ankle fractures. Patients with polytrauma or those undergoing a concurrent surgical fixation of the upper extremity, hip, femur, knee or tibia were removed from the study to capture a relevant cohort of isolated ankle fracture patients. All payments starting from day 0 of surgery up to day 90 post-operatively were used to calculate 90-day costs. Patients with missing data were excluded. Multi-variate linear regression modeling was used to derive marginal cost-impact of patient-level (age, gender, co-morbidities), procedure-level (fracture type, morphology, location of surgery, concurrent ankle arthroscopy and syndesmotic fixation) and state-level factors on 90-day costs following surgery. Results: Following application of inclusion/exclusion criteria, a total of 6,499 patients were included in the study. The risk- adjusted 90-day price of a non-geriatric (age

Category: Ankle, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Tri-malleolar fractures, as compared to simple uni-malleolar fractures, are technically more challenging cases, have longer operative times and require a higher effort. The current RVU-based system is built to reflect the varying presentation of ankle fractures (uni-malleolar vs. bi-malleolar vs. tri-malleolar) by assigning individual RVUs to different fracture complexities. However, no study has evaluated whether the current RVUs reflect an appropriate compensation per unit time following open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for uni-malleolar vs. bi-malleolar vs. tri-malleolar ankle fractures. Methods: The 2012-2017 American College of Surgeons – National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) files were queried using CPT codes for patients undergoing open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for uni-malleolar (CPT-27766, CPT- 27769, CPT-27792), bi-malleolar (CPT-27814) and tri-malleolar (CPT-27822, CPT-27823) ankle fractures. A total of 7,830 (37.2%) uni-malleolar, 7,826 (37.2%) bi-malleolar and 5,391 (25.6%) tri-malleolar ankle fractures were retrieved. Total RVUs were calculated for each case. Mean RVU/minute was derived by dividing the total RVU of each case by the total operative time. Reimbursement rate ($/min) was calculated by multiplying the mean RVU/min of each procedure by a preset CMS-defined rate of $35.8887/RVU. Mean Reimbursement/case was calculated by multiplying the reimbursement rate by the operative time of each procedure. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare RVUs, operative time and reimbursements between the three fracture groups. Results: The mean total RVU for each fracture type was as follows:- 1) Uni-malleolar: 9.99, 2) Bi-malleolar=11.71 and 3) Tri- malleolar=12.87 (p

Category: Ankle, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been shown to be associated with significant post-operative morbidity. Despite an increasing prevalence of MetS in the US population, it’s impact on post-operative outcomes following ankle fractures remains limited. Methods: The 2012-2016 ACS-NSQIP database was used to query for patients undergoing ORIF for ankle fractures using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes – 27766, 27769, 27792, 27814, 27822 and 27823. Patient undergoing surgery for polytrauma were excluded from the analysis. Records were further filtered to remove patients with missing data. The study cohort was divided into two groups – MetS vs. No MetS. MetS was identified using a pre-defined criteria, used previously in other studies, as the co-existence of 1) Diabetes Mellitus, 2) Hypertension and 3) BMI =30 kg/m2. Results: A total of 1,013 (6.7%) MetS underwent ORIF for ankle fractures. Following adjustment for differences in baseline demographic, co-morbidities, pre-operative and operative data, MetS was an independent predictor of experiencing any 30-day complication (OR 1.35 [95% CI 1.05 -1.74]; p=0.020), wound complications (OR 1.67 [95% CI 1.07-2.60]; p=0.024), renal complications (OR 3.54 [95% CI 1.20-10.48]; p=0.022), 30-day readmissions (OR 1.66 [95% CI 1.24-2.22]; p=0.001), 30-day unplanned re-operations (OR 1.69 [95% CI 1.14-2.51]; p=0.009). MetS was significantly associated with decreased odds of home discharge (OR 0.66 [95% CI 0.54-0.79]; p

Category: Ankle, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Free-standing Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) typically provide uncomplicated surgical procedures in a non-hospital setting, and function as ‘focused factories’ that replicate the delivery of quality care while achieving lower costs as compared to hospital-owned outpatient facilities (HOPD). Despite an increasing interest towards outpatient foot and ankle surgery, few studies have compared the safety and cost-savings associated with surgical fixation of isolated ankle fractures in a free-standing ASC vs. a HOPD. Methods: The 2007-2014 Humana Administrative Claims (HAC) database was queried using Current Procedural Terminology codes to identify patients undergoing open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for uni-malleolar (27766, 27769, 27792), bi-malleolar (27814) and tri-malleolar (27822, 27823) ankle fractures. Patients with polytrauma or those undergoing a concurrent surgical fixation of the upper extremity, hip, femur, knee or tibia were removed from the study to capture a relevant cohort of isolated ankle fracture patients. Location of surgery was identified using Service Location codes 22 (HOPD) and 24 (ASC). Propensity- score matching and multi-variate regression analyses were used to compare differences in 90-day complications, ED-visits and readmissions between the two groups. A 90-day cost comparison was also carried out to assess savings associated with surgery in an ASC vs. HOPD. Results: A total of 4,832 (80.1%) ankle fractures treated in a HOPD and 1,198 (19.9%) in a free-standing ASC were included in the study. Following propensity-score matching to account for differences in baseline demographics and clinical characteristics, each group consisted of 1,138 patients. Following multi-variate analyses, undergoing surgery in a free-standing ASC vs. a HOPD was not associated with a higher rate of 90-day complications (0.73 [95% CI 0.54 -1.00]; p=0.05), ED visits (OR 0.86 [95% CI 0.64- 1.16]; p=0.331) and readmissions (0.79 [95% CI 0.53 -1.18]; p=0.251). Furthermore, undergoing surgery in a free-standing ASC was associated with nearly $2500 cost-savings/case over the 90-day episode of care (ASC = $8,058 vs. HOPD = $10,619; p

Introduction: While the benefits of early mobility for prevention of complications such as pneumonia, thromboembolic events, and improved mortality have been well studied in postsurgical patients, it is unclear which patients may struggle to achieve full weight-bearing on the first postoperative day. Materials and Methods: The 2016 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) Targeted Hip Fracture Database was queried regarding the ability to achieve weight-bearing on first postoperative day for older adults. Cases that occurred secondary to malignancy were excluded or for which weight-bearing was unachievable on the first postoperative day due to medical reasons were excluded. Results: A total of 6404 patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study, with 1640 (25.6%) patients unable to bear weight on the first postoperative day. Following adjusted analysis, nonmodifiable patient factors such as dependent (partial or total) functional health status, dyspnea with moderate exertion (odds ratio [OR]: 1.31 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.04-1.65]), ventilator dependency, and preoperative dementia on presentation to hospital were associated with lack of achievement of weight-bearing on the first postoperative day. Modifiable patient factors such as presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (OR: 1.35 [95% CI: 1.11-1.64]), delirium, and low preoperative hematocrit and modifiable system factors including delayed time to surgery, total postoperative time >90 minutes, and transfer from an outside emergency department were also associated with inability to achieve weight-bearing on the first postoperative day. Discussion: Medical teams can utilize the results from this study to better identify patients preoperatively who may be at risk of not achieving early mobilization and proactively employ implement strategies to encourage mobility as soon as possible for hip fracture patients.

With an increasing use of intraoperative fluoroscopy in operating rooms worldwide, the topic of radiation exposure has become a major concern among hospital staff, doctors and patients alike. Since fluoroscopy has become an integral part in orthopedic intraoperative management, we sought to identify whether surgeon grade or experience plays a role in the amount of radiation used and consequently exposed. We performed a systematic review examining the association between surgeon experience and radiation exposure using primary outcome measures (radiation dose and total screening time/fluoroscopy time). To be included in the review, the study population had to compare varying surgeon experience levels and their effect on the primary outcomes. A total of eighteen studies were included in the review. The studies were a mix of prospective and retrospective studies with low to moderate quality as evaluated by the MINORs criteria. Studies were variable in defining surgeon experience levels and in the type of operations being performed. Majority of the studies showed that inexperienced surgeons/trainees had a higher total fluoroscopy time and a higher mean radiation exposure as compared to experienced surgeons. We conclude that higher surgeon experience significantly reduces usage of fluoroscopy and the consequent radiation exposure in orthopedic procedures. Introduction of strict radiation guidelines involving limited usage of fluoroscopy and supervision of trainees may be beneficial in controlling radiation exposure in the future.

Total Ankle Arthroplasty (TAA) is a relatively new and evolving field in Foot and Ankle surgery. We conducted a citation analysis to identify the characteristics of the top 50 most cited articles on total ankle arthroplasty. Using the Web of Science database and the search strategy total ankle arthroplasty OR total ankle replacement, we identified 2445 articles. After filtering for relevant articles, the top 50 cited articles on total ankle arthroplasty were retrieved for descriptive and statistical analysis. The publication years ranged from 1979 to 2013. USA was the most productive country in terms of research output, followed by the UK. Though citation analysis has its flaws, this is a comprehensive list of the top 50 articles significantly impacting literature on total ankle arthroplasty. Based on our study, we conclude that there ismarked deficiency of high level articles with respect to the number of citations and future researches need to cater to this question to produce high quality studies.