Abstract. Background. The European population is consistently getting older and this trend is expected to continue with fastest rise seen in those over 85 years old. As a consequence there will be more nonagenarians (over 90 years old) having lower limb arthroplasty. Objectives. To compare the length of stay, readmission and one year mortality between nonagenarians and people aged between 70 to 80 years after having lower limb arthroplasty. Methods. Retrospective review of patients electronic records over 90 years following total knee replacement (TKR) or total hip replacement (THR). The length of stay after surgery, 30 day readmission rate and one year mortality were compared with control group aged between 70 to 80 years who had lower limb arthroplasty during the same period. Results. There were 31 nonagenarians with mean age of 91.6 years and the control group consisted of 31 patients with the mean age of 74.6 years. The average length of stay was 5 days in the nonagenarians compared to 4 days in the younger group. There was no difference in the 1 year mortality. 30 day readmission's was 16% in the older cohort and 5% in the younger. There was an increase in trend of nonagenarians having lower limb arthroplasty over the years. Conclusions. There is increasing number of nonagenarians undergoing lower limb arthroplasty. Nonagenarians and those aged between 70 to 80 years have comparable length of stay and 1 year mortality but higher rate of readmissions after lower limb arthroplasty

Introduction. There is a drive to reduce length of stay in children undergoing limb reconstruction but a reduction in community physiotherapy input and a consequent pressure to ensure children are as independent as possible prior to discharge. This study aims to look at time taken and potential factors effecting the achievement of pre-set mobility goals and length of stay in this population. Materials and Methods. Between June 2018 and November 2021 data was collated for patients who underwent limb reconstruction at Great Ormond Street hospital. 77 patients were reviewed. Data collected included type and location of lengthening device and length of stay. A modified version of the Goal Attainment Score (GAS) was used and included 3 goals which the child needed to achieve within 7 days post-operatively. Results. All children achieved their goals within the 7 days. Length of stay with intramedullary devices was shorter than with external fixators (average of 5 vs 10 days). For children with frames, including the ankle significantly increased hospital stay, whereas inclusion of the knee had no significant effect, and. Bilateral frames were associated with a longer stay. Conclusions. The use of GAS with pre-defined clinically driven goals could be considered feasible within the limb reconstruction population and possibly used for other patient groups. This data may enable us to more accurately predict length of stay in patients undergoing limb reconstruction and will provide a baseline for future comparisons of different interventions in this patient group

Introduction. Adjusting an external fixator can be a daunting process for patients. Despite comprehensive training, patients often request supervision for the initial adjustments which may result in a prolonged hospital stay. Following the introduction of telemedicine during the pandemic we believed that this could be utilised to support patients with their fixator adjustments. A quality improvement project was implemented to assess and evaluate a change in practice from existing Face to Face support to a telemedicine format. The aim of the project was to reduce median length of stay (LOS). Materials & Methods. The telemedicine platform was introduced in our unit from April 2021 with the change in practice. Using the life QI platform, run charts were used to record the numbers of patients whose LOS was 4 days or less. Median LOS was assessed prior to and following introduction of the telemedicine platform. Service user experience with telemedicine as well as overall training and education by the CNS team was sought through on-line questionnaires. Results. Baseline data collected from April 2019 to April 2021 showed that our median LOS for patients undergoing external fixation was 6 days with 36% of patients being discharged at day 4 or earlier. After implementation of telemedicine, median LOS reduced to 4 days with 50% of patients leaving hospital in 4 days or less. Service user responses demonstrated that 100% felt that sufficient information was provided by the CNS team, a mean score of 8.4/10 was reported when asked how confident they were when adjusting the fixator. When asked how the service could be improved access to a recorded video was suggested. Conclusions. Initial fixator adjustment support via telemedicine is not appropriate for all of our patient group due to a lack of access or co-morbidities/ social issues that necessitate a prolonged hospital stay. However, this project has demonstrated that it has had positive long-term benefits within our service through reducing our median length of stay by 2 days without compromising patient satisfaction with their care

Aims. Elective orthopaedic services have had to adapt to significant system-wide pressures since the emergence of COVID-19 in December 2019. Length of stay is often recognized as a key marker of quality of care in patients undergoing arthroplasty. Expeditious discharge is key in establishing early rehabilitation and in reducing infection risk, both procedure-related and from COVID-19. The primary aim was to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic length of stay following hip and knee arthroplasty at a high-volume, elective orthopaedic centre. Methods. A retrospective cohort study was performed. Patients undergoing primary or revision hip or knee arthroplasty over a six-month period, from 1 July to 31 December 2020, were compared to the same period in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Demographic data, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, wait to surgery, COVID-19 status, and length of hospital stay were recorded. Results. A total of 1,311 patients underwent hip or knee arthroplasty in the six-month period following recommencement of elective services in 2020 compared to 1,527 patients the year before. Waiting time to surgery increased in post-COVID-19 group (137 days vs 78; p < 0.001). Length of stay also significantly increased (0.49 days; p < 0.001) despite no difference in age or ASA grade. There were no cases of postoperative COVID-19 infection. Conclusion. Time to surgery and length of hospital stay were significantly higher following recommencement of elective orthopaedic services in the latter part of 2020 in comparison to a similar patient cohort from the year before. Longer waiting times may have contributed to the clinical and radiological deterioration of arthritis and general musculoskeletal conditioning, which may in turn have affected immediate postoperative rehabilitation and mobilization, as well as increasing hospital stay. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(8):655–660

Early mobilization within the first 12 hours (day zero) of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) has been shown to reduce length of stay (LoS) without risking clinical outcomes, patient safety or satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between the degree of mobilization on day zero (i.e., standing at the bedside versus walking in the hallway) and LoS in TJA patients. In addition, we investigated predictors of LoS and day zero mobilization. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken of the health records of patients in a community hospital setting who had an elective unilateral primary TJA between June 2015 and May 2017 and had mobilized on day zero. The total sample was 283 patients (184 TKA and 99 THA) across four mobilization categories: Sat on beside (n = 76), Stood by bed/marched in place (n = 83), Walked in the room (n = 79), and Walked in hall (n = 45). Analysis of variance found no significant group differences in age, ASA score, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, anesthesia, surgeon, procedure type, pain medication, and patient reported symptoms recorded by physiotherapists. Significantly more women were in the Sat group and significantly more men were in the Hall group (p < .001). Patient reported symptoms of nausea and drowsiness were significantly greater for the Sat group (p < .001). LoS was also significantly different across the groups. Post hoc Tukey comparisons found the Walked Hall group had significantly shorter LoS (M = 2.7 days) than the Sat group (M = 3.9, p < .001), Stood group (M = 3.4, p = .011), and the Walked Room group (M = 3.5, p = .004). A hierarchical regression was performed to determine predictors of LoS. Block 1 consisted of demographic, medical status, and patient reported symptoms as variables. Mobilization was entered in Block 2. The first model was significant (p < .001) and explained 24% of variance in LoS. The final model was also significant (p < .001), accounting for a total of 26% of the variance in LoS. Thus, block 2 (i.e., mobilization) accounted for a small but significant 2% incremental variance (p = .008) beyond the block 1 variables in the prediction of LoS. With mobilization added, only male gender (p = .002), lower BMI (p = .026), and lower ASA scores (p = .006) remained significant predictors of shorter LoS, and the predictive ability of several of the block 1 variables were reduced to non-significant levels. A simultaneous regression model was then used to predict degree of mobilization. The model accounted for 24% of the variance in mobilization (p < .001). Variables significantly associated with a greater degree of mobilization included: younger age, male gender, lower BMI, and fewer symptoms, namely nausea, numbness, lightheadedness, and drowsiness. This study found length of stay was shorter when patients mobilized farther on the day of surgery. Some factors predictive of mobilization may be modifiable. Focusing on symptom management could increase opportunities for farther mobilization on the day of surgery, and thus decrease length of stay

Provision of prehabilitation prior to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) through a digital mobile application is a novel concept. Our research evaluates a resource effective and cost effective method of delivering prehabilitation. The primary aim of our research is to determine whether provision of prehabilitation through a mobile digital application impacts inpatient LOS after TKA. The secondary objective is to understand the effect of digital prehabilitation on hospital costs. An observational, retrospective analysis was performed on a consecutive case series of 64 patients who underwent TKA by a single surgeon over a 21 month period. Exercise provision varied from 3 months to 2 weeks prior to TKA. The outcomes of rehabilitation length of stay, total length of stay and total hospital costs were statistically significantly at p=0.5. The rehabilitation length of stay was 3.79 days in the experimental and 7.33 days in the control group (p = 0.045), the total length of stay was 12.00 days in the control and 8.04 days in the experimental group (p=0.03) and the total cost of the hospital stay was $6357.35AUD for the control and $4343.22AUD for the experimental group (p=0.029). Our research shows a cost saving with this intervention, as measured by a reduction in rehabilitation length of stay. To our knowledge, this is the first piece of research that analyses the impact of the use of a digital mobile application providing prehabilitation prior to TKA

Recent studies have described safe outcomes for short-stays in the hospital after total shoulder arthroplasty. The purpose of this study is to identify pre-operative and operative risk factors for hospital admissions exceeding 24 hours. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database was queried from 2006 to 2016 for the current procedural terminology (CPT) billing code related to total shoulder arthroplasty. Patients were then grouped as either having a length of stay (LOS) equal to or less than 24 hours or greater than 24 hours. Patients admitted to the hospital prior to the day of surgery were excluded. Patient demographics, co-morbidities, and operative time were then analyzed as risk factors for a hospital stay exceeding 24 hours. Pre-operative co-morbidities included body mass index (BMI), diabetes, smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF), hypertension, dialysis, chronic steroid or immunosuppressant use, bleeding disorders, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Classification. Univariate and multivariate analyses were then performed to identify risk factors associated with 30-day readmission. 14,339 patients met inclusion criteria and 6,507 (45.3%) had a hospital LOS less than or equal to 24 hours. The mean length of hospitalization was 1.95 ± 1.88 days, the average age was 69 ± 9.7 years old, and 56.9% of the patients were female. Following a risk adjusted multivariate analysis, increasing age (odds ratio [OR], 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.03), ASA classification (OR, 1.50, 95% CI, 1.41–1.60), diabetes (OR, 1.69, 95% CI, 1.43–1.99), COPD (OR, 1.35, 95% CI, 1.16–1.57), CHF (OR, 2.67, 95% CI, 1.34–5.33), dialysis (OR, 2.47, 95% CI, 1.28, 4.77), history of a bleeding disorder (OR, 1.50, 95% CI, 1.20–1.88), or increasing operative time (OR, 1.01, 95% CI, 1.01–1.01) were identified as independent risk factors for hospital lengths of stay exceeding 24 hours. Male gender was identified as a protective factor for prolonged hospitalization (OR, 0.50, 95% CI, 0.46–0.53). This study identifies patient demographics, co-morbidities, and operative-relative risk factors that are associated with increased risk for a prolonged hospitalization following total shoulder arthroplasty. Female gender, increasing age, ASA classification, operative time, or a history of diabetes, COPD, CHF, or history of a bleeding disorder are risk factors hospitalizations exceeding 24 hours

This study was designed to compare length of hospital stay, and 30-day major and minor complications between patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with general anesthesia, to those undergoing TKA with spinal or epidural anesthesia with or without regional nerve blocks. Patients 18 years and older undergoing TKA between the years of 2005 and 2016 were identified from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Patient demographics, anesthesia type, length of operation and hospital stay, as well as 30-day major and minor complications were collected from the database. Patients with “primary anesthesia technique” codes for either spinal or epidural anesthesia along with “other anesthesia technique” codes for regional anesthesia were assumed to have been given a regional nerve block. Chi square tests, and analysis of variance were utilized to evaluate unadjusted differences in demographics and outcomes between anesthesia types. Multivariable regression was utilized to compare outcomes (length of stay and complications) between anesthesia types, while adjusting for age, American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) class, comorbidities, sex, steroid/immunosuppressant use, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, length of operation and smoking status. A total of 214,665 TKA patients were identified (average age 67 ± 10 years). Of these, 257 (0.12%) underwent epidural anesthesia with a nerve block (EB), while 2,318 (1.08%) underwent epidural anesthesia with no block (E), 14,468 (1.08%) underwent spinal anesthesia with a block (SB), and 85,243 (39.7%) underwent spinal anesthesia with no block (S), and 112,377 (52.4%) underwent general anesthesia (G). The unadjusted length of stay (LOS) was significantly longer in the E group (3.67 ± 5 days) compared to the G group (3.1 ± 3.9 days), while the unadjusted LOS was significantly shorter in the EB group (2.6 ± 1.2), and both SB and S groups (2.6 ± 3 and 2.9 ± 3, respectively), compared to the G group p < 0 .001. Following covariable adjustment, anesthesia type remained an independent predictor of length of stay. Compared to the G group, patients in the E group stayed 0.56 days longer (95% Confidence interval [95%CI] 0.42 – 0.71 days), while patients in the SB were discharged 0.28 days (95%CI 0.21 – 0.35 days) earlier, and those in the S group were discharged 0.06 days earlier (95%CI 0.02–0.09), (p < 0 .0001). While the unadjusted rates of major complications were not significantly different between groups, the unadjusted rates of minor complications were higher in the E, EB, and G groups compared to the S and SB groups. Following covariable adjustment, there were no differences between groups in the risk of minor complications. In conclusion, these data indicate that anesthesia type following TKA is associated with length of hospital stay, but not with 30-day complications. After adjusting for relevant covariables, patients who received epidural anesthesia without a nerve block for TKA were discharged later, while patients who received spinal anesthesia, both with and without a nerve block for TKA were discharged earlier, compared to patients who received general anesthesia for TKA

Background. The ability to identify those at risk for longer inpatient stay helps providers with postoperative planning and patient expectations. Decreasing length of stay in the future will be determined by appropriate patient selection, risk stratification, and pre-operative patient optimization. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that place patients at risk for extended postoperative lengths of stay. Methods. The prospective study cohort included 2009 primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients and 905 total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients. Patient comorbidities were prospectively identified and the length of stay for each patient was tracked following a primary arthroplasty. Statistical analysis was performed to correlate which comorbidities were associated with longer inpatient stays. Results. In the TKA population, gender, smoking status, venous thromboembolism history, body mass index and diabetes status were not found to be a significant predictors for length of stay. Age was found to be a factor in univariate regression testing (P<0.001). In the THA population, univariate testing showed female gender (P<0.001), smoking status (P=0.002), and age (p<0.001) to be factors, but like the TKA population venous thromboembolism history or diabetes status were not significant. In THA multivariate analysis, age (p<0.001) and female gender (p=0.018) continued to be factors, but smoking was determined to be a confounding variable. Conclusions. Age and gender were associated with a longer length of stay after THA, whereas only age was a significant factor after TKA. Development of age adjusted LOS models may help aid patient expectations and risk management

Introduction. Provision of prehabilitation prior to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) through a digital mobile application is a novel concept. The primary aim of our research is to determine whether provision of prehabilitation through a mobile digital application impacts length of stay (LOS), requirement for inpatient rehabilitation and hospital-associated costs after TKA. Our study hypothesis is that a mobile digital application provides a low resource, cost effective method of delivering prehabilitation prior to TKA. Methods. An observational, retrospective analysis was performed on a consecutive case series of 64 patients who underwent TKA by a single surgeon over a 21-month period. Pre operative Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) were collected on all patients. The first group of patients (control) did not undergo prehabilitation, the subsequent group of patients (experimental) were offered prehabilitation through a mobile application called PhysiTrack. The experimental group were provided with progressive quadriceps and hamstring strengthening exercises, and calf and hamstring stretches. Exercises were automatically progressed after 2 weeks unless the patient requested otherwise or a physiotherapist clinically intervened. The non-compliance rate was 33% (n=11), after removing these patients from the analysis, 22 patients remained and these were age matched to 22 patients from the control group. Aside from the access to prehabilitation, all patients underwent TKA using identical surgical technique and peri-operative care regime. Length of stay data for inpatient care and rehabilitation were captured for all patients. Cost was calculated using the inpatient and rehabilitation costs provided by the hospital. Results. 44 patients were included in our final analysis. Pre operative KOOS were collected for all of the experimental group and 18 (81%) of control group. These subscores were not statistically different (p>0.05) reflecting pre operative equivalence. The average inpatient length of stay was statistically different, being 5.04 days for the control group and 4.31 days for the experimental group (p=0.01). The decision for ongoing inpatient rehabilitation (after the immediate post-operative inpatient period) was not statistically different between the groups (chi-quared p=0.07). Rehabilitation length of stay was 9.12 days in the experimental and 10.85 days in the control group (p = 0.25). The remaining outcomes were statistically significant with total length of stay 11.95 days in the control and 7.63 days in the experimental group (p=0.01) and the total cost of the hospital stay $6362.55AUD for the control and $4145.17AUD for the experimental group (p=0.01). This represents an average saving $2217.38 per patient who participated in prehabiliation prior to surgery. Conclusions. Our research shows a significant cost saving with this intervention, as measured by reduction in total length of stay in patients undergoing prehabilitation using PhysiTrack. To our knowledge, this is the first study that analyses the impact of a mobile application providing prehabilitation prior to TKA. Further work is required to determine the effect in a larger, randomised cohort of patients. Future studies should also be directed towards assessing the utility of digital prehabilitation on a per patient basis prior to total knee arthroplasty

Background. Navigated THA is a new procedure in Thailand that has been performed since 2012. The previous studies have reported that navigated THA was a safe, reliable procedure that resulted in a more consistent cup placement compared to the conventional free hand technique and decreased complications of THA, especially dislocation. Perioperative protocols are based on the surgeon's concern about stability of the prosthesis and the patient's health condition. Assuming that the navigator can improve the alignment and stability of THA, the time to start rehabilitation and the post operative length of stay should be reduced in the hospital that does not implement any perioperative protocols. The purpose of this study was to compare the time to start rehabilitation and the length of stay between navigated and non-navigated THA. Methods. This retrospective study of patients underwent THA using short stem by a single surgeon from March 2011 to November 2012. Seventy-six patients were classified into navigated and non-navigated groups. The patient's characteristic data that were recorded included age, sex, BMI, comorbid illness, diagnosis, ASA classification, preoperative hematocrit, operative time, type of anaesthesia, intraoperative blood transfusion, postoperative length of stay, postoperative complication and time to start rehabilitation. The data were compared between two groups by t-test and chi square test. Results. There were 41 patients in the navigated THA and 35 patients in the non-navigated THA. There were 35 male patients (85.37%) in the navigated group and 27 (77.14%) in the non-navigated group. The mean age was 44.17 + 11.39 years in the navigated group and 44.51 + 8.17 years in the non-navigated group. The mean BMI was 21.77 + 3.09 kg/m2 in the navigated group and 22.44 + 4.3 kg/m2 in the non-navigated group. Most of the patients were diagnosed with osteonecrosis (more than 85% in both groups). There were no significant differences between the demographic data of the two groups. The mean number of days from operation to rehabilitation in the navigated group was 3.27 + 1.83 days and 4.34 + 1.33 days in the non-navigated group (p-value < 0.05), which was significantly shorter. The postoperative length of stay was 5.37 + 2.42 days in the navigated group and 5.89 + 1.98 days in the non-navigated group. There were 2 patients with minor complications after operation. No dislocation or infection in both groups. Conclusion. The navigated THA procedure resulted in a significantly shorter time to start rehabilitation. The postoperative length of stay was lower in the navigated group; however, it was not significant. The navigated THA technique increased the surgeon's confidence to provide early mobilisation and rehabilitation program

Single level discectomy (SLD) is one of the most commonly performed spinal surgery procedures. Two key drivers of their cost-of-care are duration of surgery (DOS) and postoperative length of stay (LOS). Therefore, the ability to preoperatively predict SLD DOS and LOS has substantial implications for both hospital and healthcare system finances, scheduling and resource allocation. As such, the goal of this study was to predict DOS and LOS for SLD using machine learning models (MLMs) constructed on preoperative factors using a large North American database. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical and Quality Improvement (NSQIP) database was queried for SLD procedures from 2014-2019. The dataset was split in a 60/20/20 ratio of training/validation/testing based on year. Various MLMs (traditional regression models, tree-based models, and multilayer perceptron neural networks) were used and evaluated according to 1) mean squared error (MSE), 2) buffer accuracy (the number of times the predicted target was within a predesignated buffer), and 3) classification accuracy (the number of times the correct class was predicted by the models). To ensure real world applicability, the results of the models were compared to a mean regressor model. A total of 11,525 patients were included in this study. During validation, the neural network model (NNM) had the best MSEs for DOS (0.99) and LOS (0.67). During testing, the NNM had the best MSEs for DOS (0.89) and LOS (0.65). The NNM yielded the best 30-minute buffer accuracy for DOS (70.9%) and ≤120 min, >120 min classification accuracy (86.8%). The NNM had the best 1-day buffer accuracy for LOS (84.5%) and ≤2 days, >2 days classification accuracy (94.6%). All models were more accurate than the mean regressors for both DOS and LOS predictions. We successfully demonstrated that MLMs can be used to accurately predict the DOS and LOS of SLD based on preoperative factors. This big-data application has significant practical implications with respect to surgical scheduling and inpatient bedflow, as well as major implications for both private and publicly funded healthcare systems. Incorporating this artificial intelligence technique in real-time hospital operations would be enhanced by including institution-specific operational factors such as surgical team and operating room workflow

AIM. To evaluate patient outcomes in surgically managed ankle fractures with respect to fracture pattern, timing of surgery and length of stay. METHOD. A retrospective review was undertaken of all patients admitted with an ankle fracture requiring a surgical procedure to our hospital between 1. st. Jan 2008 – 31. st. Dec 2008. Patient records were reviewed for baseline demographics and dates of admission, surgery and discharge. Radiographs were examined for fracture pattern and any evidence of dislocation. Patients were grouped into either early surgery (<48hours), or delayed surgery (>48hours). Data was analysed for length of stay (total, pre- and post-operative), time to surgery and factors influencing timing of surgery. RESULTS. One hundred and twenty-one patients were identified (12 were excluded for either failed conservative management or pre-op CT required), in all 109 patients were included. Average age was 46.5 years (range 11-83yrs) with a female predominance (ratio 3:1). Average length of stay was 9.13 days, with a mean time to surgery 2.7 days. 44% had early surgery; 56% delayed surgery. Pre-operative bed days in the delayed surgery group totalled 278 (average 4.5days per patient). Total length of stay was, on average, 1.1 days longer in the delayed surgery group, however, post-operative stay was significantly shorter in this group (4.93 versus 6.98 days). Factors associated with delayed surgery were trimalleolar fractures (p=0.06) and failure to reduce dislocation on first radiograph (p=0.27). CONCLUSION. Post-operative stay is shorter when surgery is delayed beyond 48 hours. Patient throughput, total length of inpatient stay, cost and patient satisfaction could be improved with early discharge and semi-elective re-admission for fracture fixation. Tri-malleolar fractures and delays in reduction after dislocation both pre-disposed to delayed surgery, owing to soft tissue swelling, and need to be pre-operatively managed accordingly

Introduction. The current study reports on the impact of immediate mobilization of patients treated by tissue-preserving, computer-assisted total hip arthroplasty on length of stay, disposition, and complications. Methods. From March, 2010 to April, 2011, a total of 231 consecutive primary THA were performed. Of these, 218 hips met the inclusion criteria of treatment using the superior capsulotomy surgical technique. 1. (Fig. 1), navigation of acetabular component implantation using a patient-specific mechanical navigation device (HipSextant™ navigation System, Surgical Planning Associates, Inc., Boston, MA). 2. , and patient age less than 80 years. Mean age of the patients was 57.3 years (range 23.5–79.9 years). The superior capsulotomy approach. 1. was used in all cases. This technique allows for both the femoral and the acetabular components to be placed with the patient in a lateral position through an incision in the superior capsule, posterior to the abductors and anterior to the short external rotators. The hip is not dislocated during surgery. Rather, the femur is prepared in situ through the top of the femoral neck, the neck is then transected, and the femoral head is excised en bloc. The acetabulum is prepared under direct vision using angled reamers, and the socket is placed with an offset inserter. The final construct is then reduced in situ. The protocol also involved the use of pre-emptive oral analgesia, pre-emptive autologous blood transfusion, and immediate mobilization. 3. Length of stay and disposition in this study group were compared to a cohort of 698 total hip arthroplasty performed at the same institution by all other techniques. Results. In the 218 hips in this study, the mean length of stay was 1.65 days with 97% of patients discharged directly home. Comparatively, the control group of 698 primary hips had an average length of stay of 3.2 days with 68% of patients discharged directly home. Of the 3 patients transferred to rehabilitation, one had cerebral palsy and another had end stage renal disease, a mechanical heart valve, and a longstanding complete sciatic palsy on the contralateral side. One patient, discharged on post op day 3, was readmitted 3 weeks postop for a GI bleed in association with prolonged anti-inflammatory use prior to surgery. Otherwise, there were no readmissions, reoperations, dislocations, nerve injuries, or post-discharge blood transfusions. Conclusions. The current study demonstrates that performing THA with combined tissue preservation and mechanical navigation techniques together with immediate mobilization can be safe and effective and have the potential of greatly reducing healthcare costs and dependence upon prolonged institutionalization following surgery

Introduction. Early rehabilitation and discharge following minimally-invasive total hip arthroplasty has potential risks including the possibility that patients may become progressively anemic at home. The current study assess the use of pre-emptive autologous blood transfusion on the length of stay, readmission, and allogenous transfusion. Methods. Patients treated by primary total hip arthroplasty using the superior capsulotomy technique were studied. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 were patients who did donate autologous blood and received an intra-operative pre-emptive transfusion. There were 283 patients in Group 1. Group 2 were patients who were medically capable of donating autologous blood but did not for non-medical reasons. There were 71 patients in Group 2. Patients who did not donate autologous blood for medical reasons (preoperative Hgb less than 11.5, age over 80) were excluded. All patients received general anesthesia. Length of stay, allogenous transfusion and readmission were compared. Results. The mean length of stay after surgery for the Group 1 patients who received autologous blood donation during primary THA was 1.56 days (SD 78 days, range 0–4). The mean length of stay for the Group 2 patients who did not donate or receive autologous blood during primary THA was 1.87 days (SD 84 days, range 1–4). Patients who received autologous blood donation had a significantly shorter post-surgical length of stay than patients who did not (p = .002, Mann-Whitney test). Patients who did not donate and preemptively receive autologous blood received significantly more allogenous blood (Mann-Whitney, p=.0004). Moreover 15% of those who auto-donated were given allogenic transfusions, while 37% of those who did not auto-donate were given allogeneic transfusions. One patient who did receive autologous transfusion and was discharged on day 2 sustained an NSAID induced GI-bleed 3 weeks postop and was admitted for transfusion and treatment. There were no other readmissions in either group. Conclusions. Patients who receive pre-emptive autologous blood transfusion intra-operatively when treated specifically by total hip arthroplasty using the superior capsulotomy technique under general anesthesia have shorter hospital stays and lower allogenous transfusion rates than a matched cohort of patients that did not donate and receive autogenous blood

Many hospitals and orthopaedic surgery teams across Canada have instituted quality improvement (QI) programs for hip and knee arthroplasty. One of the common goals is to reduce hospital length of stay (LOS) in order to improve operational efficiency, patient flow and, by achieving this, provide improved access for patients to arthroplasty surgery. A common concern among surgeons and care providers is that hospital readmission rates will increase if LOS is significantly reduced. This study assesses the relationship between LOS and readmission rates in Alberta over a six year period during a focused QI initiative targeting LOS. Data from all patients undergoing primary elective total hip or knee arthroplasty in Alberta between 2010 and 2015 was captured through a provincial QI program. Patient characteristics captured included age, gender, joint replaced, and pre-surgical co-morbidities. Patient LOS and all-cause hospital readmissions within thirty days from the initial discharge were captured through provincial data repositories, including the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), operating room information systems, electronic medical records, and comorbidity risk grouper (CRG) data. Three longitudinal analyses were performed: 1) the crude and risk adjusted length of stay and 30-day readmission rates were calculated, 2) the population was grouped into two 3-year subsets and compared using t-test (acute LOS) and chi-square (30-day readmission), and 3) a multivariable regression analyses was performed to determine the rate of change and statistical significance in acute LOS and 30-day readmission between the two time periods. The number of patients undergoing elective lower extremity arthroplasty in the province during the six-year study period (2010–2015) was 48,760 patients. Fifty-nine percent were female and forty-one percent were male. Mean age of the cohort was 66.9 years. Thirty-nine percent of patients had a total hip arthroplasty and 61% had a total knee arthroplasty. Forty-five percent of patients had no pre-surgical risk factors, 27% had one risk factor, and 28% of the patients had 2 or more risk factors. During the quality improvement program risk-adjusted length of stay improved from a mean of 4.82 days (in 2010–2012) to 3.90 days (in 2013–2015) (p<0.01). Controlling for differences in age, sex, joint replaced, and pre-surgery risk factors, the acute LOS declined by 0.32 days between the two time periods (p<0.001). Quality improvement programs that target reduced LOS can avoid increasing 30-day hospital readmission rates. This has significant implications for inpatient resource utilisation for lower extremity arthroplasty surgery and for improving patient flow

Total knee and hip arthroplasty (TKA and THA) are two of the highest volume and resource intensive surgical procedures. Key drivers of the cost of surgical care are duration of surgery (DOS) and postoperative inpatient length of stay (LOS). The ability to predict TKA and THA DOS and LOS has substantial implications for hospital finances, scheduling and resource allocation. The goal of this study was to predict DOS and LOS for elective unilateral TKAs and THAs using machine learning models (MLMs) constructed on preoperative patient factors using a large North American database. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical and Quality Improvement (NSQIP) database was queried for elective unilateral TKA and THA procedures from 2014-2019. The dataset was split into training, validation and testing based on year. Multiple conventional and deep MLMs such as linear, tree-based and multilayer perceptrons (MLPs) were constructed. The models with best performance on the validation set were evaluated on the testing set. Models were evaluated according to 1) mean squared error (MSE), 2) buffer accuracy (the number of times the predicted target was within a predesignated buffer of the actual target), and 3) classification accuracy (the number of times the correct class was predicted by the models). To ensure useful predictions, the results of the models were compared to a mean regressor. A total of 499,432 patients (TKA 302,490; THA 196,942) were included. The MLP models had the best MSEs and accuracy across both TKA and THA patients. During testing, the TKA MSEs for DOS and LOS were 0.893 and 0.688 while the THA MSEs for DOS and LOS were 0.895 and 0.691. The TKA DOS 30-minute buffer accuracy and ≤120 min, >120 min classification accuracy were 78.8% and 88.3%, while the TKA LOS 1-day buffer accuracy and ≤2 days, >2 days classification accuracy were 75.2% and 76.1%. The THA DOS 30-minute buffer accuracy and ≤120 min, >120 min classification accuracy were 81.6% and 91.4%, while the THA LOS 1-day buffer accuracy and ≤2 days, >2 days classification accuracy were 78.3% and 80.4%. All models across both TKA and THA patients were more accurate than the mean regressors for both DOS and LOS predictions across both buffer and classification accuracies. Conventional and deep MLMs have been effectively implemented to predict the DOS and LOS of elective unilateral TKA and THA patients based on preoperative patient factors using a large North American database with a high level of accuracy. Future work should include using operational factors to further refine these models and improve predictive accuracy. Results of this work will allow institutions to optimize their resource allocation, reduce costs and improve surgical scheduling. Acknowledgements:. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and the hospitals participating in the ACS NSQIP are the source of the data used herein; they have not verified and are not responsible for the statistical validity of the data analysis or the conclusions derived by the authors

To describe the longitudinal trends in patients with obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) undergoing TKA and the associated impact on complications and lengths of hospital stay. We identified patients who underwent primary TKA between 2006 – 2017 within the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. We recorded patient demographics, length of stay (LOS), and 30-day major and minor complications. We labelled those with an obese Body Mass Index (BMI ≥ 30), hypertension, and diabetes as having MetS. We evaluated mean BMI, LOS, and 30-day complication rates in all patients, obese patients, and those with MetS from 2006-2017. We used multivariable regression to evaluate the trends in BMI, complications, and LOS over time in all patients and those with MetS, and the effect of BMI and MetS on complication rates and LOS, stratified by year. 270,846 patients underwent primary TKA at hospitals participating in the NSQIP database. 63.71% of patients were obese (n = 172,333), 15.21% were morbidly obese (n = 41,130), and 12.37% met criteria for MetS (n = 33,470). Mean BMI in TKA patients increased at a rate of 0.03 per year (0.02-0.05; p < 0 .0001). Despite this, the rate of adverse events in obese patients decreased: major complications by an odds ratio (OR) of 0.94 (0.93-0.96; p < 0 .0001) and minor complications by 0.94 (0.93-0.95; p < 0 .001). LOS also decreased over time at an average rate of −0.058 days per year (-0.059 to −0.057; p < 0 .0001). The proportion of patients with MetS did not increase, however similar improvements in major complications (OR 0.94 [0.91-0.97] p < 0 .0001), minor complications (OR 0.97 [0.94-1.00]; p < 0 .0330), and LOS (mean −0.055 [-0.056 to −0.054] p < 0 .0001) were found. In morbidly obese patients (BMI ≥ 40), there was a decreased proportion per year (OR 0.989 [0.98-0.994] p < 0 .0001). Factors specifically associated with major complications in obese patients included COPD (OR 1.75 [1.55-2.00] p < 0.0001) and diabetes (OR 1.10 [1.02-1.1] p = 0.017). Hypertension (OR 1.12 [1.03-1.21] p = 0.0079) was associated with minor complications. Similarly, in patients with MetS, major complications were associated with COPD (OR 1.72 [1.35-2.18] p < 0.0001). Neuraxial anesthesia was associated with a lower risk for major complications in the obese cohort (OR 0.87 [0.81-0.92] p < 0.0001). BMI ≥ 40 was associated with a greater risk for minor complications (OR 1.37 [1.26-1.50] p < 0.0001), major complications (1.11 [1.02-1.21] p = 0.015), and increased LOS (+0.08 days [0.07-0.09] p < 0.0001). Mean BMI in patients undergoing primary TKA increased from 2006 - 2017. MetS comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension elevated the risk for complications in obese patients. COPD contributed to higher rates of major complications. The obesity-specific risk reduction with spinal anesthesia suggests an improved post-anesthetic clinical course in obese patients with pre-existing pulmonary pathology. Encouragingly, the overall rates of complications and LOS in patients with obesity and MetS exhibited a longitudinal decline. This finding may be related to the decreased proportion of patients with BMI ≥ 40 treated over the same period, possibly the result of quality improvement initiatives aimed at delaying high-risk surgery in morbidly obese patients until healthy weight loss is achieved. These findings may also reflect increased awareness and improved management of these patients and their elevated risk profiles

Currently 180 days is the target maximum wait time set by all Canadian provinces for elective joint replacement surgery. In Nova Scotia however, only 34% of Total Knee Arthroplasties (TKA) and 51% of Total Hip Arthroplasties (THA) met this benchmark in 2017. Surgery performed later in the natural history of disease is shown to have significant impact on pain, function and Health related Quality of Life at the time of surgery and potentially affect post-operative outcomes. The aim of this study is to describe the association between wait time and acute hospital Length of Stay (LOS) during elective hip and knee arthroplasty in province of Nova Scotia. Secondarily we aim to describe risk factors associated with variations in LOS. Data from Patient Access Registry Nova Scotia (PAR-NS) was linked to the hospital Discharge Access Database (DAD) for primary hip and knee arthroplasty spanning 2009 to 2017. There were 23,727 DAD observations and 21,329 PARNS observations identified. Observations were excluded based on missing variables, missing linkages, revision status and emergency cases. Percentage difference in LOS, risk factors and outcomes were analyzed using Poisson regression for those waiting more than 180 days compared to those waiting equal or less than 180 days. For primary TKA, 11,833 observations were identified with mean age of 66 years, mean wait time of 348 days and mean LOS of 3.6 days. After adjusting for controls, patients waiting more than 180 days for elective TKA have a 2.5% longer acute care LOS (p < 0.028). Risk factors identified for prolonged LOS are advanced age, female gender, higher surgical priority indicator, required blood transfusion, dementia, peptic ulcer disease, cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, malignancy, ischemic heart disease and diabetes. Factors associated with decreased LOS are surgical year, use of local anesthetic, peripheral location of hospital and admission to hospital from home. For primary THA, 6626 observations were identified with mean age of 66 years, mean wait time of 267 days and mean LOS of 4 days. Patients waiting more than 180 days for THA did not show a statistically significant association with LOS. Risk factors and protective factors are the same with exception of CVD and use of local anesthetic. Our findings suggest a positive and statistically significant association for patients waiting more than 180 days for TKA and longer acute care LOS. Longer LOS may be due to deteriorating health status while placed on a surgical waitlist and may represent a delayed and indirect cost to the patient and the healthcare system. Ultimately with projected increase in demand for elective joint replacement surgeries, our findings are aimed to inform physicians and policy makers in management of surgical waitlist efficiency and cost effectiveness. For any reader inquiries, please contact . shahriar-s@hotmail.com

Introduction. Rapid recovery protocols (RRP) for joint replacements have been shown to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize adverse outcomes in academic health systems. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if RRP can be safely implemented in a community health system for total knee arthroplasty. Methods. This study used a retrospective cohort of 3,608 patients who underwent primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014. 60 Patients were excluded because data or surgery could not be verified: BMI less than 18.5 or greater than 60 kg/m∘2 or if the surgical time was less than 45 seconds or greater than 180 minutes, and bilateral surgery. Data was obtained from querying the health system's inpatient database containing information for all joint replacements within the system. Patients were compared in two groups: those who received a RRP after surgery versus those who received traditional post-op care. The main outcome measure was all-cause 30-day readmissions. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate the odds for all-cause 30-day readmission for patients who received RRP versus traditional care when controlling for age, gender, race, insurance status (Medicare versus no Medicare), obesity, diabetes, renal disease, tobacco use, and ASA score (less than 3 versus 3 or greater). Results. Patients receiving RRP were readmitted less than those who received traditional care (1.6% versus 3.6%, p<0.001) and had a lower mean length of stay (1.5 versus 3.3 days, p<0.001). When controlling for confounding factors, the odds of 30-day readmission for patients receiving RRP versus traditional care was 0.42 (95% CI 0.26–0.66, p<0.001). Conclusions. Rapid recovery protocols are an effective means of reducing 30-day readmissions and length of stay in patients undergoing primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty in a community setting