Differences in readmission rates for two total knee arthroplasty prostheses

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Arthroplasty Research
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) readmission rates require further evaluation for different prosthesis types.
• Cruciate-retaining (CR) and posterior-stabilizing (PS) TKA are common, but their comparative readmission profiles are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare 30, 60, and 90-day readmission rates between CR and PS TKA.
• To identify causes (surgical vs. medical) of unplanned readmissions.
• To determine medical comorbidities associated with TKA readmission.

Main Methods:

• Prospective database review of 845 primary TKAs (441 CR, 404 PS) across 22 institutions.
• Analysis of readmission incidence at 30, 60, and 90 days post-discharge.
• Evaluation of readmission causes and patient medical comorbidities.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in readmission rates between CR and PS TKA at any time point.
• 30-day readmission rates: 2% (CR) vs. 2.2% (PS); 60-day rates: 3.2% (CR) vs. 4.0% (PS).
• Medical causes were the majority of readmissions; increased BMI, cardiovascular, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders were associated with readmission.

Conclusions:

• Primary TKA with both CR and PS prostheses demonstrates encouragingly low readmission rates, below previously reported outcomes.
• Medical factors, rather than surgical complications, were the primary drivers for readmission.
• The observed low readmission rates may be attributed to the midterm clinical performance of the prostheses utilized.