Assessing the utility of routine first annual follow-up visits after primary total knee arthroplasty

The combination of increased TKA utilization and a decreased number of arthroplasty specialists has resulted in a growing need to maximize efficiency without sacrificing the level of care being provided. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of routine first annual follow-up visits for patients that have undergone primary TKA. Of 339 TKAs performed by a single surgeon in 2012, 23% failed to attend scheduled first annual visits. Furthermore, none of the revisions performed at our facility since 2003 were the direct result of information gained at a patient's routine first annual visit. As such, we question the clinical utility of the first annual visit.