Readmission Rates in Patients Who Underwent Total Hip Arthroplasty

Readmission rates remain a concern following total hip arthroplasty (THA). This study: 1) evaluated 30-day, 90-day, and total readmission rates after THAs; 2) assessed causes of readmission; 3) determined differences in demographic factors between those who were and were not readmitted; and 4) compared readmission rates to other large-scale studies. We retrospectively reviewed 232 primary THAs (224 patients) using the same prosthesis at 7 institutions. This included 79 men and 145 women who had a mean age of 69 years (range, 44 to 88). Descriptive analyses were used to evaluate readmission, and rates were compared with those from large cohort studies. There were 11 unplanned readmissions (4.7%) in 10 patients during the first 90 days post-discharge. Seven (3%) readmissions were due to surgical and 4 (1.7%) were due to medical reasons. Surgical causes were found in 70% of early (0 to 30 days) readmissions but none of late (60 to 90 days) readmissions. No differences existed in mean age, gender, and body mass index between readmitted patients and the remainder of the population. We observed lower readmission rates when compared with large cohort studies. The positive performance of the prosthesis may have contributed to the lower readmission rates.