Shoulder Arthroplasty Utilization Based on Race - Are Black Patients Underrepresented?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Public Health
• Health Disparities Research

Background:

• Analysis of national and institutional trends in shoulder arthroplasty utilization.
• Focus on patient race as a key demographic factor.
• Investigating potential disparities in access to care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze national and institutional trends in shoulder arthroplasty utilization based on patient race.
• To identify and quantify racial disparities in access to shoulder replacement surgery.
• To compare demographic and clinical characteristics of black and non-black patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for national-level analysis.
• Retrospectively reviewed an institutional database for local trends (2011-2013).
• Employed descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis to compare racial subgroups.

Main Results:

• Black patients represented 3.92% of national shoulder arthroplasties (2005-2011) and 5.96% locally (2011-2013).
• Utilization increased nationally, but disparities remained.
• Black patients were younger, had higher BMIs, and insurance patterns were similar across racial groups.

Conclusions:

• Significant racial disparities in shoulder arthroplasty utilization exist nationally and institutionally.
• Disparities are evident despite comparable osteoarthritis prevalence.
• Increased access to major joint reconstruction for black patients is needed.