Robotic arm-assisted knee surgery: an economic analysis

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Technology
• Health Economics

Background:

• Previous studies indicated improved outcomes and reduced costs for Medicare patients undergoing robotic arm-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RATKA).
• The effectiveness and economic impact of RATKA in younger populations (under 65) remained less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the expenditures and healthcare utilization following RATKA in patients younger than 65 years.
• To compare the 90-day episode-of-care costs and resource utilization between RATKA and manual total knee arthroplasty (MTKA) in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective longitudinal analysis of a commercial claims database.
• Stratification of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures into RATKA and MTKA cohorts.
• Propensity score matching (1:5) and analysis of utilization and costs within 90 days post-surgery for 357 RATKA and 1785 MTKA procedures.

Main Results:

• Patients undergoing RATKA had significantly lower utilization of inpatient services (2.24% vs 4.37%) and skilled nursing facilities (1.68% vs 6.05%).
• RATKA was associated with fewer home health days (5.33 vs 6.36 days) and a nearly one-day shorter length of stay (1.80 vs 2.72 days).
• Total 90-day expenditures were $4,049 lower for RATKA ($28,204 vs $32,253), with overall post-surgery costs reduced by $1,332.

Conclusions:

• Robotic arm-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RATKA) is associated with reduced length of stay and decreased healthcare service utilization in patients under 65.
• RATKA demonstrates significant cost savings within the 90-day episode of care compared to manual TKA in this younger population.
• These findings support the value of RATKA in improving efficiency and reducing healthcare expenditures for younger TKA patients.