The 5-Item Modified Frailty Index for Risk Stratification of Patients Undergoing Total Elbow Arthroplasty

Frailty, quantified using the 5-item modified frailty index (mFI-5), has been shown to predict adverse outcomes in orthopaedic surgery. The utility in total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) patients is unclear. We evaluated if increasing frailty would correlate with worse postoperative outcomes.

A retrospective assessment of patients in the American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program undergoing primary TEA was performed. The mFI-5 was calculated by assigning 1 point for each comorbidity (diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and functionally dependent health status). Poisson regression was used to evaluate mFI-5 scores on complications, length of stay (LOS), and adverse discharge. A significance threshold was at P < .05.

In total, 609 patients were included; 34.5% (n = 210) were not frail (mFI = 0), 44.0% (n = 268) were slightly frail (mFI = 1), and 21.5% (n = 131) were frail (mFI ≥ 2). As mFI score increased from 0 to ≥ 2, the following rates increased: any complication (9.0%-19.8%), major complication (11.0%-20.6%), cardiac complication (0.0%-2.3%), hematologic complication (3.3%-9.2%), adverse discharge (2.9%-22.9%), and LOS from 2.08 to 3.97 days (all P < .048). Following adjustment, Poisson regression demonstrated patients with a mFI ≥ 2 had increased risk of major complication (risk ratio [RR]: 2.13; P = .029), any complication (RR: 2.49; P = .032), Clavien-Dindo IV complication (RR: 5.53; P = .041), and adverse discharge (RR: 5.72; P < .001).

Frailty is not only associated with longer hospitalizations, but more major complications and non-home discharge. The mFI-5 is a useful risk stratification that may assist in decision-making for TEA.