Hospital Readmissions After Total Joint Arthroplasty: An Updated Analysis and Implications for Value-Based Care

While risk factors have been published for readmissions following primary total joint arthroplasty, little is known about the etiology of those costly adverse events. In this study, we sought to identify the reasons for 30-day readmission following primary total joint arthroplasty in a contemporary national patient sample.

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried to identify 367,199 patients who underwent primary total knee (TKA) or hip arthroplasty (THA) between 2011 and 2018. The primary outcomes were the annual rates of 30-day readmissions and the causes of those readmissions.

The 30-day readmission rate trended downward from 4.5% in 2011 to 3.3% in 2018. Medical complications accounted for 52.6% and 38.5% of readmissions following TKA and THA, respectively. Diseases of the circulatory system, abnormal laboratory values, and diseases of the digestive system were the leading causes of medical readmissions. Surgical complications accounted for 37.7% and 50.7% of readmissions following TKA and THA, respectively. Surgical site infections/wound disruption and venous thromboembolism were the leading two causes of surgical readmissions for THA and TKA. Prosthetic complications-namely dislocations and periprosthetic fractures-were the third leading cause of surgical readmissions for THA. For TKA, musculoskeletal conditions-namely pain and hematoma-were the third leading cause of surgical readmissions.

Medical complications accounted for half of all TKA readmissions and more than a third of THA readmissions. This could penalize institutions participating in value-based payment programs or dissuade others who are considering participation in such programs.