Clinical frailty scale predicts outcomes following total joint arthroplasty

As the population ages, the number of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) performed is rising, making early identification of patients at risk for adverse events essential to improving care and reducing healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and postoperative outcomes in elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

We conducted a retrospective study of prospectively collected data regarding 328 TKAs and 294 THAs at a single institution from February 2019 to February 2020. Patient demographic data were harvested, and the preoperative CFS scores were calculated for all patients and analyzed to identify their associations with the length of stay (LOS), the need for admission to an inpatient rehabilitation unit (IPRU), postoperative complications and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Robust patients (CFS < 3) had a significantly shorter LOS than their non-robust (CFS > 3) counterparts in both the TKA and THA groups (3.7 vs. 5.2 days, P < 0.001, and 3.8 vs. 5.8 days, P < 0.001, respectively). IPRU admission rates were significantly higher in non-robust than in robust patients. Specifically, none of the robust TKA patients required IPRU admission, whereas up to 39 non-robust patients (11.9%) did (P < 0.001). Similarly, for THA, 9 robust (5.7%) and 30 non-robust (21.9%) patients were admitted to an IPRU (P < 0.001). Non-robust patients had a significantly higher complication rate for both THA (11.0% vs. 6.4%, P = 0.03) and TKA (8.7% vs. 2.6%, P = 0.11). Both cohorts showed significant improvements in PROMs post-surgery, with non-robust patients experiencing greater relative gains than robust patients.

CFS is a strong predictor of the hospital length of stay, IPRU admission, and complication rates following TJA. This study also highlighted the link between frailty and PROMs in joint replacement patients. The CFS may be a valuable tool in the preoperative assessment of elective THA and TKA.