Top Stories

  Today's Top Story   COVID-positive Hip Fracture Patients Had Significantly Higher Costs during Pandemic   A retrospective study in the Journal of the AAOS® investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the cost of hip fracture care in patients aged >55 years. COVID status and healthcare costs were compared between patients prepandemic (Oct. 2014 to Jan. 2020) and during the pandemic (Feb. 2020 to Jan. 2022), as well as between COVID-positive and COVID-negative patients. Total admission costs for [...]

  Today's Top Story   Do Beta-blockers Influence Risk of Undergoing TKA in Patients with Osteoarthritis?   According to a case-control study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, the use of nonselective beta-blockers was associated with a lower risk of undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with osteoarthritis. Three hundred patients with beta-blocker usage were matched with 300 nonusers. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to compare the risk of TKA between groups. The adjusted [...]

  Today's Top Story   Antibiotic-laden Bone Cement during TKA Associated with Increased Risk of PJI in Patients Aged >65 Years   According to a study in the Journal of the AAOS®, the use of commercial antibiotic-laden bone cement (ALBC) for infection prophylaxis in patients aged >65 years for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was associated with an increased risk of 90-day revision for prosthetic joint infection (PJI). To examine the demographics and early outcomes of ALBC, 251,506 patients [...]

From the Well   At the center of the West Virginia state Capitol is an area known as The Well.  It is the informal gathering place for lobbyists, reporters, constituents and lawmakers. Centrally situated between the chambers of the House of Delegates and Senate, The Well is where information is often shared, alliances are formed, and deals are made.   86th West Virginia Legislature September Interim Meetings   September 13, 2023   Welcome! Click here to subscribe to HC/GR Morning [...]

  Today's Top Story   Outpatient THA Associated with Increased Complications versus Same-day Discharge THA   The Journal of Arthroplasty published a study that compared the outcomes after total hip arthroplasty (THA) in 2,003 patients who underwent an outpatient procedure (as designated by the hospital) versus 4,069 same-day discharge (SDD, length of stay [LOS] = 0 days) patients. Patient demographics, LOS, discharge destinations, and complications were compared between groups. Outpatient THA patients were more likely to be women [...]

  Today's Top Story   Ambulating Five Feet within 72 Hours after Hip Fracture Surgery Associated with Independent Ambulation   A retrospective study in the Journal of the AAOS Global Research & Reviews® investigated the association between ambulation distance in acute postoperative settings and ambulatory capacity three months postsurgery for hip fractures. A total of 170 patients aged ≥65 years were divided into two groups: early (ambulated five feet within 72 hours after surgery) and minimally ambulatory. Factors [...]

  Today's Top Story   Can AR Be Used to Reduce Perioperative Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Surgery?   JAMA Network Open published a randomized controlled trial evaluating the use of an augmented reality (AR) walkthrough on perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery. Forty-six patients experienced an AR explanation of what to expect on their day of surgery while 49 patients received standard presurgery instructions. The primary outcome was change in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) from screening [...]

  Today's Top Story   Corticosteroid Injections within Two Years of THA Associated with Postoperative Infections   According to a study in the Journal of the AAOS®, patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) who received >2 corticosteroid injections (CSIs) within two years of surgery were at an increased risk of postoperative infection within 90 days. To examine the effects of the number of CSIs or hyaluronic acid injections (HAIs) prior to THA and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures, [...]

  Today's Top Story   Study: General Anesthesia Associated with Higher Complication Rates after TJA   The Journal of the AAOS® published a propensity-matched study that compared the major postoperative complications and pneumonia between spinal anesthesia (SA) versus general anesthesia (GA) in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Overall, 217,267 patients were identified for both the GA and SA groups. The rates of pneumonia for the GA and SA groups were 0.39 percent and 0.25 percent, respectively. Patients [...]

August 29, 2023   Today's Top Story   Does Bone Mineral Density Affect Postoperative Outcomes following THA and TKA?   A study in the Journal of Arthroplasty found that patients with osteoporosis undergoing total hip (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were more likely to experience 90-day readmission and require transfusion. Retrospectively reviewing 1,306 THAs and 1,046 TKAs, postoperative outcomes were analyzed to examine the impact of bone mineral density on adverse events. THA patients with osteoporosis were [...]