More than 600 companies will be in Las Vegas and are eager to meet with you. Register today for the AAOS 2023 Annual Meeting, March 7 to 11, to connect with top industry experts and immerse yourself in the latest technologies and solutions in the Exhibit Hall. Back by popular demand, Happy Hour in the Hall, on March 9, gives attendees a chance to attend in-booth presentations and enjoy innovations and libations. Dedicated exhibit time is available March 8 to 10 with beverage breaks available each day.
Correction: Study Compares Rate of Scapular Notching after RSA with 135- or 145-degree Neck Shaft Angle Stems
This abstract was featured in Thursday’s issue of Headline News Now (HNN) but incorrectly transposed notching incidence between the 135- and 145-degree groups. HNN regrets the error. The following summary includes the corrected text: A study in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery compared 145- and 135-degree neck shaft angle (NSA) stems on scapular notching rate and postoperative range of motion (ROM) in patients undergoing reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). Seventy-three patients with a 145-degree NSA and 30 patients with a 135-degree NSA stem were retrospectively reviewed. Following the minimum two-year follow-up, the rate of scapular notching was 30 percent in patients with a 135-degree NSA stem compared with 53.4 percent in those patients with a 145-degree NSA stem. There were no significant ROM differences observed between groups.
Survey Polls Surgeons on the Burden of Prior Authorization in TJA
A survey evaluated the impact that prior authorization has on the practices of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) and found that increases in prior authorization over the past five years has resulted in high administrative burdens. The 24-question survey was published in the Journal of Arthroplasty and completed by 353 respondents. The average time spent on prior authorization was 15 hours per week, and the average number of claims per week was 18. Fifty-seven percent of prior authorization processes rarely or never changed the treatment provided. Most respondents (87 percent) reported negative clinical outcomes due to prior authorization.
Study: TKA Is Associated with Worse Outcomes Compared with UKA in Patients with Significant Medical Comorbidities
A retrospective study in the Journal of Knee Surgery compared the incidence of complications, readmission and reoperation rates, and length of stay (LOS) in patients with significant medical comorbidities undergoing total (TKA) versus unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Of the 16,054 patients identified, 97.3 percent underwent TKA. Complications, readmission rates, and LOS were higher in patients undergoing TKA; however, there were no significant differences observed between groups regarding reoperation rates. Additionally, TKA patients had decreased rates of same-day discharge and discharge within 24 hours of surgery.
Retrospective Study: Does General or Spinal Anesthesia in THA Result in Superior OR Times?
According to a study in Archives ofOrthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) who received spinal anesthesia (SA) had shorter time to transfer out of the OR and nonoperative times compared with patients who received general anesthesia (GA). The retrospective chart review included 100 patients in both SA and GA groups. The time spent transferring the patient out of the OR was eight and five minutes for GA and SA groups, respectively. The total pre- and operative times were comparable between groups. Nonoperative total time was significantly shorted in the SA group (52 versus 56 minutes).
AAOS 2023 en Español: Annual Meeting in Las Vegas to Feature Spanish-language Track
The education program at the upcoming AAOS 2023 Annual Meeting will feature a Spanish-language track consisting of six full sessions in several formats. Additionally, this year’s meeting will offer four Instructional Course Lectures (ICLs), including a Case Presentation ICL, one symposium, and two sessions of a Spanish poster tour. “We are excited to offer this expanded feature. The topics that will be given are top notch, interesting, and up to date, providing Spanish speakers with evidence-based information and in their language,” International and Annual Meeting Committee Member Jose A. Taveras, MD, shared with AAOS Now.
Register for a Free Upcoming Webinar Addressing Preprocedural Optimization Services
In 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Physician Fee Schedule reduced the Relative Value Units (RVUs) for total knee (TKA) and hip arthroplasty (THA). The reduced reimbursement did not account for the preservice physician work involved. AAOS and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons were heavily engaged in discussions with the American Medical Association and CMS, who recognized that preservice optimization work occurs with THA (code 27130) and TKA (code 27447). Join the webinar, “Preprocedural Optimization Services,” on Feb. 15 to learn about the appropriate coding for work performed prior to surgery with principal care management codes.
