Today’s Top Story

Study: Do Patients with Medicare Have Increased 90-day Readmission after Short-stay TSA?

A study published online in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery found comparable rates of unplanned readmission after short-stay total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) between patients with Medicare versus private insurance. The researchers assessed 4,723 procedures (TSA, n=2,459; reverse TSA [RTSA], n=2,264). Patients with Medicare were not significantly more likely to experience unplanned 90-day readmissions compared to privately insured patients (3.6 percent versus 2.5 percent, respectively). RTSA was associated with increased risk of readmission for both insurance types.

Read the abstract…

 
 
 
 
In Other News

Study: Improvements in Surgeon-specific Traction Time During Hip Arthroscopy for Labral Repair

A study published online in Arthroscopy suggest that surgeons who perform hip arthroscopy for primary labral repair can expect to show improvements in total traction time within the first 500 cases. The researchers assessed 2,350 hips treated by a single surgeon. Total traction time was 60 minutes after 268 cases, a number that plateaued after 374 cases. Traction time as a function of anchors placed (TTAP) plateaued after 487 cases. Average overall traction time was 58.16 minutes and mean TTAP was 16.24 minutes.

Read the abstract…

 
 
 
 
Study Identifies Risk Factors of PJI due to Acinetobacter Baumannii after TJA

A retrospective study published online in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders found that late chronic infections, revision, and nonelective total joint arthroplasty (TJA) were independently associated with prosthetic joint infection (PJI) caused by Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab). In total, 98 PJI cases were assessed, including 33 cases of Ab-associated infection. Ab-associated PJI was more likely than other infections to be classified as a chronic late infection. Ab-associated infection and treatment with debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention were not associated with PJI treatment failure.

Read the study…

 
 
 
Study: Two-year Functional Outcomes after Primary and Revision Ankle Replacements

Primary and revision ankle replacements both resulted in two-year improvements in functional scores, with a significantly greater improvement shown for primary ankle replacement, according to a study published online in Foot & Ankle International. Thirty-three primary and 22 revision procedures were assessed. Overall Manchester Oxford Foot Questionnaire scores improved by a mean of 48.8 points for primary and 22.5 points for revision surgery. Pain scores and social interaction for primary and revision surgery improved by 43.0 versus 32.3 and 40.0 versus 11.7 points, respectively.

Read the abstract…

 
 
 
Study: Female-led Hand Surgery Fellowships Do Not Attract More Female Fellows than Male-led Programs

Though hand surgery fellowship programs have a 13 percent prevalence of female directors, these programs did not have relatively higher rates of female fellows or faculty, according to a study published online in the Journal of Hand Surgery. Of 89 hand surgery programs, 60 percent had at least one female faculty members, 25 percent of fellows were female, and 79 percent of programs had at least one female fellows. Programs with female directors did not have more female fellows compared to male-led programs (26 percent versus 25 percent).

Read the abstract…

 
 
 
AAOS Now

CMS Revisits the Quality Payment Program

Over the years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has experimented with shifting reimbursement to programs that incentivize high-quality, low-cost care. The Quality Payment Program (QPP) relies on a combination of physician-reported measures and Medicare cost data, resulting in a carrot-and-stick model rewarding high performers with an additional positive payment adjustment to all Medicare Part B claims. This article reviews the QPP participation programs, alternative payment models, and anticipated CMS changes within the next few months.

Read more…

 
 
 
Your AAOS

Upcoming Webinar: Prior Authorizations, Peer to Peer Review

Prior authorizations on procedures can be a cumbersome process. Each payer may have different policies and guidelines on which procedures require prior authorization, making it difficult for physicians and their staff to keep track of changing policies. On July 8 from 7:15 p.m.–8:15 p.m. CT, Eric Stiefel, MD, FAAOS and Christopher Kauffman, MD, FAAOS will host a webinar examining in detail the burden prior authorizations and peer-to-peer review process takes on physicians, as well as strategies to work through these hurdles.

Learn more and register…