…After a year of wrangling between the federal government and hospital leaders nationwide, a new rule took effect April 1 that retools Medicare payments for hip and knee replacements…

…Collier County is one of 67 regions nationwide where the new rule applies…

…Patients with medical conditions — heart disease, obesity, diabetes, lung ailments and the like — might be hard pressed to find an orthopedic surgeon willing to perform the joint replacement because hospitals face financial incentives to avoid patients with high risks of complications, according to physician leaders with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons…

…The rule aims to control costs on the $7 billion Medicare spends for hospital care alone for the 400,000 beneficiaries who receive hip or knee replacements each year, according to CMS.… Read the Rest

The posterior cruciate ligament is a tissue that normally stabilizes each side of the knee joint so that the lower leg cannot slide backward in relation to the thigh bone. In … Read the Rest

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Unfortunately, there is an epidemic of knee arthritis in the United States.  The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, estimates that between 2006 and 2030, the number of knee implants performed in the United States will increase from 300,000 a year to nearly 3.5 million.  Even more concerning, the average age of knee implant patients gets younger each year¹.  It is not unusual for patients as young as 40 to experience severe knee arthritis and require knee implant surgery.   Women account for about 60% of patients who need a knee implant – a proportion that has remained steady for the past few decades.³

Because the market for knee implants is growing so rapidly, there is intense competition between manufactures of implants for future business.  Orthopaedic implant manufactures are working hard to convince surgeons and consumers that their knee products … Read the Rest

…After adjusting for all pertinent variables, investigators found a revision TKA patient was 4.1-times more likely to be obese in 2011 and 4.5-times more likely to be obese in 2012 than in 2002…… Read the Rest

Model supports quality and care improvements for patient’s transition from surgery to recovery

Hip and knee replacements are some of the most common surgeries that Medicare beneficiaries receive. In 2013, there were more than 400,000 inpatient primary procedures, costing more than $7 billion for hospitalization alone. While some incentives exist for hospitals to avoid post-surgery complications that can result in pain, readmissions to the hospital, or protracted rehabilitative care, the quality and cost of care for these hip and knee replacement surgeries still vary greatly among providers.

For instance, the rate of complications like infections or implant failures after surgery can be more than three times higher at some facilities than others, increasing the chances that the patient may be readmitted to the hospital. And, the average Medicare expenditure for surgery, hospitalization, and recovery ranges from $16,500 to $33,000 across geographic areas.

The Comprehensive Care for Joint … Read the Rest

Read Complete Study Here

Partial knee replacements are economically superior to total knee replacements in older adults, and with a few small improvements, can be an attractive option for younger patients as well, new research from Weill Cornell Medical College and Hospital for Special Surgery investigators suggests.

	Dr. Hassan Ghomrawi

Knee replacement surgeries are expected to surpass one million annually by 2020, with half of these surgeries being performed on patients younger than 65. Historically, physicians have recommended total knee replacements for all adult patients including those who have end-stage osteoarthritis in part of the knee joint. But in their study, published March 4 in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, the Weill Cornell investigators found that partial knee — also known as unicompartmental — replacements provide greater economic value … Read the Rest

Finnish researchers in 2012 found the incidence of partial and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) rose among a Finnish population of 30 year to 59 year olds, especially among women aged 50 years to 59 years, according a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatism.

The findings indicate a 130-fold increase in incidence of TKA from 1980 to 2006 for those between the ages of 30 years to 59 years old, according to an Arthritis & Rheumatism press release…

…The researchers found the greatest incidence of these procedures being performed was in patients between 50 years and 59 years old…

“Our study confirmed rapid growth in incidences of partial and total knee arthroplasty in those less than 60 years of age. Given that younger patients may be at higher risk of artificial knee joint failure and thus in need of a second replacement surgery, … Read the Rest

While still relatively rare, men face higher rates of complications and need for revision surgery.

LAS VEGAS – While women may have their first total joint replacement (TJR) at an older age, they are less likely to have complications related to their surgery or require revision surgery, according to a new study presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The findings contradict the theory that TJR is underutilized in female patients because they have worse outcomes then men.

Total hip (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) are common surgical treatments for end-stage arthritis, which causes ongoing pain, limited function and diminished life quality.

Researchers reviewed patient databases from an Ontario hospital for first-time primary THR and TKR patients between 2002 and 2009. There were 37,881 THR surgeries … Read the Rest