A tailored intervention does not reduce low value MRI's and arthroscopies in degenerative knee disease when the secular time trend is taken into account: a difference-in-difference analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored intervention to reduce low value MRIs and arthroscopies among patients ≥ 50 years with degenerative knee disease in 13 Dutch orthopaedic centers (intervention group) compared with all other Dutch orthopaedic centers (control group). METHODS: All patients with degenerative knee disease ≥ 50 years admitted to Dutch orthopaedic centers from January 2016 to December 2018 were included. The tailored intervention included participation of clinical champions, education on the Dutch Choosing Wisely recommendation for MRI's and arthroscopies in degenerative knee disease, training of orthopaedic surgeons to manage patient expectations, performance feedback, and provision of a patient brochure. A difference-in-difference analysis was used to compare the time trend before (admitted January 2016-June 2017) and after introduction of the intervention (July 2017-December 2018) between intervention and control hospitals. Primary outcome was the monthly percentage of patients receiving a MRI or knee arthroscopy, weighted by type of hospital. RESULTS: 136,446 patients were included, of whom 32,163 were treated in the intervention hospitals. The weighted percentage of patients receiving a MRI on average declined by 0.15% per month (ß = - 0.15, P < 0.001) and by 0.19% per month for arthroscopy (ß = - 0.19, P < 0.001). However, these changes over time did not differ between intervention and control hospitals, neither for MRI (ß = - 0.74, P = 0.228) nor arthroscopy (ß = 0.13, P = 0.688). CONCLUSIONS: The extent to which patients ≥ 50 years with degenerative knee disease received a MRI or arthroscopy declined significantly over time, but could not be attributed to the tailored intervention. This secular downward time trend may reflect anoverall focus of reducing low value care in The Netherlands. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Performing a knee arthroscopy among patients with degenerative knee disease: one-third is potentially low value care.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess in which proportion of patients with degenerative knee disease aged 50+ in whom a knee arthroscopy is performed, no valid surgical indication is reported in medical records, and to explore possible explanatory factors. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted using administrative data from January to December 2016 in 13 orthopedic centers in the Netherlands. Medical records were selected from a random sample of 538 patients aged 50+ with degenerative knee disease in whom arthroscopy was performed, and reviewed on reported indications for the performed knee arthroscopy. Valid surgical indications were predefined based on clinical national guidelines and expert opinion (e.g., truly locked knee). A knee arthroscopy without a reported valid indication was considered potentially low value care. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess whether age, diagnosis ("Arthrosis" versus "Meniscal lesion"), and type of care trajectory (initial or follow-up) were associated with performing a potentially low value knee arthroscopy. RESULTS: Of 26,991 patients with degenerative knee disease, 2556 (9.5%) underwent an arthroscopy in one of the participating orthopedic centers. Of 538 patients in whom an arthroscopy was performed, 65.1% had a valid indication reported in the medical record and 34.9% without a reported valid indication. From the patients without a valid indication, a joint patient-provider decision or patient request was reported as the main reason. Neither age [OR 1.013 (95% CI 0.984-1.043)], diagnosis [OR 0.998 (95% CI 0.886-1.124)] or type of care trajectory [OR 0.989 (95% CI 0.948-1.032)] were significantly associated with performing a potentially low value knee arthroscopy. CONCLUSIONS: In a random sample of knee arthroscopies performed in 13 orthopedic centers in 2016, 65% had valid indications reported in the medical records but 35% were performed without a reported valid indication and, therefore, potentially low value care. Patient and/or surgeons preference may play a large role in the decision to perform an arthroscopy without a valid indication. Therefore, interventions should be developed to increase adherence to clinical guidelines by surgeons that target invalid indications for a knee arthroscopy to improve care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Preferences and beliefs of Dutch orthopaedic surgeons and patients reduce the implementation of "Choosing Wisely" recommendations in degenerative knee disease.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess which factors were associated with the implementation of "Choosing Wisely" recommendations to refrain from routine MRI and arthroscopy use in degenerative knee disease. METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys were sent to 123 patients (response rate 95%) and 413 orthopaedic surgeons (response rate 62%) fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with implementation of "Choosing Wisely" recommendations. RESULTS: Factors reducing implementation of the MRI recommendation among patients included explanation of added value by an orthopaedic surgeon [OR 0.18 (95% CI 0.07-0.47)] and patient preference for MRI [OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08-0.92)]. Factors reducing implementation among orthopaedic surgeons were higher valuation of own MRI experience than existing evidence [OR 0.41 (95% CI 0.19-0.88)] and higher estimated patients' knowledge to participate in shared decision-making [OR 0.38 (95% CI 0.17-0.88)]. Factors reducing implementation of the arthroscopy recommendation among patients were orthopaedic surgeons' preferences for an arthroscopy [OR 0.03 (95% CI 0.00-0.22)] and positive experiences with arthroscopy of friends/family [OR 0.03 (95% CI 0.00-0.39)]. Factors reducing implementation among orthopaedic surgeons were higher valuation of own arthroscopy experience than existing evidence [OR 0.17 (95% CI 0.07-0.46)] and belief in the added value [OR 0.28 (95% CI 0.10-0.81)]. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of "Choosing Wisely" recommendations in degenerative knee disease can be improved by strategies to change clinician beliefs about the added value of MRIs and arthroscopies, and by patient-directed strategies addressing patient preferences and underlying beliefs for added value of MRI and arthroscopies resulting from experiences of people in their environment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

The association between comorbidities and pain, physical function and quality of life following hip and knee arthroplasty.

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between comorbidities and pain, physical function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A cross-sectional retrospective survey was conducted including 19 specific comorbidities, administered in patients who underwent THA or TKA in the previous 7-22 months in one of 4 hospitals. Outcome measures included pain, physical functioning, and HRQoL. Of the 521 patients (281 THA and 240 TKA) included, 449 (86 %) had ≥1 comorbidities. The most frequently reported comorbidities (>15 %) were severe back pain; neck/shoulder pain; elbow, wrist or hand pain; hypertension; incontinence of urine; hearing impairment; vision impairment; and cancer. Only the prevalence of cancer was significantly different between THA (n = 38; 14 %) and TKA (n = 52; 22 %) (p = 0.01). The associations between a higher number of comorbidities and worse outcomes were stronger in THA than in TKA. In multivariate analyses including all comorbidities with a prevalence of >5 %, in THA dizziness in combination with falling and severe back pain, and in TKA dizziness in combination with falling, vision impairments, and elbow, wrist or hand pain was associated with worse outcomes in most of the analyses. A broad range of specific comorbidities needs to be taken into account with the interpretation of patients' health status after THA and TKA. More research including the ascertainment of comorbidities preoperatively is needed, but it is conceivable that in particular, the presence of dizziness with falling, pain in other joints, and vision impairments should be assessed and treated in order to decrease the chance of an unfavorable outcome.

Fixation of high-flexion total knee prostheses: five-year follow-up results of a four-arm randomized controlled clinical and roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis study.

BACKGROUND: High-flexion total knee arthroplasty was introduced to meet the demands of daily activity requiring increased knee flexion. However, concerns have been raised regarding the fixation of high-flexion total knee arthroplasty components and increased rates of loosening have been reported. To date, migration, and thus fixation, of high-flexion total knee arthroplasty components has not been analyzed and the preferential bearing type (mobile or fixed) is unknown. METHODS: Of eighty-six consecutive eligible patients, seventy-four patients (seventy-eight knees) scheduled for total knee arthroplasty were randomized to one of four Legacy Posterior Stabilized (LPS) total knee prosthesis designs: (1) LPS-Flex mobile, (2) LPS-Flex fixed, (3) LPS mobile, and (4) LPS fixed. The primary outcome was component migration measured with use of Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis, and secondary outcomes were postoperative knee flexion and extension and Knee Society Score. Patients were evaluated postoperatively at six, twelve, twenty-six, and fifty-two weeks and annually thereafter. At the five-year follow-up, eight patients had died and two patients were lost to follow-up. Seventy-seven tibial and forty-two femoral components were suitable for migration measurements. RESULTS: The overall five-year migration of the seventy-seven tibial components was not significantly different among the four total knee prosthesis designs (compared with the LPS fixed design, the range of overall mean differences for the other three designs was 0.02 to 0.25 mm) and migration was comparable at the two and five-year follow-up. Migration stabilized in all but three components (two LPS-Flex mobile and one LPS fixed); one of these components has already been revised and was aseptically loose. The overall five-year migration of the forty-two femoral components was comparable among the four designs (compared with the LPS fixed design, the range of overall mean differences for the other three designs was 0.01 to 0.18 mm) and was similar at two and five years postoperatively. One femoral component (LPS-Flex mobile) migrated excessively. In patients who had a mean postoperative flexion of ≥ 125° or a maximum flexion of ≥ 135° during the one to five-year follow-up period, migration of high-flexion components was comparable with that of conventional components and indicative of appropriate fixation. Postoperative flexion, extension, Knee Society Score, and Knee Society Score function were comparable during the five-year follow-up period and at the two and five-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The LPS-Flex total knee prosthesis with either a mobile or a fixed bearing had migration comparable that of with its conventional counterpart and is expected to have similar (excellent) long-term survival in these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Computer assisted orthopedic surgery; its influence on prosthesis size in total knee replacement.

Improvement of alignment and position of the components in TKAs using Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery (CAOS) has been described. However, much less is known about the accuracy of CAOS in determining the size of the components. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the size of the femoral and tibial component using the CAOS system from Brainlab. The component sizes were compared to pre-operative templating and post-operative scoring the adequateness of size. Forty TKAs (NexGen) were evaluated: 20 using CAOS and 20 conventional. Statistical analysis of the templated and implanted size indicated a fair agreement for the femur (kappa 0.38) and the tibia (kappa 0.35). In the CAOS group significantly more oversizing occurred for the femoral component (p=0.020). No significant difference was found for the tibial component. We conclude there is a risk of oversizing the femoral component of the NexGen system when using CAOS.