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Routine pathology examination in primary shoulder arthroplasty not seen as cost-effective
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For cases of primary shoulder arthroplasty, routine pathologic examination of the humeral head and biceps tendon did not add clinical utility and is not cost-effective, according to results.
Researchers used preoperative and postoperative diagnoses and pathology diagnosis to determine whether 714 cases of primary shoulder arthroplasty in 646 patients had concordant, discrepant or discordant diagnoses. Researchers estimated costs in 2015 U.S. dollars, while cost per discrepant diagnosis and cost per discordant diagnosis were used to determine cost-effectiveness.
Results showed a prevalence of 94.1% and 5.9% for concordant diagnoses and discrepant diagnoses, respectively. Researchers found no cases had discordant diagnoses. None of the 172 cases that had biceps tendon specimens sent for pathology examination experienced a change in patient care. Researchers found a total estimated cost of $77,309.34 in 2015 U.S. dollars, with $1,424.09 as cost per discrepant diagnosis for humeral head specimens and at least $59,811.78 as cost per discordant diagnosis. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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