Knee News

The American Joint Replacement Registry released its 2021 annual report, which revealed increases in total hip and knee arthroplasty and decreased length of stays since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release.

The inclusion of social determinants of health variables in randomized controlled trials is lacking in studies published in key orthopedic journals, a speaker said at the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons Annual Meeting.

In patients who underwent knee arthroplasty, milvexian, a novel factor XIa inhibitor, was effective at preventing venous thromboembolism and was linked to a low rate of bleeding, researchers reported.

The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index predicted adverse outcomes and the need for transfusions when applied to patients older than 65 years in a national database who underwent total joint arthroplasty, results showed.

Patients who switched to buprenorphine after using opioids to treat their chronic pain reported significant improvements in pain and quality of life, according to a retrospective analysis that was conducted at a pain management clinic.

Although patients may be safely discharged to home following total knee arthroplasty, published results showed patients continue to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility due to patient, physician and family preference.

According to published results, preoperative and prompt postoperative physical therapy sustained for six or more sessions may reduce the risk of long-term opioid use in patients undergoing total knee replacement.

Increasing calcium and protein intake through dairy products reduced the risk for falls and fractures among older adults living in care homes by 33%, according to results of a randomized controlled trial published in the BMJ.

The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons issued formal comments to the CMS on proposed payment policy changes for calendar year 2022, with focuses on the inpatient only list and ongoing cuts to physician reimbursement.

If current reimbursement trends continue, reimbursement for time in the OR performing arthroplasty surgery may be equal to the time spent in the office seeing Medicare patients within the next 5 years, according to published results.