Long-term follow-up care recommendations after total hip and knee arthroplasty: results of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons' member survey

J Arthroplasty. 2003 Dec;18(8):954-62. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2003.09.001.

Abstract

Long-term follow-up care is needed to evaluate and manage hip and knee arthroplasty outcomes, because impending failure may be asymptomatic. All active American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons' members (N = 682) were surveyed for recommendations for follow-up care type and frequency, radiograph interpretation, and clinical indicators related to follow-up frequency intervals; and to describe reimbursement experiences and practice demographics. The response rate (65.5%, n = 447) established a 95% (+/-3%) confidence interval for the survey results. We found that 80% of respondents recommended annual or biennial orthopaedic clinical and radiographic examinations, with more frequent follow-up times for clinical or radiologic signs of failure, previous revision arthroplasty, previous joint sepsis, and subnormal periprosthetic bone quality. Further research is needed to correlate follow-up care type and frequency with outcomes, complications, and costs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / rehabilitation*
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / statistics & numerical data
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / rehabilitation*
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / statistics & numerical data
  • Continuity of Patient Care*
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Humans
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians'*
  • Reoperation