Epidemiologic impact of COVID-19 on a multi-subspecialty orthopaedic practice

J Orthop. 2021 May-Jun:25:151-154. doi: 10.1016/j.jor.2021.05.011. Epub 2021 May 6.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to report the change in surgical case volume and composition encountered by a multi-subspecialty orthopaedic practice due to COVID-19. We reviewed electronic medical records for patients who had surgery at our institution and collected multiple variables including age and the joint that was operated on. In the post-COVID-19 period, we found a significant increase in the percentage of hip procedures, and a significant decrease in the percentage of hand/wrist procedures. Overall, the total surgical volume of our multi-subspecialty orthopaedic practice decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the composition of surgical cases changed.

Keywords: COVID-19; Distal biceps rupture; Epidemiology; Orthopedics; Pandemic; Surgery.