title: Preoperative risks and outcomes of hip and knee arthroplasty in the Veterans Health Administration.
abstract: The relationship between patient characteristics and outcomes of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) was examined in a population of veterans treated in VA hospitals. Outcomes included 30-day mortality and morbidity, postoperative length of stay, and readmission caused by surgical complications. A larger proportion of women then men were functionally impaired before surgery in both the hip (22% vs. 14%) and knee samples (14% vs. 7%; all P<.01). Rates of adverse outcomes in this population were very low. Preoperative comorbid conditions, abnormal laboratory values, and being nonwhite were related to poor outcomes of TJA. Gender was a significant independent predictor of morbidity and length of stay for total knee arthroplasty.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans