title: Assessing the utility of routine first annual follow-up visits after primary total knee arthroplasty.
abstract: The combination of increased TKA utilization and a decreased number of arthroplasty specialists has resulted in a growing need to maximize efficiency without sacrificing the level of care being provided. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of routine first annual follow-up visits for patients that have undergone primary TKA. Of 339 TKAs performed by a single surgeon in 2012, 23% failed to attend scheduled first annual visits. Furthermore, none of the revisions performed at our facility since 2003 were the direct result of information gained at a patient's routine first annual visit. As such, we question the clinical utility of the first annual visit.
authors.affiliation: Lexington Clinic, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Cale A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Lexington Clinic, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: Lexington Clinic, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Tharun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karthikeyan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000379:methods*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012086:Reoperation / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: TKA; evidence based practice; protocol; reoperation; revision