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Does Accelerated Physical Therapy After Elective Primary Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Facilitate Early Discharge?
Total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are among the most effective surgical procedures in modern medicine. Use of primary THA in the United States is projected to increase by 174% by 2030, to 532,000 cases annually, and the estimate for TKA is even greater.1 Hospital length of stay (LOS) accounts for a significant portion of the overall cost of these procedures. Reducing LOS to limit costs without compromising patient safety, satisfaction, and outcomes remains the goal at all joint arthroplasty centers. Rapid-recovery or fast-track clinical pathways limiting opioid use and emphasizing patient education and early (day-of-surgery) mobilization have been shown to reduce LOS without compromising patient outcomes.2-5 Factors correlated with LOS after THA include surgical approach, use of multimodal analgesia, obesity, age, and social situations or living conditions.4,6-10
Our institution recently implemented a protocol in which certified physical therapists provide accelerated (day-of-surgery) physical therapy (PT) for all total joint arthroplasty patients. For the study reported here, we hypothesized that, compared with PT started on postoperative day 1 (POD-1), PT started day of surgery (Day 0) would result in shorter LOS for unilateral primary THA and TKA patients. In addition, we wanted to evaluate any predischarge differences in function, as measured by gait distance, between the groups.
Methods
After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, we retrospectively evaluated use of the new postoperative protocol (Day 0 PT) for primary THA and TKA patients. We reviewed all cases of primary unilateral THA or TKA performed by a single surgeon over the 12-month period immediately following initiation of the protocol. There were 116 THA cases and 126 TKA cases. Charts were reviewed for patient demographics, intraoperative data, in-hospital course, and PT session notes. Patients who had a PT session at any point on day of surgery were designated the Day 0 group, and patients who had PT starting the next day (POD-1) were designated the Non-Day 0 group. Although the medical records showed that Day 0 PT had been ordered in all cases, not all patients received PT on the day of their surgery; the most common reason was that they returned from postanesthesia care after the physical therapists’ work shift had ended. Another reason was patient noncompliance or unwillingness stemming from the prolonged effects of general anesthesia, diminished mental orientation, excess fatigue, or inadequate pain control. PT sessions after THA and TKA remained consistent over the study period, with twice daily sessions directed at patient mobility, range of motion, and gentle strengthening exercise. PT was performed only with patient consent.
Surgery
A combination of general and spinal anesthesia was used in almost all THA and TKA cases. In <5% of cases, either the patient refused spinal anesthesia, or it was unsuccessful. In addition, tranexamic acid was administered to limit blood loss in all THA and TKA cases. Of the 116 THAs performed over the study period, 3 were excluded (see below). Of the 113 patients included in the study, 88 (77.9%) used a minimally invasive posterolateral approach, 18 (15.9%) a direct anterior approach, and 7 (6.2%) an anterolateral approach. All THAs were performed with conventional instruments and uncemented components. All TKAs were performed with a standard medial parapatellar approach, conventional instruments, and a tourniquet; in each case, the patella was resurfaced, and cemented fixation was used. Drains were not used in any THA or TKA cases. A local anesthetic cocktail (100 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine, 15 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine, and 1 mL of 1:1000 epinephrine) was injected for postoperative analgesia in all THA and TKA cases.
There were 3 important intraoperative findings in the THA Day 0 group: 2 cases of incidental gluteus medius tendon tears requiring repair and 1 case of nondisplaced calcar fracture treated with a cerclage cable. The THA Non-Day 0 group and both TKA groups had no major intraoperative findings.
Physical Therapy
Day-of-surgery PT was ordered for all patients. Patients did not receive formal PT before surgery. The PT protocol consisted of subjective assessment of patient condition, expectations, and goals; lower limb strengthening exercises; and maximum gait training with use of an assistive device as tolerated. Standard hip movement restrictions were ordered for posterolateral approach patients to protect the soft-tissue repair. Continuous passive motion (CPM) was not used during this study period.
Discharge Criteria
Patients were cleared for discharge by a multidisciplinary team using several criteria: no medical condition that would require readmission, intact surgical incision without discharge or concerning erythema, adequate analgesia (oral medications), intact neurovascular examination, and PT goals achieved (independence with bed mobility, transfers, standing balance, and minimum gait distance of 150 feet). Patients who could not be discharged home because of family or occupation issues or because of problems with gait or transfer were referred to skilled nursing or home healthcare. Follow-up for wound assessment and for examination of radiographs and functional range of motion was planned for 2 to 3 weeks after surgery (all patients followed up). Two patients, 1 in the THA Non-Day 0 group and 1 in the TKA Day 0 group, had a mechanical fall 1 day before discharge, but there were no complication-related discharge delays. In addition, there were no readmissions during the first 4 weeks after surgery.
Excluded Patients
Of the 116 THA cases, 113 (63 Day 0, 50 Non-Day 0) were analyzed. To establish homogeneity between groups and remove potential confounding factors, we excluded 4 THA patients (all Non-Day 0) from analysis because of medical complications prolonging LOS. In 1 of these cases, the patient developed respiratory insufficiency and myocardial infarction on POD-3, and critical care support was required (LOS, 16 days). In another case, anticoagulation treatment led to the development of a hip hematoma on POD-9 and to treatment (evacuation) in the operating room (LOS, 14 days). The other 2 cases involved exacerbation of dysphagia from preexisting myasthenia gravis (LOS, 5 days) and Ogilvie syndrome, managed conservatively (LOS, 9 days).
Of the 126 TKA cases, 123 (97 Day 0, 26 Non-Day 0) were analyzed. Three TKA patients were excluded because of prolonged hospitalization for medical reasons: One developed a deep vein thrombosis, 1 acquired Clostridium difficile colitis (history of lung transplantation, multiple immunosuppressive drugs), and 1 developed respiratory insufficiency from asthma exacerbation.
Statistical Analysis
Power analysis (G*Power) was used to determine an appropriate sample size for comparison.11 Given a previously published mean LOS after THA of 4 days, the hypothesized mean LOS reducing that by at least 0.5 day to 3.5 days, a significance level set at 5%, a power of test set at 0.95, and an allocation ratio of 1, a minimum of 23 subjects would be needed in each group to attain a statistically significant difference using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess data normality. Regarding statistical significance, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for non-normally distributed data, the 2-sided Fisher exact test and χ2 test for qualitative data and contingency, and the 2-tailed, unpaired, independent-samples Student t test for normally distributed data. Data were analyzed with SPSS Statistics for Windows Version 20 (IBM).
Results
TKA and THA patients had similar demographic profiles, types of anesthesia, operating room and surgery times, surgical approaches, and total number of PT sessions before discharge. Estimated blood loss, however, was significantly (P < .05) higher for Non-Day 0 patients than for Non-Day 0 patients (Table 1). 
Mean (SD) distance ambulated during first PT session was 2-fold farther (P = .014) for Non-Day 0 patients, 84.1 (10.4) feet, than for Day 0 patients, 42.1 (6.4) feet. On POD-1, mean (SD) gait was significantly (P = .019) longer for Day 0 patients, 162.4 (12.9) feet, than for Non-Day 0 patients, 118 (11.7) feet (Figure 2). 
In TKA patients, although mean (SD) distance ambulated tended to be farther for the Day 0 group than for the Non-Day 0 group—114 (12.3) feet on POD-1 and 176 (15.2) feet on POD-2 for Day 0 vs 94 (22.2) feet on POD-1 and 148 (22.1) feet on POD-2 for Non-Day 0—the differences were not statistically significant. In addition, knee arc of motion during first PT session was statistically significantly (P = .3) higher for Day 0 patients, 69.1° (18.7°), than for Non-Day 0 patients, 61.7° (18.8°).
Statistical analysis revealed no difference in LOS based on surgical approach to the hip: 2.4 days for posterolateral (2.2 days for Day 0 and 2.6 days for Non-Day 0; P = .06); 2.1 days for direct anterior (2.1 days for Day 0 and 2.0 days for Non-Day 0; P = .7); and 2.7 days for anterolateral (3.0 days for Day 0 and 2.6 days for Non-Day 0; P = .6).
Discussion
Protocols for PT after THA and TKA remain unstandardized and largely dependent on institutions and surgeons. Factors permitting successful implementation of accelerated rehabilitation include patient motivation, adequate analgesia, and adequate support by physical therapists.12 A potential risk associated with accelerated PT after THA is dislocation, which did not occur in any patient in our Day 0 group. Other risks are increased pain and swelling leading to increased risk of falling and bleeding, which were not observed in our cohort. Although Day 0 PT was ordered in all cases in this study, only 55% of THA patients and 79% of TKA patients received PT the same day as their surgery. The delay can be addressed by making physical therapists’ work shifts more flexible for cases that finish later in the day and by providing preoperative education on the importance of day-of-surgery PT. Dr. Incavo and office staff routinely discuss discharge planning with all patients before surgery, but there was no stimulus protocol or communication to discuss or emphasize LOS with patients before surgery, and there was no questionnaire or survey given to assess patient expectations about PT and discharge.
Our finding of no statistically significant reduction in mean LOS after implementation of accelerated PT for THA or TKA differs from findings in multiple other reports.4,5,13-17 Baseline or control group mean LOS tended to be higher in previous studies3,5,18-23 (3.4-11.4 days) than in our control group (2.5 days) (Table 2). 
Conclusion
These results provide useful information for providers who are managing primary THA and TKA cases and seeking continual improvement in postoperative patient care and better resource allocation. Hospitals, particularly those operating in bundled-care environments, are increasingly coming under scrutiny to control costs. Our study results showed that the costs associated with Day 0 PT are justified for THA but not for TKA.
Am J Orthop. 2016;45(6):E337-E342. Copyright Frontline Medical Communications Inc. 2016. All rights reserved.
1. Kurtz S, Ong K, Lau E, Mowat F, Halpern M. Projections of primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty in the United States from 2005 to 2030. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007;89(4):780-785.
2. Barbieri A, Vanhaecht K, Van Herck P, et al. Effects of clinical pathways in the joint replacement: a meta-analysis. BMC Med. 2009;7:32.
3. den Hartog YM, Mathijssen NM, Vehmeijer SB. Reduced length of hospital stay after the introduction of a rapid recovery protocol for primary THA procedures. Acta Orthop. 2013;84(5):444-447.
4. Husted H, Holm G, Jacobsen S. Predictors of length of stay and patient satisfaction after hip and knee replacement surgery: fast-track experience in 712 patients. Acta Orthop. 2008;79(2):168-173.
5. Robbins CE, Casey D, Bono JV, Murphy SB, Talmo CT, Ward DM. A multidisciplinary total hip arthroplasty protocol with accelerated postoperative rehabilitation: does the patient benefit? Am J Orthop. 2014;43(4):178-181.
6. den Hartog YM, Mathijssen NM, Hannink G, Vehmeijer SB. Which patient characteristics influence length of hospital stay after primary total hip arthroplasty in a ‘fast-track’ setting? Bone Joint J. 2015;97(1):19-23.
7. Forrest G, Fuchs M, Gutierrez A, Girardy J. Factors affecting length of stay and need for rehabilitation after hip and knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 1998;13(2):186-190.
8. Foote J, Panchoo K, Blair P, Bannister G. Length of stay following primary total hip replacement. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2009;91(6):500-504.
9. Sharma V, Morgan PM, Cheng EY. Factors influencing early rehabilitation after THA: a systematic review. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2009;467(6):1400-1411.
10. Dorr LD, Maheshwari AV, Long WT, Wan Z, Sirianni LE. Early pain relief and function after posterior minimally invasive and conventional total hip arthroplasty. A prospective, randomized, blinded study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007;89(6):1153-1160.
11. Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, Buchner A. G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods. 2007;39(2):175-191.
12. Ranawat AS, Ranawat CS. Pain management and accelerated rehabilitation for total hip and total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2007;22(7 suppl 3):12-15.
13. Husted H, Otte KS, Kristensen BB, Orsnes T, Kehlet H. Readmissions after fast-track hip and knee arthroplasty. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2010;130(9):1185-1191.
14. Husted H, Lunn TH, Troelsen A, Gaarn-Larsen L, Kristensen BB, Kehlet H. Why still in hospital after fast-track hip and knee arthroplasty? Acta Orthop. 2011;82(6):679-684.
15. Husted H, Jensen CM, Solgaard S, Kehlet H. Reduced length of stay following hip and knee arthroplasty in Denmark 2000-2009: from research to implementation. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2012;132(1):101-104.
16. Berger RA, Sanders SA, Thill ES, Sporer SM, Della Valle C. Newer anesthesia and rehabilitation protocols enable outpatient hip replacement in selected patients. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2009;467(6):1424-1430.
17. Peck CN, Foster A, McLauchlan GJ. Reducing incision length or intensifying rehabilitation: what makes the difference to length of stay in total hip replacement in a UK setting? Int Orthop. 2006;30(5):395-398.
18. Isaac D, Falode T, Liu P, I’Anson H, Dillow K, Gill P. Accelerated rehabilitation after total knee replacement. Knee. 2005;12(5):346-350.
19. Labraca NS, Castro-Sánchez AM, Matarán-Peñarrocha GA, Arroyo-Morales M, Sánchez-Joya Mdel M, Moreno-Lorenzo C. Benefits of starting rehabilitation within 24 hours of primary total knee arthroplasty: randomized clinical trial. Clin Rehabil. 2011;25(6):557-566.
20. Larsen K, Hansen TB, Søballe K. Hip arthroplasty patients benefit from accelerated perioperative care and rehabilitation: a quasi-experimental study of 98 patients. Acta Orthop. 2008;79(5):624-630.
21. Larsen K, Hansen TB, Thomsen PB, Christiansen T, Søballe K. Cost-effectiveness of accelerated perioperative care and rehabilitation after total hip and knee arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2009;91(4):761-772.
22. Larsen K, Sørensen OG, Hansen TB, Thomsen PB, Søballe K. Accelerated perioperative care and rehabilitation intervention for hip and knee replacement is effective: a randomized clinical trial involving 87 patients with 3 months of follow-up. Acta Orthop. 2008;79(2):149-159.
23. Wellman SS, Murphy AC, Gulcynski D. Murphy SB. Implementation of an accelerated mobilization protocol following primary total hip arthroplasty: impact on length of stay and disposition. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2011;4(3):84-90.
Total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are among the most effective surgical procedures in modern medicine. Use of primary THA in the United States is projected to increase by 174% by 2030, to 532,000 cases annually, and the estimate for TKA is even greater.1 Hospital length of stay (LOS) accounts for a significant portion of the overall cost of these procedures. Reducing LOS to limit costs without compromising patient safety, satisfaction, and outcomes remains the goal at all joint arthroplasty centers. Rapid-recovery or fast-track clinical pathways limiting opioid use and emphasizing patient education and early (day-of-surgery) mobilization have been shown to reduce LOS without compromising patient outcomes.2-5 Factors correlated with LOS after THA include surgical approach, use of multimodal analgesia, obesity, age, and social situations or living conditions.4,6-10
Our institution recently implemented a protocol in which certified physical therapists provide accelerated (day-of-surgery) physical therapy (PT) for all total joint arthroplasty patients. For the study reported here, we hypothesized that, compared with PT started on postoperative day 1 (POD-1), PT started day of surgery (Day 0) would result in shorter LOS for unilateral primary THA and TKA patients. In addition, we wanted to evaluate any predischarge differences in function, as measured by gait distance, between the groups.
Methods
After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, we retrospectively evaluated use of the new postoperative protocol (Day 0 PT) for primary THA and TKA patients. We reviewed all cases of primary unilateral THA or TKA performed by a single surgeon over the 12-month period immediately following initiation of the protocol. There were 116 THA cases and 126 TKA cases. Charts were reviewed for patient demographics, intraoperative data, in-hospital course, and PT session notes. Patients who had a PT session at any point on day of surgery were designated the Day 0 group, and patients who had PT starting the next day (POD-1) were designated the Non-Day 0 group. Although the medical records showed that Day 0 PT had been ordered in all cases, not all patients received PT on the day of their surgery; the most common reason was that they returned from postanesthesia care after the physical therapists’ work shift had ended. Another reason was patient noncompliance or unwillingness stemming from the prolonged effects of general anesthesia, diminished mental orientation, excess fatigue, or inadequate pain control. PT sessions after THA and TKA remained consistent over the study period, with twice daily sessions directed at patient mobility, range of motion, and gentle strengthening exercise. PT was performed only with patient consent.
Surgery
A combination of general and spinal anesthesia was used in almost all THA and TKA cases. In <5% of cases, either the patient refused spinal anesthesia, or it was unsuccessful. In addition, tranexamic acid was administered to limit blood loss in all THA and TKA cases. Of the 116 THAs performed over the study period, 3 were excluded (see below). Of the 113 patients included in the study, 88 (77.9%) used a minimally invasive posterolateral approach, 18 (15.9%) a direct anterior approach, and 7 (6.2%) an anterolateral approach. All THAs were performed with conventional instruments and uncemented components. All TKAs were performed with a standard medial parapatellar approach, conventional instruments, and a tourniquet; in each case, the patella was resurfaced, and cemented fixation was used. Drains were not used in any THA or TKA cases. A local anesthetic cocktail (100 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine, 15 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine, and 1 mL of 1:1000 epinephrine) was injected for postoperative analgesia in all THA and TKA cases.
There were 3 important intraoperative findings in the THA Day 0 group: 2 cases of incidental gluteus medius tendon tears requiring repair and 1 case of nondisplaced calcar fracture treated with a cerclage cable. The THA Non-Day 0 group and both TKA groups had no major intraoperative findings.
Physical Therapy
Day-of-surgery PT was ordered for all patients. Patients did not receive formal PT before surgery. The PT protocol consisted of subjective assessment of patient condition, expectations, and goals; lower limb strengthening exercises; and maximum gait training with use of an assistive device as tolerated. Standard hip movement restrictions were ordered for posterolateral approach patients to protect the soft-tissue repair. Continuous passive motion (CPM) was not used during this study period.
Discharge Criteria
Patients were cleared for discharge by a multidisciplinary team using several criteria: no medical condition that would require readmission, intact surgical incision without discharge or concerning erythema, adequate analgesia (oral medications), intact neurovascular examination, and PT goals achieved (independence with bed mobility, transfers, standing balance, and minimum gait distance of 150 feet). Patients who could not be discharged home because of family or occupation issues or because of problems with gait or transfer were referred to skilled nursing or home healthcare. Follow-up for wound assessment and for examination of radiographs and functional range of motion was planned for 2 to 3 weeks after surgery (all patients followed up). Two patients, 1 in the THA Non-Day 0 group and 1 in the TKA Day 0 group, had a mechanical fall 1 day before discharge, but there were no complication-related discharge delays. In addition, there were no readmissions during the first 4 weeks after surgery.
Excluded Patients
Of the 116 THA cases, 113 (63 Day 0, 50 Non-Day 0) were analyzed. To establish homogeneity between groups and remove potential confounding factors, we excluded 4 THA patients (all Non-Day 0) from analysis because of medical complications prolonging LOS. In 1 of these cases, the patient developed respiratory insufficiency and myocardial infarction on POD-3, and critical care support was required (LOS, 16 days). In another case, anticoagulation treatment led to the development of a hip hematoma on POD-9 and to treatment (evacuation) in the operating room (LOS, 14 days). The other 2 cases involved exacerbation of dysphagia from preexisting myasthenia gravis (LOS, 5 days) and Ogilvie syndrome, managed conservatively (LOS, 9 days).
Of the 126 TKA cases, 123 (97 Day 0, 26 Non-Day 0) were analyzed. Three TKA patients were excluded because of prolonged hospitalization for medical reasons: One developed a deep vein thrombosis, 1 acquired Clostridium difficile colitis (history of lung transplantation, multiple immunosuppressive drugs), and 1 developed respiratory insufficiency from asthma exacerbation.
Statistical Analysis
Power analysis (G*Power) was used to determine an appropriate sample size for comparison.11 Given a previously published mean LOS after THA of 4 days, the hypothesized mean LOS reducing that by at least 0.5 day to 3.5 days, a significance level set at 5%, a power of test set at 0.95, and an allocation ratio of 1, a minimum of 23 subjects would be needed in each group to attain a statistically significant difference using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess data normality. Regarding statistical significance, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for non-normally distributed data, the 2-sided Fisher exact test and χ2 test for qualitative data and contingency, and the 2-tailed, unpaired, independent-samples Student t test for normally distributed data. Data were analyzed with SPSS Statistics for Windows Version 20 (IBM).
Results
TKA and THA patients had similar demographic profiles, types of anesthesia, operating room and surgery times, surgical approaches, and total number of PT sessions before discharge. Estimated blood loss, however, was significantly (P < .05) higher for Non-Day 0 patients than for Non-Day 0 patients (Table 1).
Mean (SD) distance ambulated during first PT session was 2-fold farther (P = .014) for Non-Day 0 patients, 84.1 (10.4) feet, than for Day 0 patients, 42.1 (6.4) feet. On POD-1, mean (SD) gait was significantly (P = .019) longer for Day 0 patients, 162.4 (12.9) feet, than for Non-Day 0 patients, 118 (11.7) feet (Figure 2).
In TKA patients, although mean (SD) distance ambulated tended to be farther for the Day 0 group than for the Non-Day 0 group—114 (12.3) feet on POD-1 and 176 (15.2) feet on POD-2 for Day 0 vs 94 (22.2) feet on POD-1 and 148 (22.1) feet on POD-2 for Non-Day 0—the differences were not statistically significant. In addition, knee arc of motion during first PT session was statistically significantly (P = .3) higher for Day 0 patients, 69.1° (18.7°), than for Non-Day 0 patients, 61.7° (18.8°).
Statistical analysis revealed no difference in LOS based on surgical approach to the hip: 2.4 days for posterolateral (2.2 days for Day 0 and 2.6 days for Non-Day 0; P = .06); 2.1 days for direct anterior (2.1 days for Day 0 and 2.0 days for Non-Day 0; P = .7); and 2.7 days for anterolateral (3.0 days for Day 0 and 2.6 days for Non-Day 0; P = .6).
Discussion
Protocols for PT after THA and TKA remain unstandardized and largely dependent on institutions and surgeons. Factors permitting successful implementation of accelerated rehabilitation include patient motivation, adequate analgesia, and adequate support by physical therapists.12 A potential risk associated with accelerated PT after THA is dislocation, which did not occur in any patient in our Day 0 group. Other risks are increased pain and swelling leading to increased risk of falling and bleeding, which were not observed in our cohort. Although Day 0 PT was ordered in all cases in this study, only 55% of THA patients and 79% of TKA patients received PT the same day as their surgery. The delay can be addressed by making physical therapists’ work shifts more flexible for cases that finish later in the day and by providing preoperative education on the importance of day-of-surgery PT. Dr. Incavo and office staff routinely discuss discharge planning with all patients before surgery, but there was no stimulus protocol or communication to discuss or emphasize LOS with patients before surgery, and there was no questionnaire or survey given to assess patient expectations about PT and discharge.
Our finding of no statistically significant reduction in mean LOS after implementation of accelerated PT for THA or TKA differs from findings in multiple other reports.4,5,13-17 Baseline or control group mean LOS tended to be higher in previous studies3,5,18-23 (3.4-11.4 days) than in our control group (2.5 days) (Table 2).
Conclusion
These results provide useful information for providers who are managing primary THA and TKA cases and seeking continual improvement in postoperative patient care and better resource allocation. Hospitals, particularly those operating in bundled-care environments, are increasingly coming under scrutiny to control costs. Our study results showed that the costs associated with Day 0 PT are justified for THA but not for TKA.
Am J Orthop. 2016;45(6):E337-E342. Copyright Frontline Medical Communications Inc. 2016. All rights reserved.
Total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are among the most effective surgical procedures in modern medicine. Use of primary THA in the United States is projected to increase by 174% by 2030, to 532,000 cases annually, and the estimate for TKA is even greater.1 Hospital length of stay (LOS) accounts for a significant portion of the overall cost of these procedures. Reducing LOS to limit costs without compromising patient safety, satisfaction, and outcomes remains the goal at all joint arthroplasty centers. Rapid-recovery or fast-track clinical pathways limiting opioid use and emphasizing patient education and early (day-of-surgery) mobilization have been shown to reduce LOS without compromising patient outcomes.2-5 Factors correlated with LOS after THA include surgical approach, use of multimodal analgesia, obesity, age, and social situations or living conditions.4,6-10
Our institution recently implemented a protocol in which certified physical therapists provide accelerated (day-of-surgery) physical therapy (PT) for all total joint arthroplasty patients. For the study reported here, we hypothesized that, compared with PT started on postoperative day 1 (POD-1), PT started day of surgery (Day 0) would result in shorter LOS for unilateral primary THA and TKA patients. In addition, we wanted to evaluate any predischarge differences in function, as measured by gait distance, between the groups.
Methods
After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, we retrospectively evaluated use of the new postoperative protocol (Day 0 PT) for primary THA and TKA patients. We reviewed all cases of primary unilateral THA or TKA performed by a single surgeon over the 12-month period immediately following initiation of the protocol. There were 116 THA cases and 126 TKA cases. Charts were reviewed for patient demographics, intraoperative data, in-hospital course, and PT session notes. Patients who had a PT session at any point on day of surgery were designated the Day 0 group, and patients who had PT starting the next day (POD-1) were designated the Non-Day 0 group. Although the medical records showed that Day 0 PT had been ordered in all cases, not all patients received PT on the day of their surgery; the most common reason was that they returned from postanesthesia care after the physical therapists’ work shift had ended. Another reason was patient noncompliance or unwillingness stemming from the prolonged effects of general anesthesia, diminished mental orientation, excess fatigue, or inadequate pain control. PT sessions after THA and TKA remained consistent over the study period, with twice daily sessions directed at patient mobility, range of motion, and gentle strengthening exercise. PT was performed only with patient consent.
Surgery
A combination of general and spinal anesthesia was used in almost all THA and TKA cases. In <5% of cases, either the patient refused spinal anesthesia, or it was unsuccessful. In addition, tranexamic acid was administered to limit blood loss in all THA and TKA cases. Of the 116 THAs performed over the study period, 3 were excluded (see below). Of the 113 patients included in the study, 88 (77.9%) used a minimally invasive posterolateral approach, 18 (15.9%) a direct anterior approach, and 7 (6.2%) an anterolateral approach. All THAs were performed with conventional instruments and uncemented components. All TKAs were performed with a standard medial parapatellar approach, conventional instruments, and a tourniquet; in each case, the patella was resurfaced, and cemented fixation was used. Drains were not used in any THA or TKA cases. A local anesthetic cocktail (100 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine, 15 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine, and 1 mL of 1:1000 epinephrine) was injected for postoperative analgesia in all THA and TKA cases.
There were 3 important intraoperative findings in the THA Day 0 group: 2 cases of incidental gluteus medius tendon tears requiring repair and 1 case of nondisplaced calcar fracture treated with a cerclage cable. The THA Non-Day 0 group and both TKA groups had no major intraoperative findings.
Physical Therapy
Day-of-surgery PT was ordered for all patients. Patients did not receive formal PT before surgery. The PT protocol consisted of subjective assessment of patient condition, expectations, and goals; lower limb strengthening exercises; and maximum gait training with use of an assistive device as tolerated. Standard hip movement restrictions were ordered for posterolateral approach patients to protect the soft-tissue repair. Continuous passive motion (CPM) was not used during this study period.
Discharge Criteria
Patients were cleared for discharge by a multidisciplinary team using several criteria: no medical condition that would require readmission, intact surgical incision without discharge or concerning erythema, adequate analgesia (oral medications), intact neurovascular examination, and PT goals achieved (independence with bed mobility, transfers, standing balance, and minimum gait distance of 150 feet). Patients who could not be discharged home because of family or occupation issues or because of problems with gait or transfer were referred to skilled nursing or home healthcare. Follow-up for wound assessment and for examination of radiographs and functional range of motion was planned for 2 to 3 weeks after surgery (all patients followed up). Two patients, 1 in the THA Non-Day 0 group and 1 in the TKA Day 0 group, had a mechanical fall 1 day before discharge, but there were no complication-related discharge delays. In addition, there were no readmissions during the first 4 weeks after surgery.
Excluded Patients
Of the 116 THA cases, 113 (63 Day 0, 50 Non-Day 0) were analyzed. To establish homogeneity between groups and remove potential confounding factors, we excluded 4 THA patients (all Non-Day 0) from analysis because of medical complications prolonging LOS. In 1 of these cases, the patient developed respiratory insufficiency and myocardial infarction on POD-3, and critical care support was required (LOS, 16 days). In another case, anticoagulation treatment led to the development of a hip hematoma on POD-9 and to treatment (evacuation) in the operating room (LOS, 14 days). The other 2 cases involved exacerbation of dysphagia from preexisting myasthenia gravis (LOS, 5 days) and Ogilvie syndrome, managed conservatively (LOS, 9 days).
Of the 126 TKA cases, 123 (97 Day 0, 26 Non-Day 0) were analyzed. Three TKA patients were excluded because of prolonged hospitalization for medical reasons: One developed a deep vein thrombosis, 1 acquired Clostridium difficile colitis (history of lung transplantation, multiple immunosuppressive drugs), and 1 developed respiratory insufficiency from asthma exacerbation.
Statistical Analysis
Power analysis (G*Power) was used to determine an appropriate sample size for comparison.11 Given a previously published mean LOS after THA of 4 days, the hypothesized mean LOS reducing that by at least 0.5 day to 3.5 days, a significance level set at 5%, a power of test set at 0.95, and an allocation ratio of 1, a minimum of 23 subjects would be needed in each group to attain a statistically significant difference using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess data normality. Regarding statistical significance, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for non-normally distributed data, the 2-sided Fisher exact test and χ2 test for qualitative data and contingency, and the 2-tailed, unpaired, independent-samples Student t test for normally distributed data. Data were analyzed with SPSS Statistics for Windows Version 20 (IBM).
Results
TKA and THA patients had similar demographic profiles, types of anesthesia, operating room and surgery times, surgical approaches, and total number of PT sessions before discharge. Estimated blood loss, however, was significantly (P < .05) higher for Non-Day 0 patients than for Non-Day 0 patients (Table 1).
Mean (SD) distance ambulated during first PT session was 2-fold farther (P = .014) for Non-Day 0 patients, 84.1 (10.4) feet, than for Day 0 patients, 42.1 (6.4) feet. On POD-1, mean (SD) gait was significantly (P = .019) longer for Day 0 patients, 162.4 (12.9) feet, than for Non-Day 0 patients, 118 (11.7) feet (Figure 2).
In TKA patients, although mean (SD) distance ambulated tended to be farther for the Day 0 group than for the Non-Day 0 group—114 (12.3) feet on POD-1 and 176 (15.2) feet on POD-2 for Day 0 vs 94 (22.2) feet on POD-1 and 148 (22.1) feet on POD-2 for Non-Day 0—the differences were not statistically significant. In addition, knee arc of motion during first PT session was statistically significantly (P = .3) higher for Day 0 patients, 69.1° (18.7°), than for Non-Day 0 patients, 61.7° (18.8°).
Statistical analysis revealed no difference in LOS based on surgical approach to the hip: 2.4 days for posterolateral (2.2 days for Day 0 and 2.6 days for Non-Day 0; P = .06); 2.1 days for direct anterior (2.1 days for Day 0 and 2.0 days for Non-Day 0; P = .7); and 2.7 days for anterolateral (3.0 days for Day 0 and 2.6 days for Non-Day 0; P = .6).
Discussion
Protocols for PT after THA and TKA remain unstandardized and largely dependent on institutions and surgeons. Factors permitting successful implementation of accelerated rehabilitation include patient motivation, adequate analgesia, and adequate support by physical therapists.12 A potential risk associated with accelerated PT after THA is dislocation, which did not occur in any patient in our Day 0 group. Other risks are increased pain and swelling leading to increased risk of falling and bleeding, which were not observed in our cohort. Although Day 0 PT was ordered in all cases in this study, only 55% of THA patients and 79% of TKA patients received PT the same day as their surgery. The delay can be addressed by making physical therapists’ work shifts more flexible for cases that finish later in the day and by providing preoperative education on the importance of day-of-surgery PT. Dr. Incavo and office staff routinely discuss discharge planning with all patients before surgery, but there was no stimulus protocol or communication to discuss or emphasize LOS with patients before surgery, and there was no questionnaire or survey given to assess patient expectations about PT and discharge.
Our finding of no statistically significant reduction in mean LOS after implementation of accelerated PT for THA or TKA differs from findings in multiple other reports.4,5,13-17 Baseline or control group mean LOS tended to be higher in previous studies3,5,18-23 (3.4-11.4 days) than in our control group (2.5 days) (Table 2).
Conclusion
These results provide useful information for providers who are managing primary THA and TKA cases and seeking continual improvement in postoperative patient care and better resource allocation. Hospitals, particularly those operating in bundled-care environments, are increasingly coming under scrutiny to control costs. Our study results showed that the costs associated with Day 0 PT are justified for THA but not for TKA.
Am J Orthop. 2016;45(6):E337-E342. Copyright Frontline Medical Communications Inc. 2016. All rights reserved.
1. Kurtz S, Ong K, Lau E, Mowat F, Halpern M. Projections of primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty in the United States from 2005 to 2030. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007;89(4):780-785.
2. Barbieri A, Vanhaecht K, Van Herck P, et al. Effects of clinical pathways in the joint replacement: a meta-analysis. BMC Med. 2009;7:32.
3. den Hartog YM, Mathijssen NM, Vehmeijer SB. Reduced length of hospital stay after the introduction of a rapid recovery protocol for primary THA procedures. Acta Orthop. 2013;84(5):444-447.
4. Husted H, Holm G, Jacobsen S. Predictors of length of stay and patient satisfaction after hip and knee replacement surgery: fast-track experience in 712 patients. Acta Orthop. 2008;79(2):168-173.
5. Robbins CE, Casey D, Bono JV, Murphy SB, Talmo CT, Ward DM. A multidisciplinary total hip arthroplasty protocol with accelerated postoperative rehabilitation: does the patient benefit? Am J Orthop. 2014;43(4):178-181.
6. den Hartog YM, Mathijssen NM, Hannink G, Vehmeijer SB. Which patient characteristics influence length of hospital stay after primary total hip arthroplasty in a ‘fast-track’ setting? Bone Joint J. 2015;97(1):19-23.
7. Forrest G, Fuchs M, Gutierrez A, Girardy J. Factors affecting length of stay and need for rehabilitation after hip and knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 1998;13(2):186-190.
8. Foote J, Panchoo K, Blair P, Bannister G. Length of stay following primary total hip replacement. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2009;91(6):500-504.
9. Sharma V, Morgan PM, Cheng EY. Factors influencing early rehabilitation after THA: a systematic review. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2009;467(6):1400-1411.
10. Dorr LD, Maheshwari AV, Long WT, Wan Z, Sirianni LE. Early pain relief and function after posterior minimally invasive and conventional total hip arthroplasty. A prospective, randomized, blinded study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007;89(6):1153-1160.
11. Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, Buchner A. G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods. 2007;39(2):175-191.
12. Ranawat AS, Ranawat CS. Pain management and accelerated rehabilitation for total hip and total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2007;22(7 suppl 3):12-15.
13. Husted H, Otte KS, Kristensen BB, Orsnes T, Kehlet H. Readmissions after fast-track hip and knee arthroplasty. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2010;130(9):1185-1191.
14. Husted H, Lunn TH, Troelsen A, Gaarn-Larsen L, Kristensen BB, Kehlet H. Why still in hospital after fast-track hip and knee arthroplasty? Acta Orthop. 2011;82(6):679-684.
15. Husted H, Jensen CM, Solgaard S, Kehlet H. Reduced length of stay following hip and knee arthroplasty in Denmark 2000-2009: from research to implementation. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2012;132(1):101-104.
16. Berger RA, Sanders SA, Thill ES, Sporer SM, Della Valle C. Newer anesthesia and rehabilitation protocols enable outpatient hip replacement in selected patients. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2009;467(6):1424-1430.
17. Peck CN, Foster A, McLauchlan GJ. Reducing incision length or intensifying rehabilitation: what makes the difference to length of stay in total hip replacement in a UK setting? Int Orthop. 2006;30(5):395-398.
18. Isaac D, Falode T, Liu P, I’Anson H, Dillow K, Gill P. Accelerated rehabilitation after total knee replacement. Knee. 2005;12(5):346-350.
19. Labraca NS, Castro-Sánchez AM, Matarán-Peñarrocha GA, Arroyo-Morales M, Sánchez-Joya Mdel M, Moreno-Lorenzo C. Benefits of starting rehabilitation within 24 hours of primary total knee arthroplasty: randomized clinical trial. Clin Rehabil. 2011;25(6):557-566.
20. Larsen K, Hansen TB, Søballe K. Hip arthroplasty patients benefit from accelerated perioperative care and rehabilitation: a quasi-experimental study of 98 patients. Acta Orthop. 2008;79(5):624-630.
21. Larsen K, Hansen TB, Thomsen PB, Christiansen T, Søballe K. Cost-effectiveness of accelerated perioperative care and rehabilitation after total hip and knee arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2009;91(4):761-772.
22. Larsen K, Sørensen OG, Hansen TB, Thomsen PB, Søballe K. Accelerated perioperative care and rehabilitation intervention for hip and knee replacement is effective: a randomized clinical trial involving 87 patients with 3 months of follow-up. Acta Orthop. 2008;79(2):149-159.
23. Wellman SS, Murphy AC, Gulcynski D. Murphy SB. Implementation of an accelerated mobilization protocol following primary total hip arthroplasty: impact on length of stay and disposition. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2011;4(3):84-90.
1. Kurtz S, Ong K, Lau E, Mowat F, Halpern M. Projections of primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty in the United States from 2005 to 2030. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007;89(4):780-785.
2. Barbieri A, Vanhaecht K, Van Herck P, et al. Effects of clinical pathways in the joint replacement: a meta-analysis. BMC Med. 2009;7:32.
3. den Hartog YM, Mathijssen NM, Vehmeijer SB. Reduced length of hospital stay after the introduction of a rapid recovery protocol for primary THA procedures. Acta Orthop. 2013;84(5):444-447.
4. Husted H, Holm G, Jacobsen S. Predictors of length of stay and patient satisfaction after hip and knee replacement surgery: fast-track experience in 712 patients. Acta Orthop. 2008;79(2):168-173.
5. Robbins CE, Casey D, Bono JV, Murphy SB, Talmo CT, Ward DM. A multidisciplinary total hip arthroplasty protocol with accelerated postoperative rehabilitation: does the patient benefit? Am J Orthop. 2014;43(4):178-181.
6. den Hartog YM, Mathijssen NM, Hannink G, Vehmeijer SB. Which patient characteristics influence length of hospital stay after primary total hip arthroplasty in a ‘fast-track’ setting? Bone Joint J. 2015;97(1):19-23.
7. Forrest G, Fuchs M, Gutierrez A, Girardy J. Factors affecting length of stay and need for rehabilitation after hip and knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 1998;13(2):186-190.
8. Foote J, Panchoo K, Blair P, Bannister G. Length of stay following primary total hip replacement. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2009;91(6):500-504.
9. Sharma V, Morgan PM, Cheng EY. Factors influencing early rehabilitation after THA: a systematic review. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2009;467(6):1400-1411.
10. Dorr LD, Maheshwari AV, Long WT, Wan Z, Sirianni LE. Early pain relief and function after posterior minimally invasive and conventional total hip arthroplasty. A prospective, randomized, blinded study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007;89(6):1153-1160.
11. Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, Buchner A. G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods. 2007;39(2):175-191.
12. Ranawat AS, Ranawat CS. Pain management and accelerated rehabilitation for total hip and total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2007;22(7 suppl 3):12-15.
13. Husted H, Otte KS, Kristensen BB, Orsnes T, Kehlet H. Readmissions after fast-track hip and knee arthroplasty. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2010;130(9):1185-1191.
14. Husted H, Lunn TH, Troelsen A, Gaarn-Larsen L, Kristensen BB, Kehlet H. Why still in hospital after fast-track hip and knee arthroplasty? Acta Orthop. 2011;82(6):679-684.
15. Husted H, Jensen CM, Solgaard S, Kehlet H. Reduced length of stay following hip and knee arthroplasty in Denmark 2000-2009: from research to implementation. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2012;132(1):101-104.
16. Berger RA, Sanders SA, Thill ES, Sporer SM, Della Valle C. Newer anesthesia and rehabilitation protocols enable outpatient hip replacement in selected patients. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2009;467(6):1424-1430.
17. Peck CN, Foster A, McLauchlan GJ. Reducing incision length or intensifying rehabilitation: what makes the difference to length of stay in total hip replacement in a UK setting? Int Orthop. 2006;30(5):395-398.
18. Isaac D, Falode T, Liu P, I’Anson H, Dillow K, Gill P. Accelerated rehabilitation after total knee replacement. Knee. 2005;12(5):346-350.
19. Labraca NS, Castro-Sánchez AM, Matarán-Peñarrocha GA, Arroyo-Morales M, Sánchez-Joya Mdel M, Moreno-Lorenzo C. Benefits of starting rehabilitation within 24 hours of primary total knee arthroplasty: randomized clinical trial. Clin Rehabil. 2011;25(6):557-566.
20. Larsen K, Hansen TB, Søballe K. Hip arthroplasty patients benefit from accelerated perioperative care and rehabilitation: a quasi-experimental study of 98 patients. Acta Orthop. 2008;79(5):624-630.
21. Larsen K, Hansen TB, Thomsen PB, Christiansen T, Søballe K. Cost-effectiveness of accelerated perioperative care and rehabilitation after total hip and knee arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2009;91(4):761-772.
22. Larsen K, Sørensen OG, Hansen TB, Thomsen PB, Søballe K. Accelerated perioperative care and rehabilitation intervention for hip and knee replacement is effective: a randomized clinical trial involving 87 patients with 3 months of follow-up. Acta Orthop. 2008;79(2):149-159.
23. Wellman SS, Murphy AC, Gulcynski D. Murphy SB. Implementation of an accelerated mobilization protocol following primary total hip arthroplasty: impact on length of stay and disposition. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2011;4(3):84-90.
