Corrections in alpha angle following two different operative approaches for CAM-type femoral acetabular impingement-Ganz surgical hip dislocation vs anterior mini-open

BACKGROUND Femoroacetabular impingement(FAI)is a predisposing factor for secondary osteoarthritis of the hip joint.The two extensively described impingement mechanisms of FAI are CAM and Pincer-type.Initially managed conservatively,operative intervention should be offered to the persistently symptomatic patient.The measurement of the alpha angle is considered a standard method of assessing the severity of pathology in Cam-type FAI on pre-operative plain radiographs.The radiological correction of the alpha angle has not been previously compared between different surgical approaches.We hypothesize that there is no difference in alpha angle correction between Ganz surgical hip dislocation and the anterior mini-open approach.AIM To compare the magnitude of alpha angle correction achieved by using the Ganz surgical hip dislocation and the anterior mini-open approach.METHODS This is a retrospective study assessing seventy-nine patients identified in a 5-year period.These patients had preoperative radiographic evidence of FAI and underwent surgery by a single surgeon at our institution,a tertiary care center.Patients with missing radiographic documentation,radiographs with insufficient quality which then precluded accurate measurement of the angleα,a diagnosed congenital condition,isolated type II pathology(Pincer),and history of prior surgery were excluded from the study.Either the Ganz surgical hip dislocation or the anterior mini open approach was used.Postoperative radiographic evaluation of the alpha angle between the two surgical methods was done and corrected for age and gender using two-sample t-tests and Chi-square analyses.RESULTS A total of 79 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria.Forty-seven males(mean age of 35.3,range 16-53)and 32 females(mean age 36.7,range 16-60)were enrolled.Forty-seven patients underwent the anterior mini-open approach,and 32 underwent the Ganz surgical hip dislocation.There were no significant differences in age between the two surgical groups or in pre-and post-operative alpha angles based on patient gender.The mean pre-operative alpha angle for the Ganz surgical hip dislocation group was 88.0 degrees(SD 12.3)and 99.4 degrees(SD 7.2)for the anterior mini-open group.Mean post-operative angles were 49.9 degrees(SD 4.3)for the Ganz surgical hip dislocation and 43.8(SD 4.3)degrees for the anterior mini-open group.There was a statistically significant difference in patient’s pre-operative and post-operative angles(P=0.000)with both surgical approaches.CONCLUSION Statistically significant decreases in alpha angle were noted for both surgical techniques,with larger decreases seen in the anterior mini-open group.

Higher cost of arthroplasty for hip fractures in patients transferred from outside hospitals vs primary emergency department presentation

BACKGROUND In 2016 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed bundled payments for hip fractures to improve the quality and decrease costs of care.Patients transferred from other facilities may be imposing a financial risk on the hospitals that accept these patients.AIM To determine the costs associated with patients that either presented to the emergency department or were transferred from another hospital or skilled nursing facility(SNF)with the diagnosis of a hip fracture requiring operative intervention.METHODS A retrospective single institution review was conducted for all arthroplasty patients from 2010 to 2015.Inclusion criteria included a total or partial hip replacement for a hip fracture.Exclusion criteria included pathologic,periprosthetic,and fracture non-union.Data was collected to compare total observed costs for patients from the emergency department,patients from skilled nursing facilities,and patients from an outside hospital.RESULTS A total of 223 patients met the inclusion criteria.135(60.54%)of these patients presented primarily to the emergency department,58 patients(26.01%)were transferred from an outside hospital,and 30 patients(13.43%)were transferred from a SNF.Cost data analysis showed that outside hospital patients demonstrated significantly greater total cost for their hospitalization($43302)compared to emergency department patients($28875,P=0.000)and SNF patients($28282,P=0.000).CONCLUSION Patients transferred from an outside hospital incurred greater costs for their hospitalization than patients presenting from an emergency department or SNF.This is a strong argument for riskadjustment models when bundling payments for the care of hip fracture patients.