American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) Releases 2018 Annual Report

Data shows continuity of hip and arthroplasty trends, and the value of more complete information for early survival analysis of primary arthroplasty

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American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Nov 02, 2018, 11:00 ET

ROSEMONT, Ill., Nov. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR)—the cornerstone of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' (AAOS) Registry Program—released its 2018 Annual Report on hip and knee arthroplasty patient outcomes. AJRR is the largest orthopaedic registry in the world based on annual procedures submitted, and the analysis provides insight into U.S. hip and knee arthroplasty practice. The Annual Report, released in conjunction with the first day of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons' (AAHKS) 2018 Annual Meeting, includes findings from the 1,186,955 cumulative procedures performed between 2012 and 2017.

Kevin J. Bozic, MD, MBA, Chair, AJRR Steering Committee said, "AJRR has been able to move forward with analysis of new data elements and data sources this year. New Annual Report sections include an overview of data completeness, patient-reported outcome measures, and implant survivorship curves. We believe these data will prove valuable to orthopaedic surgeons, hospitals, device manufacturers, payors, and most importantly patients as we seek to improve outcomes for hip and knee arthroplasty patients."

The 2018 AJRR Annual Report includes updates on key initiatives delivered to registry stakeholders:

increased access to Medicare claims data to improve data reporting and longitudinal analysis capabilities;
developed the International Society of Arthroplasty Registries' (ISAR) International Prostheses Library to serve as a source of medical device information and safety alerts for industry partners and ISAR member organizations worldwide;
more robust data capture specifications that enable AJRR subscribers to conduct risk-adjusted case analysis and participate in pay-for-performance programs through an enhanced RegistryInsights™ dashboard; and,
an increase in published, peer-reviewed research that demonstrate the value of Registry data and its analysis.

More robust data capture specifications enhance the quality and types of data included in the AJRR, including surgical approach, procedure duration, use of computer navigation and robotic assisted surgery, and length of hospital stay. Enhanced data specifications also enable the registry to track surgical complications, as well as risk-adjust data for reporting purposes going forward, to include patient comorbidities, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, and discharge disposition.

Terence J. Gioe, MD, AJRR Annual Report editor said, "This year's Annual Report foreshadows the registry's transition to analytic capabilities that were simply not possible before. Access to over one million Medicare patient records, new data specifications that will support risk-adjusted analysis, and emphasis on data completeness will contribute to future arthroplasty research and findings that may prove or dispel commonly held arthroplasty performance impressions from the past."

The 2018 AJRR Annual Report is available for download. This is the fifth annual report from the AJRR. Read more about the Annual Report in the AJRR Blog.

About the AAOS Registry Program
The mission of AAOS' Registry Program is to improve orthopaedic care through the collection, analysis, and reporting of actionable data. Beginning with the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), which contains over 1.4 million (including 2018 data) total joint arthroplasty procedures is the world's largest national registry by annual procedural count, the vision is to continue the success for the rest of orthopaedics musculoskeletal/anatomical areas. The AAOS Registry Program was created to collect unique clinical information that demonstrates actual practice, enable performance measurement by physicians for physicians, provide support for novel scientific research production, and provide scaled delivery of registry-driven quality improvement programs. More information about the AAOS Registry Program can be found at www.aaos.org/registries.

About AAOS
With more than 38,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is the world's largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS provides educational programs for orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals, champions and advances the highest quality musculoskeletal care for patients, and is the authoritative source of information on bone and joint conditions, treatments and related issues. Visit www.aaos.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons