Hospital for Special Surgery Presents Data Validating Shorter, More Patient Friendly Outcomes Assessment for Revision Knee Replacement

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Mar 14, 2017, 10:05 ET

SAN DIEGO, March 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), a world leader in musculoskeletal research and care, confirmed that a significantly shortened, seven-question patient survey on pain, function and quality of life is a valid and efficient tool for assessing patient outcomes following revision total knee replacement. Results were presented today at the 2017 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting (Abstract #P162).

The previous commonly used knee replacement survey was 42 questions often leaving physicians with partial, unusable information. The shorter survey, known as KOOS JR. (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score), and its hip replacement counterpart, HOOS JR., have already been adopted for Medicare's primary total joint replacement bundled payment program. HSS' research presented at AAOS now provides peer-reviewed data that confirms KOOS JR. is a valid outcomes measure for knee replacement surgery.

"At HSS, we are continually improving how we measure outcomes and KOOS JR. is a direct result of these efforts," said Alexander McLawhorn, MD, MBA, an orthopedic surgeon at HSS. "We saw a need for a shorter, more patient friendly survey in an area where outcomes data are essential to improving quality of care. In fact, knee replacement revisions, which are more complex than primary knee surgery, are under-studied in this regard."

Knee replacement revisions have doubled over the last 10 years, and are expected to grow 600 percent between 2005 and 2030. Approximately 700,000 primary knee replacements are done in the U.S., and approximately 10 percent may require a second operation within 15 to 20 years.

"With the influx of surgeries expected over the next 5 to 10 years, it is essential that we deepen our understanding of revision knee replacement outcomes," said Steven Haas, MD, chief of Knee Service at HSS. "This shorter patient survey will help the orthopedic community obtain necessary measurement information while minimizing the burden on patients and data collection administrators."

In the study presented at AAOS, HSS researchers looked at the results of 314 patients who underwent revision surgery following total knee replacement between May 2007 and December 2011 and completed KOOS JR. patient–reported outcome measure surveys both before surgery and two years later. The KOOS JR. measures proved to be as valid, and have as much internal consistency, external validity and other measures of reliability in determining outcomes for these patients as they did in patients who had primary total knee replacements.

"There are increasing incentives and requirements from the government and private insurers for providing patient-reported outcome measures," said Stephen Lyman, PhD, director of Healthcare Research Institute at HSS. "This short form should reduce the burden and fatigue of patients in busy clinical settings when gathering this information. This study supports extending the use of KOOS JR. to patients having revision knee replacements."

Additional study authors include Yuo-Yu Lee, MS and Michael Cross, MD.

About Hospital for Special Surgery
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics and No. 2 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2016-2017), and is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center four consecutive times. HSS has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. HSS is an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College and as such all Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are faculty of Weill Cornell. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at www.hss.edu.

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery