Measurement of Value in Uncomplicated Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background: Patient-level value analysis (PLVA) has been applied to several orthopaedic procedures but has not yet been utilized to assess the value of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 1-year episode of care for TKA with use of PLVA to identify characteristics that influence value at both the patient and surgeon level. Methods: The institutional patient-reported outcome (PRO) database was queried for all patients who underwent TKA from 2020 to 2022. Patients were excluded on the basis of an index revision procedure, a pathology other than primary osteoarthritis, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, robotic-assisted TKA, incomplete baseline or 1-year PROs, concomitant procedures (i.e., bilateral TKA or hardware removal), complications requiring readmission or reoperation, TKA without patellar resurfacing, the use of constrained implants, incomplete cost information, or other hip or knee arthroplasty procedure during the 1-year episode of care. PROs of interest included preoperative and 1-year postoperative Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Joint Replacement (KOOS-JR) scores. Episode-of-care costs were calculated using time-driven activity-based costing. The 1-year value quotient (V KOOS ) was calculated for each patient as the ratio of the 1-year change in KOOS-JR score to the total episode-of-care cost. Results: A total of 684 patients (62% female; mean age, 68 ± 8 years) met the inclusion criteria. The mean KOOS-JR score significantly increased from baseline (53 ± 11) to 1 year (79 ± 14; p < 0.001), with a mean improvement of 26 ± 16. The mean total episode-of-care cost was $9,563 ± $2,370. There was no significant correlation between episode-of-care costs and the change in KOOS-JR score (r = 0.02; p = 0.581). Surgery performed at an ambulatory surgery center (p < 0.001) and as an outpatient procedure (p = 0.036) were predictive of lower costs. Patient-specific instrumentation (p < 0.001) and a tibial stem extension (p < 0.001) were predictive of higher costs. Older age (p = 0.023) and male sex (p = 0.007) were predictive of less improvement in KOOS-JR scores from baseline to 1 year. Conclusions: Our study identified patient and surgical characteristics that drive costs and PROs in TKA. PLVA can be used to identify “bright spots” in orthopaedic procedures to optimize care delivery. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level IV . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.