We compared inpatient postoperative complication rates between octogenarians and nonagenarians undergoing primary and revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). We used inpatient admission data from 2010–2014 from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). We compared the rates at which nonagenarians and octogenarians developed each complication in the inpatient setting following both primary THA (PTHA) and revision THA (RTHA). A total of 40,944 inpatient admissions were included in our study which extrapolates to a national estimate of 199,793 patients. A total of 185,799 (93%) were octogenarians and 13,994 (7%) were nonagenarians. PTHA was performed on 155,669 (78%) and RTHA was performed on 44,124 (22%) of the patients. Nonagenarians undergoing PTHA required transfusions significantly more frequently (33.13% v. 24.0%, p < 0.001) and developed urinary tract infection (5.14% v. 3.92%, p = 0.012) and acute kidney injury (5.50% v. 3.57%, p < 0.001) significantly more frequently than octogenarians. Nonagenarians undergoing RTHA required transfusions significantly more frequently (51.43% v. 41.46%, p < 0.001) and developed urinary tract infection (19.66% v. 11.73%, p < 0.001), acute kidney injury (13.8% v. 9.66%, p < 0.001), pulmonary embolism (1.24% v. 0.67%, p = 0.031), postoperative infection (1.89% v. 1.11%, p = 0.023), sepsis (3.59% v. 2.43%, p = 0.021) and other postoperative shock (1.76% v. 1.06%, p = 0.036) significantly more frequently than octogenarians. Nonagenarians undergoing RTHA also had a significantly higher inpatient mortality rate (3.28% v. 1.43%, p < 0.001) than octogenarians. Orthopedic surgeons and primary care providers can use these findings to help counsel both their octogenarian and nonagenarian patients preoperatively when considering THA. Our analysis can help these patients better understand expected inpatient complication rates and assist them in deciding whether to pursue surgical intervention when applicable.

We compared the inpatient postoperative complication rates between octogenarians and nonagenarians undergoing primary and revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) to analyze inpatient admission data from 2010–2014. We compared the rates at which nonagenarians and octogenarians developed each complication following both primary TKA (PTKA) and revision TKA (RTKA). A national estimate of 324,933 patients were included in our study. A total of 313,299 (96.42%) were octogenarians, and 11,634 (3.58%) were nonagenarians. 294,462 (90.62%) underwent PTKA, and 30,471 (9.38%) underwent RTKA. Nonagenarians undergoing PTKA had a higher inpatient mortality rate, and developed sepsis more frequently than octogenarians. Nonagenarians undergoing RTKA had a higher inpatient mortality rate, and developed cardiogenic shock more frequently than octogenarians. In both PTKA and RTKA, nonagenarians received transfusions more frequently, and developed urinary tract infection and acute kidney injury more frequently than octogenarians. In both PTKA and RTKA, nonagenarians sustained a higher inpatient mortality rate than octogenarians. Orthopedic surgeons should counsel nonagenarian patients undergoing both PTKA and RTKA preoperatively about this increased mortality risk, as well as the increased risks of more minor complications like transfusion, urinary tract infection, and acute kidney injury.

In current clinical practice, orthopedic surgeons often delay the surgery intervention on geriatric hip fracture patients to optimize the international normalized ratio (INR), in order to decrease the risk of postoperative hematological complications. However, some evidence suggests that full reversal protocols may not be necessary, especially for patients with prior thromboembolic history. Our study aims to compare the surgical outcomes of patients with normal versus elevated INR values. We conducted a retrospective chart review on 217 patients who underwent surgeries on hip fractures at two academic trauma centers. We found that in our group (n = 124) of patients with an INR value of 1.5–3.0, there was only one reoperation for a hematoma, but there was a trend for more blood transfusions. There was no statistically significant difference in the odds of reoperation or overall complications. Nevertheless, there were significantly more events of postoperative anemia in this high INR patient group.

Summary: This video demonstrates the direct anterior approach (DAA) for placement of an uncemented hemiarthroplasty for a displaced femoral neck fracture. The DAA is an intranervous and intramuscular approach that is believed to allow patients a quicker recovery and decrease the rate of dislocation. Femoral exposure is the most challenging component of the approach. In this video, the approach is performed with the assistance of the fracture table to facilitate exposure of the femur. This step-by-step description demonstrates how to expose the femur, measure for the femoral head size, and place an uncemented femoral stem in for a unipolar hemiarthroplasty. A full capsular closure is performed by reapproximating the iliofemoral ligament after reduction. This DAA video is taken from the surgeon's point of view to facilitate visualization of the anatomy and orientation of implant placement.