We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




TKA Postoperative Radiographs Hold Little Value

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 16 Sep 2021
Image: Radigraphs following knee replacement serve little purpose (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
Image: Radigraphs following knee replacement serve little purpose (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
X-rays following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) result in considerable healthcare costs and unnecessary radiation burden, but offer very little clinical benefit, claims a new study.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS; Boston, MA, USA) and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH; Boston, AM, USA) conducted a retrospective study involving 1,258 adult patients who underwent primary TKA. Post-operative data were collected to determine frequency of radiograph series, radiograph findings that did not suggest normal healing or alignment, and changes in postoperative management. Total cost and radiation exposure values were calculated for all patient radiographs.

In all, 3,831 postoperative radiographs were taken; of these, 44 (1.1%) contained a positive finding, but only 13 (0.3% of all radiographs) of these were positive orthopedic findings, 11 of which led to changes in management. For all but one of these patients, these radiographs were taken during a non-routine postoperative visit. Overall cost of the routine postoperative radiographs that did not change clinical management was over one million USD, and administered 22.92 mSV of radiation to patients examined. The study was published on August 26, 2021, in Knee.

“Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines describing when to order postoperative radiography after knee replacements, so orthopedic surgeons have historically relied on institutional norms to dictate when to order an x-ray,” concluded lead author Aseal Birir, MD, of HMS. “The findings support evidence that noncritical use of medical imaging is driving up healthcare costs and that more thoughtful use of imaging is needed to control these costs.”

TKA is an orthopedic surgical procedure where the articular surfaces of the knee joint--the femoral condyles and tibial plateau--are replaced. There is at least one polyethylene insert between the tibia and the femur that serves as a shock absorber; in 50% of the cases, the patella is also replaced in order to restore the extensor mechanism. The level of bone loss will dictate which kind of patella prosthesis is placed.

Related Links:
Harvard Medical School
Brigham and Women's Hospital


Silver Member
X-Ray QA Meter
T3 AD Pro
40/80-Slice CT System
uCT 528
Portable Color Doppler Ultrasound Scanner
DCU10
New
Mammography System (Analog)
MAM VENUS

Channels

Ultrasound

view channel
Image: The new implantable device for chronic pain management is small and flexible (Photo courtesy of The Zhou Lab at USC)

Wireless Chronic Pain Management Device to Reduce Need for Painkillers and Surgery

Chronic pain affects millions of people globally, often leading to long-term disability and dependence on opioid medications, which carry significant risks of side effects and addiction.... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: The diagnostic tool could improve diagnosis and treatment decisions for patients with chronic lung infections (Photo courtesy of SNMMI)

Novel Bacteria-Specific PET Imaging Approach Detects Hard-To-Diagnose Lung Infections

Mycobacteroides abscessus is a rapidly growing mycobacteria that primarily affects immunocompromised patients and those with underlying lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.