The registry experienced new subscriber growth and launched innovative initiatives and collaborations

The complete 2018 American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) Annual Report is now available for download at http://ajrr.net/publications-data. Analysis of the latest registry data yields new insight into U.S. hip and knee arthroplasty practice. AJRR is the largest orthopaedic registry in the world based on annual procedures submitted. What follows is a “snapshot” of the important and instructive content found in this year’s report.

2017: A year of progress, growth, and change

The 2018 AJRR Annual Report is based on findings from 1,186,955 cumulative procedures performed between 2012 and 2017. Major and minor teaching hospitals still supply the majority of procedural data to AJRR, but ambulatory surgery centers are increasingly a factor. The demographics of the AJRR overall patient population have remained unchanged: The average patient is 66.8 years old, 59 percent are female, and nearly 70 percent self-describe as being white.

AJRR surgeons performed a mean of 26 primary hip arthroplasties (THA) per year and 46 primary total knee arthroplasties (TKA), which represent an increase in TKAs and a decrease in THAs compared to 2016. The upper range among surgeons for either procedure is more than 600 procedures annually. Established and new TKA and THA treatment and device trends are also highlighted in the report.

It has been an eventful year for AJRR, with new subscriber growth, innovative initiatives, and collaborations. All have contributed to the momentum the registry experienced in 2017, including AJRR rejoining AAOS as part of the AAOS Registry Program.

AAOS and AJRR deliver on past promises

In 2017–2018, AAOS and AJRR united through the AAOS Registry Program and successfully delivered on significant past promises to registry stakeholders. Read about key initiatives in the AJRR Annual Report and find out more about how the registry can support the AAOS Registry Program, gain access to Medicare claims data, create updated data specifications that support risk-adjusted findings, ensure data completeness, enhance the RegistryInsights™ dashboard experience, launch an International Prostheses Library, increase published research, and much more that adds value to an institution’s registry experience.

A key initiative: updating data specifications and additional data elements

The data specifications initiative is a 2017–2018 effort that demonstrates the close collaboration between AJRR and its institutional subscribers. Together, they successfully updated AJRR data specifications and achieved alignment with the goal of enhancing the quality and types of data submitted to AJRR. The initial objective was to ensure that the registry would begin receiving enhanced procedural data, including surgical approach, procedure duration, use of computer navigation and robotic-assisted surgery, and length of stay. Enhanced data specifications were added and included requirements for patient comorbidities, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, and discharge disposition. The additional data elements enable the registry to track surgical complications, as well as risk-adjust data for reporting purposes going forward.

A million reasons to join AJRR

AJRR became the cornerstone of the AAOS Registry Program in October 2017. AAOS provides greater resources and expertise, extending AJRR’s reach and enabling it to surpass the approximately
1 million patient records currently housed in its database. Size matters—and all AJRR subscribers benefit from the rapidly expanding scope of data available.

Like AJRR, the mission of the larger AAOS Registry Program is to improve orthopaedic care through the collection, analysis, and reporting of actionable data. The program’s vision, however, extends beyond hips and knees to include additional anatomic areas. Its vision is to be the national registry for orthopaedics through comprehensive data and technology resulting in optimal patient outcomes.

New anatomic registries will be announced in 2018 and early 2019.

Karen Metropulos, MBA, is a content writer and blog editor at AJRR, part of the AAOS Registry Program. She can be reached at metropulos@aaos.org.