No Difference in Morbidity and Mortality After Total Joint Arthroplasty in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of a Nationwide, Population-Based Study Using Universal Healthcare Data

Hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty in patients with a history of solid organ transplant: A review

Solid organ transplants (SOT) have evolved into life-saving interventions for end-stage diseases affecting vital organs. Advances in transplantation techniques, donor selection, and immunosuppressive therapies have enhanced outcomes, leading to a growing demand for SOT. Patients with a solid organ transplant are living long enough to develop the same pathologies which are indicated for joint replacement surgery in the general population. SOT patients who undergo a total hip, knee, or shoulder arthroplasty do similarly in the context of clinical outcomes and implant survival when compared to the general population. These immunosuppressed patients tend to have higher complication rates in the short-term following surgery. Prudent management of these patients in the short-term may be necessary, but patients can expect to do well otherwise.

Primary total hip arthroplasty complications and costs in liver transplant recipients: a matched analysis using a national database

BACKGROUND

The number of liver transplant recipients (LTR) is worldwide increasing and, as the survival is improving as well, there is an increasing number of patients needing total hip arthroplasty (THA). There might be increased risks for this specific group of patients and due to their comorbidities costs might be higher too. Using a big national database outcome and cost of THA should be compared between liver transplant recipients and the general population.

METHODS

The study was performed using a collection of Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance claims. Length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmissions, complications rates up to 5 years, and 90-day total cost of care between liver transplant recipients and matched non-transplant patients should be compared. All primary THAs from 2010 to 2019 were identified. 513 patients with a liver transplant before their THA were matched to 10,759 patients without a history of solid organ transplant at a 1:20 ratio based on age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, obesity, and diabetes status.

RESULTS

LTR had a longer average LOS (4.2 vs. 3.4 days, p < 0.001). There was no difference in the thirty-day readmissions (5.7% vs. 4.1%, p = 0.117) and 90-day dislocation rates (2.9% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.600). Total costs in the first ninety days after THA were not different between the LTR and controls (p = 0.756).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that complications and costs are no major point of concern in patients with liver transplant that are operated with THA.

Total joint arthroplasty following solid organ transplants: complications and mid-term outcomes

PURPOSE

Survival after solid organ transplant (SOT) is improving, and demand for total joint arthroplasty (TJA) among SOT recipients is rising. Outcomes including revision, periprosthetic joint infection, and survivorship based on SOT type are variable. We sought to compare peri-operative complications, implant survivorship, and mortality for patients undergoing TJA following SOT.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the institutional database for primary TJA among SOT recipients from 2000 to 2020 was performed. Revisions, conversion TJA, and patients with multiple organ transplants were excluded. Patients were stratified by transplant organ. Transfusions, 90-day readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits, revisions, and mortality were compared using descriptive statistics and Cox proportional hazard ratios.

RESULTS

A total of 119 total hip arthroplasties (THA) and 63 total knee arthroplasties (TKA) in SOT recipients were studied. Most common SOT was renal (39%), then lung (27%), liver (24%), and heart (10%). TKA postoperative transfusion rates varied by organ (p = 0.037; [heart 0%, liver 9.5%, renal 24.0%, lung 50.0%]). Implant survivorship was 95.6% at one year (95% CI 90.3-98.1) and 92.1% at four years (83.9-96.3). Mortality was 2.9% at one year (95% CI 1.1-7.4) and 23.2% at four years (95% CI 16.1-32.3). After adjusting for procedure, duration from transplant to TJA, age, and Elixhauser Index, lung recipients had higher mortality versus heart (RR 4.39 [95% CI 1.64-15.38]; p = 0.002), kidney (7.98 [3.04-24.61]; p < 0.001), and liver (7.98 [3.04-24.61; p < 0.001) patients.

CONCLUSION

TJA after SOT yields acceptable peri-operative outcomes and implant survivorship, but mortality risk is substantial, especially among lung transplant recipients.

Clinical Outcomes following Primary Hip Replacement Arthroplasties in Patients with Solid Organ Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

There is still controversy regarding clinical outcomes following primary hip arthroplasty after solid organ transplantation (SOT). The aim of this study was to determine whether clinical outcomes after hip arthroplasty differ between previous SOT recipients and control subjects with no history of undergoing SOT. We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for studies comparing the clinical outcomes after hip arthroplasty following SOT published up to January 5, 2022. A comparison of medical and surgery-related complications, as well as the readmission rate and 90-day mortality rate between previous SOT recipients and control subjects was performed. Subgroup analyses of the SOT types, liver transplantation (LT) and kidney transplantation (KT), were also performed. Ten studies that included 3,631,861 cases of primary hip arthroplasty were included; among these, 14,996 patients had previously undergone SOT and 3,616,865 patients had not. Significantly higher incidences of cardiac complications, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury were observed in the SOT group compared with the control group. Regarding surgical complications, a higher transfusion rate was observed in the SOT group. The readmission rate and 90-day mortality rate were also significantly higher in the SOT group. A significantly higher incidence of deep vein thrombosis was observed in the KT subgroup compared with the control group. A higher risk of medical and surgical complications, as well as higher readmission and mortality rates after hip arthroplasty was observed for previous SOT recipients compared to patients with no history of SOT.

A Complication Profile of Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in Liver Transplantation Patients: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

There is an increasing demand for total joint arthroplasty in liver transplantation patients. However, significant heterogeneity in existing studies creates difficulty to draw conclusions on the risk profile of arthroplasty in this population.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature dated from 1980 to 2020 describing the complication rates of liver transplantation patients receiving either total hip or knee arthroplasty was conducted. Multiple outcomes were extracted and a meta-analysis was performed. Four cohorts were created for analysis purposes: liver transplant patients undergoing THA and TKA (1), THA only (2), TKA only (3), and controls (4).

RESULTS

A total of 13 studies were included in this meta-analysis, accounting for 3024 liver transplantation patients. The rate of infection (odds ratio [OR] = 2.14, OR = 1.61, OR = 2.52), myocardial infarction (OR = 1.65, OR = 1.75, OR = 1.57), respiratory failure (OR = 2.19, OR = 2.50, OR = 1.96), acute kidney injury (OR = 5.71, OR = 5.40, OR = 4.35), sepsis (OR = 3.72, OR = 3.30, OR = 4.02), and blood transfusions (OR = 2.09, OR = 3.65, OR = 1.74) were all significantly higher in the 3 cohorts compared to the controls. Revision/reoperation rates were significantly higher in cohorts 1 and 3 (OR = 1.52 and OR = 1.62, respectively). Patient-reported outcomes saw improvements in Harris Hip Score, objective Knee Society Score, and functional Knee Society Score postoperatively (average improvement = 32.4, 37.2, and 15.3, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Liver transplantation patients functionally benefit from total hip and knee arthroplasty, but at the cost of increased risk of infection, revision/reoperation, and medically related complications compared to controls. Mortality may also be a short-term risk.