Preoperative Patient-Recorded Outcome Measures Predict Patient Discharge Location Following Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty

Background Advantages of unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) over total knee arthroplasty include rapid recovery and shorter lengths of stay following surgery. Patients requiring extended postoperative care fail to recognize these benefits. Patient-reported outcome measures have proved useful in predicting outcomes following joint arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to identify and report preoperative patient-reported outcome measures and clinical variables that predict discharge to skilled nursing facilities following UKA. Methods A prospective cohort of 174 patients was used to collect 36-Item Short Form scores and objective clinical data. Univariate and multivariate analysis with backward elimination were conducted to find a predictive risk model. Results The predictive model reported (78.7% concordance, receiver operating characteristic curve c-statistic 0.719, P =.0016) demonstrates that risk factors for discharge to skilled nursing facilities are: older age (odds ratio 4.18; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.256-13.911, P =.019), bilateral UKA procedures (odds ratio 1.887; 95% CI 1.054-3.378, P = .0326) and lower patient-reported preoperative 36-Item Short Form physical function scores (odds ratio 0.968; CI 0.938-1, P =.0488). Conclusion The information presented here regarding possible patient disposition following UKA could aid informed decision-making regarding patients’ short-term needs following surgery and help streamline preoperative planning.