Single-use cutting blocks and trials lower costs in primary total knee arthroplasty

Surg Technol Int. 2012 Dec:22:331-5.

Abstract

Because total knee arthroplasty is one of the most common orthopaedic procedures, it is important that the medical community continually strive for cost reductions. This prospective controlled trial aimed to determine if cost decreases could be achieved in non-navigated and navigated procedures by replacing traditional saws, cutting blocks, and trials with a specialized single-use system. Costs were lowered by an estimated $140.00-220.00 per surgery as a result of fewer instrument trays being reprocessed, and an estimated $75.00-330.00 per instrument case due to a 10-24-minute time savings during tray rewrapping. This study has positive financial implications for patients, hospitals, institutions, and third-party carriers.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / economics*
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / instrumentation*
  • Cost Savings / economics
  • Cost Savings / statistics & numerical data
  • Disposable Equipment / economics*
  • Disposable Equipment / statistics & numerical data
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Health Care Costs / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Knee Prosthesis / economics*
  • Knee Prosthesis / statistics & numerical data
  • Maryland / epidemiology
  • Osteotomy / instrumentation*
  • Osteotomy / trends*
  • Risk Factors
  • Treatment Outcome