Characteristics of People with Hip or Knee Osteoarthritis Deemed Not Yet Ready for Total Joint Arthroplasty at Triage

PURPOSE To identify the characteristics of people with hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) attending a regional triage centre for an initial consult who are deemed not yet ready for total joint arthroplasty (TJA). METHODS Initial consultation notes (n=482) were reviewed retrospectively. Predictive variables were derived from the literature a priori, and 14 of these variables were suitable for inclusion in stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS Of the 222 eligible people, 131 (59%) were deemed not yet ready for TJA. Five variables entered into the model ([Formula: see text]=133.19, p<0.001) for an overall success rate of 81.1%. Those deemed not yet ready for TJA were more likely to have knee OA (vs. hip OA; odds ratio [OR]=0.352, p=0.018), to have less severe OA (OR=0.246 for each category increase in severity, p<0.001), to use no gait aid (vs. cane; OR=0.390, p=0.033), and to have a higher Lower Extremity Functional Scale score (OR=1.050 for each 1-point increase, p=0.003) and better joint status as measured by the Knee Society Scale or Hip Harris Scale (OR=3.946 for each category increase, p=0.007). CONCLUSION Considering these characteristics will help clinicians to identify individuals likely to require interventions other than TJA.