The Impact of Living Arrangements on the Prevalence of Falls after Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Comparison between Institutionalized and General Geriatric Population

Anca Maria Pop (), Octav Marius Russu, Sándor György Zuh, Andrei Marian Feier and Tudor Sorin Pop
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Anca Maria Pop: Faculty of Medicine, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Octav Marius Russu: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Sándor György Zuh: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Andrei Marian Feier: Clinic of Orthopedics and Traumatology, County Clinical Hospital Mureș, 540080 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Tudor Sorin Pop: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, 540139 Târgu Mureș, Romania

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-9

Abstract: Due to population aging, there is an increasing need for orthopedic surgery, especially total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). In geriatric patients, postoperative falls are common events which can compromise the success of these expensive procedures. The aim of our study was to assess the influence of living arrangements on the prevalence of postoperative falls following joint replacement. We included 441 patients after TKA or THA, living in nursing homes, alone or with family. The prevalence of falls in the first 2 years (15.2%) was significantly influenced by living arrangements: patients with TKA or THA living alone had three times higher odds of falling compared to those living with family, and institutionalized patients with THA had four times higher odds of falling compared to those living with family. Of 67 patients who fell, 6 (8.9%) needed reintervention. For TKA patients, the fall rates were not significantly different between institutions and family, indicating the interest of nursing homes in offering proper care. However, for the THA group, the results were poorer, emphasizing the need for improvement in postoperative rehabilitation. Further multi-centric studies are required for generalizing the impact of living arrangements on fall prevalence after joint replacement.

Keywords: total joint replacement; elderly; accidental falls; institutionalized persons (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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