Travel distance does not affect outcomes after total shoulder arthroplasty

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of travel distance on achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) on all three commonly used patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for the shoulder more than 1 year following total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Methods: Patients undergoing reverse or anatomic TSA at a high-volume tertiary referral center between September 2016 and August 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 groups: driving distance of >50 miles from the location of surgery (referral group) and driving distance of 30 (odds ratio [OR], 5.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.53-30.28), worker’s compensation status (OR, 16.78; 95% CI, 2.34-161.39), and higher preoperative ASES score (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07) were associated with an increased risk of failure to achieve all MCIDs (P < .05). Age, adjusted gross income, private insurance, and travel distance were not significantly associated with failure to achieve all MCIDs. Conclusions: After controlling for age, sex, and adjusted gross income, distance traveled to a high-volume referral center did not have an effect on achieving the MCID on all three commonly used PROMs for the shoulder at least 1 year after undergoing TSA. Elevated body mass index, worker’s compensation status, and higher preoperative ASES score were associated with an increased risk of failure to achieve all MCIDs after TSA.

Keywords

• Total shoulder arthroplasty
• Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty
• Patient-reported outcomes
• Distance traveled
• Minimal clinically important difference
• Value-based care