COST OF TREATING AN INFECTED TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT

Twenty consecutive eases of infected total knee replacements surgicall y treated between 1990 and 1993 in which complete clinical and financi al data were available were reviewed to determine the resources requir ed of the hospital and the surgeon. These results were compared with a similar analysis of a stratified, unselected sample 30 cases each of primary total knee arthroplasty and nonseptic revision total knee arth roplasty during the same period Parameters compared between the infect ed total knee replacement, noninfected revision total knee replacement , and primary total knee replacement included number of surgical proce dures performed, number of hospitalizations, number of hospital days, total operative time, and total intraoperative blood loss. Financial d ata included the amount charged and reimbursed by the hospital and by the surgeon. The actual hospital cost was estimated as sell. Based on all parameters measured, surgical treatment of the infected total knee implant required 3 to 4 times the resources of the hospital and the s urgeon compared with a primary total knee implant and approximately tw ice the resources of a nonseptic revision total knee implant The reimb ursement received resulted in an estimated net loss of approximately $ 15,000 per ease to the hospital for the group as a whole, but approxim ately $30,000 per case per Medicare patient.