Sex Disparities Affecting Postoperative Outcomes After Total Elbow Arthroplasty

Purpose

To investigate sex disparities in 30-day postoperative outcomes of total elbow arthroplasty.

Methods

The American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program files were queried for all patients who underwent a total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) between 2006 and 2020. Sex disparities in preoperative variables were studied using Fisher exact tests. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of postoperative outcomes for women in comparison with men.

Results

A total of 788 patients underwent a TEA in the period of 2006–2020. Of those, 180 were men, and 608 were women. We found an increase in TEAs performed each year with a predominance in females compared to males. Additionally, our work demonstrated increased statistically significant odds of a major adverse cardiac event (P < .0001), transfusions required (P < .0001), and return to the operating room (P < .0001) as postoperative outcomes in females compared to males following TEA. Finally, we found no statistically significant difference in mortality between the groups (P = 1).

Conclusions

Following a TEA, women had higher adjusted postoperative odds of experiencing a major adverse cardiac event, requiring transfusion, and return to the operating room. No significant differences were found in wound outcomes, pulmonary outcomes, venous thromboembolic outcomes, sepsis, and length of stay. Overall mortality rates were similar between the two groups. Our study warrants further evaluation of the root cause of sex disparities in TEA outcomes and methods to improve care delivery to reduce those disparities.

Type of study/level of evidence

Prognostic 2b.