Reports from Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Add New Data to Findings in Arthroplasty (Insurance Status and Patient Outcomes After Total Ankle Arthroplasty): Surgery – Arthroplasty

2026 APR 16 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators discuss new findings in Surgery - Arthroplasty. According to news reporting originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “BackgroundAs total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) becomes more prevalent compared with arthrodesis for treating ankle osteoarthritis, understanding the impact of insurance type on outcomes is crucial. This retrospective cohort study compares Medicare and Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)/Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) patients, assessing differences in clinical characteristics, complications, reoperations, and patient-reported outcomes.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, “The goal is to identify disparities in TAA outcomes based on insurance type.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of 830 patients who underwent TAA between May 2010 and June 2024. Patients were grouped by insurance type (Medicare vs PPO/HMO). The inclusion criteria were patients aged 18+ undergoing TAA; exclusions were for incomplete records. Patient-reported outcomes included preoperative and 1-year postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure scores. Statistical analyses used T-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, ch, and Fisher exact tests.ResultsThe study analyzed 830 participants, with 401 in the Medicare cohort and 429 in the PPO/HMO cohort. Medicare patients were older (mean 70.4 years vs 59.1 years, P< .001), had a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (3.72 vs 2.51, P< .001), and experienced longer lengths of stay (1.73 vs 1.44 days, P< .001). Prior ankle surgery was more common in the PPO/HMO cohort (49.9% vs 41.4%, P = .017). Preoperative VAS pain scores were significantly higher in the PPO/HMO cohort (6.70 vs 5.91, P = .021), whereas postoperative VAS scores were similar between groups (P = .100). There were no significant differences in reoperation, readmission, or return to normal activities between the cohorts.ConclusionInsurance type is associated with differences in patient demographics and preoperative characteristics among patients undergoing TAA.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Despite higher comorbidity burden and longer hospital stays among Medicare patients, postoperative clinical outcomes and functional recovery were comparable between Medicare and PPO/HMO cohorts.Level of EvidenceIII-Retrospective Comparative Study.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Insurance Status and Patient Outcomes After Total Ankle Arthroplasty. Foot & Ankle Specialist, 2026:19386400261428869.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Joydeep Baidya, Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rothman Orthopaedics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Additional authors for this research include Nana F. Amponsah, John Pignataro, Kush Mody, Darshan Reddy, Matthew Culkin, Grant M. Thomas, David Pedowitz, Joseph Daniel and Selene Parekh.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1177/19386400261428869. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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