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Multicenter Study
. 2020 Jun;28(6):1712-1719.
doi: 10.1007/s00167-020-06033-1. Epub 2020 May 2.

Disruption of joint arthroplasty services in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey within the European Hip Society (EHS) and the European Knee Associates (EKA)

M Thaler  1 , Ismail Khosravi  2 , M T Hirschmann  3   4 , N P Kort  5 , L Zagra  6 , J A Epinette  7 , M C Liebensteiner  1
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Disruption of joint arthroplasty services in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey within the European Hip Society (EHS) and the European Knee Associates (EKA)

M Thaler et al. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2020 Jun.

Erratum in

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on joint arthroplasty service in Europe by conducting an online survey of arthroplasty surgeons.

Methods: The survey was conducted in the European Hip Society (EHS) and the European Knee Associates (EKA). The survey consisted of 20 questions (single, multiple choice, ranked). Four topics were addressed: (1) origin and surgical experience of the participant (four questions); (2) potential disruption of arthroplasty surgeries (12 questions); (3) influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the particular arthroplasty surgeon (four questions); (4) a matrix provided 14 different arthroplasty surgeries and the participant was asked to state whether dedicated surgery was stopped, delayed or cancelled.

Results: Two-hundred and seventy-two surgeons (217 EHS, 55 EKA) from 40 different countries participated. Of the respondents, 25.7% stated that all surgeries were cancelled in their departments, while 68.4% responded that elective inpatient procedures were no longer being performed. With regard to the specific surgical procedures, nearly all primary TJA were cancelled (92.6%) as well as aseptic revisions (94.7%). In most hospitals, periprosthetic fractures (87.2%), hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures and septic revisions for acute infections (75.8%) were still being performed.

Conclusion: During the current 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, we are experiencing a near-total shutdown of TJA. A massive cutback was observed for primary TJA and revision TJA, even in massively failed TJA with collapse, dislocation, component failure or imminent dislocation. Only life-threatening pathologies like periprosthetic fractures and acute septic TJA are currently undergoing surgical treatment.

Level of evidence: V.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus disease 2019; Disruption; Health care; Orthopaedic surgery; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Total joint arthroplasty.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Participant statements when asked for the current stage of escalation of department shutdown
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Arthroplasty procedures currently being performed at the respondents’ departments in %
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Respondents answers when they were asked if they perform follow-ups during the COVID-19 pandemic
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Answers of surgeons on how long they think the COVID-19 pandemic will affect their clinical routine/surgical schedule
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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