Utilization of Total Knee Arthroplasty in the United States by Settlement Type: Is There Equity of Access?

Introduction: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most commonly performed orthopaedic surgeries in the United States, yet little information exists regarding its utilization in different settlement types. This study aimed to determine the number of TKA-performing surgeons by settlement type and assess trends in the volume of TKAs in urban, micropolitan, small town, and rural settings.

Methods: Using the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Practitioners database, the number of orthopaedic surgeons performing primary and revision TKAs from 2013 to 2020 was determined. The zip code where TKA was performed was used to identify the rural-urban commuting area codes (RUCA) and classify locations into one of four settlement types: urban/metropolitan, micropolitan (large town), small town, or rural. Correlations in surgeon number and TKA volume by settlement type were evaluated by Mann-Kendall tests.

Results: Between the years of 2013 and 2020, TKAs were billed by up to 7,192 orthopaedic surgeons. The proportions of TKAs occurring in settlement types were the following: urban/metropolitan, 85.2%; micropolitan, 11.5%; small town, 2.6%; rural, 0.6%. Areas without RUCA data had 32.9 TKAs per surgeon per year, the highest overall median surgeries per year over the 8-year period. The median number of TKAs per surgeon per year was 28, 25.4, 21.4, and 20.7 for urban/metropolitan, micropolitan, small towns, and rural areas, respectively.

Conclusion: A considerable difference exists in both the number of surgeons and the proportion of TKAs conducted across various settlement types. Twenty percent of population in the United States lives in rural areas; however, only 0.6% of billed TKAs occurred in these areas over the study period, indicating a gap in orthopaedic care access. It is imperative to understand TKA surgeon distribution and focus on strategies aimed at attracting and retaining proficient surgeons to address the healthcare needs of these underserved regions.