Number of Stairs at Home is Associated with Discharge to Post-Acute Care Facility Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background Discharge to post-acute care facility (PACF) carries significant cost and quality burdens to patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In a recent study of pre-bundled payment model patients, the number of stairs (NOS) at home did not influence discharge to PACF for total hip arthroplasty. However, no study has yet examined NOS as it relates to discharge destination after TKA. In a large metropolitan market, it is not uncommon to have several flights of stairs leading to a home. We hypothesize that the number of unavoidable stairs to enter a home is a significant risk factor for discharge to PACF. Methods We reviewed 557 patients who underwent elective TKA at a single urban academic medical center between November 2011 and October 2014. Demographic data as well as NOS, ASA score, RAPT score, LOS, operative time, and tranexamic acid use were collected. T-tests, ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis analysis were conducted followed by a logistic regression to compare associations of factors to discharge to PACF. Results Of the 540 patients included in analysis, 193 (35.7%) were discharged home and 347 (64.3%) were discharged to a PACF. NOS (OR=1.457, p<0.001) and increased age (OR=1.057, p<0.001) were found to be significant risk factors for discharge to PACF while female sex (OR=0.57, p=0.013) and higher RAPT scores (OR=0.83, p=0.004) were protective against discharge to PACF. Conclusion With the conclusion of recent bundled payment programs, financial carrots may disappear, though it is likely that sticks will remain. Therefore, all risk factors must be identified and addressed. We found, in a pre-bundled payments era, that stairs is a risk factor for non-home discharge in a metropolitan population, and we confirmed other known risk factors of older age, higher ASA score, and lower RAPT score.