Comparing hospital and patient demographics of adolescent versus adult patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty

Abstract

Objective: Widening surgical indications and advances in technology have facilitated an increased number of total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedures among the adolescent population. The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of inpatient and hospital demographics of adolescent THA patients as well as to compare these demographics with that of their more prevalent adult counterparts. Methods: Data from the Kids' Inpatient Database and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1997-2009 with a total of 1,652 adolescent and 603,968 adult THA patients were analyzed. Results: Trends among the adolescent THA population included significant increases in procedures, total charges, and complication rates, while length of stay significantly decreased. Conclusions: The comparison between adult and adolescent demographics found differences in diagnosis, ethnicity, insurance type, discharge status, and total charges.