The figures reflect admissions to acute care hospitals and those undergoing diagnostic and/or surgical procedures in outpatient and free-standing ambulatory care facilities. The following are not included: those with symptoms not severe enough to warrant hospitalization; those treated in the physician’s office; those treated in the emergency department and then released. These counts reflect admissions, not persons. For example, if an individual was admitted on two separate occasions during this time period, they were counted twice.
The figures reflect admissions where arthritis is the principal diagnosis (the diagnosis code which after review is deemed the reason for admission). Exceptions include ICD.9.CM codes 711.0x-711.9x and 713.0-713.8 (part of the definition for "arthritis from infection/disorder") where cases were counted if the code was the principal diagnosis or the first secondary diagnosis.
The figures reflect the principal procedure coded for arthritis. If multiple procedures were performed only the principal procedure was counted.
Arthritis type including arthritis from infection, osteoarthritis, and other unspecified arthritis may include some cases of spinal arthritis where the site was coded as other, unspecified or multiple.
The data were reported as submitted to us by the hospital. If a hospital failed to provide complete information, the number of hospitalizations would be undercounted.
The figures reflect same day admission and discharge as a one day length of stay. Furthermore, all outpatient admissions are counted as a one day length of stay.
Median charges are reported. It is important to note that these charges are associated with the entire hospitalization (not just treatment associated with arthritis), and they are hospital charges only (they do not include physician fees, etc.). Further, while charges are a standard way of reporting data, they do not reflect the actual cost of the treatment nor do they reflect the payment that the hospital may have actually received.
Definitions of arthritis type and arthritis-related treatments and the ICD.9.CM codes (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification) used in this analysis were as follows:
Arthritis Type:
Osteoarthritis: the progressive wearing down of cartilage in the joint which causes new bone development at the edges of the joint andsubsequently results in pain and joint distortion; it is also called degenerative arthritis (715.0x-715.3x, 715.8x-715.9x)
Spine-Related Arthritis: inflammatory or degenerative changes of the vertebrae; it is also called spondylarthritis (720.0, 720.2, 720.81, 720.9, 721.0, 721.2-721.3, 721.7-721.8, 721.90-721.91)
Rheumatoid Arthritis: an inflammation of the synovium, or lining of the joint, which leads to the release of substances into the joint space causing pain, swelling and erosion of bone (714.0-714.2, 714.30-714.33, 714.4, 714.81, 714.89, 714.9)
Arthritis from Infection/Disorder: an arthropathy caused by some type of infectious agent such as a bacterium, virus, or parasite or associated with a disorder (03.23, 36.82, 56.71, 98.50, 711.0x-711.9x, 713.0-713.8)
Other or Unspecified Arthritis: includes crystal-induced arthritis and other unspecified arthropathies (712.1x-712.3x, 712.8x-712.9x, 716.0x-716.6x, 716.8x-716.9x)
Note: The x includes digits of 0-9 to identify the site of disease.
Treatment Type:
Osteoarthritis:
Arthrocentesis: the surgical puncture of a joint for aspiration of fluid (81.91)
Arthroplasty: the surgical reconstruction or formation of a joint (76.5, 77.58-77.59, 81.40, 81.47, 81.49, 81.55, 81.57, 81.71-81.75, 81.80-81.85, 81.96)
Arthroscopy: the examination of a joint using a scope (80.20-80.29)
Injection: includes injection of a therapeutic substance into a joint, ligament or tendon (81.92, 82.95, 83.97)
Lesion excision/destruction: includes the excision of the semilunar cartilage of the knee and any other excision/destruction associated with a joint (80.6, 80.80-80.99)
Osteotomy: a surgical procedure in which a bone is divided or a piece of bone is removed (77.00-77.09, 77.10-77.19, 77.20-77.29, 77.30-77.39, 77.40-77.49, 77.51-77.54, 77.56-77.59, 77.60-77.69, 77.70-77.79, 77.80-77.89, 77.90-77.99)
Replacement, hip: includes partial and total hip replacement (81.51-81.52)
Replacement, knee: includes total knee replacement (81.54)
Replacement, shoulder: includes total and partial shoulder replacement (81.80-81.81)
Other surgical procedure: includes procedures associated with arthritis not specified in this report
Spine-Related Arthritis:
Spinal canal exploration: includes foraminotomy, decompression of the spinal canal with laminectomy or laminotomy, or exploration of a spinal nerve root (3.09)
Spinal fusion: includes arthrodesis of the spine with a bone graft or internal fixation (81.00-81.09)
Spinal injection: includes the injection of an anesthetic or other agent into the spinal canal (03.8, 03.91-03.92)
Other surgical procedure: includes procedures associated with arthritis not specified in this report
Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Arthrocentesis: the surgical puncture of a joint for aspiration of fluid (81.91)
Arthrodesis: the surgical immobilization of a joint causing bones to grow together; it is also called fusion (77.56-77.58, 81.11-81.17, 81.20-81.29)
Arthroplasty: the surgical reconstruction or formation of a joint (76.5, 77.58-77.59, 81.40, 81.47, 81.49, 81.51-81.52, 81.54-81.55, 81.57, 81.71-81.75, 81.80-81.85, 81.96)
Injection: includes injection of a therapeutic substance into a joint, ligament, or tendon (81.92, 82.95, 83.97)
Synovectomy: the surgical removal of a synovial membrane, or the dense connective tissue membrane that secretes lubricating fluid and lines the surfaces of articular capsules, tendon sheaths and bursae (80.70-80.79, 82.33, 83.42)
Other surgical procedure: includes procedures associated with arthritis not specified in this report
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