EHS & EKA Online Survey results: Disruption of Joint Arthroplasty Services in Europe during the COVID -19 Pandemic 

by EHS Treasurer Martin Thaler (pictured), EHS President Jean Alain Epinette & EHS SciCom Chairman Luigi Zagra

Accepted in KSSTA: DOI: 10.1007/s00167-020-06033-1 KSST-D-20-00583R1

The EHS in cooperation with the EKA performed an online survey to measure the disruption of joint arthroplasty (TJA) services in Europe during the COVID -19 pandemic. The survey was conducted in the European Hip Society (EHS) and the European Knee Associates (EKA). The survey consisted of 20 questions dealing with the impact of the pandemic on arthroplasty surgeons and their daily work.

272 arthroplasty 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.

We found that 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. This was the situation in the middle of April. Hence, nobody can definitely predict further development of the disease the EHS and EKA (approved by our President) decided to perform a similar survey in the next days, in order to further evaluate all impairments on our daily work. We kindly would ask all members of the EHS again to participate in the upcoming survey and to help us to document this desperate situation for patients and surgeons.

• Link to pdf

Results show that over 90% of us have stopped primary hip and knee replacements in Europe – a fact we are all well aware of. Here two articles published on LinkedIn in collaboration with EHS on this survey:-

1. The impact of COVID-19 in primary HIP and KNEE Replacement
2. COVID-19 and primary hip and knee replacement