Regional Differences in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Utilization, Physician Reimbursement, and Patient Characteristics.

Background: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate how utilization, physician reimbursement, and patient populations have changed for primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) from 2013 to 2021 at both a regional and national level within the Medicare population. Methods: The Medicare Physician and Other Practitioners database was queried for all episodes of primary TKA between years 2013 and 2021. TKA utilization per 10,000 beneficiaries, inflation-adjusted physician reimbursement per TKA, and patient demographics of each TKA surgeon were extracted each year. Data were stratified geographically, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were utilized. Results: Between 2013 and 2021, TKA utilization per 10,000 beneficiaries increased at the greatest rate in the Northeast (+15.1%). In 2021, TKA utilization was highest in the Midwest (97.6/10,000; Conclusions: This study demonstrates that TKA utilization is increasing and average physician reimbursement per TKA is declining at varying rates across the country, with the Northeast and Midwest most affected. These findings should be addressed in policy discussions to ensure equitable arthroplasty care.