WellStar Joins the Joint Replacement Registry

WellStar Health System recently became a charter member of  the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), an independent, not-for-profit database designed to store comprehensive data about joint replacement procedures.  Last year, orthopaedic surgeons at WellStar performed more than 2,000 joint surgeries.

The AJRR monitors the performance of an artificial joint in a database containing information about the patient, the surgeon who performed the procedure and the hospital where the procedure took place. The data collected helps doctors more quickly identify joints that are performing poorly, and helps them match patients, procedures and devices to ensure that every patient has the best possible outcome.

“Joining the AJRR signals WellStar’s commitment to improving surgical outcomes for our patients who undergo joint replacement surgery,  said Dr. Douglas Lundy, co-chair, WellStar Musculoskeletal Network. “Participation in AJRR will help us monitor the performance of implants, improve our techniques and reduce the number of revisions.”

By offering a single source of data, surgeons who use the registry can easily access data from other AJRR members and use that information to make more informed recommendations to their patients, ultimately improving patient care.

More than a million hip and knee replacements are performed each year in the U.S., a number that is expected to increase as more men and women remain active as they get older. The majority of replacement surgeries are successful, offering patients years of trouble-free use and helping patients resume their regular activities of daily living; however, about 8% of patients nationally experience problems following surgery that require the artificial joint to be revised. Dr. Mark Diehl, co-chair, WellStar Musculoskeletal Network, added, “WellStar has been committed to providing joint replacement patients with a great experience, and now WellStar has taken an added step toward improving  clinical outcomes by joining AJRR. 

The American Joint Replacement Registry was founded in 2009 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and other orthopaedic industry leaders and stakeholders, and began collecting data in 2011. The AJRR’s goal is to optimize patient outcomes through collection of data on all primary and revision total joint replacement procedures in the U.S. The mission of the registry is to enhance patient safety, improve quality of care and reduce the cost of care. For more information about the registry and its objectives, visit www.ajrr.net.