The number of total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasties (TKA) grows constantly which causes enormously rising costs for healthcare systems. The aim of this systematic literature review was to evaluate whether a cost reduction can be achieved by THA or TKA fast-track protocols, which is a multidisciplinary approach aiming at faster recovery.
A systematic literature research was undertaken for the timeframe from 2007/01/01 to 2019/03/04 in PubMed. Abstracts and title of the identified records were checked for eligible criteria and afterward the full text was assessed.
Seven studies were included in the review. All studies showed a reduction in the total cost for fast-track THA and TKA. Most studies based their cost calculations on the amount of days the patients spend in the hospital.
Using a fast-track protocol can significantly reduce the overall costs of the treatment.