Musculoskeletal healthcare disparities: influence of patient sex, race, and ethnicity on utilization of total joint arthroplasty.

Total joint arthroplasty is an effective treatment of musculoskeletal diseases including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, trauma, and other diseases of the major joints. Based on data obtained from the National Inpatient Survey from 2000 through 2010, substantial differences in the rates of utilization of total hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty were detected with respect to race, ethnicity, and gender/sex. The results of this study support the likelihood that it is the interaction between multiple factors (patient, physician, and system/institutional) that contributes to musculoskeletal health disparities. Our study shows that disparities in the utilization of total joint arthroplasty that were evident in 2000 continue to exist. Additional studies evaluating innovative approaches to reducing musculoskeletal disparities relating to total joint arthroplasty are needed.