Orthopedic outcomes

At Sutter Health, we believe every person deserves care that sees them, hears them and supports them through each step of their healing. Our Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Service Line is built around this commitment, focusing on coordinated, compassionate care that honors each patient’s goals and lived experience.

Patient-reported outcome questionnaires help us stay connected to what matters most to patients. These short questionnaires capture patient perspectives on pain, mobility and daily functioning—insights that can only come from the patient’s own voice.
 

Patients completed a short questionnaire before surgery to describe their pain, movement, and daily activities. They completed the same questionnaire again about one year after surgery.

Across Sutter Health hospitals, 95% of patients showed meaningful improvement after elective primary total hip replacement based on a hip questionnaire, and 91% showed meaningful improvement after elective primary total knee replacement based on a knee questionnaire.

These results reflect systemwide outcomes from patients treated at 21 Sutter Health acute care hospitals:

• Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Alta Bates Campus
• Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Summit Campus
• California Pacific Medical Center – Davies Campus
• California Pacific Medical Center – Mission Bernal Campus
• Mills Health Center
• Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital
• Sutter Coast Hospital
• Sutter Davis Hospital
• Sutter Delta Medical Center
• Sutter Eden Medical Center
• Sutter Lakeside Hospital
• Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz
• Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
• Sutter Memorial Medical Center (Modesto)
• Sutter Mills Peninsula Medical Center
• Sutter Novato Community Hospital
• Sutter Roseville Medical Center
• Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital
• Sutter Solano Medical Center
• Sutter Surgical Hospital North Valley
• Sutter Tracy Community Hospital

The HOOS, JR. (Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Joint Replacement) and KOOS, JR. (Knee Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Joint Replacement) questionnaires were used to assess patient-reported outcomes pre-operative score within 90 days of surgery and post-operative score 300-425 days after surgery.

Calculations were performed using the same approach described in the 2025 American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) Annual Report. Only patients who completed questionnaires at both time points were included in the analysis. These results reflect outcomes across Sutter Health acute care hospitals following elective primary hip and knee replacement surgery.

Meaningful improvement was calculated by minimal clinical important difference (MCID). MCID was determined to be a positive change score of half the pooled standard deviation. Cases statistically incapable of achieving MCID due to a high preoperative score were excluded.