Litigation analysis of medical damage after total knee arthroplasty: a case study based on Chinese legal database in the past ten years

BACKGROUND: The medical damage litigations after knee arthroplasty are on the rise year by year. However, few studies examined the litigation after knee arthroplasty. This study analyzed the litigation of medical damage after knee replacement in the past ten years based on a Chinese database. It synthesized the focus of the dispute in these cases to provide a reference for doctors to reduce the risk of litigation. METHODS: Retrospectively analyzed were medical damage litigations after total knee arthroplasty in the past ten years (June 2011–June 2021) from the "Wolters Kluwer Legal Information Database". The data collected included the characteristics of patients, causes of litigation, the results of litigation and the amount of compensation. RESULTS: A total of 110 litigation cases were analyzed, including 40 male patients (36.3%) and 70 female patients (63.6%). The top cause of litigation was infection (43.6%). The most common factor leading to the doctor losing the case was "complications caused by operational error" (P < 0.05). Complications, such as amputation, postoperative ischemic stroke and infection, were more likely to result in higher compensation. CONCLUSIONS: The prevention of infection and the avoidance of operational errors are very important in avoiding medical litigations. Moreover, avoiding disabling complications or a protracted course of disease could significantly reduce the amount of compensation. In addition, full and reasonable communication, paying full attention to the reaction of patients, and timely diagnosis could also effectively minimize the risk of litigation and loss.