TABLE III.

Univariate Analysis of the Median Time Interval from the Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis to the First Extremity Surgery for Rheumatoid Arthritis Management

	Upper Extremity Surgery			Lower Extremity Surgery
Patient and Provider Characteristics	No. of Patients	Median Time (mo)	P Value	No. of Patients	Median Time (mo)	P Value
Total	158	14	—	215	25	0.02
Age (yr)			<0.001			<0.001
66-69	56	31		73	37
70-74	39	24		74	26
75-79	44	11		45	17
≥80	19	1		23	13
Sex			0.95			0.79
Male	30	9		43	23
Female	128	14		172	25
Socioeconomic status			0.24			0.17
Low	38	29		47	13
Middle	35	12		64	30
High	74	11		97	24
Missing data	11	—		7	—
Elixhauser comorbidity score quartile			0.04			0.01
1 (<5)	62	24		77	29
2 (5-12)	45	12		69	26
3 (13-21)	35	11		43	23
4 (>21)	16	2		26	8
Location of residence			0.87			0.42
Metropolitan area	114	18		152	26
Nonmetropolitan area	44	10		63	21
State assistance for Medicare premium			0.01			0.46
No	146	20		199	25
Yes	12	2		16	18
Density of rheumatologists (per million residents)			0.96			0.49
<10	78	14		105	28
10-15	63	11		79	21
>15	17	23		31	23
Density of orthopaedic surgeons (per million residents)			0.81			0.73
<58	41	15		54	21
58-68	42	18		89	25
>68	75	10		72	27