Observational study of the profile of patients undergoing hip and knee arthroplasty in Chilean public hospitals funded through Diagnosis-Related Groups, from 2019 to 2023

We identified regional inequities in access to total hip and knee replacements. We also found possible underreporting of comorbidities and underfunding of revisions, which highlights the need for specific adjustments to the Diagnosis-Related Groups system. In the future, it will be necessary to improve the quality of coding, expand financial coverage for patients excluded from the Explicit Health Guarantees, and incorporate technological adjustments that adequately reflect the costs of revisions, to move toward equitable and sustainable access to these surgeries.