Knee Replacement Surgeries Skyrocket

Osteoarthritis has led to a surge in total knee replacement (TKR) surgeries within the last decade, leaving more than 4.5 million Americans living with new knee joints, according to research presented at the 2012 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

The sharpest rise in TKR patients occurred among younger patients, the data showed. Investigators used a computer model, U.S. Census Bureau data, information from the National Health Interview Survey, the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study and the Osteoarthritis Initiative, as well as other national data and literature to determine the number of U.S. residents living with at least one TKR.

The study found that 4.7 percent of U.S. residents aged 50 and older have undergone TKR, a proportion that is higher than both the national rates for congestive heart failure and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the study determined:

• The prevalence of osteoarthritis and TKR is higher in women—5.3 percent of females living with osteoarthritis have had at least one knee replaced, compared with 4.1 percent of men living with the disease and an artificial knee.

• About 4.1 percent of men and 4.8 percent of women aged 60 to 69 have had a TKR. The numbers rise with age: 7.1 percent of men and 8.2 percent of women aged 70 to 79 have had a least one knee replaced.

• Ten percent of Americans aged 80 and older are living with a TKR.

“The number of total knee replacements is growing drastically,” said Elena Losina, Ph.D., lead investigator and co-director of Orthopedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. “We now have a lot of people living with TKR.” Such a surge in TKR recipients could lead to substantial increases in future revisions and complications, particularly in younger patients who want to retain their active lifestyles as they age.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases within the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Its findings could help clinicians better understand the future challenges of TKR, including follow-up care, healthcare costs and treatment access.


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