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Outlook for Joint Replacements

Fewer people may get joint replacement procedures in the future than previously thought. That’s according to research presented recently at the 2018 annual meeting of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in New Orleans. Lead author Matthew Sloan, MD, an orthopedic surgery resident at the University of Pennsylvania, says the number of procedures will continue to rise but at a slower rate.

Knee and hip replacements have been the standard treatment for end-stage arthritis for more than 40 years. During that time, the rate of surgeries has skyrocketed, more than doubling between 2000 and 2008 alone. There has also been an increase in so-called “revision surgeries” – do-over procedures to replace a failed or worn-out implant after the initial surgery.

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Surgeon, Not Type of Surgery, is Key in Hip Replacement

When it comes to total hip replacements (THR), there is a lot of debate about the relative risks and benefits between two popular surgical techniques – the anterior approach versus the posterior approach. A study presented in March 2016 at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ annual meeting found that as long as a surgeon is accomplished in a given technique (or approach), there is no meaningful difference in outcome for the patient.

“Our data show it may not be the approach that matters, but the surgeon’s experience that makes the real difference… in achieving successful outcomes after hip replacement,” says study co-author John Grady-Benson, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon and medical director of the Center for Outcomes Research at the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, in Hartford, Connecticut.

Proponents of the direct anterior approach – through the front of the hip – claim the initial postoperative recovery time is quicker, resulting in a faster hospital discharge and an earlier transition home.
Continue reading Surgeon, Not Type of Surgery, is Key in Hip Replacement