Big Boom in Boomer Knee Replacement Surgeries at
Earlier Age
U-M experts say huge growth in need far outpaces
availability of surgeons
By Krista Hopson, University of
Michigan
June 2, 2008 John Birkos knee had
osteoarthritis, was painful, and severely limited his day-to-day
activities. While his knee felt as though it was about 80 years-old,
Birko was only 49. And like many other baby boomers today, he was not
was ready to slow down, and instead decided to have
knee replacement surgery.
Having knee replacement surgery made an
extraordinary difference in my life, says Birko, who is now 51
years-old. The day after surgery, I felt terrific. I had forgotten what
it was like to not be in pain. I was on top of the world.
The number of baby boomers who are opting for knee
replacement surgery earlier in life is growing at an exponential rate,
says
J. David Blaha, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon at the
University of Michigan Health System.
Only a few years ago, between 300,000 and 350,000
knee replacement surgeries were being done. Today, that number has risen
to a staggering 500,000. And 10 years from now, experts estimate there
could be as many as 3.2 million annual knee replacement surgeries.
While knee replacement surgery does have a positive
impact on a patients quality of life, Blaha and other experts in the
field worry that the demand for new knees will far outpace the
availability of surgeons trained to perform the procedure.
A recent study that looked at trends in joint
replacement found that although the number of orthopaedic specialists
who do joint replacement is going to increase by about 2 percent, the
need for orthopaedic surgeons is going to increase by 500 percent, he
says. Thats a problem of epic proportions.
The reason for the increase can be attributed to
baby boomers wanting to maintain an active lifestyle. Previously, Blaha
notes, knee replacement surgeries were reserved for very old patients
who were severely crippled by osteoarthritis.
But younger patients like Birko who tore his ACL
and cartilage when he was a teenager and later injured his knee again
while playing sports are experiencing an earlier onset of
osteoarthritis that affects their daily lives.
Today, degenerative arthritis remains the main
reason for joint replacement surgery. Degenerative arthritis is a
chronic disease that causes the cartilage at the end of the bones to
deteriorate, bringing with it pain and a decrease in joint function.
Without a means to replace cartilage in knees, total knee replacement
remains the only option to regain mobility and end pain
Fortunately, knee replacement surgery has come a
long way in recent decades, and is now far less painful and the recovery
is much faster.
With knee replacement surgery, the ends of the
damaged thigh, lower leg bones and often the kneecap are capped with
artificial surfaces lined with metal and plastic. Usually, doctors
replace the entire surface at the ends of the thigh and lower leg bones.
Although knee replacement surgery allows patients
to do many of their daily activities more easily, Blaha says surgeons
still dont have a good estimate for how long knee implants will last
especially now since so many patients are getting new knees at a younger
age.
We want joint replacements to last for more than
20 years. But one of the problems is, that no matter how good we get
with statistics, it still takes 20 years to get 20 year results, says
Blaha, professor,
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the
U-M Medical School. So were faced with a young population that is
in its 50s, and has the opportunity to live into its 80s and 90s. They
want their joint replacements to last 30 to 40 years, and we just dont
know yet if that will happen.
One way to avoid needing a knee replacement is to
take steps to prevent degenerative arthritis. Since obese people have a
higher incidence of degenerative arthritis, Blaha recommends maintaining
a healthy body weight and taking steps to stay active at any age.
To learn more, visit these Web sites:
>>
U-M Health Topics A-Z: Knee replacement surgery
>>
U-M Health Topics A-Z: Osteoarthritis
>>
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Total knee replacement surgery
>>
WebMD: Knee replacement surgery
