AAHKS Offers Documentary in New DVD Format
to Increase Awareness of Joint Replacement Benefits

“Total Joint Replacement: A Patient’s Perspective,” a documentary providing an inside look at four real-life patients facing the need for hip and knee replacement surgery, is now available in DVD format.

The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) sponsored the film in cooperation with the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF). Until now, the 52-minute film had been available on VHS tape and via webcast on www.OR-Live.com.

During 2004 and 2005, the documentary aired on public television in 10 U.S. markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area, Grand Rapids, Mich., and New Orleans.

“We are pleased to provide the documentary in yet another format so that individuals can learn more about total joint replacement, and see firsthand how it can impact a person’s quality of life,” said William J. Hozack, MD, president of the AAHKS. “Since 2004, we have distributed nearly 2,000 documentary videotapes through our public education initiative, and we look forward to reaching new audiences with the DVD format.”

More than 800,000 hip and knee replacement surgeries were performed in 2003, according to statistics from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

The DVD includes a continuous loop feature for physicians’ offices to conveniently replay the film in patient waiting areas, as well menu options in which viewers can learn more about total joint replacement, the patients and physicians.

The documentary, filmed in 2003 and 2004, follows the lives of four patients and their families as they make the decision to have hip or knee replacement surgery. Emmy Award-winning producer and director Peter Rosen provides a glimpse at the emotional and physical issues these patients face, including their day-by-day struggles with pain, undergoing surgery, the trials and triumphs of rehabilitation, and how their lives change for the better following the procedure. Click here to read about how the four patients are doing in 2006.

Corporations and individual donors funding the documentary project include: Dr. and Mrs. Dane Miller (Biomet), DePuy Orthopaedics, Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics, Stryker, Wright Medical Technology and Zimmer, Inc.

Consumers can download an order form on the AAHKS website by clicking here or call the office for a form at (847) 698-1200.

Individuals can watch the film anytime via webcast on www.OR-Live.com. If viewers do not have access to high-speed internet connections at home, they may want to check with their local library for resources.

Witness the amazing transformation of the four patients featured in the documentary -- as they regain mobility and restore their quality of life.