Delaying Hip or Knee Replacement Can Lead to Problems Down the Road
For Immediate Release
Dallas, November 12, 2016 — A study presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons found that patients who delayed getting a hip or knee replaced after their surgeons recommended the procedure, experienced less functional improvement later on.
Carlos J. Lavernia, MD presented, “Prolonged Conservative Management in Total Joint Arthroplasty: Harming the Patient?” Dr. Lavernia and co-authors, Anneliese D. Heiner, PhD, Michael Cronin, DO and Mark D. Rossi, PhD, studied patients with osteoarthritis who underwent either a total hip or total knee replacement surgery. They evaluated the condition of their joints prior to surgery and then followed up with them on an average of 11.3 years later. Those with lower joint function prior to surgery had greater functional impairment at the follow-up.
“Patients who allowed their function to deteriorate significantly before getting an arthroplasty did
not fully ‘catch up’ to those patients who had total joint arthroplasty at an earlier disease stage,” the study concluded. Hence, patients may experience better overall results having surgical intervention prior to allowing the disease to severely limit their mobility.
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About the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons:
Established in 1991, the mission of AAHKS is to advance hip and knee patient care through education and advocacy. AAHKS has a membership of over 3,700 surgeons and other hip and knee health care professionals.
Contact:
Denise Smith Rodd
drodd@aahks.org
