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Rise in Number of Joint Replacements

Posted: June 1, 2006

The demand for total knee and hip replacement surgery is expected to increase dramatically in the next 25 years, according to a study by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

The research team projected that the number of procedures for primary (first-time) total knee replacement would jump by 673 percent – to 3.48 million – in 2030. The number of primary total hip replacements, the authors estimate, will increase by 174 percent – to 572,000 – in 2030. Partial joint replacements were projected to increase by 54 percent. The research team based its projections on historical procedure rates from 1990 to 2003, combined with population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The repair or replacement of an artificial joint, called revision joint replacement, also is expected to become more prevalent. The number of revision surgeries likely will double by 2015 for total knee replacement and by 2026 for total hip replacement, according to the authors.

Among the reasons for the expected increased demand is that total joint replacement is gaining in public acceptance. The researchers noted that joint replacement is a surgery with very positive results for the patient’s quality of life.

Other reasons that the number of total knee and hip replacements will increase include an aging population; the increasing prevalence of obesity, which puts undue stress on the knee and hip joints; and the trend toward baby boomers remaining physically active later in life, which also places demands on the joints.

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