Embargoed for A.M. Release, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2000
For more information, contact: Paula Poda, (847) 384-4034, [email protected]Joanne Swanson, (847) 384-4035, [email protected]
Joint replacement surgery improves quality of life for people with degenerative arthritis
NEW YORK--One of the most common causes of arthritis is degenerative joint disease. When degenerative joint disease affects weightbearing joints like the hip and knee, a person's mobility can be severely restricted. Many of these people, however, can take advantage of the recent advances in joint replacement surgery.
"Limited mobility has a significant impact on a person's quality of life," Chitranjan S. Ranawat, MD, said today at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' 10th annual Orthopaedics Update. "In many cases, joint replacement surgery can improve mobility and enhance a person's well-being. After surgery, many people can return to the activities of daily life and some can return to participating in sports."
People who might benefit from joint replacement surgery include those whose pain limits everyday activities; have pain that continues while resting, either day or night; have stiffness in a joint; get little pain relief from anti-inflammatory drugs; or don't get pain relief from physical therapy.
Total joint replacement refers to the replacement of a worn out joint with an artificial one made of a combination of metal and polyethylene components. The replacement joint is affixed with either cement, a textured metal, or a special bone-like substance which allows bone to grow into the artificial joint. More than 160,000 hip replacement surgeries and more than 265,000 knee replacement surgeries were performed in 1998.
Patient satisfaction with joint replacement surgery, particularly hip replacement surgery, is high, according to Dr. Ranawat, director of department of orthopaedic surgery and center for total joint replacement at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Due to refinements in materials and surgical techniques, these joints are also highly durable.
"In people between the ages of 60 and 80, the success rate of hip replacement surgery is in the 90th percentile," Dr. Ranawat said. "Ongoing research will help us further refine this surgery and increase the durability of the materials used."
An orthopaedic surgeon is a medical doctor with extensive training in the diagnosis and nonsurgical as well as surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves.
The 24,500-member American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.aaos.org) is a not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals and the public. An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy supports the Bone and Joint Decade, 2000-2010, a global initiative to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people's quality of life.
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Embargo: AM release, Oct. 17
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