Increase in number of total knee replacement surgeries, especially in younger adults, linked to obesity
Thursday, June 5, 2014 - 11:53
in Health & Medicine
The number of total knee replacement surgeries more than tripled between 1993 and 2009, and experts say that this is linked to the increasing rate of obesity in the United States. Previous studies have found a strong link between a higher body mass index (BMI) and knee osteoarthritis. The effects of weight on hip osteoarthritis were less clear. In this study, researchers reviewed at least 10 years of national data (through 2009) on TKR and THR volume, length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, and orthopaedic workforce trends.