Operation Walk, a private, not-for profit, volunteer medical services organization, has teamed up with the Center for Precision Joint Replacement at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center and the Hofmann Arthritis Institute to perform four total hip and knee replacements—two hips and two knees—at no cost to the patients. The Operation Walk Utah committee selected the four Utah patients based on the severity of their conditions and need for immediate treatment.
Utah Docs Donate Four Joint Replacements
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As reported by PR Web, Aaron Hofmann, M.D., board-certified orthopedic surgeon, along with Jeremy McCandless, M.D., and Trevor Magee, M.D., will perform the surgeries over a three-day period. All expenses of treatment, including surgery, hospitalization, and pre and post-operative care, are covered by the cooperating institutions. Total Joint Orthopedics, Inc. and Zimmer, Inc. are donating the implants.
“Our mission is to regularly support organizations such as Operation Walk, and we are honored to be a part of the surgeries taking place this week at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, ” said Total Joint Orthopedics CEO Keith Job.
One of the four patients selected for a total hip replacement is Dalton Greenwood, a 20-year-old, soon-to-be father who has experienced hip pain and joint problems since adolescence. He received his first partial hip replacement at age 15, but sustained a later hip injury that shifted the pins in his hip. This has caused severe pain and affected Greenwood’s ability to sit, stand, and walk for a period of time. Without treatment, Greenwood, who did not have the means to pay for a total hip replacement, would risk becoming completely immobile.
All chapters of Operation Walk provide free surgical treatment to patients with debilitating arthritis or other bone and joint conditions in developing countries and the United States. Through 10 international missions and more than 5, 000 patients, Operation Walk has established an international presence. Donations provide all of the medical supplies and equipment and the entire medical team volunteers its time.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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