Doctors implanted an estimated 5.2 million total knees from 2000 to 2010, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. The rate of knee replacement went up, in that time period, by 86% for men and 99% for women.
5.2 Million Total Knee Replacements
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The mean age of patients having a knee replacement was 66.1 years in 2014 according to a report by the American Joint Replacement Registry, as reported by Arkansas Online. For nearly 95% of the cases, osteoarthritis was the underlying diagnosis.
Medicare reports that, in 2014, it paid for more than 400, 000 knee and hip replacements at a cost to the taxpayers of about $7 billion. The study by Blue Cross and Blue Shield, conducted in 2015, also mapped out the very wide range of costs for knee and hip replacements in 64 markets around the country. The study found the average typical cost for a total knee replacement was lowest at $11, 317 in Montgomery, Alabama, and highest at $69, 654 in New York. The highest variation in a single market was in Dallas, Texas, where the cost of a knee replacement ranged from $16, 772 to $61, 585.
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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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