British Registry Finds TJR Concentration in Non-Minorities

A recent study of the British National Joint Registry (NJR), the largest joint replacement registry in the world, has found that Black and Asian minorities have fewer joint replacement operations than expected when compared with Whites.

Researchers at the University of Bristol studied over 40,000 patient records for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. They found that fewer than expected procedures amongst Black and Asian populations were taking place, with a far more significant difference for hip replacement procedures. The study also showed gender differences with non-White men who were significantly less likely to receive a joint replacement compared to non-White women. The findings also showed that patients from ethnic minority groups having either hip or knee replacements were more likely to be living in poorer areas.

Professor Ashley Blom, MB, ChB (CapeT), FRCS, from the University of Bristol who led the team, said that patient unwillingness to undergo surgery could be shaped by cultural factors, doctor-patient communication, and even patient trust in the healthcare system. Secondly, osteoarthritis of the hip is slightly less common among Black and Asian people and this may partially explain the differences. However, Black and Asian males were much less likely to undergo joint replacement surgery than were Black and Asian females.