Total knee replacements for juvenile idiopathic arthritis last for decades in most patients
People typically think knee replacement surgery is only for older adults with arthritis. But the surgery is also used for young patients when joint damage has become severe. Recently, researchers found knee replacements did not last as long in young patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) as they do in older osteoarthritis patients. Still, the procedure can be a life-changer for many patients with JIA – a painful disease that affects children. In patients with JIA, about 92 percent of knee replacements lasted 10 years and a little over 75 percent lasted 20 years.
Patients with diabetes at no greater risk for infection or other complications after total knee replacement
Patients with diabetes were no more likely to suffer infection, deep vein thrombosis(a deep vein blood clot) or other complications following total knee replacement(TKR) than patients without diabetes, according to new research published online today, in advance of its publication in the March 2013 Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).
Which knees need the knife?
Jeffery Katz, MD, of Orthopedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and colleagues led the study to determine if patients with a meniscal tear and knee osteoarthritis had better outcomes with surgery plus physical therapy or just physical therapy.
Return-to-work rate high after knee replacement
Getting back to work after knee-replacement surgery is a big concern for people contemplating the procedure. Now, a new study shows that most people return to work after a total knee replacement — even those with physically demanding jobs. "We are now reaching a population that is younger and actively working. Most have very arthritic knees and expect to go back to work," Orozco said. Better implant materials that support more weight, improved surgical techniques that spare muscle, and better post-surgery patient care plans — including pain management and physical therapy — have increased the popularity of knee replacement in recent years, he said.
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