As Baby Boomers Age, Orthopedic Surgeons Will See More Demand (written by Robin Williams Adams @ The Ledger - Lakeland, FL)
Aging baby boomers keep the market for knee and hip replacements strong, competitive and confusing.
"Baby boomers are getting to the age where their joints are wearing out," said Dr. Marc Volpe, an orthopedic surgeon with Watson Clinic in Lakeland.
"As opposed to previous generations ... they want to maintain a level of function that's higher than their predecessors at older ages."
And, as various studies have shown, baby boomers often don't like waiting around.
"They tell me they're fed up with the symptoms," Volpe said.
Osteoarthritis, the main reason the cartilage in joints disappears and pain occurs, is more common in older adults, which baby boomers reluctantly are becoming.
Added to that, trauma injuries increase the likelihood people will develop arthritis at an earlier age, said Dr. Todd Hall of Lakeland Regional Orthopedic Associates.
Extra weight also increases the impact on the joints. Some medical analysts say the high number of overweight people in the United States is another reason for increasing numbers of joint replacement surgeries.
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