Knee Replacements Double Over Past Two Decades (HealthPointCapital)
New data from CMS shows that knee replacements are on the rise, doubling over the past two decades. More TKAs are now performed than coronary-artery bypass surgeries or hysterectomies, with the absolute numbers of knee replacements increasing from 93,230 cases in 1991 to 243,802 in 2010. Over the same period, a total of 3.6 million knee replacements have been performed on Medicare patients, and projections show that 3.5 million knee replacements may be performed annually by 2030.
The Wall Street Journal adds that despite this increase in volume, we may not have sufficient data on who gets the procedures, why and their outcomes; one expert quoted in the article implied that a registry may be helpful in identifying trends in patient populations and technology. Potential factors in the rise in TKAs include the growing population of older people, increased incidence of obesity and arthritis and expectations for a more active lifestyle.
The article notes that Medicare patients account for less than half of the estimated 600,000 knee replacements that are currently performed annually. Prior research has shown that the population of younger knee replacements is growing, a trend that can be attributed partially to increasing rates of obesity and new, more durable materials better-suited for younger patients.