Breaking Down Orthopedics (MDNews)
Increasing numbers of older patients are safely undergoing major elective orthopedic procedures, even as hip fracture remains a serious threat to the mobility and lives of the elderly. Here is a snapshot of orthopedic-related statistics.
Hip Fractures and Mortality
About a third of people age 65 and older will fall, with hundreds of thousands suffering potentially devastating hip fractures each year.
Recent research published in JAMA Internal Medicine investigated the effect of hip fractures on a particularly vulnerable population: those living in nursing homes. The findings? More than a third died within six months after a fracture; half either died or experienced complete loss of independent locomotion. The mortality rate for hip fracture patients tracked for one year was nearly 50 percent.
Go-go Octogenarians
The rates of major elective orthopedic procedures performed on U.S. patients above age 80 significantly increased between 2000 and 2009, according to a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The rate per 100,000 people rose from 40 to 102 for spinal fusion, 181 to 257 for total hip arthroplasty and 300 to 477 for total knee arthroplasty.
At the same time, in-hospital mortality rates fell, as did complication rates among knee replacement and spinal fusion patients who had few or no co-morbidities.
Knee Replacement by the Numbers
90 — Percentage of knee replacement patients who experience a significant reduction in pain
85 — Percentage of artificial knees that function 20 years after surgery
60 — Percentage of knee replacement patients who are women
10 — Percentage of patients who require revision surgery 10 years after knee replacement
Density Divide
According to an American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons survey, Wyoming has the highest density of orthopedic surgeons in the United States, at 14.96 per 100,000 residents; Mississippi has the lowest, at 6.55.
Surgeons identified their primary or specialty areas as well, shedding light on this diverse field:
- Arthroscopy — 38%
- Adult knee — 37%
- Sports medicine — 36%
- Adult hip — 28%
- Total joint — 17%
Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; CDC; Reuters; The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery; Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research; JAMA Internal Medicine