Partial knee replacements better for many patients and cheaper for NHS (Oxford News)
Researchers at the University of Oxford have found that many more patients could be given a partial knee replacement instead of a total knee replacement, resulting in improvements in their quality of life and lower costs for the healthcare system.
The researchers from the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS) used routinely collected data from the National Joint Registry (NJR) and found that partial replacements, also known as unicompartmental replacements (UKR), are better for patients who have only part of their knee affected by arthritis and could therefore have either a partial or a total replacement.
The procedure is less invasive, allows for a faster recovery, carries less post-operative risks and provides better function. It is also a cheaper intervention for the NHS, in both the short and long term.
“The main strength of this study is that we were able to use real data, from very large numbers of people, about their actual operations, their GP visit, and their own reported quality of life outcomes in a way that is not always possible,” says ...
