A new study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery examines the epidemiology of total joint replacement and prevalence of use over the past 40 years.
The researchers examined historical incidence data and the National Hospital Discharge Survey and Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases from 1969 to 2010. The researchers found:
1. The prevalence of total hip replacement in the United States was 0.83 percent in 2010; the total knee replacement prevalence was 1.52 percent.
2. Total joint replacement prevalence was higher among men.
3. Joint replacement prevalence increased with age. The total hip replacement prevalence among 80-year-olds was 5.26 percent and 10.38 percent for total knee replacement.
4. There were around 1.4 million and 1.1 million men with total hip replacements.
5. There were 3 million women and 1.7 million men with total knee replacements in 2010.
6. There was a substantial rise in prevalence over time as well as a shift toward younger ages.