Age Not Important in Joint Replacements
May 21, 2001
According to a new study from Canada, older patients may benefit more from joint replacement than previously thought. Typically, hip and knee replacements are not performed in patients over a certain age, however, the new study suggests that patients well into their 80's may significantly benefit from such procedures. "With increasing life expectancy and elective surgery improving the quality of life, age alone is not a factor that affects the outcome . . . and should not be a limiting factor," stated an author in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Previously, joint replacement procedures were not thought to be good options for elderly patients because, according to doctors, the risks involved with such surgery were greater than the possible benefits. But, Dr. John Klippel, medical director of the Arthritis Foundation believes that the study "opens up the age window by a couple of decades at least."
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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