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Octogenarians can expect pain relief comparable to younger patients after TKR
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BIRMINGHAM, England — Patients who undergo total knee replacement when they are 80 years or older can expect the same levels of pain and pain relief as younger patients at 3 years, 5 years and 10 years after surgery, according to data presented at the British Orthopaedic Association Congress, here.
"We believe professionals should continue performing total knee arthroplasty on elderly patients," John W. Kennedy, BMSc (Hons), MBCh, said.
Using a local database, the investigators retrospectively studied 438 patients aged 80 years and older who underwent primary total knee replacement (TKR) at Ninewells Hospital & School of Medicine, University of Dundee, United Kingdom between 1995 and 2005. They compared results of the older patients to 2,754 patients in the database who were younger than 80 years and underwent TKR for the same indications.
Both groups of patients had a median 60-point improvement in Knee Society Scores (KSS) after primary TKR, he said.
"Compared to a younger patient cohort, the elderly can expect comparable pain and knee society scores, lower function scores and higher complication rates,” Kennedy said.
Complication rates in the older patients were higher than in the control group at 19% vs. 15%. He said higher rates of infection, implant loosening or pulmonary embolism were not among the most common complications in the older patients. In the control group, patients who underwent TKR for osteoarthritis were more than 1.5 times more likely to develop complications than the patients treated with TKR for rheumatoid arthritis, Kennedy said.
References:
Kennedy JW. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2013;doi:10.1007/s11999-013-2803-3.
Kennedy JW. Paper #82. Presented at: British Orthopaedic Association Congress. Oct.1-4, 2013. Birmingham, England.
Disclosure: Kennedy has no relevant financial disclosures.