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Patients with degenerative arthritis had better survival after THA or TKA vs general population
Patients with degenerative arthritis who underwent total hip or knee arthroplasty experienced better survival compared with the general population for about 8 years after surgery, according to results.
Researchers followed 1,645 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 1,980 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA) between January 1969 and December 2008. All patients had degenerative arthritis and were followed until death or August 2014, according to researchers. Researchers compared observed and expected survival using standardized mortality ratios.
Results showed significantly lower overall age-and sex-adjusted mortality after both THA and TKA compared with the general population. Although researchers noted low relative mortality within the first 8 years of surgery, patients who underwent TKA had a worsening of relative mortality beyond 15 years. According to results, both short- and long-term mortality improved during calendar time, with TKA showing improvement about a decade earlier vs. THA. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosures: Kremers reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.