How to Prevent a Feared Complication After Joint Replacement

[esha]

Knee and hip replacements can improve how well patients get around and can significantly increase their quality of life. But if a bone near the new joint breaks, the injury can be a major setback for the patient's mobility, and the consequences can be life-threatening. The proportion of patients who experience a periprosthetic fracture within 5 years of total hip arthroplasty is 0.9%. After total knee arthroplasty (TKA), the proportion is 0.6%, research shows.

[Kirti]

@esha Primary care physicians, surgeons, and researchers are trying to identify risk factors, medication regimens, and nondrug approaches to avoid these complications. Primary care clinicians who make their patients' bone health a priority early on ― years before surgery, ideally ― may help patients enjoy the benefits of new joints long term.