Will everyone need a knee or hip replacement eventually?

A person with anatomical issues is more likely to require a joint replacement, rather than just ageing. — TNS

As people age, their joints change.

Sometimes, this can lead to arthritis, causing pain in areas like the knees and hips.

However, Mayo Clinic orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rafael Sierra says that arthritis and joint replacements are not inevitable.

“The perception out there is that everybody’s going to need a replacement down the road, whether it’s knee or hip, everybody’s going to need some form of replacement.

“That’s not necessarily true,” he says.

He says that it’s not ageing, but anatomy, that will predispose people to knee or hip replacements later on in life.

Conditions like birth defects and structural issues, can increase the risk of hip or knee problems, which may result in the need for replacement.

“This is a perfect example: this patient that had a slip when they were very young.

“See, there’s an abnormal shape to the femur.

“And this abnormal shape will cause damage of this affected bone into the socket that would lead to hip arthritis,” says Dr Sierra.

Fortunately, joint replacements today are more successful than ever, thanks to precision robotic surgery.

“And today, with navigation systems, robotic systems, precision is what is now achievable in almost every patient,” he says. – By Deb Balzer/Mayo Clinic News Network/Tribune News Service