Individuals with Total Joint Replacement or Total Joint Arthroplasty Are at Lower Risk for Fall, Study Suggests

Nov, 2020 - By WMR

According to a new study led by a team of researchers have suggested that individuals who underwent total joint arthroplasty (TJA) or total joint replacement, are at lower risk of experiencing falls, in comparison to people without the surgery. Moreover, osteoarthritis (OA) can be defined as the deterioration of cartilage in the joints over the years. Researchers also suggested that with increasing wear and tear, patients fail their motion range. In this condition, patient are unable to turn their toes easily, bend their hips or lift their legs high due to physical limits, including pain, which further results in falls and fractures. Total joint replacement (TJA) is a surgical procedure, where damaged joint is replaced with artificial joint to restore function in individuals.

In the study, researchers used data of around 500,000 OA patients from New York database. They found that patients underwent total hip or total knee replacements, and later, researchers compared their fall rates with individuals without any surgeries. Later, researchers revealed that patients who underwent TJA encountered fell far less, in comparison to those individuals without any surgery. This further indicates that TJA is important for patients with OA to prevent themselves for future falls.

Dr. Ran Schwarzkopf, lead author stated, “TJA will allow patients to go back to the daily activities they may have avoided due to pain and restricted range of motion. They are able to go back to the point in their lives when they can do activities, such as hiking, riding a bicycle or even walking their dog, without having to think about whether it will cause them physical pain or rely as heavily on ambulatory aids and caregivers.”