Knee Replacement News

In this Feb. 10, 2012 photo, Jane Byron poses for a photograph in a park near her home in the Queens borough of New York.

In this Feb. 4, 2012 photo, Donna Brent, 63, works out her leg at her home in Deerfield, Ill.

Today in the USA, 4.5 million people are living with a total knee replacement, according to a presentation made by experts from the Orthopedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass.

In the 2/10/2012 edition of USA Today, journalist Janice Lloyd presented a number of sobering stats for baby boomers.

That finding by a team of Duke and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill researchers, published Friday in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, suggests that if a method can be found to halt the breakdown of knee tissue, then the body itself may be able to reverse damage from osteoarthritis.

State Democratic Convention This Weekend California Democrats are headed to San Diego for this weekend's state party convention They agree on the big issues this year, including the need for additional tax dollars to help fund public schools and other programs.

More Americans are getting total knee replacements than ever before, according to the first national estimate of the procedure's frequency.

A soaring demand for new knees from aging Baby Boomers wanting to dance through Zumba workouts or zip down ski slopes is likely to lead to additional, more costly surgeries, according to a new report.

Winter Weather Advisory issued February 10 at 3:57AM EST expiring February 11 at 12:00PM EST in effect for: Anderson; Bourbon; Clark; Fayette; Franklin; Harrison; Henry; Jessamine; Mercer; Nelson; Nicholas; Oldham; Scott; Shelby; Spencer; Trimble; Washington; Woodford Winter Weather Advisory issued February 10 at 3:30AM EST expiring February 11 at ... (more)

Nearly 1 in 20 Americans older than 50 have artificial knees, or more than 4 million people, according to the first national estimate showing how common these replacement joints have become in an aging population.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, there are about 270,000 knee replacement operations performed each year in the United States, about 70% of them on people over the age of 65.

Knee OA, the condition is significantly more severe in women compared to men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

While total knee replacements make up a substantial share of the joint replacement market, partial knee replacements are growing in popularity among doctors and patients, according to experts from Santa Cruz Orthopaedic Institute.

From 1979--2002, the rate of knee replacement procedures in that age group increased eightfold.

In the race to create longer-lasting and less-painful artificial joints, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers are exploring whether nanodiamond coatings can reduce wear on joints made of metal alloys.

Former Topeka resident Robert Faught Jr. has written a book about joint pain and its treatment from a patient's perception.

"If they had the scars, I'd ask if they had knee-replacement surgery," said Hess, who lives in Wesleyville.

Newswise - Nanodiamonds designed to toughen artificial joints also might prevent the inflammation caused when hardworking metal joints shed debris into the body, according to an early study published this week in the journal Acta Biomaterialia .

Not long ago Wisconsin looked at knee replacements. Much to its surprise, it found a 1,000 percent variation in the cost of the procedure around the Badger State.

With its aging yet increasingly active population, the United States has experienced a proliferation of total knee replacements in recent years, necessitating increased testing to prevent device failures.