Did You Know? Facts

• Joint replacement has been found to result in significant restoration of function and reduction in pain in over 90% of patients.¹
• Younger and more active patients are undergoing joint replacement earlier, driving the need for high-technology implants that last longer and support active lifestyles.¹
• The majority of joint replacement osteoarthritis patients feel that their joint replacement feels normal (47%) or natural (33%). Overall, there has been an improvement in quality of life, participation in activities, and emotions toward the condition since joint replacement surgery.)²
• Before joint replacement surgery, osteoarthritis patients had difficulty performing a wide range of routine tasks, especially physical exercise and sports (89%) or carrying out daily chores (69%).²

About Hip Replacement

• Approximately 300,000 hip replacements are performed in the U.S. each year.³
• 64% of hip replacement patients are women.⁴
• 33% of hip replacement patients are between the ages of 40 and 64.⁴

About Knee Replacement

• Approximately 500,000 knee replacements are performed in the U.S. each year.³
• 64% of knee replacement patients are women.⁴
• 33% of total knee replacement patients are between the ages of 40 and 64.⁴

About Arthritis

• Approximately 46 million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis or a related disorder.⁵
• Nearly 33 million Americans suffer from Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that is a leading cause of joint replacement surgery.⁵
• Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S.⁵
• By 2010, 39.7 million Americans (13.2 percent) will be 65 years old and over, and by 2030, up to 20 percent of the U.S. population will be over age 65.⁶
• Knees are the most commonly injured part of the body as a result of sporting activities. Individuals with knee injuries have a six-fold greater risk of developing osteoarthritis, which is the leading cause of joint replacement.¹
• It is estimated that by the year 2020, 60 million people in the United States will have arthritis.⁷
• Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms usually begin in middle age, but can occur in individuals in their 20s and 30s.⁵
• Rheumatic diseases are the leading cause of disability among persons age 65 and older.⁷
• Rheumatoid arthritis, the most crippling form of arthritis, affects approximately 2.1 million Americans and two to three times more women than men. Further, the average onset for rheumatoid arthritis is between the ages of 20 and 45 years old.⁷

More Interesting Facts

• For every pound of body weight you gain, your knees gain three pounds of added stress; for hips, each pound translates into six times the pressure on the joints.⁵
• With every step you take, your moving body puts pressure roughly equal to three times your weight on your hips and knees.⁸

References:

1. Merrill Lynch Orthopaedic Industry Report, 2002.
2. Harris Interactive® Patient Study commissioned & conducted by Stryker, September 2003.
3. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
4. Ortho Fact Book™ US 3rd Edition. Knowledge Enterprises, 2002-2003.
5. Arthritis Foundation.
6. U.S. Census Bureau, 2000a; U.S. Census Bureau, 2000b.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Arthritis Foundation.
8. “The Age of Arthritis,” Time Magazine, December 9, 2002.