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Data registry: younger orthopedics patients are no healthier than older ones
At the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons conference, FierceMedicalDevices reported on the efforts of joint replacement players like Zimmer to reach out to younger patients. Dr. David Ayers confirmed that those under 65 are the fastest growing segment of the market, but said the subgroup doesn't fit the industry stereotype of elderly athletes who are looking to preserve their mobility, citing registry data presented at the same conference about body mass index (BMI).
"At one point they may have been athletes, but at this point they're actually heavier, and have a higher BMI than the older patients," Ayers said in an interview. He added that the younger cohort has equally severe arthritis at the site of the diseased hip or knee joint, and worse arthritis overall than those over 65.
Force-TJR (Function and Outcomes Research for Comparative Effectiveness in Total Joint Replacement) also collected data on the patients' smoking status and "preoperative function," including not only the level of injury to their diseased joint, but also cardiac and lung function. Ayers said the data show that those metrics are a strong predictor of risk, and should be incorporated into the fed's decision-making regarding whether to penalize individual hospitals for having a high readmission rate. Read more here.
Last modified: Tue, 12 May 2015 14:35:34 BST