Doctors replace more than a million hips and knees each year in the U.S. There is tremendous competition for joint replacement candidates and many Hospitals and Orthopedic practices use our Joint Replacement Prospects list.
There is no such list of people who raised their hands saying “I want someone to call me tomorrow regarding joint replacement surgery”. But there are lists of people with arthritis; avid tennis players or weekend warriors who are excellent joint replacement prospects.
Here is some research on Best joint replacement prospects for Hip / Knee Replacement Surgery
Total Hip Replacement Surgery
is generally reserved for those patients with osteoarthritis that is particularly severe and unresponsive to the conservative treatments. In some cases, severely degenerated joints are best treated by fusion (arthrodesis) or replacement with an artificial joint (arthroplasty). Total hip and total knee replacements are now commonly performed in community hospitals throughout the United States. These can bring dramatic pain relief and improved function.
We offer lists of individuals with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis that can be refined by age and geography.
Knee Replacement Survey
The most common cause of chronic knee pain and disability is arthritis. Although there are many types of arthritis, most knee pain is caused by just three types: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis.
- Osteoarthritis. This is an age-related “wear and tear” type of arthritis. It usually occurs in people 50 years of age and older, but may occur in younger people, too. The cartilage that cushions the bones of the knee softens and wears away. The bones then rub against one another, causing knee pain and stiffness.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. This is a disease in which the synovial membrane that surrounds the joint becomes inflamed and thickened. This chronic inflammation can damage the cartilage and eventually cause cartilage loss, pain, and stiffness. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of a group of disorders termed “inflammatory arthritis.”
- Post-traumatic arthritis. This can follow a serious knee injury. Fractures of the bones surrounding the knee or tears of the knee ligaments may damage the articular cartilage over time, causing knee pain and limiting knee function.
There are no absolute age or weight restrictions for total knee replacement surgery, however recommendations for surgery are based on a patient’s pain and disability, not age.
Most patients who undergo total knee replacement are age 50 to 80, but orthopedic surgeons evaluate patients individually. Total knee replacements have been performed successfully at all ages, from the young teenager with juvenile arthritis to the elderly patient with degenerative arthritis.
List selects for this include Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, avid tennis players, runners, and sports enthusiasts, age 50-75.