Out of Joint

Women Wait Longer Than Men To Have Joint Replacement Surgery. And That’s Not Good.

About 60 percent of joint replacement surgeries are performed on women. After all, compared to men, women have a higher rate of arthritis, which is the leading cause of joint replacement.

For some reason, however, women tend to wait much longer than men to have the surgery. Because of this delay, the arthritic condition is usually much more serious and the joint (the hip or knee in most cases) has more damage. As a result, women are less likely than men to gain full mobility after the surgery.

So why do women wait longer for joint replacement surgery? No one knows for sure, but it’s probably a combination of reasons. Some experts have speculated that women are just tougher than men and better able to handle the pain of arthritis.

Whatever the reason, the message is clear: women need to consider much sooner the possibility of having joint replacement surgery, which is now a common medical procedure available at most hospitals. More than seven million American are walking around today with an artificial knee or hip and that number is growing. Indeed, about one million Americans will have total joint replacement surgery this year alone.

If you’re a woman experiencing pain in your knee, hip or shoulder or having difficulty walking or climbing steps, don’t wait. Talk to your primary care physician or make an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon to see if joint replacement surgery is right for you.