U.S. racial minorities undergo fewer total knee replacements than white Americans, according to a study in Arthritis Care & Research. The study authors estimated quality-adjusted life years lost for black American end-stage knee osteoarthritis patients due to differences in being offered the option of TKR, acceptance and complication rates.
Here are three things to know:
1. The authors used the Osteoarthritis Policy Model, a computer simulation of knee OA, to predict QALY outcomes for white and black knee OA patients with and without TKR.
2. Black men and women gain 64,100 QALYs from current TKR use. If black men and women had equal access to total knee replacement and similar complication rates to white men and women, they would gain an additional 72,000 QALYs.
3. Black Americans lose 72,000 QALYs due to disparities in TKR offer and complication rates, reflecting a need for programs to reduce disparities in TKR use.
More articles on orthopedics:
Orthopedic surgeon to know: Dr. Gregory DiFelice of the Hospital of Special Surgery
Orthopedic surgeon to know: Dr. Richard Iorio of NYU Langone Medical Center