Extract
Based on existing research evidence, total knee replacement (TKR) is a safe
and cost-effective treatment for alleviating pain and restoring physical
function in patients who do not respond to nonsurgical therapies. There are
few contraindications to this surgery as it is currently used. Overall, TKR
has been shown to be a very successful, relatively low-risk therapy despite
variations in patient health status and characteristics, type of prosthesis
implanted, orthopaedic surgeons, and surgical facilities. Improvements can be
made in overall success of TKR by addressing each of these areas of variation
through further research. Each year, approximately 300,000 TKR surgeries are
performed in the United States for end-stage arthritis of the knee joint. As
the number of TKR surgeries performed each year increases and the indications
for TKR extend to younger as well as older patients, a review of available
scientific information is necessary to enhance clinical decision-making and
stimulate further research.