Changing willingness for joint replacement surgery after education and exercise for osteoarthritis

What is it about?

This study followed over 55,000 people with hip or knee osteoarthritis in Sweden who completed a 3-month education and exercise program. Many participants changed their minds about wanting joint replacement surgery after the program. Those who became unwilling to have surgery were 20% less likely to get it within 5 years and delayed surgery by over a year, on average. The findings suggest that interventions that can change willingness to undergo surgery may delay and reduce future joint replacements.

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Our findings show that shifting willingness for joint replacement surgery in people with osteoarthritis could delay joint replacement surgery and lead to a reduction in the number of surgeries, potentially contributing to substantial economic savings. A simple question about willingness for surgery can be used as a proxy measure of progression to actual surgery in the short-medium term following an intervention, which could be used to help clinicians identify patients who may benefit from additional support to help them avoid or delay surgery in the future.