Hip and knee replacement.
OBJECTIVE
This article examines trends in hip and knee replacement surgery between 1981/82 and 1998/99, focussing on procedures involving seniors. It also presents 1998/99 data on readmissions within 30 days.


METHODS
Data on hip and knee replacement are from the Hospital Morbidity Database for 1981/82 through 1998/99. The Person-oriented Information Database is used to examine readmissions in 1998/99. Supplementary data on arthritis are from the 1998/99 National Population Health Survey.


METHODS
Hospitalization rates were calculated by dividing the number of hip and knee surgery separations by the population estimates for the relevant age/sex group and multiplying by 100,000. Population estimates for 1998 were used to calculate age-adjusted hospitalization rates.


RESULTS
Between 1981/82 and 1998/99, the numbers and rates of hip and knee replacement increased substantially, while length of stay for both procedures declined. By 1998/99, knee replacements outnumbered those for hip. Both procedures had relatively low in-hospital mortality and post-surgery complication rates.
Millar
Wayne J
WJ
Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. wayne.millar@statcan.ca
D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000639:trends*; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000639:trends*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D015995:Prevalence