More than 7 million Americans are living
with an artificial knee or hip, which may have significant future
implications in terms of the need for ongoing patient care, according to
new research. Two related studies also found a growing incidence of
adults younger than age 65 undergoing total knee replacement (TKR) and
total hip replacement (THR) surgeries, and a potential underutilisation
of these procedures in some segments of the population. Researchers
reviewed THR and TKR incidence rates, mortality rates and relative
mortality rates (the difference in survival between THR and TKR patients
and the general population), over a 40-year time period, to estimate
2010 prevalence rates according to age, sex and time since surgery.
Researchers found that approximately 0.8 per cent of Americans are
living with a hip replacement, and 1.5 per cent with a knee replacement.
More women are living with prosthetic hips and knees than men, they
found. The study also shows that prevalence of THR and TKR among adults
aged 50 and older is as high as 2.3 and 4.6 per cent, respectively.
The prevalence of THR rises to nearly 6 per cent by 80 years of age. The
prevalence of TKR rises to nearly 10 per cent by 80 years of age. The
states with the highest number of THR and TKR patients are California,
Florida and Texas; the two states with the lowest numbers are Alaska and
Hawaii, the study found. "This study shows that around 7 million
Americans have a hip or knee replacement," said Daniel Berry, professor
of orthopaedics at Mayo Clinic and the senior study author. "This large
number highlights how these operations have kept a substantial part of
our population mobile despite severe arthritis, something that wouldn't
have been possible before these technologies were available. "These
relatively high prevalence estimates also highlight the significant
ongoing need to care for all of the patients with total hip and knee
replacement," said Berry.
Difficulty or inability to write a coherent text message, even in people who have no problem speaking, may become a "vital" tool in diagnosing a type of crippling stroke, according to a new research. Scientists at Henry Ford Hospital focused on a 40-year-old man visiting the metro Detroit area on business who showed signs of "dystextia," a recently coined term for incoherent text messaging that can sometimes be confused with autocorrect garble. But in his case, the man saw nothing wrong with the garble. The patient had no problem with a routine bedside test of his language abilities - including fluency of speech, reading, writing, comprehension and other factors. However, when asked to type a simple text message, he not only produced garble, but he was unable to see it as such. Despite showing only slight facial asymmetry and no other symptoms, doctors determined the man had suffered an acute ischemic stroke, in which a clot or other blockage cuts off blood supply t...
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