(RxWiki News) Patients who have total knee replacement surgery due to osteoarthritis may have a higher risk for hip fracture for years after their surgery, a new study found.
This study, which was led by Sahlgrenska Academy researchers and looked at 3,221 Swedish patients with osteoarthritis from 1987 to 2002, found that patients' risk for hip fracture rose by 4 percent after total knee replacement in the 10 years following the surgery. Risk for vertebral fracture rose by 19 percent.
Osteoarthritis is a painful condition marked by degeneration of the bone and cartilage in and around the joints. Some patients have to have their knees replaced to combat the pain associated with the condition.
The authors of this study theorized that the increased risk of fracture after surgery could be due to patients getting more activity due to reduced pain, as well as other potential explanations.
This study was published in the journal Osteoporosis International.
Information on funding sources and conflicts of interest was not available at the time of publication.
