Study: Total Knee Replacement Improves Balance, Relieves Pain
Reported March 15, 2010
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Total knee replacement (TKR) successfully relieves pain and improves function in patients with advanced knee arthritis, according to a new study. Researchers found the surgery also improves balance among elderly patients.
Balance is critical to the elderly, especially those with knee problems, Leonid Kandel, M.D., study author and orthopaedic surgeon, department of orthopaedic surgery, Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel was quoted as saying. This study reinforced our hypothesis about how an osteoarthritic patients function is compromised not only due to pain, but also by balance.
The study included 63 elderly patients, whom underwent TKR. One year after the surgery, researchers found progress in balance-determined motor tests and strong correspondences between balance and quality of life.
According to the study, tendency to fall and impaired balance are the top complaints among elderly who suffer from worn cartilage. In addition, researchers believe this study is very important because falls are the leading cause of injuries for older adults in the United States and can be fatal for many.
SOURCE: 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
