Total hip linked to increased life expectancy

Editor's Note

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is not only associated with improved quality of life but with increased life expectancy, this Swedish study finds.

Of 131,808 patients having THA from 1999 to 2012, survival was 1% better in the first year than those who did not have surgery. Survival increased to 3% at 5 years, and the difference was 2% at 10 years. At 12 years, survival was no longer different for THA patients compared to the general population.

The reasons for the increase in survival are unknown but are probably multifactorial, the authors say.

Hip replacements are successful in restoring mobility, reducing pain, and improving quality of life. However, the association between THA and the potential for increased life expectancy (as expressed by mortality rate) is less clear, and any such association could well be influenced by diagnosis and patient-related, socioeconomic, and surgical factors, which have not been well studied.