Epidemiology of hip & knee replacement across Pakistan: Multicenter cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Hip and knee arthroplasty are common procedures for joint degeneration.
• Understanding the prevalence of these surgeries is crucial for healthcare planning in Pakistan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the predictive prevalence of hip and knee arthroplasty in Pakistan.
• To analyze trends in arthroplasty procedures over a seven-year period.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study utilizing data from the Pakistan National Joint Registry (PNJR) (2014-2021).
• Inclusion of fourteen high-volume centers across Pakistan.
• Statistical analysis using Stata v.16, reporting means, standard deviations, frequencies, and proportions.

Main Results:

• A total of 9,572 total knee replacements (TKR) were performed, with a rate of 9.57/100,000 population.
• The average age for TKR patients was 61.7±8.95 years, with 69.5% females.
• A total of 2,265 total hip replacements (THR) were performed, with a rate of 2.26/100,000 population.
• The average age for THR patients was 50.7±15.4 years, with 62% males.

Conclusions:

• This is the first epidemiological study on arthroplasty rates in Pakistan using registry data.
• Knee arthroplasty procedures significantly outnumber hip arthroplasty procedures in Pakistan.
• The findings highlight a higher demand for knee replacement surgeries compared to hip replacements within the Pakistani population.