If the number of orthopedic surgeons trained to perform these procedures continues at its current rate, by 2016, 46 percent of hip replacements and 72 percent of knee replacements needed by patients will not be able to be performed, according to a study cited in the release.
A second study cited in the release suggested that a significant reason for the growth in joint replacement is the increase in younger patients requiring the procedure. The demand for hip replacements alone is expected to double by 2010.
Read the AAOS’s release on the orthopedic surgeon shortage.
