10 October 2017 - A group of 122 orthopaedic surgeons had worse outcomes for hip and knee replacements than their peers, a landmark analysis has found, but substandard prostheses were often to blame.

The data from the National Joint Replacement Registry has also shown differences between public and private hospitals, raising the need for further scrutiny to determine the reasons for such variation and what can be done to prevent adverse outcomes.

With the ageing population and high rate of obesity, there is increased demand for knee and hip replacements. The cost of such procedures is forcing authorities to seek savings across the system — such as through the private sector’s Prostheses List — and ensure patients get the best results possible with their first operation.

Read The Australian article