For Baby Boomers, a New Kind of Joint

“Joint replacement used to be about doing the things you needed to do — literally, being able to walk. Now, younger patients are coming and saying, ‘I want to continue playing tennis, skiing, golfing, or coaching little league and don’t want to be sidelined by pain or disability,’” says Dr. Haas, who is chief of the knee service at Hospital for Special Surgery….

“Joint replacement used to be about doing the things you needed to do — literally, being able to walk. Now, younger patients are coming and saying, ‘I want to continue playing tennis, skiing, golfing, or coaching little league and don’t want to be sidelined by pain or disability,’” says Dr. Haas, who is chief of the knee service at Hospital for Special Surgery….

Across the United States, baby boomers’ passion for competing in marathons, triathlons, basketball and tennis has worn out knees, hips and shoulders in middle age. As a result, this group is undergoing joint replacement sooner to get on with their lives. At Hospital for Special Surgery, 27 percent of knee replacements in 2009 were for people under the age of 60.

Full article on why knee replacements and hip surgeries are on the rise.