Demand for joint replacements, surgery once confined largely to patients well past retirement age, has been growing rapidly in recent years among a class of people doctors have dubbed “young actives’’ - those in the 45 to 64 age group who try to stay fit. Many still imagine the patient profile for artificial knees and hips, the most common joint replacement, as overweight older people seeking more comfort while cooking in the kitchen or watching their grandchildren’s soccer games or ballet recitals. But the patients seen by physicians today are just as likely to be athletic fiftysomethings who have run marathons and are looking to resume biking, skiing, or playing tennis.

Comments

djm71

02/28/2012 07:11 AM

This is a very misleading title. It suggests people who get joint replacements are simply wanting to be able to jog to the coffee shop and continue their lifestyle. It's more about being able to walk across the room without pain, walk from the house to the car without pain, and sleep through the night without pain. Nobody gets a joint replacement of any kind as a way to stay in some kind of game.