Men Face Higher Risks from Joint Replacement Surgery

Men undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA) are more likely than women to have an infection, early revision, or death as a result, according to analysis of a cohort of joint-replacement patients from administrative databases in Ontario.

A total of 97.445 patients received their first primary elective total hip artrhoplasty (THA) or total knee arthoplasty (TKA) between 2002 and 2009  – 41,023 males (42%) and 56,422 females (58%).

Men were more likely than women to have a THA (43% vs. 36%), more likely to come from a rural area (20% vs. 15%), and more likely to have a comorbidity (Charlson score of 2+, 5.5% vs. 3.5%).

After controlling for confounders, male TJA recipients were more likely to experience an infection (hazard ratio (HR 1.4), early revision (HR 1.2), or death (HR 1.3). They were equally likely to experience all other complications.