The BMJ—May 11, 2017
In a 'Letter to the Editor' published by The BMJ, HSS faculty including Catherine H. MacLean, MD, PHD, chief value medical officer; Douglas E. Padgett, MD, chief of the adult reconstruction and joint replacement service; Steven B. Haas, MD, chief of knee service; and Alexander S. McLawhorn, MD, MBA, adult reconstruction and joint replacement surgeon, responded to a published study questioning the effectiveness of total knee replacement.
The original study's conclusion said that total knee replacement has minimal effect on quality of life and is not cost effective. HSS faculty responded by stating "these comments overstate the findings of the Ferket study (1), namely that in a cohort of patients with mild osteoarthritis, TKA had little impact on function or quality of life."
Additionally, HSS faculty said "in the HSS cohort, TKA was highly effective in reducing pain and improving functional status. Numerous other studies have likewise demonstrated the effectiveness of TKA among patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis."
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