Baby boomers a boon—and a burden—for orthopedic surgeons

As the baby boomer generation ages, more patients are seeking joint replacements. What could be a financial windfall for orthopedic surgeons and practices is beginning to become a problem as providers are struggling to keep up with the demand. 

As the Boston Globe reports, the hip replacements have nearly doubled between 2000 and 2014, from 160,282 to 371,605 per year, with knee replacements increasing at an even faster rate. Rates can vary wildly depending on payer, costing up to $50,000 for knee replacement surgeries and $40,000 for hips, but physicians have found baby boomers want to be able to stay active no matter what.

“They’re aging, they’ve had some injuries, and they want to continue to be active into their 60s, 70s and 80s. And they need a good joint to do that,” said David Mattingly, MD surgeon in chief at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston.

Mattingly’s hospital said it expects to perform a record 7,000 knee and hip replacements this year—six times what it performed in the mid-1980s, with some surgeons doing as many as 15 to 20 surgeries a week. There have been advancements to keep up with the demand, with implants now having a 90 percent chance of lasting 20 years.

Some companies are responding to the demand with more personalized options. Mark August, CEO of ConforMIS, said his firm uses 3D printing and imaging to tailor replacement joints to patients.

“The baby boomer explosion is a big deal in healthcare,” he said. “Technology has to be part of the solution. Baby boomers expect to be more active as they get older and have higher expectations about quality of life in their later years.”

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