SAN DIEGO , March 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Living with osteoarthritis not only affects a person's quality of life but can greatly impact their spouse's quality of life. A new study found that spouses experience significant improvements in quality of life after their partner undergoes total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA). Presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' (AAOS) 2025 Annual Meeting, it is among the first to demonstrate this positive impact.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, causing joint pain, stiffness and swelling and affecting 33 million adults in the United States . i As the cartilage at the end of the bones gradually wears away, it causes pain that can worsen over time. It mainly occurs in those who are middle age and older and may eventually lead to the need for hip or knee replacement.
ii As the U.S. population grows, THA and TKA have become more common, with approximately 544,000 THAs and 790,000 TKAs taking place each year.
iii The issues associated with osteoarthritis not only affect patients but also their spouses. With the rising number of hip and knee replacements, spouses have increasingly become the primary caregivers following surgery as total joint arthroplasty has moved to outpatient surgery, shifting the responsibility from the healthcare team to the patient's family. iv,v,vi Studies have shown that spouses of those with chronic pain have a lower quality of life and higher levels of depression.
iv,v "A lot of .
