Women and Knee Replacement: Is It Right for You?

Knee replacement can help women with chronic knee pain get relief – and get back to the activities they enjoy. Women are three times more likely than men to continue living with pain rather than getting a needed knee replacement.¹ Since research shows that early diagnosis and treatment can result in better outcomes,² it’s important to not delay seeking treatment from an orthopaedic specialist if you have knee pain that is disrupting your life.

If you answer yes to any of the questions below, you should speak with your orthopaedic surgeon about knee replacement surgery.

• Does your knee hurt one or more days per week?
• Does the pain interfere with your sleep?
• Is it painful for you to walk more than a block?
• Are pain medications no longer working?
• Is knee pain limiting your participation in activities?
• Has inactivity from knee pain caused you to gain weight?
• Can you limit activities for a few months to recover from surgery?
• Are you willing to commit to work hard during your rehabilitation for a successful recovery?

Discuss your answers with your orthopaedic surgeon to learn more about your treatment options. To find an orthopaedic surgeon in your area, you may want to use our surgeon locator.

References:
1. Hawker, Gillian A., James G. Wright, Peter C. Coyte, J. Ivan Williams, Bart Harvey, Richard Glazier, and Elizabeth M. Badley. "Differences Between Men and Women in the Rate of Use of Hip and Knee Arthroplasty." The New England Journal of Medicine 342 (2000): 1016-1022.
2. “Timing of total joint replacement affects clinical outcomes among patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee,” Arthritis & Rheumatism, December 2002.

Last Updated: 12/14/2006