According to a new study from researchers at Duke University, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures performed in older patients with osteoarthritis of the knee result in long-term, significant improvement of physical functioning and motor skills when compared to patients who do not receive TKA.

Published in the July 2009 issue of Medical Care, the study examined physical functioning and gauged outcomes in a national sample of Americans aged 65 and older for up to four years-a longer period than previous TKA studies. Relative to the untreated comparison group, recipients of total knee replacements experienced significant improvement in function, including a 17.5% increase in mobility, a 39.3% improvement in motor skills; and a 46.9% decrease in limitations in activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing oneself.

The number of total knee replacements performed in the United States has increased dramatically since 1990; currently 581,000 such procedures are performed every year. This number is expected to increase markedly as Baby Boomers age.

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Australia’s aged care homes urgently need more qualified nurses to provide residents with the care they deserve, the AMA said today. The AMA has been consistently calling for a minimum ratio of registered nurses to residents be made an aged care Accreditation standard.

“It is vital that more nurses are employed in aged care homes to provide elderly people with the care that they need and deserve,” AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said.

“It is not good enough for nurses to be replaced with personal care workers who provide a very important, but different role.”

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