The number of total joint replacements in the United States.

By comparing estimates from several sources an assessment can be made of the number of total joint replacement procedures performed annually in the United States. Approximately 80,000 hips and 40,000 knee joints were replaced in the U.S. during 1976. Total hip replacement has been accepted by the orthopedic community as an efficacious mode of treatment of the many painful and disabling forms of arthritis. A substantial patient population could benefit from perfection of designs for treating joints other than the hip.