Demographics of Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in Nepal: An Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction: Hip and knee arthroplasty surgeries are essential for treating end-stage osteoarthritis, providing significant functional improvements. Despite a global rise in these procedures, Nepal lacks a National Joint Registry, resulting in a gap in tracking the exact number of surgeries, outcomes, and complications. This study aims to address this gap regarding the demographics of hip and knee arthroplasties in Nepal.
Methods: An observational study was conducted after obtaining the ethical approval from the Nepal Health Research Council (Reference number: 2024/136)  with data collected from prosthesis supplier. The study included all primary hip and knee arthroplasties performed in 2022 and 2023, excluding revision cases and those requiring mega prostheses. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel for descriptive statistics.
Results: There were a total of 1259 surgeries, 916 (72.77%) total knee replacements were performed, with a female predominance of 741 (81.42%) and a median age of 67 years(IQR: 62-71). There were 343 (27.23%) total hip replacements surgeries of which 200 (58.31%) were done in males. Most surgeries 1148 (91.18%) occurred within the Kathmandu Valley.
Conclusions: Total knee arthroplasty accounted for the majority of cases, showing a predominance of female patients with the majority of surgeries in the capital city.