Avoid having a joint replaced too young

Replacement knee and hip joints wear out like anything else, so the longer you have them, the greater the risk of further surgery.

A study based on the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink found that the lifetime risk of requiring revision surgery in patients who had a total hip replacement or knee replacement over the age of 70 was about 5%, with no difference between the sexes.

But the risk increased for younger patients – up to 35% for men in their early 50s – with large differences seen between male and female patients (15% lower for women in the same group).

Patients need to be aware of this.