How long do joint replacements last?

The usual estimate was that a replaced knee or hip should last about 10 to 15 years, but hopefully much longer. That was an average, of course. Rare complications requiring re-operation can occur soon after surgery; for others, a replaced joint can last two decades or more. And since it takes many years to know whether improved surgical techniques and materials have led to a longer joint life, it’s hard to know at any given time how long a replaced joint might last. A new study provides new estimates In February 2019, two large analyses were published in the medical journal Lancet regarding the longevity of replaced hips and knees, which included nearly 300,000 total knee replacements and more than 200,000 total hip replacements. They found encouraging results: Nearly 60% of hip replacements lasted 25 years, 70% lasted 20 years, and almost 90% lasted 15 years.rnTotal knee replacements lasted even longer: 82% lasted 25 years, 90% lasted 20 years, and 93% lasted 15 years. Newest Joint Replacement Implants One temptation of patients and surgeons alike is to be attracted to the newest hip & knee replacement on the market. Undoubtedly, this implant will claim to function better and last longer than other joint replacements. While these newer implants may be better, it is also important to understand they do not have long-term data on how well these implants will function over time. Ask any orthopedic surgeon about the implants they have seen come and go over the course of their career. Just because an implant is newer does not necessarily mean it is better.