Philadelphia Surgeons Work to Narrow Racial Disparities in Orthopaedic Surgery Treatment for Arthritis Pain Sufferers

Orthopaedic surgeons have plenty of examples of how joint replacement can dramatically improve an arthritis pain sufferer’s life. Patients in their 50s, 60s and 70s are able to return to simple pleasures, like taking walks, and even more physically challenging activities, such as dancing and working out at the gym. 

That’s why orthopaedic surgeons say hip and knee replacements are an optimal treatment for reducing debilitating arthritis pain and improving mobility. And with today’s less invasive procedures, incisions have become generally smaller and recovery times are often reduced.

"Less invasive has been defined as using smaller incisions,” said Dr. Charles Nelson, an orthopaedic surgeon with the University of Pennsylvania Presbyterian Medical Center. “But what is more important is to minimize the surgical trauma beneath the skin. Previously, in order to implant total hip and knee devices, a large exposure was needed. Now, with refined instruments and more experience, the same devices can be implanted with less exposure and less tissue trauma.”

Dr. Nelson continued, “These less invasive approaches combined with improved anesthetic and pain management regimens, as well as better rehabilitation programs allow patients to become mobile much faster following joint replacement surgery compared to the past.”

Despite the progress, according to the Arthritis Foundation, African American sufferers are two-thirds less likely than white patients to undergo joint replacement procedures to treat their arthritis pain. Research reported by the Foundation suggests differences in cultural and social factors contribute to the disparity.

That’s why Zimmer has partnered with orthopaedic surgeons like Dr. Nelson and Albert Einstein Medical Center’s Dr. John Williams, Jr., who perform less invasive procedures, to educate African American communities in the Philadelphia area about joint replacement options.

“I think the Zimmer campaign is tremendous,” Dr. Williams said. “Every day I see the difference [joint replacements] make in people’s lives. It’s like having a beautiful classic car with a flat tire. The car looks beautiful. It would run otherwise, but it can’t move. And so I know the difference that it makes. And it disturbs me that African Americans are not utilizing the technology to the best of their ability; so I want to help bridge that gap and get them in and back to a better quality of life.”

The campaign is designed to give patients the facts about joint replacement and to give them an opportunity in informal settings to speak with patients who have joint replacements and who have undergone the procedures. At the Back in the Groove Health Fair, patients will be joined by Drs. Nelson and Williams and other area orthopaedic surgeons, as well as other physicians who are affiliated with the Philadelphia Medical Society, a chapter of the National Medical Association. The physicians will offer free medical screenings and information about less invasive procedures and today’s advanced orthopaedic products.

“We understand the importance of identifying priority populations for public health interventions to narrow health disparities. This campaign, along with the pioneering strides Zimmer has made in the development of gender specific knee replacement technology, offers new hope to long-suffering arthritis patients,” said Zimmer Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Ray Elliott. “Zimmer has long been recognized as a leader in professional medical education, and with Back in the Groove, we are building on our commitment to educate and to enhance awareness of treatment options among a population that has not had access to such information.”