Women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may have a more successful outcome after total knee or hip replacement surgery, according to recently released research. In a study published in the March Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, taking HRT after total knee or hip arthroplasty was linked with an almost 40 percent decrease in revision surgery later. Compared with those who did not take HRT, the HRT group had a marked decrease in implant failure at three years. And the risk reduction reached approximately 50 percent for those who took HRT for at least a year after surgery. One of the most common reasons why joint replacements fail after the first year is due to aseptic loosening, which can result from osteolysis (bone resorption) or bone loss due to chronic inflammation. HRT has been shown to block resorption of bone. The study looked at more than 24,000 women with a mean age of 65 who underwent primary total knee or hip arthroplasty. The findings encourage research of antiresorptive agents, such as bisphosphonates, which might improve outcomes following joint replacement surgery.
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