Justinas Stučinskas¹, Mantas Giedraitis¹, Jonas Marcinkevičius¹, Kazimieras Grigaitis¹, Šarūnas Tarasevičius¹, Alfredas Smailys¹

¹ Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Academy of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania 

Abstract

Introduction. The hip and knee joints are most often replaced joints both in Lithuania and around the world. Demonstrating excellent results in arthroplasty surgeries, expanding the list of indications and increasing life expectancy, the need for these surgeries is constantly growing. Orthopedic surgeons must know which implants and surgical techniques provide the best treatment results for their patients. Register data is very important for evaluating results at the national level. Therefore, in this article we will review the results of Lithuanian hip and knee arthroplasty and evaluate the quality of implants used in Lithuania according to international ratings.

Methodology: the results of Lithuanian hip and knee arthroplasty were evaluated using the data of the Lithuanian Arthroplasty Register. The analysis included all patients who underwent hip or knee replacement surgery in 2011-2021 period. Survival curves showing the total frequency of revisions were calculated using the life table statistics method. Also, to evaluate the quality of implants used in Lithuania according to the ODEP (Orthopedic Data Evaluation Panel) rating.

Results: from 2011 to 2021 performed 36,744 primary hip and 23,865 primary knee arthroplasty surgeries. Survival of hip arthroplasty 10 m. period was 94.96 percent (95 percent, confidence interval (CI) 94.47-95.40 percent) and the road was 96.54 percent (95 percent CI 96.17-96.87 percent). About 76 percent of hip arthroplasty systems and 90 percent of knee arthroplasty systems used in Lithuania have an ODEP rating.

Conclusions: the results of Lithuanian hip and knee arthroplasty are good, the survival over a 10-year period is about 95 percent and is similar to the results of other countries with extensive experience. A large part of the implants used in Lithuania have an international ODEP evaluation rating.

Keywords: hip arthroplasty, knee arthroplasty, register, implant survival.