Prospective analysis of rural-urban differences in demographic patterns and outcomes following total joint replacement.

Objective: Little is known about whether rural-urban differences exist in patients after hip and knee joint replacement surgery. We compared patient characteristics, pain and functional outcomes of rural and urban patients undergoing joint replacement surgery in a single high-volume metropolitan centre.

Design: Prospective cohort study conducted in patients who underwent primary elective hip (THJR) or knee replacement (TKJR) between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2009.

Setting: A university-affiliated tertiary referral centre situated in the central metropolitan region of Melbourne, Australia.

Participants: One thousand nine hundred fifty-five consecutive patients undergoing primary total joint replacement.

Main Outcome Measure: Pain and function were assessed preoperatively and 12 and 24 months postoperatively. The main independent variable was geographic location specifically comparing patients residing in rural/regional compared with urban communities.

Results: A total of 2193 primary joint replacements were performed (981 THJR and 1212 TKJR) in 1955 patients. Rural patients presented at a younger age and with earlier radiographic disease than their urban counterparts. There was a higher rate of rheumatoid arthritis among rural patients presenting for TKJR. There was no difference in pain and function scores between groups at 12 and 24 months post-surgery.

Conclusion: In our series of 1955 patients undergoing total hip and knee joint replacement surgery, rural patients presented at a younger age and an earlier stage of disease progression. At 24 months, rural patients had pain and functional outcomes as good as their urban counterparts. More research is required to determine which factors lead to the early presentation of rural patients.