Examining Timeliness of Total Knee Replacement Among Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis in the U.S.: Results from the OAI and MOST Longitudinal Cohorts.

Undergoing total knee replacement too early may result in little or no benefit while exposing the patient to the risks of a major operation, whereas waiting too long may cause limitations in physical activity that in turn increase the risk of additional disability and chronic disease; however, little is known about timing of this surgery. We quantified the extent of premature, timely, and delayed use, and found a high prevalence of both premature and delayed use.