Project 176082

The main goal of the proposed study is to determine the nature and extent of physical, psychological, and radiographic changes in patients awaiting hip and knee replacement surgery. We propose that knowledge of the extent of physical, psychological, and radiographic changes of those awaiting these surgeries could provide input how rapidly they decline, the relationship between physical and psychological decline, and determine critical indicators of decline that could be amenable to treatment. The secondary goal of the study is to determine if physical or psychological change in the first three months on a wait list is predictive of the patients pre-surgery status. These goals will be achieved in a longitudinal study involving patients referred for first-time hip or knee replacement surgery to an academic health science centre. This study is part of an ongoing program of research in which the ultimate goal is to validate an original,surgical prioritization tool based on critical markers of decline, and develop and evaluate targeted conservative management strategies in order to prolong or alleviate the need for surgery for patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis.