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Wait Times for Joint Replacement

Joint Replacement Wait Times

Arthritis is the leading cause of joint replacement surgeries, including 99 per cent of knee replacements and more than 70 per cent of hip replacements. These surgeries drastically change the quality of life of Canadians living with arthritis, giving them back their mobility and allowing them to return to work and normal activities without constant and devastating pain.

To address this urgent health crisis, Arthritis Society Canada brought together a pan-Canadian group of leading clinicians, advocates and health system leaders to analyze the situation and propose a wide range of potential solutions.

In June 2021, the report, The Wait: Addressing Canada’s Critical Backlog of Hip and Knee Replacement Surgeries was released, making the case for a new and innovative approach to delivering more efficient and patient-centred care for joint replacement surgeries.

We are pleased governments listened and took action on several of our recommendations. More work is still urgently needed. According to the most recent report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, 38 per cent of Canadians did not receive their hip or knee joint replacement surgery within the recommended time of six months.

Arthritis Society Canada, through meetings with government officials and health system leaders and our ongoing advocacy campaign, continues to call on governments to take bold action to solve this crisis.

For further information, please see our position statement [PDF 576kB] on wait times.

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