| Title: | Sex and Age Affect Progression to Total Knee Arthroplasty After Cartilage Surgery: A UK Biobank Cohort Study |
| Journal: | Cartilage |
| Published: | 29 Jun 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42370515/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1177/19476035261450100 |
Publication 20508
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Abstract
ObjectiveEvaluate the association of sex and age at surgery with time to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) following knee cartilage surgery in UK Biobank (UKB) participants.DesignParticipants with a history of knee cartilage surgery were classified into four surgical subgroups: cartilage repair, debridement, microfracture, and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Time from index surgery to primary TKA in each group was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the sexes compared using log-rank tests. Cox proportional hazards regression evaluated associations between age at surgery, sex, and surgery type with risk of progression to TKA.ResultsThe study included 1,967 males and 1,741 females. Log-rank testing demonstrated significant sex-based differences in time to TKA following debridement (P = 0.002) and microfracture (P = 0.003), with shorter TKA-free survival observed in females. Cox regression showed that female sex was associated with a higher hazard of progression to TKA compared with male sex (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.19, P = 0.021). Increasing age at surgery was associated with increased risk (HR = 1.05 per year, P < 0.0001).ConclusionFemale sex and older age at surgery were associated with a higher risk of progression to TKA following cartilage surgery. Sex-specific differences in time to TKA were most evident after debridement and microfracture. These findings describe associations observed within the constraints of available UKB data.</p>
6 Authors
- Nicola J. Kuiper
- Charlotte H. Hulme
- Martyn Snow
- Martin Frisher
- Karina T. Wright
- Jan Herman Kuiper
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 280752 | Big data analyses of the long-term benefits of knee articular cartilage surgery |
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