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. 2022 Nov 1;5(11):e2241807.
doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.41807.

Long-term Cognitive Trajectory After Total Joint Arthroplasty

Maria Vassilaki  1 , Walter K Kremers  1 , Mary M Machulda  2 , David S Knopman  3 , Ronald C Petersen  1   3 , Mariana L Laporta  4 , Daniel J Berry  5 , David G Lewallen  5 , Hilal Maradit Kremers  1   5
Affiliations

Long-term Cognitive Trajectory After Total Joint Arthroplasty

Maria Vassilaki et al. JAMA Netw Open. .

Abstract

Importance: Individuals with total joint arthroplasty (TJA) have long-term exposure to metal-containing implants; however, whether long-term exposure to artificial implants is associated with cognitive function is unknown.

Objective: To compare long-term cognitive trajectories in individuals with and without TJA.

Design, setting, and participants: This population-based cohort study assessed serial cognitive evaluations of 5550 participants (≥50 years of age) from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging between November 1, 2004, and December 31, 2020.

Exposures: Total joint arthroplasty of the hip or the knee.

Main outcomes and measures: Linear mixed-effects models were used to compare the annualized rate of change in global and domain-specific cognitive scores in participants with and without TJA, adjusting for age, sex, educational level, apolipoprotein E ε4 carrier status, and cognitive test practice effects.

Results: A total of 5550 participants (mean [SD] age at baseline, 73.04 [10.02] years; 2830 [51.0%] male) were evaluated. A total of 952 participants had undergone at least 1 TJA of the hip (THA, n = 430) or the knee (TKA, n = 626) before or after entry into the cohort. Participants with TJA were older, more likely to be female, and had a higher body mass index than participants without TJA. No difference was observed in the rate of cognitive decline in participants with and without TJA until 80 years of age. A slightly faster cognitive decline at 80 years or older and more than 8 years from surgery was observed (b = -0.03; 95% CI, -0.04 to -0.02). In stratified analyses by surgery type, the faster decline was observed primarily among older participants with TKA (b = -0.04; 95% CI, -0.06 to -0.02).

Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study, long-term cognitive trajectories in individuals with and without TJA were largely similar except for a slightly faster decline among the oldest patients with TKA; however, the magnitude of difference was small and of unknown clinical significance.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Vassilaki reported receiving grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during the conduct of the study, receiving grants from F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and Biogen and consultant fees from F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd outside the submitted work, and being a stockholder in Abbott Laboratories, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, AbbVie, and Amgen. Dr Kremers reported receiving grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr Machulda reported receiving grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study. Dr Knopman reported receiving grants from Biogen and Lilly outside the submitted work. Dr Petersen reported receiving grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study and consulting fees from Roche, Merck, Biogen, Eisai, Genentech, and Nestlé outside the submitted work. Dr Berry reported receiving grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study and grants from the NIH and consulting fees, royalties, or honoraria from DePuy (a Johnson & Johnson company), Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer Health–Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Bodycad, and AO Recon outside the submitted work. Dr Lewallen reported receiving grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study and grants from Corin outside the submitted work; in addition, Dr Lewallen has patents with royalties paid from Zimmer Biomet and owns stock in Acuitive. Dr Maradit Kremers reported receiving grants from the NIH during the conduct of the study. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure.
Figure.. Global Cognitive z Score Trajectories From Linear Mixed Models by Age at Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) and Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA)
The lines correspond to mean global z scores for persons with 12 years of education.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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