Ageing and orthopaedics

The population in the UK is changing, increasing overall as well as seeing arise in people over 65 years. This is predictable and most likely due to improvements in lifestyle and healthcare. This change will place our social and healthcare systems in the UK under increasing duress. Orthopaedics will, in all likelihood, see an impact on both elective care as well as in the trauma side of the services we provide. Caring for this elderly group of patients will mean that our current therapeutic pathways will have to be modified. This article aims to give a better understanding of the changes that are likely as well as some strategies that can be developed to meet these challenges.