Rochester, N.Y. - A new study, completed in part by a University of Rochester researcher, shows that knee replacement surgeries increased by 142 percent among Medicare patients in the past 20 years.
Those knee replacements come with a $5 billion annual price tag.
The amount of knee replacement surgeries is expected to grow because of the number of aging baby boomers.
University of Rochester researcher Dr. Stephen Kates co-authored the study. Dr. Kates said knee replacement surgery has become one of the most expensive diagnoses. because it is growing disproportionately to the population.
