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It is public knowledge, that the world population is aging, and that the birth rate has been decreasing, especially in Europe. In Portugal, according to statistics divulged by the Portuguese Statistics Institute (INE - Instituto Nacional de Estatística), in 2007, and for the first time this decade, the number of deaths was higher than the number of births, having died 103.512 people and having been born only 102.492.
In total the population of Portugal is 10.617.575, of which, elderly people (people over 65 years of age) constitute 17,4% of the total population. Young people (under 15 years of age) are 15,3%. The aging rate is 114, which means that there are 114 elderly people for each 100 young people.
The World Health Organization says that in a few years, half of the Earth’s population will be over 50 years old.
In this context, the degenerative diseases of the joints, namely of the lower limbs, because they support the weight of the body, will augment in the same proportion.
One of these diseases, osteoarthritis (or arthritis), is one of the most frequent ones, and it is responsible for pain and progressive functional incapacity of the hip or knee.
In the case if hip it is called coxarthrosis.
In order to treat the pain and improve the functional capacity of the joint, so that the person can go back to his/her activity and gain some quality of life, it is frequently proposed a surgical treatment called arthroplasty.
An arthroplasty is the replacement of a sick joint for an implant.
If that is your case, you may be interested in knowing the following:
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Rua dos Aventureiros
Nº 19 B
Parque das Nações
1990-024 LISBOA
PORTUGAL
Tel. 21 895 86 66
E-mail: rpa@spot.pt
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