Abstract
Since total replacement with artificial joints was introduced as surgical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (hereinafter referred to as RA), it has been possible to rehabilitate patients with severe RA who have become unable to walk and become bedridden. On the other hand, however, there seems to be a tendency to apply this treatment without sufficient consideration because of its favorable results in postoperative short term courses.
Investigation was made on five patients who became bedridden after they had undergone polyarticular replacement for hip and knee joints. The patients consisted of one man and four women whose ages ranged from 50 to 68 years with a mean of 61 years. They had been suffering from the disease for 10 to 30 years with a mean of 16 years. Three of them died 1.5, 2 and 6 years (4 months after re-replacement), after the operation. The cause of death was cardiac insufficiency in two patients and cerebral infraction in one. The patients had become bedridden due to internal complications including acute hepatitis, gastric ulcer and hypothyroidism (due to chronic thyroiditis) or infections in artificial knee joints.
