[Joint replacement surgery in the elderly patient: where to draw the line for the indication?].

As a consequence of the fact that the population is getting progressively older it is to be expected that the numbers of aged patients requiring surgical interventions on the musculoskeletal system will continue to increase. The decision as to where to draw the line for surgical treatment must not be based on the calendar age of the patient, but should be taken by the patient him/herself after comprehensive counseling by the family doctor, surgeon and anesthetist, and an assessment of the impairment of his/her current quality of life. In the field of orthopedics, the majority of the relevant problems are arthritis of the larger joints (in particular the knee and hip joints), diseases of the vertebral column, and the sequelae of osteoporosis.