Comparison of lifetime incremental cost:utility ratios of surgery relative to failed medical management for the treatment of hip, knee and spine osteoarthritis modelled using 2-year postsurgical values

Background Demand for surgery to treat osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip, knee and spine has risen dramatically. Whereas total hip (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have been widely accepted as cost-effective, spine surgeries (decompression, decompression with fusion) to treat degenerative conditions remain underfunded compared with other surgeries.