Jan. 9, 2023 -- When she was 12 years old, Daniela Banus de Veer fell from a balcony in her native Venezuela, shattering her femur. Following recovery from a complicated surgery that involved pins and plates, she was able to move on with her life, even qualifying for the 2000 Olympic trials in swimming. But Banus de Veer always still knew she was likely on borrowed time for an eventual hip replacement surgery.
Having lost blood supply to the head of her femur following the accident, Banus de Veer's doctors told her to hold out as long as possible for hip replacement. She did just that until eventually, Banus de Veer began to walk with a limp, holding her femur, in pain with every step. It impacted her quality of life every day, so at the age of 32, Banus de Veer began looking for surgeons.
Eventually, she found one and moved forward with the operation. The results have been nothing short of amazing, she says.
“Two hours after the procedure I was up walking around with no pain,” she says. “I did two sessions of physical therapy in the hospital, and then was home the next day.”
Banus de Veer represents a trend: Joint replacement is an increasingly viable option for a more youthful population. According to a study released in 2018 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), the mean age of primary total hip replacement has declined from 66.3 years to 64.9, and from 68 years to 65.9 for knee replacement surgery.
