Introduction
TKR, weight loss, Osteoarthritis, OA
DISEASE, OSTEOARTHRITIS
Osteoarthritis (OA) affects approximately 1 in 11 Australians and in 2017–18 OA cost the Australian health system an estimated $3.5 billion, representing 28% of disease expenditure on musculoskeletal conditions and 3% of total disease expenditure [The most prominent determinant for receiving TKR is a patient’s willingness for surgery which is influenced largely by sociodemographic factors and severity of OA symptoms [The aim of this study is to estimate orthopaedic cost savings to Private Health Insurers (PHIs) arising from a reduction in willingness for surgery post participation in an education, exercise and weight loss intervention. Better Knee, Better Me (BKBM) is a remotely delivered OA management program designed to change the path of care for Australians affected by OA, through exercise consultations with a physiotherapist, dietitian consultations and a very low-calorie ketogenic diet [