The National Joint Registry (NJR) collects information about hip, knee, ankle, elbow and shoulder joint replacement operations from all participating hospitals in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The registry records surgical procedure information and produces outcome data, analysis and reporting on the performance and longevity of replacement joint implants; the surgical outcomes for the hospitals where these operations are carried out, and on the performance outcomes of the surgeons who conduct the procedures.
The purpose and work of the NJR is to enable continual clinical improvement for the benefit of patients, clinicians, and the orthopaedic sector as a whole. Described as a global exemplar of an implantable medical device registry and ‘the jewel in the crown of patient safety initiatives’, the NJR continues to be the largest national orthopaedic registry in the world, with an acclaimed international reputation. The NJR generates insights that have improved safety and outcomes for countless patients. Orthopaedic surgery, as one of the main users of medical implant devices in the UK, is now demonstrating the highest standards of patient safety with regard to their use. Patient safety and clinical outcomes continue to improve year-on-year, as identified through the continual reduction of revision surgery.
The NJR produces this Annual Report which summarises its work and shares the analysis of data for the past year, visually in tables and graphs, for procedures across each of the joints, as well as implant and hospital outcomes.
The NJR supports the use of its extensive data for a wide range of research studies relating to joint replacement surgery. Its research programme supports research applications and fellowships to use NJR data. Summaries of research papers are included in this report; with a full list of those published this year provided in our Annual Report, Appendix 4.
Since the impact of COVID, joint replacement activity has recovered and has continued to increase and now volumes exceed those seen in any year since the pandemic, with the independent sector playing an increasingly significant role in delivering NHS-funded procedures, supporting improved access to surgery and helping to reduce waiting times.
We are ever grateful to patients undergoing joint surgery, for enabling the NJR to develop such a rich and valuable data source by providing consent for their data to be added to the registry for analysis. The registry is also appreciative of the work of data entry staff in all participating hospitals, who engage in stringent data quality audit programmes to ensure the data submitted is high-quality, accurate and as complete as is possible.