What you need to know before having a knee or hip replaced -

One of the largest demographic groups in U.S. history is graying fast and demanding treatments to keep active and mobile. That has made knee and hip replacements a booming surgery for the baby boomer generation. Experts estimate that 7 million Americans by 2010 had had one or more.

Doctors have improved both. Once reserved for dire cases or those, like athletes, with special needs, joint replacements aren’t as dramatic as they once were. Especially with Uncle Sam footing the bill for seasoned citizens, knee and hip replacements have become more affordable. But just because a surgery also is more routine, accessible, and generally effective, it doesn’t mean it should be taken lightly.