Actress Jane Kaczmarek Teams Up With DePuy Orthopaedics to Launch Osteoarthritis Awareness and Education Program

WARSAW, Ind., Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Motivated by her behind-the-scenes struggle with severe hip pain, Emmy®-nominated actress and bilateral hip replacement patient Jane Kaczmarek is joining forces with DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. (DePuy) to launch the Anatomy of Movement Experience, an educational program that demonstrates the disabling effects of osteoarthritis and encourages those suffering with severe knee or hip pain to start a conversation with a doctor about their treatment options.

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For Jane, whose lifestyle demands 10-12 hours a day on her feet, years of battling severe hip pain due to osteoarthritis nearly forced her to give up on a career in TV and film.

"Like me, many people endure severe hip pain for years before consulting a doctor. I even started moving my car from one end of the mall to the other just to avoid long walks," says Kaczmarek. "It was not until I had to pass on a big movie offer due to the pain that I knew I had to get help and talk with my doctor about treatment options."

The Anatomy of Movement Experience is a unique exhibit that is traveling the country and stopping at health and consumer expos. At the Anatomy of Movement Experience, visitors can tour a 30-foot walk-through exhibit of the human leg, talk with healthcare professionals about severe hip and knee pain, take an osteoarthritis self assessment quiz and speak with patients about their experiences with total joint replacement.

"Looking back on the years of pain that I experienced, choosing to have my hips replaced was one of the best decisions I have ever made," says Kaczmarek. "Following a rehabilitation program after my surgeries, within weeks I was back to walking long distances, climbing stairs and doing the things I wanted to do. I couldn't believe I waited so long."

Osteoarthritis: Leading Source of Disability

People are often unaware that the most frequent cause of hip or knee discomfort and chronic joint pain is osteoarthritis, a debilitating condition that begins with pain in the affected joint and does not get better with time. If left untreated, osteoarthritis can cause bone deterioration and pose long-term health issues.(i) It is estimated that one in every five people in the United States has some form of arthritis and that osteoarthritis is one of the most common reasons a person will need a joint replacement.(ii) Hip or knee replacement surgery is an option for people diagnosed with advanced osteoarthritis associated with joint pain, serious limitations in physical mobility and an overall reduced quality of life.

"We know that despite the proven benefits of joint replacement surgery, people suffering from chronic hip or knee pain wait, on average, seven to 11 years before undergoing joint replacement surgery.(iii) With baby boomers hitting their most at-risk years for chronic hip or knee problems, knowledge of the various treatment options available to them has become more important than ever," says Rodrigo Diaz, M.D., Scientific Information Officer at DePuy Orthopaedics.  

About the Anatomy of Movement Experience

The Anatomy of Movement Experience is an educational initiative that explores many facets of joint disease and treatment and serves as a platform for those who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery to share their journeys with others who are considering that path. These patients illustrate how hip or knee replacements stand up to the rigors of daily life and inspire confidence in people living with severe knee or hip pain to talk with a doctor about a solution that is right for them. More information about the Anatomy of Movement Experience, including the exhibit's next stop on its nationwide tour is available at www.AnatomyofMovementExperience.com.  To learn more about hip or knee replacement, and to read the stories of joint replacement patients, please visit www.RealLifeTested.com.

Important Safety Information

The performance of knee and hip replacements depends on age, weight, activity level, and other factors. There are potential risks and recovery takes time. People with conditions limiting rehabilitation should not have knee or hip replacement surgery. Only an orthopaedic surgeon can determine if knee or hip replacement is indicated based on an individual patient's condition.

About DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc.

DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. is a leading global provider of orthopaedic devices for hip, knee, extremities and trauma, as well as bone cement and operating room products. To learn more, please visit www.DePuy.com.

Jane Kaczmarek is being compensated by DePuy Orthopaedics, the sponsor of the Anatomy of Movement Experience.

The third party trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

(i) Arthritis Foundation. (2008) Arthritis Prevalence: A Nation in Pain. http://www.arthritis.org/media/newsroom/media-kits/Arthritis_Prevalence.pdf. Accessed August 25, 2011.

(ii) MMWR 2006; 55(40):1089-1092. [Data Source: 2003-2005 NHIS]

(iii) Data on file at DePuy Orthopaedics.

SOURCE DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc.