© Lippincott-Raven Publishers. Volume 1(345) December 1997 pp 134-139 Cost Effectiveness and Quality of Life in Knee Arthroplasty [Symposium: The Insall Award] Lavernia, Carlos J. MD; Guzman, Jose F. MS, BE; Gachupin-Garcia, Andrea BS From the Division of Arthritis Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Miami, School of Medicine, Miami, FL. Supported by Howmedica. Reprint requests to Carlos J. Lavernia, MD, 1321 Northwest 14th Street, Suite 203, Miami, FL 33125. Outline  Abstract  MATERIALS AND METHODS  RESULTS  DISCUSSION  References Graphics  Table 1  Table 2  Fig 1  Fig 2  Fig 3  Fig 4 Abstract Few studies quantitate the cost of a quality well being as produced by arthroplasty surgery. The objective was to use the Quality of Well Being Index to calculate the cost per quality of well year in knee arthroplasty surgery. The difference in Quality of Well Being Index scores before and after the intervention was calculated and multiplied by the patient's life expectancy. The procedure cost was divided by this quantity resulting in the cost of a quality well year. One hundred patients underwent a primary knee arthroplasty. There were 30 males (average age, 62 years old) and 70 females(average age, 64 years old). The calculated costs per a quality well year were $30,695 (standard deviation