To determine rates of joint replacement for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) and to examine the characteristics of those receiving elbow replacements.
Data were extracted from the New Zealand Joint Registry from 1999 to 2015 and annual rates calculated.
Rates of joint replacement increased over time for OA but not RA. Elbow replacement was the only procedure performed more commonly in RA.
There has been a substantial increase in joint replacement for OA in New Zealand. For RA, where access to biologics has been limited to those with erosions, joint replacement rates have not declined, with the exception of elbow replacements.