Baby Boomers Still Trying To Score Joints

Nothing raises the profile of an ailment faster than an afflicted journalist. Covering his knee replacement surgery, veteran LA Times columnist Steve Lopez learns of a pending shortage. Sounds like dudes will be smuggling knees instead of keys:

[My doctor] told me about a recent forecast that, by the year 2030, there will not be enough joint replacement surgeons to meet the demand. In 25 years, the number of people whose activity is limited by arthritis is expected to grow by 40%, to 67 million adults.

And we think we've got budget and healthcare policy issues now?

Imagine 67 million people on bowed legs — planet of the apes — squinting at mobile devices, trying to find the app that controls the volume on their hearing aids.