Obesity May Increase Need for Joint Replacement

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Obesity May Increase Need for Joint Replacement

Obesity is one of several health factors associated with osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis, meanwhile, is one of the leading reasons for surgery involving replacement of the hip or knee joint. It follows, therefore, that obesity is - at the least - an indirect contributor to joint replacement.

Exactly what role overweight and obesity play in the incidence of joint replacement surgery remains unclear, however.
In this Canadian study, researchers investigated the relationship between overweight, obesity, and joint replacement in a group of more than 17,000 people undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery in 2003 and 2004. Patients were assigned to one of four categories (underweight, acceptable weight, overweight, or obese) based on internally accepted standards for body mass index (BMI). Among the study's findings:

Eighty-one percent of joint replacement patients with BMI measurements were classified as being obese or overweight. Only 18 percent of joint replacement patients had an "acceptable" weight, with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.
Eighty-seven percent of knee replacement patients were considered overweight or obese, as were 72 percent of hip replacement patients.
After adjusting for patient age and gender, obese patients were three more times as likely to have a knee or hip replacement compared to people with acceptable weights. Overweight patients were twice as likely to have joint replacement surgery.

Our data tell us that being obese or overweight not only increases the likelihood of needing a joint replacement, but it also has a negative impact on how well a patient recovers and how long a patient remains in hospital following surgery," said an executive with the Canadian Institute for Health Information, which conducted the study. "Being obese or overweight can also increase the necessity for repeat surgeries - modifications to or replacements of the artificial joints - because the extra weight adds more wear and tear on the prostheses."
Canadian Joint Replacement Registry. 2005 Report - Total Hip and Total Knee Replacements in Canada. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Canadian Institute for Health Information.