People who are obese are more likely to have serious complications following total knee replacement surgery, according to a new analysis of studies.
The review, published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, indicates obese patients have higher rates of infection after knee replacement and are more likely to require follow-up surgery.
“Orthopedic operations can technically be more difficult in obese people, and it is important for us to know whether there is a higher complication rate in the obese, and if the long-term outcome is worse,” said lead researcher Dr. Gino M.M.J. Kerkhoffs, a surgeon at the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam.
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Kerkhoffs and colleagues noted obesity, on the rise in the United States, raises the risk of developing osteoarthritis, which can lead to the need for knee surgery.
The new analysis found obese patients have twice as many infections following total knee replacement surgery, compared to non-obese patients, and nearly double the rate of follow-up surgery.
Researchers said the results indicate obese patients should be informed of the likelihood of complications following total knee replacement and advised to lose weight.