The effect of obesity on the outcome of total knee arthroplasties in arthritic patients

Abstract

The purpose of an arthritic patient receiving a total knee arthroplasty is to relinquish them of their pain and return them to a normal level of functionality. In obese patients, it is unclear if their increased body mass impedes their recovery process. Since obesity is an epidemic on the rise in the United States, it is of great importance to determine whether it is worth it for obese patients to undergo a total knee arthroplasty or if they need to take any precautions. While there is already a great deal of research on this topic, it is incredibly unclear and does not draw any conclusions. This study is a meta-analysis of four different studies looking at how obesity affects the outcome of a total knee replacement. Each study was looked at for its purpose, methods, perioperative and immediate results, implant survival results, functionality results, discussion, limitations, and conclusions. Within these four studies, there were instances in which they agreed; however, there were also instances in which they directly contradicted each other. The conclusions of all four studies were similar and advised that obese patients should be counseled on their risk. One interesting point was made that perhaps these studies need to be looking at total body weight instead of body mass index because one is absolutely whole the other in relative. The data from the meta-analysis could not support the hypothesis since there was no general consensus, but it does provide novel insight into this field of study that could change future experiments to provide meaningful results.