Relationship between high body mass index and adverse events in primary hip and knee arthroplasties

Abstract

Background: One of the current goals in total hip and knee surgery is to control perioperative adverse events. An important step to achieve this goal is the identification of the factors that increase the risk of occurrence for those outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between an increased body mass index (BMI) and the risk of perioperative adverse events in total hip or knee arthroplasty.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted by identifying patients who underwent total hip or knee replacement and determining the association between body mass index and the frequency of adverse events. Descriptive statistical analysis was subsequently performed and correlation coefficients were calculated.
Results: A total of 194 hip or knee arthroplasties were reviewed, which included 73 patients with a normal BMI and 121 patients with an increased BMI. An adverse event was recorded in 12.5% of the patients in the normal BMI group, whereas 8.4% and 10.5% in the overweight and obesity groups, respectively, had adverse events. In the category of serious adverse events, the rates were 4.2%, 2.4%, and 0%, respectively.
Discussion: In this study, an increased body mass index was not related to a higher prevalence of perioperative adverse events. There does not seem to be an increased risk for complications in overweight patients who undergo a total hip or knee arthroplasty.