Do patients lose weight after total knee replacement?

• Published in: Revista brasileira de ortopedia Vol. 52; no. 2; pp. 159 - 163
• Main Authors: Schwartsmann, Carlos Roberto, Borges, Alexandre Moreira, Freitas, Geraldo Luiz Schuck de, Migon, Eduardo Zaniol, Oliveira, Gustavo Kaempf de, Rodrigues, Marcos Wainberg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Elsevier 01-03-2017; Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia; Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda
• Subjects: Artroplastia do joelho; Original; ORTHOPEDICS; Índice de massa corporal; Body mass index; Obesity; Knee arthroplasty; Índice de massa corporal; Artroplastia do joelho
• ISSN: 2255-4971; 1982-4378; 2255-4971
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rboe.2017.01.003

Several studies show that patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) tend to maintain or gain weight after the procedure, which would result in increased wear of the prosthesis and new surgical interventions in a smaller period of time in comparison with patients with adequate body mass index (BMI). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TKA surgery on these patients' BMI.
Initially the records were analyzed, chosen at random from 91 patients undergoing TKA during the period from August 2011 to July 2013. Patients were stratified by BMI as normal weight (BMI between 20 and 25), overweight (BMI between 25 and 30), and obesity (BMI > 30). They were re-evaluated in a minimum period of 18 months.
The mean age of the sample population was 68.1 years; 69.1 for men and 67.2 for women. The mean preoperative BMI was 27.24 kg/m
. Among the study participants, in the preoperative period, 17 patients had normal weight, 65 were overweight, and nine were obese. Postoperative analysis showed weight loss in 41 patients (46%), and weight gain in 50 patients (54%). The mean postoperative BMI was 27.16 kg/m
, in general, experiencing a slight decline in the mean BMI of 0.08 kg/m
.
Patients who underwent TKA did not achieve significant reduction in BMI after surgery.