Losing weight means better joint replacement outcomes, says new study

 People who lose weight after a joint replacement do better in terms of function and activity level two years after the operation, says a study from the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. And although many overweight people set out to lose weight after joint replacement, the same number actually gain weight as lose

“Our findings represent the first report to present evidence that weight loss is associated with improved clinical outcomes, while weight gain is associated with inferior outcomes,” says Dr Geoffrey Westrich, senior investigator.

The study is based on data from nearly 7,000 people enrolled in the joint replacement registry at HSS. A total of 3,036 knee and 3,893 hip replacement surgeries were reviewed.

Dr Westrich and his team found that while some lose or gain weight after joint replacement, most people do neither. Key findings were:

• 74% of total knee replacement patients and 84% of total hip replacement patients did not demonstrate a change in BMI after surgery.
• People who had knee replacement who lost weight after surgery had better pain, functioning and activity scores when compared to those who maintained or gained weight after surgery.
• Gaining weight was associated with lower scores for both hip and knee replacement patients.
• People who had knee replacements were more likely to lose weight after surgery than those who had hip replacements.
• Those who were obese before joint replacement were more likely to lose weight than those who were of normal weight or overweight.
• Obese or overweight women undergoing joint replacement were more likely to lose weight than their male or normal weight counterparts.
• People who were more active before the operation were more likely to maintain their weight than to gain or lose weight.

“Based on our findings, as physicians, we should convey to our patients the importance of maintaining good health and an appropriate weight, and we should help them in any way we can to achieve this goal,” concludes Dr Westrich.