Increase in Postoperative Body Mass Index in Patients After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Cureus. 2023 Sep 29;15(9):e46203. doi: 10.7759/cureus.46203. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this is to investigate the changes in body mass index (BMI) following knee arthroplasty and to evaluate their impact on patient-reported outcomes and functional evaluations. Methods This observational study included 90 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and were followed up for a median period of 2.6 years. BMI measurements were recorded before and after surgery, and patient-reported outcomes and functional evaluations were assessed using standardized scales and tests. Results Following TKA, BMI increased statistically significantly (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.000). In addition, half of the patients experienced an increase in BMI, with 32% moving up in their BMI category. However, there were no clinically significant differences in patient-reported outcomes or functional evaluations between the group that gained BMI and the group that maintained or lost BMI. Conclusion This study reveals that patients tend to have increased BMI following TKA. However, these BMI changes do not significantly impact patient-reported outcomes or functional evaluations. It underscores the importance of patient education regarding healthy lifestyle habits, including diet and physical activity, to address postoperative weight gain effectively.

Keywords: body mass index (bmi); functional evaluation; knee osteoarthritis; obesity; patient-reported outcome; primary total knee arthroplasty; total knee replacement (tkr).

Grants and funding

This project was supported by funds awarded in the "Free Topics for Clinical and Basic-Clinical Research 2021" competition of the Research Support Office (OAIC) of the Hospital Clinico Universidad de Chile.