Joint Replacement Surgery May Help Rid Obesity

According to an orthopedic study, osteoarthritis patients who were obese lost weight after undergoing total knee or total hip replacement surgery.

Among a study group of 196 patients, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that approximately 20 percent lost at least 5 percent or more of their body weight and experienced a considerable decrease in body mass index (BMI) after undergoing total joint replacement or arthroplasty.

In general, the average weight of the study group dropped from 175 pounds to 172 pounds after surgery. The findings imply that total joint replacement may help with weight loss and weight management for overweight patients with osteoarthritis. This is because the damaged bone is replaced with prosthetics, which increases patients’ mobility and reduces the pain and disability that comes with osteoarthritis.

Obesity is an independent cause for osteoarthritis of the hip and knee because the excess weight can damage the joints and contribute to cartilage breakdown. With replacing the injured joint, patients are able to walk and be active again, contributing to weight loss.

For more information on total joint replacement, please contact the specialists at Southern California Orthopedic Institute at (877) 933-3387.

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