Previous research has demonstrated increased early complication rates following total hip arthroplasty (THA) in obese patients, as defined by body mass index (BMI). Subcutaneous fat depth (FD) has been shown to be an independent risk factor for wound infection in cervical and lumbar spine surgery, as well as after abdominal laparotomy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether increased peritrochanteric FD was associated with an increased risk of complications in the first year following THA. We analyzed prospectively collected data on a consecutive series of 1,220 primary THAs from June 2013 until May 2018. The vertical soft tissue depth from the most prominent part of the greater trochanter to the skin was measured intraoperatively using a sterile ruler and recorded to the nearest millimetre. BMI was calculated at the patient’s preoperative assessment. All surgical complications occuring within the initial 12 months of follow-up were identified.Aims
Methods
Obesity is a risk factor for complications following
many orthopaedic procedures. The purpose of this study was to investigate
whether obesity was an independent risk factor increasing the rate
of complications following periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) and to
determine whether radiographic correction after PAO was affected
by obesity. We retrospectively collected demographic, clinical and radiographic
data on 280 patients (231 women; 82.5% and 49 men; 17.5%) who were
followed for a mean of 48 months (12 to 60) after PAO. A total of
65 patients (23.2%) were obese (body mass index (BMI) >
30 kg/m2).
Univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated that BMI was an independent
risk factor associated with the severity of the complications. The
average probability of a patient developing a major complication
was 22% (95% confidence interval (CI) 11.78 to 38.21) for an obese
patient compared with 3% (95% CI 1.39 to 6.58) for a non-obese patient
The odds of a patient developing a major complication were 11 times
higher (95% CI 4.71 to 17.60, p <
0.0001) for an obese compared
with a non-obese patient. Following PAO surgery, there was no difference in radiographic
correction between obese and non-obese patients. PAO procedures
in obese patients correct the deformity effectively but are associated
with an increased rate of complications. Cite this article:
