Abstract
We reviewed patients who had undergone total hip arthroplasties between January 2000 and October 2002 in order to determine whether a high body mass index (BMI) results in an increase in complications or re-operations. We compared 179 hip arthroplasties in 162 patients with an average BMI of 22.5 (18.6-24.9) with 164 hip arthroplasties in 151 age-matched patients with an average BMI of 33.3 (30-39.6). There was no difference in satisfaction between obese and non-obese patients following arthroplasty using a self-administered validated questionnaire (obese = 91%, non-obese = 93%, p=0.84). At a minimum of one year follow up, there was no statistically significant difference in the rates of complication (obese = 8.7%, non-obese = 7.6%, p=0.76) or revision surgery (obese = 3.6%, non-obese = 3.2%, p=0.85). In the short term a BMI >30 plays no role in an increase in complications or re-operation.