Patient Obesity: A Growing Concern of Successful Total Knee Arthroplasty

The study reviews the outcome of total knee arthroplasty in obese patients. Knee arthroplasty in obese patients is a more technically challenging procedure. It carries a higher risk of postoperative infection, and the final functional score may not be as good as that of the nonobese patient. However, the pain relief and improvement in knee function are significant, and implant survival is equivalent to nonobese patients. Knee arthroplasty should not be denied to obese patients despite the concerns, as the overall improvement of quality of life is highly significant.

Keywords: total knee replacement, obesity