Knee, Hip Replacements May Aid Weight Loss: Study

THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Weight loss has been noted among patients who've had a knee or hip replacement, a new study says.

The research focused on 196 patients, mean age 67 years, who had knee or hip replacement surgery (arthroplasty) at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City between 2005 and 2007.

The researchers found that, after their surgery, nearly 20 percent of the patients had significant weight loss (5 percent or more of body weight) and decreased body mass index (BMI), which is a measurement that takes into account a person's height and weight. The mean weight of the patients decreased from 175.5 pounds to 172.2 pounds, they noted.

Knee replacement patients were more likely than hip replacement patients to experience a significant decrease in BMI (21.5 percent and 16.9 percent, respectively). Patients with a BMI score greater than 30 before their surgery, and therefore considered obese, were most likely to have significant post-surgery weight loss.

"Total joint arthroplasties are performed with the intent of relieving a patient's pain and disability. Both total knee patients and total hip patients experienced a statistically significant and clinically significant corrected weight loss following surgery, which indicates a healthier overall lifestyle," lead author Dr. Michael Bronson, chief of joint replacement surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said in a Mount Sinai news release.

Further studies of knee and hip replacement patients that also include diet counseling and long-term fitness goals may show even more encouraging weight loss results, the researchers noted.

The study was published in the June issue of the journal Orthopedics.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has more about joint replacement.

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