title: Relationship of body mass index to early complications in knee replacement surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between body mass index and early complications following knee replacement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred and twenty-seven patients who underwent primary knee replacement were recruited. All these patients were subjected to a pre-operative assessment and follow-up at 6 weeks and 1 year following surgery. Any complication occurring during this period was recorded. Complications were grouped into systemic and local, minor and major.
  
  
  RESULTS
  12.1% (N = 64) patients had an early complication following knee replacement surgery; 9.2% (N = 48) patients had a major complication. Overall BMI did not seem to influence significantly the rate of complication with a P-value of 0.338. A stronger correlation was found between the surgeon and presence of complication with a P-value of 0.004.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMI has a weak correlation to early complications following joint replacement surgery. The operating surgeon seems to have a stronger correlation to early complications as compared with BMI.
authors.affiliation: Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 6NT, UK. orthopatel@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albrizio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies