title: The influence of obesity on total joint arthroplasty.
abstract: Obesity is an epidemic across both the developed   and developing nations that is possibly the most important current   public health factor affecting the morbidity and mortality of the global   population. Obese patients have the potential to pose several challenges   for arthroplasty surgeons from the standpoint of the influence obesity   has on osteoarthritic symptoms, their peri-operative medical management,   the increased intra-operative technical demands on the surgeon,   the intra- and post-operative complications, the long term outcomes   of total hip and knee arthroplasty. Also, there is no consensus   on the role the arthroplasty surgeon should have in facilitating   weight loss for these patients, nor whether obesity should affect   the access to arthroplasty procedures.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, London Health Sciences Centre, University Hospital, 339 Windermere Road, London, Ontario N6A 5A5, Canada.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Vasarhelyi
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: MacDonald
mesh_terms: D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D019990:Perioperative Care; D010819:Physician's Role; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome