title: Intra-operative and short term outcome of total knee arthroplasty in morbidly obese patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Longer operation times, poorer patient outcomes and increased early post-operative complications are reasons cited for not undertaking total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on morbidly obese patients. This study tests the hypothesis that there is no difference in intra-operative parameters between morbidly obese and non-obese patients, and no difference in patient outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intra-operative parameters, post-operative complications, patient outcomes and knee range of motion were compared between morbidly obese patients (BMI>40 kg/m2) and individually age and gender matched non-obese patients (BMI<30 kg/m2) undergoing cementless rotating platform TKA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anaesthetic times and length of hospital stay were not significantly different between the morbidly obese and non-obese patients. Surgical time was significantly greater in morbidly obese patients. Improvements in patient outcomes following TKA were not significantly different between the morbidly obese and non-obese patients at early and short-term follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In contrast to previous studies, post-operative complication rates within three months of surgery and up to one year post-operatively were not significantly higher for morbidly obese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  III.
authors.affiliation: Outcome Assessment Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Rjnapier@doctors.org.uk.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Napier
authors.affiliation: Outcome Assessment Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Outcome Assessment Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Outcome Assessment Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Doran
authors.affiliation: Outcome Assessment Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sykes
authors.affiliation: Whitla Medical Building, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Outcome Assessment Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Beverland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications*; D061646:Operative Time; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Intra-operative; Knee replacement; Morbid obesity; Outcome