Knee and Hip Replacement Triggers Weight Loss in Patients

A study by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine reveals that patients lose a significant amount of weight after knee or hip replacement surgery.

Published in Orthopedics, the study included a total of 196 osteoarthritis patients from Mount Sinai who had knee or hip replacement from 2005 to 2006. The mean age at surgery was 67.56; 65% were female. The study revealed that 19.9% demonstrated a clinically significant decrease in weight and BMI after their surgery. Those receiving knee replacement surgery were more likely to lose weight as well and those who were obese prior to the surgery were most likely to experience significant post surgery weight reductions.

“Total joint arthroplasties are performed with the intent of relieving a patient's pain and disability,” said the study's lead author Michael Bronson, MD, chief of Joint Replacement Surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in a press release. “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.”