No influence of body mass index on early outcome following total hip arthroplasty

We reviewed patients who had undergone total hip arthroplasties between January 2000 and October 2002 in order to determine whether a high body mass index (BMI) results in an increase in complications or re-operations. We compared 179 hip arthroplasties in 162 patients with an average BMI of 22.5 (18.6–24.9) with 164 hip arthroplasties in 151 age-matched patients with an average BMI of 33.3 (30–39.6). There was no difference in satisfaction between obese and non-obese patients following arthroplasty using a self-administered validated questionnaire (obese =  91%, non-obese = 93%, p=0.84). At a minimum of one year follow up, there was no statistically significant difference in the rates of complication (obese = 8.7%, non-obese = 7.6%, p=0.76) or revision surgery (obese = 3.6%, non-obese = 3.2%, p=0.85). In the short term a BMI >30 plays no role in an increase in complications or re-operation.