Stay Connected With Us

Gastric bypass surgery may diminish knee pain in obese patients

Doctor Physician Surgery Operation Operating Room
(Photo : Pixabay)

There is a known link between elevated body mass index (BMI) and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). While patients who have undergone gastric bypass surgery (GBS)-a procedure that closes off much of the stomach and causes food to bypass a portion of the small intestine─typically lose weight, the comparative impact of this weight loss on knee pain and function has not been measured.

The new study, "The Impact of Gastric Bypass Surgery Compared to Total Knee Arthroplasty on Knee Symptoms," presented today at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), included two groups of patients: 20 GBS patients (16 women and four men) with a mean age of 52 years and a mean pre-operative BMI of 45.6 kg/m², and 40 patients who underwent total knee replacement (TKR) for symptomatic OA.

The groups were matched two-to-one by age, gender and BMI. In both groups, knee symptoms were assessed preoperatively, as well as at six months and one year following surgery. Bariatric surgery patients reported significant improvement in mean knee pain (6.95 versus 2.30 points) and physical function (21.5 versus 7.05) at one-year follow up. When compared to patients who underwent TKR, the percentage improvement in mean pain scores was similar between the two groups at six months (49.9 percent versus 58.3 percent) and one year (62.7 percent versus 68.2 percent). The GBS group experienced a significantly greater percentage improvement in physical function at six months (66.3 percent versus 46.7 percent), and a similar, though marginally non-significant difference at one year (68.4 percent versus 51.5 percent).

Comparatively, GBS patients with self-reported OA had greater knee pain and worse function preoperatively when compared to those without OA, as well as a smaller percentage improvement in pain (63.5 versus 74 percent) and function (66.4 versus 72.9 percent) at final follow up. The study authors recommend that surgeons consider bariatric consultation for obese patients who have knee symptoms but lack advanced osteoarthritis or other conditions amendable to orthopaedic management.

Mar 14, 2014 05:09 PM EDT By

Provided By American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Right Now

Healthy Living 5 Benefits of Visiting A Dentist Regularly

5 Benefits of Visiting A Dentist Regularly
Medicine Where Do Unused and Expired Medications Go?

Where Do Unused and Expired Medications Go?

Don't Miss

Research Photo:

Tomatoes: Affordable Source of L-DOPA, Treament Drug for Parkinson's
Healthy Living Photo:

5 Everyday Foods That Slowly Harms Your Health
Why Your Medical Practice Needs To Be Accessible Both In-Person And Online Research

Why Your Medical Practice Needs To Be Accessible Both Physically And Online

As we enter into a period where equality, diversity, and inclusion are at the forefront of social agendas, it's becoming increasingly important for businesses, including medical clinics, to put steps in place to

BioVaxys: On the Cusp of Success for Cancer Vaccine Medicine

BioVaxys: On the Cusp of Success for Cancer Vaccine

The World Health Organisation categorizes cancer as the "second leading cause of death globally," and accounts for an estimated one in six deaths worldwide.
Product

Vaccine Temperature Monitoring Device

There's no running away from the fact that the healthcare facilities across the globe are trying hard to find a common ground when it comes to monitoring the temperature on the vaccine.
Real Time Analytics