A study recently published in The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery shows that among normal-weight and obese patients, there is no significant difference in clinical outcomes after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (surgery to meniscus in the knee). The study was published by UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine physicians, Dr. Leslie Bisson, Dr. Geoffrey Bernas, Dr. Marc Fineberg, Dr. John Marzo, Dr. Michael Rauh, and Dr. William Wind. They found that while obese patients (BMI > 30) had worse pain and function scores before surgery, compared with normal-weight patients (BMI < 25), after 1 year of surgery, there were no statistically significant differences in outcomes. However, obesity was associated with decreased knee flexion after surgery (bending at the knee joint).
Dr. Bisson was recently interviewed for Healio Orthopaedics Today, in which he stated that “Secondary analysis of data from the Chondral Lesions and Meniscal Procedures (CHAMP) Randomized Trial, which excluded subjects with radiographic evidence of knee [degenerative joint disease] DJD, found that overweight and obese patients had similar outcomes to those with normal BMI after arthroscopic meniscectomy.” These results enable orthopaedic surgeons to feel confident in the short term that their patients’ body weight won’t affect outcomes.
UBMD Ortho physicians are also professors at the University at Buffalo, training the next generation of doctors and conducting innovative research in the area of orthopaedics and sports medicine. Our physicians stay current on the very best practices and the latest advances in medicine, so that our patients receive the most up-to-date care. For more information on research in the Department of Orthopaedics, please click here.