Patient Optimization—Strategies That Work: Malnutrition

Patient optimization is receiving increasing attention as outcomes monitoring and bundled payments have been introduced in joint arthroplasty. Optimization of nutrition is an important aspect of perioperative management.

This manuscript is a review of previously published material related to nutrition and the impact of malnutrition on surgical outcomes, with guidance for surgeons preparing patients for elective joint arthroplasty.

Patients with optimized nutritional parameters have fewer complications, especially related to wound healing and infection.

Nutritional assessment and optimization should be a part of the perioperative management of patients undergoing lower extremity arthroplasty.