The Obesity Epidemic—Its Effect on Total Joint Arthroplasty

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Resource use has increased exponentially in dealing with the obese total joint patient. Increased complications, operative times, and hospital stays have been documented, whereas the increased physical stress and injury to health professionals remain unstudied. This study sought to determine if the body mass index (BMI) for joint arthroplasty patients has increased with time and if reimbursement has kept pace with the growing size of the patient cohort.