Purpose: To evaluate the effect of obesity on perioperative morbidity following total hip arthroplasty in patients with severe osteoarthritis.
Materials and Methods: Between April 1987 and April 2007, 272 patients with severe osteoarthritis underwent total hip arthroplasty. One hundred seventeen patients were obese (body mass index, BMI≥25 kg/m²), and 155 were not obese (BMI<25 kg/m²). Through retrospective medical record research we were able to determine length of hospital stay, operation time, total blood loss and replacement, and surgical and medical complication rates for the two groups.
Results: The obese and non-obese groups were similar in terms of length of hospital stay, operation time, total blood loss and replacement, and surgical complication rate (p>0.05). However, the medical complication rate was significantly higher in the obese group compared to the non-obese group (4.3% vs. 0.6%, p<0.005).
Conclusion: In severe osteoarthritis patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, obesity (BMI≥25 kg/m²) has no observable effect on perioperative morbidity in terms of length of hospital stay, operation time, total blood loss and replacement, or surgical complication rate, but is associated with a higher medical complication rate.

Keywords: Hip joint, Osteoarthritis, Obesity, Body mass index, Complication, Total hip arthroplasty